How Long Does It Take to Learn SEO?

I discovered SEO in 2008. I wanted to get more traffic for my online shop. Unfortunately, SEO didn't provide significant results for over two years. I was frustrated because the best freelancers and agencies took my money, but Google only ranked my competitors well.?

I don't blame these experts. Nobody can help if you don't understand how it works. The best tutors can't teach students a foreign language if they don't study, listen, speak, and write for a long time. The best coaches can't train students to play tennis if they don't play often. The best nutritionists can't lose weight for their patients.?

Learning from the best is great, but you need to implement their ideas and work hard to achieve results. The best experts teach better and faster but can't execute everything for their customers.?

So, if you need SEO traffic, you need to learn SEO. Simple.?

Choose Priorities

If you want to learn faster, choose a specific niche, such as:

- keyword research

- content creation

- technical optimization

- UX

- CRO

- analytics

- link building

Most experts focus on one skill and understand the rest, or you can learn everything to become an SEO manager like me. I'm far from many experts who speak on my podcast, but I understand what they share.?

Choose what you like the most. For example, if you enjoy writing, content creation is for you. Love calculations? Then learn about Google Analytics, ROI, and data. Finally, if you're a Jack of all trades, master of none, like me, learn about management.?

For any particular topic, I spend 20% of my time learning and 80% doing. The Pareto Principle works well.?

How can you quickly learn SEO?

Choose your favorite content format. For example, I love reading blog posts, but many students prefer video. You can also mix a few types if that works best for you. However, please don't force yourself with a format you do not like because that will lead to burning out and giving up. I often see when someone complains that something is boring yet essential. No way. Enjoy learning or find something else.?

56% of students prefer to learn SEO through courses because they have a suitable structure and step-by-step process. I will launch my SEO course soon; it will stand out from the rest because it includes educational content from the best experts in the market. Comment below to receive a 50% discount for this course.?

Stop Overlearning - Start Overacting

Learning is meaningful because you need to know the right door to open, but most successful SEOs are practitioners. They act more than they learn. Remember the Pareto Principle? I divide my time into 20% for learning and 80% for acting. So start implementing, testing, and adapting to your preferences when learning something new.?

John Mueller famously said: "Maybe you should stop reading SEO blogs and instead do something useful for your site and its users?"

Neil Patel shared that he was not following all SEO news before something happened with his traffic. Then he learned to open Seroundtable and adapt to new updates.?

I couldn't agree more with this idea. Imagine you have 8 hours a day for your job. If you spend 4 hours learning, then only 4 hours are left for acting. I prefer 10 hours for acting and 2 hours for learning. My acting is 2.5 times more than average.?

Learning doesn't bring results; acting shows what actually works for you.?

People have short memory spans and forget 95% of new skills in a few days. I often forget things after a few hours. That is why Bill Gates always takes notes when reading books.?

Some SEO skills become obsolete because Google updates its algorithms or competitors overwhelm generic strategies. So, procrastinating in testing them is equivalent to having an obsolete college education when all knowledge is only for training our brains to learn something.?

Bad Content Doesn't Exist

Content is king. Many marketers tell you that you must create high-quality content to rank on Google. Yes, that's correct. But how do you do this without experience??

A first attempt to create a piece of content is usually? terrible. This is the same when kids try to take their first step or say their first word. Their parents encourage them and don't criticize them if they are not able to do it. Running and speaking are complex activities that take time to master.?

Content creation is the same, but unlike parents encouraging their children, nobody will encourage you to create one more piece of bad content because they are not your loving parent. Even worse, haters discourage content creators and tell them to quit.?

The best tip is not to listen to haters or anybody else. Seth Godin, one of the best modern marketers, has stopped reading Amazon reviews of his books since 2011 because he doesn't want to know if someone doesn't like his books. Gary Vee also doesn't read negative reviews.?

Big influencers and successful content creators do not have the time and willingness to hate others. They know what it takes to create a piece of content and how long it takes to improve what you have.?

Great athletes train so hard before showing their skills in competition. We admire them but don't know how they sacrifice themselves in training. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo prefers hitting a ball in training to reading several books about soccer.?

Do you want to create high-quality content? Then, create 100 bad pieces of content. Of course, you can make this content and never publish it, but a better way is to post it on social media because most content dies after a few hours or days anyway.?

Consistency on social media is an excellent way to practice and improve your content creation skills.?

Finding New Ideas

SEO is also evolving quickly, which is why you should update your skills. Follow the influencers and experts who speak on my podcast, create content for my course, and share breaking news on social media.

1. Mike Phillips , Sr. Growth Marketing Manager at 12twenty.

2. Alison Ver Halen , President of AV Writing Services

3. Robert Hodson, PhD , editor, Ph.D., author, scholar, educator, and professional musician

4. Chelsea Alves , Sr. Content Marketing Specialist at Rio SEO

5. Alex Macura – YDA founder, world traveler, and unquenchable enthusiast of digital marketing

6. Bernard Huang , founder of Clearscope

7. Jeff Coyle , co-founder, a Chief Strategy Officer of MarketMuse

8. Shari Berg , Founder of The Write Reflection, is an award-winning writer

9. Chisom Nwanonenyi , an Owner of Success Tech Services

10. Justin Dunham , Founder at ércule

11. Katherine Watier Ong , Founder and Chief Strategist at WO Strategies

12. Lily Ray , Senior Director, SEO & Head of Organic Research at Amsive Digital (formerly Path Interactive)

13. Joe Sinkwitz , Co-founder and CEO at Intellifluence.?

14. Janet Bartoli , Founder at Bartoli Consulting Group.

15. Ludwig Makhyan , Co-Founder at Mazeless - Enterprise SEO

16. Patrick Ward , Vice President of Marketing at Rootstrap

17. Lee Gaul , digital marketing and advertising expert with ten years of experience

18. Olga Zarr , SEO consultant (10+ years of experience).

Read SEO blogs:?

1. Search Engine Journal

2. Search Engine Journal Engine Land

3. Seroundtable

4. Ahrefs

5. Semrush

6. Moz

7. Neil Patel

8. Backlinko

9. UNmiss.com

Watch YouTube channels:

1. Neil Patel

2. Ahrefs

3. Anatolii Ulitovskyi

4. Ryan Stewart

5. SEO Video Show

Listen to audio podcasts

1. Believe you can because you can!

2. Marketing O'clock

3. Marketing School

4. The Recipe for SEO Success

5. MarTech

6. Voices of Search

If you prefer reading books, watching webinars, attendee events, then do it, but remember, results depend on acting, not learning. Learn through experience.?

Conclusion

Active learning is for only finding the right way with generic strategies and updating skills with new ideas. 20% of your time is enough for studying. Spend the rest time acting in one direction. Focusing is key.?

Don't be scared of failures. Failing only brings a new experience and nothing else. Agree? Comment below.?