If you own a website and want to increase its chances of appearing on the first page of Google search results, or if you want to start your journey in learning SEO and working with it as a freelancer, this article is specifically written to help you.
In this article, we will provide a comprehensive explanation of how to learn SEO in different ways, explaining the steps involved in learning SEO and the most important skills required to master it.
SEO is one of the most in-demand fields in the online job market today, and its importance is expected to increase in the future, given the importance of SEO to any website and any business.
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Marketing studies have shown that the public trusts websites that appear on the first page of search results, especially the first five results.
No website or blog would be able to achieve this ranking among search results without an SEO specialist, which is why this field is so important to SEO experts and website and blog owners.
What is SEO and what are its goals?
SEO is short for search engine optimization. This phrase, in brief, refers to the set of steps or processes you take to increase your website's chances of appearing on the first page and in advanced search results related to your website's content.
SEO practices aim to increase your website's visibility to your audience or customers, thereby increasing your website traffic, which increases your profits.
SEO begins with understanding how search engines work, then making the necessary improvements to your website to align with their operating system.
SEO also includes understanding what your target audience needs and what your customers are searching for. This allows you to present it to them in a way that attracts them and increases their browsing activity on your website. This, in turn, increases search engine confidence in your website, thereby increasing your chances of appearing in the first search results.
Therefore, the process of learning SEO is somewhat complex and goes through several important stages, which can be summarized in the following paragraphs.
Steps to Learn SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an ongoing and evolving process, so it goes through several stages, starting with understanding what search engines are and how they work.
These stages are as follows:
1. Understanding the basics of search engines and how they work
Search engines are similar to public libraries, but instead of storing books, they store website pages that have been saved in them. This process of storing these pages is called archiving or indexing website pages.
When someone searches through search engines, these engines search all the pages indexed to find the most relevant pages.
The indexing process is primarily done through the information provided by search engine spiders when they crawl the web. Search engine software then arranges the results obtained according to several complex factors. Learning SEO helps these engines show your website at the top of search results.
As the above explanation shows, it's not enough for your website to appear in search results. Your website must also be indexed by search engines to be visible.
Your website pages are indexed either by search engines recognizing your website's page map, or by citing your website as a source on pages already indexed by Google.
After you understand how search engines work and how they handle searches, it's time to understand the search terms themselves.
2. Learn Keyword Research
Keywords, or keywords, are the phrases used by a website owner or content writer to target their desired audience.
Therefore, keywords must match what your target audience is searching for. If you're targeting dog owners, for example, you can use words like "how to train dogs," "dog obedience training," or other words that dog owners might search for.
Therefore, the process of selecting and researching keywords is one of the most important steps in learning SEO, as your keyword selection strategy plays a significant role in increasing your website's chances of appearing in search results for your target audience.
To find the keywords your audience is searching for, you can use free or paid keyword tools, such as the free Google Trends tool or the paid SEMRush tool.
3. Learn to perform internal website optimization
On-page SEO is defined as all the actions taken by a website owner or content writer within a website page to increase its chances of appearing in the first search results.
In other words, on-page SEO can be defined as the process of adjusting and managing the content of your website pages in a way that makes it easier for search engines to recognize it.
These internal optimizations include several things that can be summarized as follows:
- Relying on a single keyword in the article. If you combine two keywords in a single article, the search engine will not recognize either of them.
- Providing content that benefits the reader and avoiding articles copied or paraphrased from other sites.
- Avoid repeating the same keyword in more than one article on the site, as this makes it difficult for search engines to select either one.
- Divide the article content into subheadings (Heading 2 and Heading 3).
- Use keywords in the article title, the article link name, the meta description box, the main image description, and one of the subheadings (Heading 2).
4. Learn to Perform Off-Page SEO (Backlink Building)
Unlike on-page optimization, off-page SEO (also known as SEO) involves actions taken by a website owner or content creator outside of their website to improve their website's chances of appearing higher in search engine results.
This optimization includes building external links, or backlinks, which are references to your website on sites indexed by Google and trusted by search engines.
These links can be acquired by signing agreements with sites that write in the same niche as yours, or by building a network of people in your field who like your writing and refer to your website naturally.
However, be careful when choosing external linking sites, as relying on unreliable sites could put your website at risk, so be careful with this step.
Off-page SEO also includes sharing your articles on social media, so it's also helpful to add a social media sharing option to your website pages.
5. Learn to Improve User Experience
Search engines trust websites that provide a good user experience, so improving user experience is one of the most important aspects of learning SEO. Audience satisfaction is the most important goal for search engines and for you as a website owner, content creator, or SEO specialist.
User experience includes all measures that facilitate and satisfy users, such as a well-designed hierarchical page layout, page loading speed, and mobile-friendly pages.
Studies indicate that most users access websites via smartphones. Statistics also indicate that if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load, the reader will likely not wait for it to load.
You can determine the quality of your website's user experience by tracking user behavior, the length of time they spend on your pages, and the click-through rate.
6. Constantly Apply, Dig Deeper, and Learn About Everything New
The field of search engine optimization (SEO) is more of a practical field than a theoretical one. Therefore, you should always apply everything you learn in this field. You can apply this by creating a free Blogger blog.
You should know that this field is very broad and constantly evolving. You won't be able to fully understand everything in it; rather, you will be in a constant state of learning. Trial, error, and experimentation are among the most important sources of SEO learning.
Therefore, it is recommended to set aside time each day to learn something new in the field of search engine optimization, read an article on a website specializing in teaching it, or even engage in ongoing discussions with SEO experts, to keep your knowledge up-to-date.
You can also specialize in one of the SEO branches we mentioned earlier, such as external website optimization, content management, keyword selection, and so on.
