Search engine optimisation is a skill that is certainly in demand as the need for organic visibility is continuing to be a crucial factor for online businesses.
Whilst SEO can take a long time to truly understand, there are things that you can do to get started if you are brand new to SEO.
In this article, I will discuss how to get started with SEO and what you need to begin to learn the basics of search engine optimisation.
Is SEO easy to learn?
- Is SEO easy to learn?
- How long does it take to learn SEO?
- What is the best way to learn SEO?
- Can I learn SEO on my own?
- Is SEO a good career?
- Conclusion
Learning the basics of SEO and understanding what is needed in order to optimise a website is something that you can certainly get to grips with fairly quickly.
There are a number of factors that go into helping a particular piece of content rank in Google and getting to know these will help you understand what it is Google is looking for from a website.
Google provides their own SEO starter guide which gives you a bit of insight as to what it is they are exactly after when it comes to a great website. Ultimately, they want to provide users with the best match for their search query. To give your website the best chance of showing Google that you are the best fit for the particular queries you are looking to target, you need to ensure you get the following right (in no particular order):
- Quality written content – making your content engaging for users.
- Well organised site hierarchy – have a site structure that clusters relevant topics and makes navigation for both customers and Google easy.
- Good keyword research – do your research and look at what your competition is doing in terms of the keywords they are targeting on pages of their website.
- Page speed – using page speed insights to understand what is needed to optimise your site for speed is another key ranking factor in helping a website to rank in Google.
- Link building – obtaining high quality and relevant links on other websites will help build the authority of your domain in your particular niche.
- Social media presence – show Google that you are a genuine business. They are able to look at the footprint of a website and a business that engages its audience on social media and drives traffic this way.
- Internal linking – build relevant links from one page to another using internal links that help take the user from one page to the next.
It is fairly easy to learn what it is you need to do in order to optimise a website but then implementing this into a real business is where the experience comes in.
How long does it take to learn SEO?
SEO can take a number of years to truly understand. Whilst you may get to grips with the basics of SEO fairly early, understanding the complexities of how different industries work can take a number of years.
There are also different types of SEO that require different practices and approaches to the way in which you optimise a website. Local SEO is very much focused on building a local presence whereas eCommerce is very much focused on the experience a customer has with your website.
The best way to truly understand SEO is with experience and knowing what levers to pull and how frequently in terms of making particular changes with websites.
What is the best way to learn SEO?
The best way you can begin to learn SEO is to start by reading some useful online resources and guides that give you a comprehensive introduction to SEO. I recommend the following guides and resources to get started with:
There are a number of courses and resources out there that can get you started if you are a beginner. Here are some of the SEO resources I recommend:
- Moz – Beginners Guide to SEO
- Moz – Beginners Guide to Link Building
- Neil Patel – What is SEO
- Josh George 😉
Digest these in full to really understand the basics and then the best thing to do is to get started in the real world – whether that is going out and obtaining your own clients or trying to get started with your own online business.
Can I learn SEO on my own?
SEO is certainly something that can be self-taught and there is enough content out there for you to digest. However, going out and trying to find mentors or experienced professionals will help set you well on your way. Get out to conferences, find the successful people within your industry and try to see what you can learn from them.
Whilst you can certainly learn SEO on your own and begin to generate money for your services, in order to truly understand the industry, I recommend you digest the best SEO online courses and try to reach out to experts with plenty of experience.
There is a lot of useful information on the web, with that comes a lot of misinformation. You should do your best to speak to experts who will be able to show off live case studies on projects they have actively worked to rank in Google.
Is SEO a good career?
SEO is certainly a good career and one that can be very rewarding at that. It is a skill that a lot of businesses still struggle to get their heads around and being able to manipulate Google positively is certainly a skill that is in demand.
There are plenty of career paths that you can take in the SEO industry and a lot of potential for significant personal growth. For me as an SEO, I have never looked back and I highly recommend that if you are interested, then you should definitely get out there and see what there is to offer.
Conclusion
To conclude whether or not you can learn SEO in a day, I would say that there is enough out there for you to make a start in a day.
However, to truly understand the complex online world of SEO, you need to do your best to get as much experience as you can with real businesses, speak to experts in the field and generally try to take in as much information as you can.
Google is always developing its algorithms and there is always new information you should be trying to take on board.
If you are just getting started and would like some advice, please do not hesitate to get in touch and I will be more than happy to help where I can.
