Best Resources to Learn SEO For Ranking and Competing Today
Here are the top SEO resources, vital for improving your website's Google ranking. Constantly updating SEO knowledge is crucial as the field evolves rapidly, making it tougher for loosely-optimised sites to rank. Utilise free, top-notch resources like SEO blogs, forums, YouTube channels, and free courses, complemented by Google's own SEO advice. Harness these tools to advance your SEO skills effectively in today's competitive landscape.
To make your web page rank on top of Google or other search engines, you have to constantly update and apply your knowledge of the best practices and concepts of search engine optimization. Whatever you have learnt about SEO yesterday, may not be enough today. It is fast becoming a highly complex discipline of digital marketing that makes a loosely-optimised website even more difficult to rank. And, Google keeps updating its guidelines that need regular attention on the technical SEO side. Shockingly, on Google, 90.63% of pages do not get any organic search traffic (Ahrefs). But don’t worry! All you have to do is upgrade your tactics with the best resources to learn SEO – most of which are completely free.
Best Resources to Learn SEO
Below you will find a variety of SEO resources – blog posts (beginner guides to advanced case studies), YouTube channels, forums, and SEO 101 courses. So gear up!
Top Blogs to Learn SEO
Search Engine Journal (SEJ) – Existing since 2003, this industry blog covers everything about SEO and more (PPC, content, etc.). You will find the latest SEO news, what algorithm Google is updating and more. It continues with its weekly column that started in 2016 – Ask an SEO. Here you will find detailed articles resolving commonly asked queries on every aspect of SEO – link building, marketing analytics, local search, content marketing, and so on. All perspectives are contributed by the top online marketing gurus who provide in-depth insights on creating content that internet users value.
SEO Book – Another useful SEO resource since 2003, this blog is Aaron Wall’s brainchild, who has years of experience in the field. The site is dedicated to offering DIY tips to improve your ranking and they are updated time and again.
Yoast SEO Blog – Commonly known as an important WordPress SEO plugin, the creators also have a dedicated SEO tips-and-tricks blog. It has an impressive catalogue that is categorised into SEO Basics and Top SEO Guides. The step-by-step guides here cover keyword research, local search, e-commerce, blogging and more. It features a now-discontinued section – Ask Yoast featuring around 73 SEO-related queries that you do not want to miss out on.
Search Engine Roundtable – This news-like site covers not just about Google but also how other search engines including Yahoo, Bing, are upgrading their search algorithms. Founded in 2004, it packs a bunch of SEO resources including dated interviews, latest news, etc.
SEO Theory – Written mostly by marketing expert, Michael Martinez, SEO Theory must be bookmarked by all. Blogs are regularly published here and all centre around core SEO topics. You will get to know how certain website changes affect ranking and best is, you can apply them to your own approach. It has a dedicated SEO Glossary that will come in handy when you utilise technical SEO.
Search Engine Land – It covers a lot of news on SEO and search engine marketing in general. The website covers insightful whitepapers on marketing technology that will help your business make the right marketing decisions. Besides that, you can go over to the SEO section and find a variety of blogs under important topics ranging from eCommerce, Google Algorithm Updates, Link Building and more. It is recommended that you subscribe to its newsletter.
Ahrefs – Ahrefs is one of the most renowned SEO resources out there. The blogs cover detailed case studies and tutorials that will help you learn SEO fast. You can check articles under several important topics covering keyword research, on-page SEO, off-page SEO, technical SEO and more.
While these sites are the go-to reads for SEO professionals, other essential SEO blogs, news and updates can be found on Neil Patel’s website, Moz, SEMrush, Path Interactive, and Search Engine Watch.
…And When There Is SEO, There Will Always Be Google
Google has plenty of its own SEO-related resources that you should not ignore. Google Search Central (once known as Google Webmasters) is an interactive website that offers SEO professionals, developers, or business owners sound advice through a bunch of articles.
Let’s say, you click on SEO Professional, you will have two options to choose whether your website uses only one programming language like JavaScript or uses multiple. After selecting, you can scroll down to see Google’s recommendations including JavaScript SEO basics, find out many other advanced SEO tactics, page experience signals, etc.
Check out the 5 coding skills for digital marketing professionals
Pro Tip: Bookmark/download the following Google’s important SEO resources by doing a Google search.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide
- Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
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Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
Top Forums to Learn SEO
Reddit – Big SEO, r/bigseo, and Search Engine Optimization: The Latest SEO News, r/SEO, are two active communities on Reddit that you can join.
