How to learn SEO is a question many aspiring digital marketers and website owners ask when aiming to enhance their online visibility. SEO is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in SERPs, thereby increasing organic (unpaid) traffic.

By understanding and implementing SEO strategies, you can improve your website’s visibility, attract more visitors, and achieve your online goals. This article provides a comprehensive guide on steps to learn SEO, covering the basics, practical tips, and free resources to get you started.

1. Study SEO Basics

Before diving into advanced techniques and tools, it’s essential to grasp the SEO basics.

Learn What SEO Is

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) involves various strategies and practices aimed at improving your website’s visibility in search engine results. The primary goal is to attract more organic traffic by ensuring your content is relevant, authoritative, and trustworthy. This includes optimizing your website’s structure, content, and technical aspects to meet search engine criteria.

Discover How Search Engines Work

To understand how to do SEO, you need a basic idea of how search engines work.

First, search engines need to find your pages. They use programs (called crawlers or bots) that follow links from already known pages to discover new ones. This is called crawling.

Once they find a new page, they try to understand what it’s about. If it looks useful, they save it in a huge collection of pages called an index (like the Google index). This is called indexing.

Finally, when someone searches for something, the search engine goes through its index and uses many algorithms to choose the best and most relevant pages to show in the results. This is called ranking.

SEO is about helping search engines crawl and index your pages. And showing them that your content is the most useful, relevant, and easy to read.

Understand SEO Ranking Factors

SEO ranking factors are things that affect how well your website and pages show up in search results.

One of the most important factors is text relevance. This means how closely your content matches what someone is searching for.

But that’s not all. Google also looks at other things, like:

How fast your page loads
How many other websites link to your site
Whether your page uses HTTPS for secure browsing

Know the Types of SEO

There are several main types of SEO to focus on:

On-page SEO: Optimizing individual pages to rank better. This includes improving content, title tags, and internal links.
Off-page SEO: Activities that happen outside your website, like building links, sharing content, and managing social media.
Technical SEO: Fixing technical issues to help search engines and users. This involves speeding up pages and improving site structure.

SEO also has tactics for specific content formats, such as:

Image SEO: Making images easier to find in regular and image search results.
Video SEO: Optimizing videos for better rankings in regular, image, video searches, and on platforms like YouTube.

Plus, there are SEO approaches designed for different types of businesses or websites:

Local SEO: Helping local businesses rank higher in local searches.
International SEO: Managing SEO for sites with multiple languages and countries.
Ecommerce SEO: Optimizing online stores.
SaaS SEO: SEO for software as a service companies.
Small Business SEO: Strategies tailored for smaller businesses.
B2B SEO: SEO for business-to-business brands.

Build Essential SEO Skills

Developing a diverse set of skills is vital for effective SEO:

Keyword Research

Keyword research means finding the search terms (keywords) that your target audience types into search engines. This helps you focus on the ones that can bring the most value to your business.

A good keyword research tool can help you understand:

Search volume: How many times a keyword is searched each month on average
Keyword difficulty: How tough it will be to rank well for that keyword
Search intent: The purpose behind the user’s search, also called keyword intent

SERP Analysis

SERP analysis means examining the search engine results page for a specific keyword.

This helps you find SEO ranking opportunities and understand what actions you need to take to claim them.

You’ll also see different SERP features, which are special search results like rich snippets with star ratings.

Content Creation

Content creation is essential for SEO because it provides search engines with material to evaluate and rank.

For the best results, you should:

Develop relevant content or blog ideas
Use content creation tools to assist you
Produce quality content tailored to your target audience
Share your content across multiple channels

Search engines prefer unique content that shows Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).

This means your content should be accurate, thorough, and closely aligned with your brand.

On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization involves improving both the technical and content elements of your webpages. This makes them more user-friendly and relevant to your target keywords.

It helps your site rank higher in search engines and attract more organic traffic.

Key elements of on-page optimization include:

Title tags: These are the clickable headlines in search results. They should feature your main keyword and a clear value proposition that encourages clicks.
Meta descriptions: Short snippets that appear below the title in search results. They should summarize your page briefly and include a call to action to invite users to visit your page.
Headers: Subheadings that organize your content for better readability and scanning. Use relevant keywords and maintain a logical structure (H1, H2, H3, etc.).
Content: The main text of your page that provides useful and engaging information. It should thoroughly cover your topic, answer user questions, and naturally include keyword variations.
Images: Visual elements that support your content and engage visitors. Use descriptive alt text that explains the image and includes keywords when appropriate.
Internal links: Links connecting pages within your site to help users navigate. Anchor text should clearly describe the linked page’s content.

For effective on-page optimization, use a tool that can analyze multiple pages efficiently.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO focuses on enhancing various technical parts of your website to ensure search engines can crawl and index it correctly.

This includes:

Having an XML sitemap, which lists all the pages you want search engines to index
Creating a robots.txt file to guide search engines on which pages to crawl
Using meta robots tags in your HTML to instruct search engines on how to crawl, index, and display specific pages
Implementing structured data, which is code that helps search engines better understand your content

Technical SEO also improves website performance and user experience by addressing factors such as:

Mobile-friendliness
Core Web Vitals, a set of metrics measuring user experience on your pages
HTTPS, which ensures website security

Conducting a technical SEO audit helps identify and prioritize issues that may affect your site’s performance.

Link Building

Link building involves practices that increase the number of links you receive from relevant, high-quality websites.

This matters because search engines view these backlinks as signals of your site’s trustworthiness and quality.