However, even with a deeper specialization in one area, you must also have an equal grasp of the other areas. In this case, you can collaborate with other specialists to manage the remaining areas on your website, or you can benefit from this by working within a marketing team that specializes in your field.
SEO Learning Resources
SEO, or search engine optimization, is a field characterized by self-learning and continuous learning, as it is a field subject to constant development and updates.
Therefore, learning SEO varies from a variety of websites, YouTube channels, books, and more. It is always recommended to browse these resources daily to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in this field.
First, the Best Courses to Learn SEO
SEO is a highly sought-after field in the global job market, so there are many important courses available to learn this field, some of which are certified.
Some of the most important of these courses are:
1. SEO Courses on Udemy: Udemy is one of the most popular distance learning platforms in the world. It offers a variety of SEO courses, ranging from beginner to advanced, with both free and paid options.
2. SEO Courses on Coursera: Coursera offers a range of SEO courses from some of the world's most renowned universities, most notably the free course from the University of California. These courses include an introduction to SEO along with advanced courses.
3. Hubspot Courses: Hubspot is one of the most important and well-known platforms specializing in the world of digital marketing and everything related to this field. SEO is, of course, a key component of this field, so it offers a range of SEO courses from beginner to advanced, along with content writing courses.
4. Semrush Academy Course: Although SEMrush is primarily a keyword analysis tool, it offers a solid course in learning SEO. It's completely free and teaches the basics of SEO in detail.
5. LinkedIn Learning Courses: LinkedIn's importance isn't limited to finding a job or networking with experts in your field. It also offers a wide range of courses in various online fields, most notably SEO.
LinkedIn courses are distinguished by their thoroughness and in-depth coverage of SEO, making you an expert in this field.
Second, the Best YouTube Channels for Learning SEO
Some people prefer to learn through YouTube videos rather than educational platforms. Fortunately, there are many reliable channels that offer great educational and technical videos that help you learn SEO or search engine optimization.
Some of the most important of these channels are:
1. Google Search Central Channel: Who can help you expand your knowledge about search engines, how they work, how to search, and everything related to SEO more than Google itself?!
Of course, the videos presented on the Google Search Central YouTube channel are among the most important videos for learning SEO.
2. Income School Channel: With over 200,000 subscribers, this educational channel is run by marketer Ricky Kessler and his team.
The channel offers a collection of videos explaining the most important SEO practices, how to choose and use keywords, and many other topics that save you, as a website owner or content creator, a lot of information and the time you need to advance your website in search results.
3. Neil Patel Channel: With over one million subscribers, this large number demonstrates the importance and value of the content it provides.
The channel provides assistance with everything related to digital marketing. Among the most important things it offers are educational videos on how to optimize search engines using various strategies suitable for all levels, in addition to videos on teaching content writing and various types of marketing.
4. Search Engine Journal Channel: This channel is affiliated with the website of the same name, one of the most important websites specializing in search engine optimization (SEO). Therefore, it is one of the most important resources for learning SEO.
The channel is constantly updated to include the most important news and developments in this vast and ever-evolving field. It is recommended to follow this channel or this website daily.
Third: The Best SEO Learning Blogs
Many international websites specialize in explaining how to learn SEO through numerous videos, articles, and various methods published on their blogs. Some focus on SEO alone, while others focus on other areas related to digital marketing in general.
These blogs also focus on presenting the most important developments, news, and updates related to SEO strategies, learning about the increase in the number of visitors to free search engines, and the latest developments in digital marketing globally.
Some of the most important of these blogs are:
1. Moz Blog: Moz is one of the most important and popular websites specializing in digital marketing in general, and content writing and search engine optimization in particular. The site offers a comprehensive guide for learning SEO for beginners, from scratch to professionalism.
2. Backlinko Blog: The blog of renowned SEO expert Brian Dean, one of the most famous and skilled SEO experts in the world. Through his blog, he offers a collection of articles that explain some of the most important SEO strategies and how to build links.
This blog is characterized by constantly updating its content, with a focus on providing what helps increase your experience and knowledge in the field of SEO as quickly as possible.
3. Search Engine Land Blog: This blog specializes in reviewing the latest news in the world of SEO and digital marketing. It is recommended to browse it daily, as keeping up with the latest developments is one of the most important factors for success in the world of SEO.
Fourth: The Most Important SEO Books
Reading books is one of the most important sources of learning in any field, and it is also the method recommended by experts in most fields. Despite the small number of books on search engine optimization, there are a number of books that are indispensable for the educational and practical journey of anyone who wants to learn SEO.
Among the most important of these books are the following:
1. The Art of SEO: This is considered one of the best books in the world of search engine optimization, and is recommended by most experts in the field. This book is written by Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, and Jessie Stricchiola. It is one of the essential books that you should read, regardless of your level in the world of SEO.
2. SEO 2022: Learn Search Engine Optimization With Smart Internet Marketing Strategies: This book is written by the author and marketer Adam Clark. It is also one of the most important books in the world of SEO. It was first published in 2013, but has continued to be updated every year, which gives it special importance.
3. How to Get to the Top of Google: This book was written by Tim Cameron-Kitchen, Dale Davies, and Andrew Tuxford. First published in 2013 and updated annually, this book focuses on explaining the latest and most important strategies for advancing in Google search results.
We conclude our article after reviewing how to learn SEO using various educational methods suitable for all levels, which can take you from beginner to professional level.
We have explained all of these methods after explaining the most important stages of learning this broad field, which has become indispensable in any business. We have also explained the most important skills and experiences that anyone who wants to increase their SEO expertise should acquire.
We hope that this article has answered your questions about the methods and importance of learning how to optimize search engines, and that it has clearly illuminated your journey to delve into this field.
We welcome your questions and comments about SEO and the most important ways to learn it at the bottom of the article, and we will respond to these comments as soon as possible.