WebmasterWorld – One of the oldest running SEO forums till date, discussion threads centre around improving website experience and Google updates, among others.
WarriorForum - It's after all the biggest internet marketing marketplace. There are tonnes of valuable advice from pros and intermediates.
Top YouTube Channels to Learn SEO
Some of the above-mentioned blog sites such as Neil Patel, Moz and Ahrefs also have their dedicated YouTube channels. A few other YouTube channels for learning SEO are listed below.
- Craig Campbell SEO
- Chase Reiner
- HubSpot
- Authority Hacker
- RustyBrick Barry Schwartz Search Engine Roundtable
- Matt Diggity
- Julian Goldie
Free Courses to Learn SEO
If you want to test your skills, there are quite a few SEO courses that you can enrol for free, give the exams and earn a free certificate upon completion. Here is a list.
- SEO Fundamentals Certification Course on SEMrush Academy
- How to Find the SEO Strategy Most Suited to Your Business on HubSpot Academy
- SEO Training Course: Building Sustainable Traffic for Business Growth on HubSpot Academy
Check out more free SEO courses
Conclusion
So which SEO resource do you think will help you more? Or will they be enough to advance your SEO skills in today?
FAQs
What are the 4 areas of SEO?
The four main areas of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) are:
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On-Page SEO: Refers to optimising individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. This involves content creation, keyword usage, meta tags, headings, URL structure, and internal linking.
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Off-Page SEO: Involves activities conducted outside of your website to enhance its visibility and authority. This includes link building, social media marketing, influencer outreach, and online reputation management.
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Technical SEO: Focuses on the technical aspects of a website to improve its indexing and crawling by search engine bots. It includes website speed optimization, mobile-friendliness, site architecture, structured data, and XML sitemaps.
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Content SEO: Concentrates on creating high-quality, relevant, and valuable content that meets user intent. This involves keyword research, content creation, optimising for user experience, and keeping content fresh and up-to-date.
What are the best SEO tools?
You can check out Ahrefs, SEMrush, Ubersuggest, AIOSEO, Rank Tracker, SurferSEO, and similar. Also check some detailed reviews on our blog on SEO tools.
How to get 100% SEO?
Achieving a 100% perfect SEO score may not be a tangible goal, as it involves numerous factors and constantly evolving algorithms. However, here are actionable steps to significantly enhance your SEO.
- Keyword Strategy: Conduct comprehensive keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush. Identify relevant, low-competition keywords that align with your content and target audience.
- Content Quality: Create high-quality, informative, and engaging content. Focus on solving users' problems, answering their queries, and providing valuable insights. Ensure it's well-structured, readable, and offers unique perspectives.
- On-Page Optimisation: Optimise meta titles, descriptions, and headings with targeted keywords. Keep URLs concise and descriptive. Use descriptive alt text for images and incorporate internal links to relevant pages on your site.
- Technical SEO: Regularly audit your website for technical issues like broken links, slow loading pages, or mobile responsiveness problems. Use Google Search Console to monitor site health and rectify issues promptly.
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Ensure your website is responsive and provides an optimal user experience across various devices, especially on mobile. Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to check and improve mobile usability.
- Link Building: Focus on earning quality backlinks from reputable websites within your niche. Guest posting, partnerships, and creating shareable content can help attract authoritative links.
- User Experience (UX): Improve site navigation, readability, and accessibility. Optimise for faster loading times, intuitive design, and clear calls-to-action to enhance user experience.
- Analytics & Monitoring: Regularly track and analyse your website's performance using tools like Google Analytics 4. Monitor keyword rankings, traffic patterns, and user behaviour to identify areas for improvement.
Is SEO still profitable?
Yes, but it only works when you have the right strategy in place so that Google starts ranking pages for organic ranking. The revenue starts showing gradually and does not happen at once. And compared to paid tactics or traditional advertising, it is much cheaper when you compare the outcome, visibility, and trustworthiness it can provide in search engines like Google.
How can AI help in SEO?
With the right tools at dsposal, AI aids in SEO by enhancing content creation, refining keyword research, automating audits, predicting user behaviour, enabling personalisation, optimising for voice and image search, and providing data-driven insights for better SEO strategies.
You may review our blog on ChatGPT for SEO to see how you can make use of it to manage tasks faster, so that you can concentrate on strategies and other productive ideas.
Aquib is a seasoned wordsmith, having penned countless blogs for Indian and international brands. These days, he's all about digital marketing and core management subjects - not to mention his unwavering commitment ... Read Full Bio
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