How to Learn SEO

You have a lot of choices available when you decide to learn SEO so you can change careers.

The number of options for learning SEO might be overwhelming at first glance. There are books, video tutorials, classes, and more to choose from; it all depends on your learning style and personal preferences.

Here, we’ll discuss the various methods of learning SEO so you can make an informed decision about how you’d like to get started.

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a way to drive more traffic to your website and gain more customers. It depends upon content, technical website optimization, link building, and keyword research to ensure that your website appears near the top of a Google results page. A BrightEdge survey conducted in 2019 found that SEO is 1000% more effective at driving website traffic than organic methods like social media posts. Professionals who work with SEO are often called Website Optimization Specialists.

The primary goal of SEO is to build trust between your business and your users. You can do this through high-quality content, ensuring your website loads quickly in desktop and mobile versions, and optimizing your site for voice search. Another way to improve your rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs) is to create a “Google My Business” listing.

Read more about what SEO is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with SEO?

SEO is used to determine search engine success in three crucial ways: technical SEO, on-page SEO, and off-page SEO.

Technical SEO looks at a website's technical features and how they affect search engine rankings. These include the site structure, schema, and URL. The site needs to be easy to navigate with a clearly understood organization. Other aspects of technical SEO are website loading speed, mobile friendliness, voice optimization, and the XML sitemap.

The primary goal of on-page optimization is meeting the intent of the searcher/user with high-quality content. On-page content is essential and refers to everything that appears on a website, including text, keywords, images, tags, and internal links. Researching and choosing the best SEO keywords shows that the website has authority and is trustworthy.

Off-page SEO involves building links and strengthening social media engagement. Backlinks and social media help build authority and trust with search engines. Link building refers to finding reputable and relevant websites to link to your website or content. The more references to your content on other reliable sites, the better. Additionally, building out social media presence across various channels will further establish your internet presence and boost your SEO. You can use different analytical tools to track SEO and conversion rates.

In-Person SEO Training

Many people find it easier to learn new information when they take a class, especially a technical subject like SEO. When you sign up for a class, you have a teacher to talk to; you can ask and answer questions and get help when you need it. Although, schedules for in-person classes can be limited, plus you have to travel to a physical destination, which can be inconvenient.

If you want to take an in-person class, you can sign up for Noble Desktop’s SEO Bootcamp in New York City. This two-day bootcamp covers the fundamentals of SEO with an experienced instructor in the classroom and hands-on lessons on how search engines work, keyword research techniques, tips on writing quality content, and how to do an SEO audit. Brain Station offers an in-person Search Engine Optimization Certificate, as does Ledet Training and Academy X. You can find in-person SEO classes near you on Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me page.

Live Online SEO Training

You also have the option to take live online classes to learn SEO. These classes run in real-time in conjunction with an in-person class, but you can attend from anywhere. As long as you have a computer and a stable internet connection, you can interact with the instructor and ask questions. With your permission, the instructor can take over your screen to demonstrate techniques. Live online classes are like in-person sessions, except you can attend class from home or work if you choose, and you don’t have to commute anywhere.

Noble Desktop’s SEO Bootcamp is available live online. The instructor and in-person students are in a classroom in New York, but you can see everything the instructor puts on the screen and follow along. You get the same high-quality content in a much more convenient way.

Other schools offer live online SEO training classes, too. Tampa’s SEO Training Academy has a two-day and a five-day SEO training class. Certstaffix also offers a two-day SEO class, as does Dolfi Formation. You can find additional live online SEO classes on Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me page.

Free Online Courses & Tutorials

If you are not quite ready to commit the time and funds to a bootcamp or certificate course, there are numerous free tutorials and online courses available. These tend to be overviews and introductions to SEO, but there is enough information to help you decide if you want to go further.

You can learn SEO online for free. Here is a list of possibilities:

• SEO for Beginners from Yoast
• SEO Training Course by Moz through Udemy
• Free SEO Course from ClickMinded
• Building Sustainable Traffic for Business Growth at Hubspot
• On-Page and Technical SEO Course from SEMRush
• Search Engine Optimization Specialization by Coursera
• Free SEO 6-part video series from Moz
  
  

The Pillars of Digital Marketing on the Noble Desktop YouTube channel is about different types of digital marketing and strategies. Dominate Local Search with Google My Business covers what GMB is, how to set up a profile, and where to get help if you need it.

Some other free tutorials include Coursera’s Strategy of Content Marketing program, which covers how to plan, organize, and implement a successful content marketing campaign. Fundamentals of Digital Marketing by Google is a free class, including practical exercises in SEO and digital marketing. Finally, HubSpot Academy has an SEO Training Course that covers how to improve website performance, along with link building and keyword research.

