This Ask An SEO question comes from Jessica from Louth, who wrote in:
“I’m currently a full-time marketer, but I’m drawn to SEO.
However, I don’t know where to start gaining experience.
What direction would you suggest starting in and do you have any book/course recommendations?
Learning SEO can be daunting.
I’ve been working professionally in search engine optimization since 1998 (that’s 23 years for anyone 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 great resources available for newbie search engine marketers to sink their teeth into.
And unlike when the other SEO experts “Original Gangster” and I learned the trade, there are some established resources that (almost) everyone agrees are great places to start.
A word of caution
Even the best advice is rarely universal.
What works great in one place may fall flat in another.
The only way to know if an SEO tactic is working for you is to try it.
You can read theories about algorithms and code tinkering all the time, but until you put those theories into practice your place, you don’t know if they will work.
Even if you physically see evidence of a technique working well elsewhere, there is no guarantee that the same technique will have similar results when implemented.
Simply put, you don’t know until you try.
But reading other SEO professionals talking about their work is part of the job.
You’ll be amazed at the ideas our industry generates every day.
If you’re not interested in reading what other SEO experts are doing, you’re probably in the wrong field.
Lots of places to learn the basics
SEO is not rocket science.
I liken it more to plumbing.
I can probably figure out how to fix a sink by watching YouTube videos, but I’ll probably flood my house.
After all, the only thing I have in my toolbox is a checkbook.
If you’re interested in getting into SEO, you might flush a few toilets at first.
But if you have a basic understanding of how websites work and are willing to put in the time and effort to learn the trade, you’ll soon be the one everyone calls to fix their proverbial sink.
You can learn the basics in different ways.
Some people prefer to build their own site and experiment until they know what works for them.
Others prefer to learn from online courses like Search Engine Journal’s stellar course for beginners.
Moz it also has a great SEO principle.
When looking at these online courses, pay attention to when the course was last updated.
SEO basics don’t change that often.
But the details are constantly changing.
It is important to ensure that you receive the most recent information.
You can also look for an SEO mentor.
Get inspired by others who have shared their SEO career stories.
Learn about the different areas of SEO knowledge you could dive into and start prioritizing what you want to learn first.
Study the questions you will be asked in SEO job interviews. How are you prepared to give the best answer?
In conclusion
If you want to learn SEO for a specific vertical, find out who is doing great SEO in that vertical and follow their work.
Buy them a beer – you’d be surprised how much most people will share once they become your friend.
Make sure you are always reading and learning.
It’s easy to become a good SEO.
If you want to become a great SEO, it will take significant time and effort.
More resources:
Featured image: Anton Vierietin/Shutterstock
Editor’s note: Ask an SEO is a weekly SEO advice column written by some of the top SEO experts in the industry, who have been hand-picked by Search Engine Journal. Have a question about SEO? Fill out our form. You might see your answer in the next #AskanSEO post!
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