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Learning search engine optimization can be overwhelming at first. There is a lot to wrap your mind around. But becoming proficient in SEO is definitely an achievable undertaking. Teaching you everything you need to know to go from SEO newbie to competent SEO in one article is next to impossible.

But the next best thing is a guide that provides you with the resources to achieve SEO mastery on your own.

This is that guide.

If you are new to the world of SEO, you probably have some concerns like:

Time. Will it take years to learn SEO?

Information overload. There is so much SEO related content on the internet, where do I even start?

Contradictory information. Who do I trust when I find different opinions?

Fear of anything technical. Do I need to be technical to succeed?

Hat Color. Should I use black, grey, or white hat tactics…? Or maybe all of them?

Education. Do I need any formal education to work in SEO?

SEO Gurus. Do I need to buy online courses from SEO gurus for thousands of dollars to learn?

All of these concerns will be addressed in this guide, along with the resources you will need to nail down the fundamentals.

SEO changes quickly. Webmaster Trends Analyst John Mueller says that Google updates and evolves its algorithms almost every day, which forces the SEO industry to evolve as well. Although the fundamentals stay the same, there are always new things to be tested and learned.

To make this guide more objective, we reached out to some SEO agency professionals who have experience teaching SEO in an agency environment. We wanted to thank the following contributors for their advice and insights that helped us create this guide.

Kate Morris — Director of SEO @ Craftsy Everett Sizemore — Director of Marketing @ Inflow Greg Lucas — Senior Partner @ Over The Top SEO Jake Bohall — VP Marketing @ Hive Digital Jim Bader — Senior Director of SEO @ Vertical Measures Justin McIntyre — Director of SEO and Content @ Perfect Search Media Kyle Elrod — SEO Manager @ Bigwing Paris Childress — Founder and CEO @ Hop Online Rob Kerry — Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer @ Ayima Ross Hudgens — Founder and CEO @ Siege Media Will Critchlow — Founder and CEO @ Distilled

Now let’s get started!

Free vs. Paid Education

As an industry still in its infancy, most colleges don’t formally teach SEO. Luckily, you can learn everything you need online and through application, making a degree or college education in SEO unnecessary. In fact, the majority of SEOs are self-taught, using mainly free online resources to learn (many of these will be discussed in this guide).

There is an incredibly helpful and active online community of SEOs. As you familiarize yourself with this community, you will inevitably stumble your way onto the websites of “SEO Gurus” selling courses that teach you SEO for thousands of dollars.

The truth about these courses is that the majority of information they provide can be found online for free. So why would anyone pay for these?

The answer is that a course can save you time. The information is bundled together allowing you to do your learning all in one place with a curriculum that is structured and keeps you focused. This prevents you from bouncing around from resource to resource and getting off track.

Is a course absolutely necessary to learn SEO? No, definitely not. Will a course save you time? Potentially, as long as you take a course from a reputable SEO. A good rule of thumb to follow is to only buy a course from an SEO practitioner who makes money doing actual SEO, not just selling courses on how to do SEO.

This guide is going to focus on taking the free learning approach, but if you are interested in a course, do your research before purchasing!

Learning Philosophy

The best way to acquire almost any new skill is to learn by doing. SEO is no exception.

There’s no substitute for getting your hands dirty.Will Critchlow, Founder and CEO @ Distilled

This guide will provide you the resources you need to learn the fundamentals of SEO. Once you understand the fundamentals, you need to begin applying your knowledge. There are two ways to do this:

Get an entry level job in SEO

Deepen your SEO knowledge by practicing on your own websites

Entry Level Job in SEO

There are two types of entry level jobs in SEO:

Work at an agency that provides SEO as a service

Work in-house performing SEO for the company you work for

One of the major benefits of working an entry level job is that you will likely have a mentor helping you along the way. This can speed up the learning process and your development as an SEO.

Here are some of the soft skills that would qualify you for a position in SEO:

Passion for digital marketing — this is the most essential attribute

Cultural fit within our agency

Intellectual curiosity — knowing what they don’t know and wanting to fill those knowledge gaps

Analytical skills/approach — justifying all arguments with data and projected client revenue impact

Demonstrated ability to self-learn with limited guidance

Thought leadership — proactive upkeep of skills and industry trends, and willingness to share with teammates

Ability to work within a team

Communication and client-facing skills (especially over email and video conferencing)

Professionalism and integrity”

The most important trait we look for is passion about SEO. You don’t have to be an SEO guru, but you need to have the innate motivation to learn new things that this career path demands. SEO is constantly changing, faster now than ever, and we want to make sure new hires can learn the basics quickly and continue to learn and experiment for years to come. That means we’re going to ask which blogs, podcasts and newsletters you subscribe to, and which experts you follow to learn about SEO.Everett Sizemore, Director of Marketing @ Inflow

The primary things I look for in a candidate is an aptitude for technology, a baseline understanding of web development, and a desire to learn things on their own.Kyle Elrod, SEO Manager @ Bigwing Interactive

By working closely with those who are part of the internship, we’re able to find individuals who have the qualities we’re looking for: analytical chops, communication, curiosity, and initiative. Because digital marketing is a field still in its infancy, the previously mentioned qualities are more important than any specific skills for our entry-level positions.Justin McIntyre, Director of SEO and Content @ Perfect Search Media

Although SEO can be learned online, getting an entry level job at an agency or in-house can require some kind of degree.

Here are some of the best degree to get if you want to pursue a career in SEO:

Computer Science or Computer Information System. You will learn the basics of web development and internet technology making the transition to the technical side of SEO easier. A number of the agency professionals mentioned that web developers make very good SEOs.

English (or another degree that requires a lot of writing). The ability to write well is an invaluable skill in SEO because great content is a necessity in SEO.

Marketing. A degree in marketing can provide you an introduction to all the elements of traditional and digital marketing and will give you a firm grasp on the psychology behind how consumers purchase.

Learn By Doing

Performing SEO on your own websites is a great way to practice and hone your SEO ability.

Having your own website is a must, no matter what it’s about or how it ranks, as it means that you feel the pain of website owners and probably obsess over your visitor numbers or search rankings already.Rob Kerry, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer @ Ayima

I would also highly recommend creating a WordPress site or blog and begin to familiarize yourself with the basics of SEO and content development.Jim Bader, Senior Director of SEO @ Vertical Measures

If you own a small business, do SEO on your business’s website. If you don’t have a business, build a personal blog or an affiliate site.

The important part here is that you are applying what you learn.

Contradictory Information in SEO

SEO is an industry known to have a lot of contradictory information. Here are two reasons for this:

SEO changes quickly. Information that was true six months ago, may not be true today.

Google and other search engines keep the inner workings of their algorithms a secret. All we can do is speculate and test. The problem with speculation is that if an idea seems believable, it becomes eagerly accepted as truth without the data to back up the speculation.