I've been reading a lot of threads about websites and SEO on here and my general impression is everyone wants to do it on the cheap. Either DIY or pay for 'SEO' as if it's a one time thing. Yet many happily pay out £300-£500 a month on other forms of marketing.
I think there are two reasons for this. The main one is fear of spending money on something they don't understand and therefore could get ripped off (which is understandable). The other is some SEO is DIYable (just like carpet cleaning
) but there's a big difference between someone who thinks they know what they are doing and someone who actually does....ie RESULTS.
Why on earth would you spend your time learning SEO, doing what you think is 'SEO' when you can be cleaning carpets at £50-£100 an hour? Is it because you haven't got a full diary and messing around on the computer looks a far better option than trudging the streets in the cold? What if 2-3 months down the line what you were doing was wrong and you don't know why it hasn't worked?
If you are going to invest time learning, learn how to find someone who will deliver RESULTS for you, pay them and let them get on with it.
Options
Lease a site that's already high ranking - safe bet, but costs, the site is not your asset.
Buy a high ranking site for your area - obvious benefits but costly and if you get the transition wrong you may lose authority and ranking.
Pay someone to do your Google Maps PROPERLY - this is probably the cheapest and most bang for your buck option - the problem is this idea that you can do it for nothing. Of course any monkey can fill in the boxes, so why then are you still not on the map, or why has someone come in above you from nowhere.