What is the best way to learn SEO?

[bronxpad]

I was wondering if it's worth taking an SEO Training course.

If so is it better to take a live class or Online class.

Or is better to just read all the SEO Books out there?

Or is there a good video series anyone can recommend?

What is the best way to learn SEO?

I have a good understanding of SEO but I'm not a Pro ( Yet ). Obviously SEO is always evolving so even the Pro's are constantly updating their skill set but I want to make sure my foundation is solid and complete.

Advice Please.

Thank you all.

[bronxpad]

Thanks everyone for your tips and advice. I appreciate the help. That's why I enjoy SEO MOZ, it's a great community to be a member of.

[rmontanez]

One book that helped me a lot was Search Engine Optimization Secrets by Danny Dover. That one and the art of seo were my starting point. I keep going back again to both books over and over.

[EGOL]

Brad has prepared a very good list.

[EGOL]

Yes..  But read the SEOmoz Beginner's guide first.   Don't hesitate to read the basic chapters twice.

I have read many SEObooks.  None of them have been a waste of time as long as they are reasonably current.  Since there have been so many changes in Google over the past year, I would read new editions of any that are published.

Also read "In the Plex".  It's not SEO but will help you understand how google works and appreciate that they always have test algos running.

[bradkrussell]

Hi Joel,

As for these books - I've only read the 2009 edition - http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-SEO-Mastering-Optimization/dp/0596518862. There was an updated version this year - http://www.amazon.com/Art-SEO-Eric-Enge/dp/1449304214/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339728490&sr=1-1 that I am yet to read but hope to soon.

Thanks

[bradkrussell]

Hi Joel,

When I was talking about G+ I was talking more from a personal point of view, not your company point of view. I.e. just as a way of learning more about SEO.

Go on G+ and start following all the top SEOs - start with http://www.seomoz.org/article/recommended and http://www.linchpinseo.com/best-seos-lego-infographic (yes it's silly but it's still a great list). Each of these people will post some great resources on G+ daily.

Interact with them. Comment, share with them, mention them in shares/comments.

Also, any social profiles you have, link to all your other social profiles. I went to your SEOmoz profile thinking I would be able to get to your G+ personal profile, but alas there was no link. You'll miss out on some easy opportunities there.

Thanks

[bronxpad]

Do you recommend the book "Art of SEO"? or what book would you recommend?

[bronxpad]

Hey Brad,

What's the difference between the Art of SEO and the Art of SEO Theory in Practice?

[EGOL]

I find myself spending 4 hours a day on something SEO related. Now granted most of the time its verifying what I just read to make sure it's accurate but I hear you, it's trial and error combined with constant learning and patience mixed in.

This is time well spent.

As you learn more you will be able to back off the time spent on SEO and increase the time spent improving your site.

It is better to get a good foundation on SEO now than spin your wheels for three years and then discover that you wasted your time.

[bronxpad]

Thanks Egol,

I find myself spending 4 hours a day on something SEO related. Now granted most of the time its verifying what I just read to make sure it's accurate but I hear you, it's trial and error combined with constant learning and patience mixed in.

[bronxpad]

Thanks Brad, My Facebok campaign has worked so far, so has Twitter and Linkedin, but I haven't been able to tackle Google+ effectively yet. I have a page on Google+ and I post and invite people from my other networks but no biters. Any tips on how to start a great Google+ campaign? I'm a local Realtor so my focus is Real Estate.

[EGOL]

As Ben says... start by reading the Beginner's Guide to SEO.

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Then start working on a website, or a couple of websites.

Experiment with them by changing the title tag, adding more content to some of the pages, reoptimizing.

As you work on them, keep an SEO Log and write down the changes that you make and the dates that you make them.  Watch how it influences rankings.  If you do this diligently you will learn more from this than any reading.

If you are learning you should discover that your website now sucks because your knowledge has grown.  That is a great thing.  Rebuild the site.  You will probably be amazed with the results.

