The Fastest Way to Learn SEO Well

Learning SEO can be overwhelming and challenging. With so many factors to consider, where do you even begin? In this article, we'll show you a proven process that will turn you into an SEO pro at lightning speed.

Step One: Get Base SEO Knowledge

Before you dive into the nitty-gritty of SEO, you must first understand the basic concepts and terminology. This knowledge will enable you to diagnose your website's SEO performance. Here are the most important pillars of SEO:

1. Crawling, Indexing, and Ranking: Google must be able to crawl your website to index your pages. Without indexing, your pages cannot rank. This is the most crucial part of the SEO process, and without it, nothing else matters. To check if your pages are crawlable and indexable, download the free detailed Chrome extension or use Google Search Console. Keep in mind that not every page needs to be indexed, such as login pages, checkout pages, and archive pages, which can cause duplicate content.

2. Keywords: Keywords are how searchers find your website. Proper keyword research is essential in understanding search intent and delivering the perfect page for your users. Use Google to understand the searcher's end goal and create a content strategy that aligns with it. You can also use SEMrush to classify keywords based on intent.

3. Technical: Technical SEO may sound complicated, but it doesn't have to be. Two critical technical SEO opportunities include page loading speed and site architecture. Use tools like Google Web.dev or GT Metrics to analyze website speed and Screaming Frog to optimize site architecture.

4. Content: Without the right SEO content strategy, your efforts will be futile. Create keyword-focused and non-keyword-focused content to attract organic traffic from Google. Satisfy the searcher's intent and be the Purple Cow among the top 10 results in Google.

The One Thing That Helped Me Learn SEO Faster

No one teaches you this in school, but the one thing that helped me learn SEO faster was patience. SEO is a long-term game and requires time, effort, and dedication. Don't expect immediate results and keep learning and adjusting your strategy.

Pillars of SEO: A Comprehensive Guide

When it comes to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), it can be overwhelming to know where to start. However, by breaking down the key elements, or pillars, of SEO, you can focus your efforts and see results. Here, we’ll outline the essential pillars of SEO and how you can implement them for your own website.

1. Satisfy the Intent and Be the Purple Cow

Satisfying the intent means meeting the needs and desires of the user searching for a topic. Being the Purple Cow, as Seth Godin puts it, means standing out among your competition. By combining these concepts, you can create content that stands out and meets the needs of your audience.

Tips:

• Find a content angle that hasn’t been used before
• Attack a topic from a different angle than your competitors
• Consider using case studies instead of list posts

2. Build a Moat

Building a moat means making your content so unique that it becomes difficult for your competitors to replicate. By investing time and capital into your content, you increase its value.

Tips:

• Use unique data and exceptional design
• Create content that deserves backlinks
• Promote your content using traditional link building techniques, such as guest posting and getting interviewed

3. On-Page SEO

At a minimum, follow these on-page SEO steps:

• Place your exact keyword phrase in your URL, title, meta description, H1, first sentence, and last sentence.
• Consider adding a variation of your primary keyword in the first H2 tag.
• Optimize for natural language processing (NLP).

4. Optimizing for Local SEO

To optimize for local SEO, follow these steps:

• Have an address in the target location.
• Secure your Google business profile and fill in relevant information.
• Get as many reviews as possible.
• Ensure your NAPW (Name, address, phone, website) information is consistent across all citations on the internet.

5. Link Building

Backlinks from high-quality, relevant websites are essential for SEO success. To earn backlinks, create value with your content. Starting with content and then promoting it is the most scalable and reliable technique.

Tips:

• Create extremely high-quality content or free tools.
• Use your own assets, such as email lists and social media, to promote content.
• Use traditional link building techniques.
• Use a tool like Ahrefs Link intersect to see where your competitors have scored backlinks.

Just in Time Learning

To learn SEO fast, take action. Spend 80% of your time doing the work and 20% studying. By seeking new information only when you hit a roadblock, you will retain knowledge better.

Now that you know the foundational elements of SEO, it’s time to get started. Don’t fall victim to trying to understand every intricate detail of the process. Instead, start a test project and take action. Remember, you already know enough to get started with SEO right now.