The concept is straightforward:
If many authoritative websites link to a page, that page is also seen as authoritative.

For this reason, link building remains a key aspect of SEO.

Website Architecture

Website architecture is the way your webpages are organized and linked together in a hierarchy.

It influences both how users experience your site and how well your site performs in search results.

Good website architecture should:

Make it easy for users to find the information they need and move through your site smoothly
Help search engines crawl and index your site efficiently while understanding how your pages relate to each other
Evenly distribute page authority and strengthen your topical authority for target keywords

SEO Performance Monitoring

Tracking and analyzing SEO results is essential. It shows you which efforts are most effective for your business.

It helps to monitor key SEO performance indicators (KPIs) such as:

Keyword rankings
Organic traffic
Organic conversions

2. Learn by Doing

The best way to learn SEO is by applying what you know.

If you already have a website, you can start optimizing it as you learn. If not, try one of these options:

Start a blog about a topic you care about and aim to rank for a few keywords
Create a side project like an affiliate site that could become an extra income source
Help a friend or family member improve their website for free

Each niche has its own quirks. So even if you have a business site, running a personal project can give you freedom to experiment.

The more websites you work on, the more experience you’ll gain.

When choosing a niche for a blog or project, pick something that:

Interests you
You know well
Has potential to make money

Don’t hesitate to try new things like SEO split testing and learn from any mistakes.

Along the way, you’ll want to use SEO tools such as Google Search Console.

Set Up and Learn Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that helps you track your website’s performance in Google Search. It also provides insights into technical SEO aspects.

When you sign in, you’ll find reports such as:

Search results report: Shows how your site performs in Google’s search results
Page indexing report: Lists pages that are indexed and those excluded, with reasons why
Page experience report: Summarizes your site’s usability and performance

These reports are helpful and you’ll likely use them as you improve your SEO.

Get Acquainted with an SEO Tool Set

If you manage a business website, investing in a quality SEO tool set will pay off. It helps you make data-driven SEO decisions and saves you time.

Using good tools also gives you an edge over competitors who rely only on free tools or none at all.

When picking your SEO tools, make sure you have at least these essentials:

Keyword research tool
Competitor analysis tool
Rank tracking tool
On-page analysis tool
Technical audit tool
Link building tool

You might also need other tools based on your needs, such as a listing management tool for local SEO.

It can take time to get familiar with your options, especially if you’re new to SEO. Choose tools that offer helpful resources and good customer support.

Even better, consider all-in-one platforms that cover multiple functions in one place.

Master SEO Tools within Your CMS

Every content management system (CMS) has its own settings and plugins that influence SEO performance.

Familiarize yourself with the SEO basics for your CMS, such as:

3. Get Advice from Expert Sources

Google is the largest search engine worldwide. Learning directly from their official SEO resources ensures you get information from a trusted authority.

Here are some official Google sources every SEO should know:

Google Search Central Blog: The official blog with news, algorithm updates, and SEO best practices (including Google’s SEO Starter Guide).
Google Search Central’s YouTube channel: Offers updates, tutorials, podcasts, interviews, and SEO Office Hours—Q&A sessions with Google representatives.
Search Quality Rater Guidelines: Detailed instructions for Google’s Search Quality Raters who evaluate the quality of search results and provide feedback. These guidelines reveal what Google considers high-quality content.

It’s also helpful to follow John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate, who frequently shares insights on X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit.

Read SEO Blogs

Reliable SEO blogs can teach you the fundamentals, share proven tactics, and keep you updated on the latest developments.

Here are a few of our favorite SEO blogs:

Semrush: Offers beginner-friendly posts, advanced guides, SEO studies, and insights from industry experts.
Backlinko: Brian Dean simplifies complex topics into practical tips that anyone can use to improve their site.
Search Engine Journal: A widely read blog featuring the latest search news, guides, webinars, and how-tos.
Search Engine Land: A popular source for how-to guides and updates on industry trends.

Take Free SEO Courses

Courses are a popular way to learn SEO online. They are usually split into easy-to-follow chapters and often provide a certificate after completion.

Here are some well-known SEO courses you can take for free:

Semrush Academy: Covers a broad range of SEO and online marketing topics taught by experts like Brian Dean, Eric Enge, and Nathan Gotch.
Google SEO Fundamentals: A course from the University of California, Davis that teaches SEO basics.
SEO Certification Course: A widely used four-hour course offered by HubSpot.

FAQs

Is SEO Worth Learning?

With many online experiences starting on search engines, understanding SEO can help you attract organic traffic, boost your online presence, and increase revenue. Whether you are a business owner, marketer, or content creator, learning SEO is a valuable investment for improving your website’s results.

How Long Will It Take to Learn SEO?

Beginners can grasp the basics within a few weeks. However, mastering SEO and understanding advanced concepts may take several years of ongoing learning and practice. SEO is a continuous process that involves staying updated with the latest industry changes.

Does SEO Require Coding?

Coding knowledge is not mandatory for SEO, but basic familiarity with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can be useful. Some advanced tasks, like adding structured data, might need coding skills or help from a developer.

Is Learning SEO Difficult?

SEO itself is not overly complicated, but it is a broad field. It combines theory and practical work, requiring technical, creative, and analytical skills. To learn SEO effectively, you will need:

A website to practice on
Willingness to experiment
Access to trustworthy resources
An SEO toolkit with reliable data

How to Learn SEO (Basics, Tips, & Free Resources)