There’s a lot of content online, Video tutorials, guides, articles, podcasts, books, that you can use to learn SEO. Moreover, there are varying degrees of technical depth and challenge in all of them. However, SEO is a broad discipline that encompasses several other branches of knowledge. Along the way, you’ll pick up insights on various topics. These range from tech and marketing, all the way up to psychology and effective communication.

As for the best way to learn SEO, you’ll probably want to figure out what it is you are trying to accomplish first.

Do you want to learn SEO as a profession? Or maybe just want a basic idea so your team understands your goals? Do you have a more practical/results-oriented goal in mind?

Depending on the answer, some avenues provide more advantages than others. Let’s go over some of them to figure out which one suits your needs best.

Learn SEO as a Profession

Books are probably your best source of reliable, comprehensive knowledge. Reading in-depth texts on SEO gives you a deep understanding of the ins-and-outs of the industry. They help you cover the nuances that other media might just gloss over.

Depending on your current level of knowledge, introductory-level texts are best. Search Engine Optimization All-in-One for Dummies by Bruce Clay. Don’t be discouraged by the “For Dummies” brand. This book is very approachable and an excellent starting point for everyone.

Additionally, The Art of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization by Eric Enge is a must have. It is written by one of the giants of the industry and serves as a great crash course on the history and landscape on the subject.

Learning for effective communication

One of the main challenges of hiring a digital marketing agency or an SEO consultant to take over your content’s SEO is having to take a back seat.

However, just by learning the basics terms and getting a sense of what each strategy is about you can become a part of the conversation productively.

Keep a journal and jot down unknown words and strategy names as they come up. Later, do a simple google search on them and pick up the basics of what they are about. Just by doing this simple task you’ll get a solid understanding of what’s going on. This will allow you to pitch in and steer the process much more efficiently. It’s all about using the expertise of your SEO assets to the fullest.

Learning Hands-on SEO

Lastly, a lot of people want to learn SEO basics in a practical manner, to improve their online content as soon as possible.

It is a valid approach and one that has been made relatively easy due to the sheer number of DIY guides, How-To ‘s and explainer videos on the subject you can find online.

Granted, these sources won’t cover the more complex processes, and the more advanced techniques might be too difficult to implement by yourself. But even the most basics SEO strategies can have a powerful impact on your content’s exposure, and this is entirely possible to do by following guides from reliable sources.