Read about more free SEO videos and online tutorials.

On-Demand SEO Classes

Busy students have the option to sign up for asynchronous SEO training courses, which typically range between one and two hours. There are many paid and free classes that allow you to learn at your own pace and repeat lessons to review information you didn’t understand the first time. However, you won’t be able to ask a question or help with an exercise during an on-demand class.

Many training companies offer a free trial anywhere from one week up to a month. You may be able to complete a course before your free trial is up. One company that offers on-demand video classes is LinkedIn Learning. With a one-month free trial, you can take classes on many aspects of SEO including link building, SEO for ecommerce and WordPress, and advanced search factors.

Some other companies offering on-demand classes include Boot Camp Digital’s Boot Camp Institute SEO training courses for beginners and advanced students, Udemy’s Search Engine Optimization Courses, and an SEO training class from Simplilearn.

Which Learning Method is Right for Me?

With so many different resources available to help beginners learn SEO, you might be unsure about which one is best for you. Everyone has different learning styles and preferences, and you can experiment with multiple tools to see which one feels right for you. One of the great things about directing your own learning is that you get to pick which combination of tools you prefer; you don’t have to stick with what a teacher chooses.

It’s also essential to consider your current schedule before selecting a learning method. If you have a lot of responsibilities like a full-time job or family commitments, you may not be able to devote time to a structured course that requires you to attend at the same time every day. In this case, a self-paced class or video tutorials may be better since you can access them when your schedule allows. On the other hand, those with a more flexible schedule may prefer a structured course offered in-person or live online.

Why Learn SEO?

If you are an entrepreneur or own a small business, learning SEO can be the difference between success and failure. Optimizing your website will rank it higher on Google and other search engines, which will help your target audience find your content and lead to sales. Another reason to learn SEO is to control how your brand is viewed online. When your business appears higher in search results, that adds to your brand’s reputation and credibility. If your content appears near the top of the page, other businesses will link to your blog posts and increase the number of visitors to your site.

Becoming a Website Optimization/SEO Specialist is also a great career move. All businesses with an online presence need SEO to enhance their virtual reach, even in industries you might not expect, like healthcare, construction, or education. There are plenty of careers across the country for those with a background in SEO. In the United States, Web Optimization Specialists earn an average yearly salary of about $64,000—though that number will differ depending on location. The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics doesn’t list Web Optimization Specialists separate from Marketing Analysts. Still, that field is expected to grow by 22% in the next ten years, which is a much higher level of growth than other fields.

Read more about why you should learn SEO.

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost

SEO is not necessarily hard to learn, but it does take time, effort, and persistence. If you are just starting out and know nothing about how search engines work, you can expect to feel a bit overwhelmed at the beginning. However, it is important to keep trying. This is where classes can be a real sanity saver.

Some skills pave the way for a successful SEO career. Logical reasoning, curiosity, a love of learning, and perseverance are personality traits that can make learning SEO easier. Some technical skills that will help you get a job in SEO are knowing how to do website audits, keyword research, and data analytics.

Beyond the cost of a class, learning digital marketing is not very expensive. Some of the most widely used tools, like Google Analytics, are free, and others like Moz have a free version to get you started. SEMRush is another useful digital marketing tool, and while it can be expensive, you get a seven-day free trial to try it out first.

Read about how difficult it is to learn SEO.

Learn SEO with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

If you want to change careers and become a Web Optimization/SEO Specialist, you can sign up for Noble Desktop’s SEO Bootcamp. This two-part class will teach you beginning and advanced SEO strategies to get your website to the top of the page. In the first class, SEO Level 1, you’ll learn how search engines work, how to do keyword research and competitor analysis, and how to use SEO-driven content to increase web traffic. SEO Level 2 covers how to do SEO audits and gives you hands-on experience with an expert instructor.

You can also sign up for a Google Analytics Bootcamp to learn how to set up an account, know which metrics to track, and understand the Google Analytics reports. You can also learn about paid advertising with Google Ads Bootcamp.

Another way to prepare for a career as a Web Optimizations/SEO Specialist is a digital marketing certificate course. Noble’s Digital Marketing Certificate includes the digital marketing, SEO, and Google Analytics bootcamps, plus Google Ads and classes on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter marketing, as well as content marketing with blogs.

Use Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me to find other courses in digital marketing in your area.

Key Insights

• SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
• SEO is a way to drive traffic to your website, get more customers, and increase sales.
• There are three types of SEO: technical, on-page, and off-page.
• Professionals who work with SEO are called Web Optimization/SEO Specialists.
• You have different options for learning SEO, so you can choose the learning method that is right for you.
• SEO can be challenging to learn, and classes can help.
• Some SEO tools are free or have a free trial period.