Just my .02 here based on my experience....
SEO is a black art. I honestly believe you will be chasing your tail trying to get good results on your own without the benefit of extensive experience. You can have the most relative, well-designed, seasoned website and still rank poorly in searches. I strongly believe it is well worth the investment to hire a
SEO specialization firm to create your
SEO strategy, redesign your site's home page and then follow up with monthly maintenance.