SEO and a Brake Job

Search engine optimization or SEO is a bit of a niche within the digital marketing and development world.  It blends specific technical knowhow with basic digital marketing knowledge to create a service to help web pages and websites rank highly in the search engines.  I’ve been doing SEO for, well, let’s just say Hot Bot and Alta Vista were all the rage, so I’m not a green horn, but I would definitely not call myself a SEO god either.

So, what does SEO have to do with a brake job?  I’m glad you asked.  A few weeks ago my old Geo Prizm needed new rear brakes.  I’m no mechanic, but I’ve changed enough brakes in the past to feel like I could tackle the job.  They were drum brakes which gave me more confidence.  I began by taking off the wheel and drum and taking pictures with my phone of the old assembly to make sure I got it back together correctly.  I then proceeded to go to the parts store and make the required purchase.  After getting home and beginning the assembly process I noticed I needed a few other parts.  So, another trip to the parts store.

As I said before, I’m not a mechanic so my tools aren’t exactly up to spec for modern brake jobs, because of that it took me longer than necessary.  Also, when I was putting on the shoes I damaged a part and needed to make another trip to the store.  Upon getting back and attempting to put on the new part, I found it wouldn’t fit.  Another trip.  New part in hand, I proceeded replace it but in doing so broke a small hex wrench, so now a trip to Sears to replace the wrench.  Then I had to bleed the brake lines, which took another 2 hours due to difficulty with getting off several of the lines.

By this time I’ve spent a total of two nights and about 8 hours working on my brakes including trips to the parts stores.  Time for a test drive.  What? A knocking sound and shudder in the pedal?  By this time I was physically and mentally spent so I took it to my mechanic who looked at the car and could not find anything wrong.  After leaving the car with him for another day they finally got the brakes fixed by simply taking them completely apart and reassembling them.  We never knew what the shuddering problem was, but by the time I was finished I’d spent 3 nights, 12 hours and about $350 when I could have spent about $200 and a few hours at the repair shop to get it done correctly the first time.

So, how again does this relate to SEO?  Well, I often see designers and developers or even tech savvy clients build their own sites in WordPress or a similar CMS and tackle SEO themselves.  After hours and hours they find they are not getting the results they want so they begin looking for a solution.  Some find SEO tools, some go to pros—just like I finally took my car to the shop for them to fix correctly.  In attempting to save a few bucks I actually spent more money and time than if I would have just had it done correctly the first time.

SEO can be learned and done by a person with a fair amount of tech savvy and the correct tools, but is that really what you want to spend your time on?  To do it right will take time and money—or you can pay the pros and get it done correctly the first time.  The choice is yours. Neither is wrong but one might be more efficient and effective.