Search engine optimization, or SEO for short, includes a broad series of strategies employed to improve a website’s ranking among search engine results. A good SEO score can raise a site’s visibility and consequently its revenue, but how can business owners find that golden ticket? How do those new to the game begin learning SEO, and how can seasoned veterans continue to improve their strategies for good results?
How Do I Start Learning SEO?
The path toward learning SEO starts with a desire to do so. The resources are all there; you just have to really want to improve your understanding to make the most of them. For example, there is an abundance of SEO courses available online for those who enjoy having a structured educational process. Google recommends several courses for those wanting to learn SEO though it doesn’t have its own SEO course yet. 
If you really want to learn SEO, the onus of doing so will fall on you.
Can I Teach Myself SEO?
Teaching yourself SEO is really the best way to do it. That does not mean that there aren’t excellent resources available. Sites like Moz offer free guides for the basics of SEO, and when you are thoroughly versed in these fundamentals, you can run circles around many of your competitors. You can also subscribe to SEO magazines to get updates on up-and-coming strategies. Our very own PDM blog is always full of helpful new insights.
For those who are really committed to learning SEO and all of its ins and outs, there are conferences held every year for the purpose. Sometimes the minutes of these or footage of actual sessions are available online. These are not required to get a thorough grasp of SEO processes. The key is to invest a sufficient amount of time and energy into your research. If you do that, you have every opportunity to become an SEO expert.
As a side note, understanding the business models for search engines will also help you have a better understanding of what they are looking for. Read up on Google’s history and the history of other search engines. How do they make money and what goals do they have beyond making money? Tailor your strategies to what you find.
How Long Does SEO Take to Learn?
The industry estimate for becoming proficient in SEO is one to three months for the foundations and a year to really master the minute techniques. This number depends on a lot of different factors, including how much time you devote to learning SEO, the resources you use, and how quickly you start applying what you learn.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that SEO is always changing, so there will never be a point when you have learned everything about it. To really understand successful SEO and stay on top of the most accurate strategies, you must make regular SEO training a goal.
What Is the Most Important Thing to Know about SEO?
Questions like this usually have subjective answers, but across the board, SEO experts are pretty much in harmony about this one: the most important thing to master as you are learning SEO is quality keyword research. This strategy is based on finding out what your customers are searching for.
Keyword research is important because it is much more difficult for people to find your websites and content if they are not searching for the keywords you target. There are many keyword research tools available, including Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer, Google AdWords, and Google search trends. The goal of your keyword research should be to strike the balance between finding the terms people are searching for and creating content that hasn’t been written about ad nauseum.
How Can I Put What I’ve Learned Into Practice?
The two best ways to solidify what you learn are to apply them and to teach them. Even as you are still learning SEO, build your own SEO strategy based on the things you have learned. Utilize link building and good keywords and on- and off-page SEO, along with the other methods you discover in your research.
Remember that success takes time. The time it takes a website to rank in Google is dependent on a lot of factors. A site must build up authority, or “street cred” if you will. A rough average for this timeline falls between six months to a year. Don’t be impatient. Play the long game.
As you continue to build up your SEO knowledge base, teach others what you have learned. This will cement them in your mind. If you plan on having others manage your site’s SEO, having a good grasp on the fundamentals will help you evaluate potential candidates and encourage employees to succeed.
