If you want to improve your website's visibility, traffic, and conversions, you need to master the art and science of search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is the process of optimizing your web pages and content for relevant keywords, user intent, and search engine algorithms. But how do you become an SEO expert? Here are some first steps to get you started.
Before you dive into the advanced techniques and tools of SEO, you need to understand the fundamentals. You should familiarize yourself with the concepts of keywords, ranking factors, search intent, content optimization, and technical SEO. You should also learn how to use Google's tools, such as Search Console, Analytics, and Keyword Planner, to monitor and improve your website's performance. There are plenty of online courses, blogs, podcasts, and books that can help you learn the basics of SEO.
To enhance your journey towards becoming an SEO expert, it's crucial to not only learn the basics but also to seek mentorship and practical experience. Alongside familiarizing yourself with keywords, ranking factors, search intent, content optimization, and technical SEO, it's beneficial to find a mentor. Look for someone with experience in SEO, such as a professional working in the field. This could be through joining an agency as a trainee or connecting with knowledgeable individuals in your network. Practical application is key. Start practicing SEO skills as soon as you've grasped the fundamentals. Real-world experience is invaluable and will accelerate your learning. This hands-on approach complements theoretical knowledge gained.
The best way to learn SEO is by doing it. You should create your own website or blog and experiment with different SEO strategies and tactics. You can use your website as a sandbox to test your hypotheses, measure your results, and learn from your mistakes. You can also use your website as a portfolio to showcase your skills and knowledge to potential clients or employers.
Facilitating sustainable growth @ Genero | Digital Business Development, SEO, CRO
Here are some learning action points:?? - Learn to think with empathy and in terms of audiences: Their wants, needs, cravings, the contexts in which they might encounter your service. Serve these needs. - Learn appealing, contextually concise storytelling - Learn to think of your topic's story in storytelling blocks Learn by hands-on doing as early on as possible: - Choose a topic of personal interest and set up a presence for the topic - Learn the basics of conversion optimization (CRO) to ease up on-site SEO work - Learn to read presentation level code (APIs, JSON, HTML, CSS)
I agree, and want to add that you will learn much faster practising on your own site because it is faster to test things when you dont have to ask anyones permission to test different things live on the site.
SEO is a dynamic and evolving field that requires constant learning and adaptation. You should follow the leading experts and influencers in the SEO industry and learn from their insights, tips, and case studies. You should also keep up with the latest trends and updates in the search engine landscape and how they affect your SEO practices. You can follow reputable sources, such as Moz, Search Engine Journal, Ahrefs, and Backlinko, to stay on top of the SEO game.
You can also follow podcasts and great SEO experts in the industry on linkedin or on their blogs and websites. And especially check every Google Core Update to learn about the changes in Google Algorithm and what has happened in rankings for different sites after these.
SEO is not a solo endeavor. You can benefit from networking and collaborating with other SEO professionals and enthusiasts. You can join online communities, such as forums, groups, and social media platforms, where you can ask questions, share ideas, and get feedback. You can also attend offline events, such as meetups, conferences, and workshops, where you can meet and learn from other SEO experts. Networking and collaborating can help you expand your knowledge, skills, and opportunities in the SEO field.
Don’t forget your own colleagues who do SEO at work, learn from them too, and share your insights and think of problems and solutions together and help each other out. Or find a friend who also has their own SEO projects and team up and share your knowledge and findings.
SEO is not a one-size-fits-all solution. You need to experiment and analyze your SEO efforts to find out what works and what doesn't for your website and niche. You should use various tools and methods to collect and analyze data, such as traffic, rankings, conversions, and user behavior. You should also use A/B testing, split testing, and multivariate testing to compare and optimize different SEO elements, such as headlines, meta tags, images, and links. Experimenting and analyzing can help you improve your SEO results and refine your best practices.
But remember that time is a limit, so dont do everything. To know what is affecting what, test your ideas one by one to better know which test gave what results.
SEO is a never-ending journey. You need to keep learning and improving your SEO skills and knowledge to stay ahead of the competition and the changing search engine algorithms. You should always seek new information, resources, and opportunities to enhance your SEO expertise. You should also seek feedback, reviews, and testimonials from your clients or users to measure your SEO impact and value. Keeping learning and improving can help you become a successful and sought-after SEO expert.