With developments in technology these days, we can almost become too reliant on it; from RSS feeds populating our websites, to chat bots answering questions for our website visitors. But what about when it comes to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)?
- How much of this do we leave to automated systems?
- Where do they stop and humans take over?
- How reliable are they?
SEO has become very complex over the last 12 months, which means more time needs to be allocated to it, specially if you are competing at a national level. WordPress SEO plugins such as Yoast and All in One SEO Pack can provide some great results. But – and here is the catch – if something is automated, how long do you leave it for? How much do you leave to these plugins?
Some of these plugins come with a free version and a premium one. Most people will take the free version to try it out, but rarely upgrade to the premium – purely because they may get some results. The thing about these plugins is that they will provide the initial functionality of an SEO campaign, but will not provide the insight and competitor knowledge that an SEO consultant would look to include. A portion of these “automated plugins” are not fully automated and still require some basic knowledge of SEO.
Below are some areas comparing Human SEO v Automated SEO
Typical SEO Tasks | Automated SEO | SEO Consultant (Human) |
Keyword Optimisation | Yes (for a No. of keywords) | Yes |
Readability Check | Yes | Yes |
Duplicate Content Check | Yes | Yes |
Internal link suggestions | Yes (Paid for versions) | Yes |
Content Keyword Match | Yes (Paid for versions) | Yes |
Redirects | Yes (Paid for versions) | Yes |
Competitor analysis | No | Yes |
Bench marking | No | Yes |
Monthly reporting | Yes | Yes |
Review of reports | No | Yes |
Time efficient | Yes | No |
Generates results | Yes | Yes |
The above are just typical areas an SEO consultant will address. To be 100% reliant on software to deal with your SEO will save you time, and in some cases money. But it’s about weighing that work up against the results.
On the other side of the coin, having an SEO consultant will cost more, and there are some “SEO consultants” who have taken a day’s course and claim to be SEO Gurus.
SEO must complement other areas of your digital strategy such as Social Media marketing and content creation. If you are looking to embark on an SEO strategy, don’t go for the cheapest or quickest. Assess what is right for the firm’s strategy and build upon it.
Not sure about your website’s SEO performance or feel like you need a quick health check? Get your FREE website healthcheck and we will be more than happy to help.