This Ask An SEO question comes from Jessica of Louth, who writes in the following article:
“I’m currently a full-stack marketer but find myself drawn to SEO.
I’m not sure where to start to gain experience, though.
What direction do you recommend to start in and do you have any book/course recommendations? “
Learning SEO can be intimidating.
I’ve been doing SEO professionally since 1998 (23 years by anyone’s counting) and I’m still learning new things every day.
But that doesn’t mean aspiring SEO professionals are out of luck.
Quite the opposite.
There are many excellent resources available for novice search engine marketers.
Unlike other “primitive gangster” SEO experts and I when learning the technique, there are some established resources that (almost) everyone agrees on are good places to start.
word of caution
Even the best advice is rarely universal.
What works well on one site may fail on another.
The only way to know if an SEO strategy is right for you is to test it.
You can keep reading about algorithms and code tuning theories, but not until you put those theories into practice Your sites, you don’t know if they will work.
Even if you see firsthand how well a technique works on another site, there is no guarantee that the same technique will produce similar results when implemented.
Simply put, you don’t know anything until you test.
But reading other SEO professionals talk about their work is part of the job.
You’ll be amazed at the ideas our industry generates every day.
If you are not interested in reading What other SEO experts are doingyou may be in the wrong field.
Lots of places to learn the basics
SEO is not rocket science.
I liken it to a pipe.
I might be able to figure out how to fix the sink by watching a YouTube video, but I might be flooding my house.
After all, the only thing in my toolbox is a checkbook.
If you’re interested in getting into SEO, you’ll probably flood some sinks first.
However, if you have a basic understanding of how websites work, and are willing to put in the time and effort to learn the craft, you’ll quickly become the person everyone is calling to fix their proverbial sink.
You can learn the basics in different ways.
Some people like to build their own website and experiment until they know what works for them.
Others prefer to learn from online courses, such as from Search Engine Magazine.
Moz There is also a great primer on getting started with SEO.
When viewing these online courses, please note when the course was last updated.
The fundamentals of SEO don’t change very often.
But the details keep changing.
It is important to make sure you have the latest information.
you can also Find an SEO mentor.
Get Inspiration From Others shared their SEO career stories.
Learn about Different areas of SEO knowledge You can bite the bullet and start prioritizing what you want to learn first.
Research Questions you will be asked in an SEO job interview. Are you ready to provide the best answer?
In summary
If you want to learn SEO for a specific vertical, find out who is doing well in that vertical and follow their work.
Buy them a beer – you’ll be surprised how much most people share when they become your friend.
Make sure you keep reading and keep learning.
Becoming a good SEO is easy.
if you want become a great SEOwhich will take a lot of time and effort.
More resources:
Featured image: Anton Vierietin/Shutterstock
Editor’s Note: Ask about SEO is a weekly SEO advice column written by the industry’s top SEO experts handpicked by Search Engine Magazine. Have questions about SEO? fill out our form. You may see your answer in the next #AskanSEO post!