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Install google analytics on these websites and become a student of the sources of traffic and the queries that people type in.   When you improve a 200 word page to a 500 word page watch for the explosion of new long tail keywords that flood in.  Watch how great content holds visitors and crap content bounces them.  ( I spend a few hours a week on this - even after ten years watching the same sites.)

====================

Pick a subject that you are very familiar with and enjoy.  Then create the best content on the web for that topic and post it on your site.  Watch where it ranks right away (you will probably be disappointed).  Check the rankings about once a week and watch what happens.  You will be impressed with what happens to quality. But, be patient as this type of content rises very slowly in the SERPs -- but in 6 to 12 to 24 months you will be surprised where it ranks.

Be careful that you don't deceive yourself into thinking that your content is the best when it is merely pedestrian.  Be prepared to keep it up-to-date and to improve it when someone else trumps it.

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Pick a good SEO forum and visit once a day.   Watch for people who come there posting titles like... "Wah!  My site lost tons of traffic."   Read all of those for a while and you will quickly start to see patterns.  You will generally find that they have committed some type of sin, usually with links or shortcuts.  Do not repeat their sins no matter how tempting.  Then after each google update read the post of the people who are cryin' and you will soon learn that google is smacking down a different type of shortcut and that google rarely smacks down quality that is difficult to produce.

While you are on these forums never listen closely to all of the advice, because lots of the advice in SEO forums is really bad advice - even when it comes from gurus and oracles.  Nobody understands google perfectly and most advice given is shooting from the hip with fragmentary data - especially if the advisor has not spend a lot of time on your website and studied your analytics carefully over time.

Spend a couple hours a week poking into busy forums.  You will learn a lot, find strong allies and trusted people who will be worth hiring for jobs where you lack expertise.

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After you think you have learn an awful lot, go back and reread the Beginner's Guide to SEO with a great desire to improve.  You will probably discover again that you website sucks.  This is a good thing.  Don't hesitate to rebuild properly because you will most likely receive a great reward.

[bradkrussell]

Thumbs up for Ben. I agree wholeheartedly.

These forums are a fantastic place to learn SEO, I think I've learnt the most from interacting on here. Keep asking questions, respond to others and learn, learn, learn.

As for books, I would start with these if you haven't already:

1. http://www.amazon.com/Search-Engine-Optimization-SEO-Secrets/dp/0470554185/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1339725028&sr=8-7
2. http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-SEO-Eric-Enge/dp/1449304214/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1339725028&sr=8-11

Subscribe to all the best blogs/sites out there and read constantly. Some of my favourites include:

1. http://www.seomoz.org/blog
2. http://www.distilled.net/blog/
3. http://www.rosshudgens.com/
4. http://searchengineland.com/
5. http://mashable.com/follow/topics/SEO/
6. http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog

Also, if you don't already, get active on G+. Like Ben said, the best SEOs respond to queries, and I find that G+ is the best place to interact with the higher level SEOs.

Thanks,

Brad

[bronxpad]

Thanks Ben, I've read a bunch of books, blogs and forums but I feel there are still gaps in my SEO for my site. Trying to figure the best way to fill those gaps. I'm on page one for almost all my main keywords but I feel like there is something missing.

[BenRWoodard]

I'd been dabbling in SEO since 2007 when I finally buckled down about 2 years and jumped in head first.  The biggest influence on me was the Beginner's Guide To SEO that SEOmoz just updated.  Then I went through every White Board Friday and Pro Webinar I could.

Followed key people on Twitter and asked some of the dumbest questions.  SEO's (at least good ones) are so incredible helpful and willing to help you out.  I can remember getting my first big client and I called just to get more acquainted with the Pro Tools here.  Actually got to talk to Cyrus, before I knew who he was.

So basically: read, follow, and ask.  With every change in the SEOsphere you become that much more of an expert.