All education is self-education, it is a reality of learning. Although others can help you learn, no one can teach you anything; they can only encourage you to learn for yourself. That means if you want to learn Search Engine Optimization (SEO), you'll have to do it yourself.
This beginner to advanced SEO tutorial will provide you with step-by-step guidance to master the art of SEO and rank your site.
If you're new to SEO and wondering how to become SEO expert, this post is for you. You'll discover how to adopt the SEO learning process and the route to take to make it easier than it might seem.
So let us begin by defining SEO.
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a practice of optimizing a website to improve its visibility on search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo.
SEO is a long-term strategy to drive organic traffic to your website. It involves making changes to your website's structure and content to make it more search engine friendly.
Why is SEO important?
SEO is essential because it helps your website rank higher on search engines. When your website appears on the first page of search engine results, it is more likely to get clicks and traffic. Studies have shown that the top three results on Google get more than 50% of clicks. Moreover, organic traffic from search engines is more valuable than paid traffic because it is more targeted and cost-effective.
How do search engines work?
Search engines use complex algorithms to rank websites based on their relevance and authority. These algorithms analyze various factors like keywords, content quality, backlinks, user experience, and many more. When a user types a query on the search engine, the algorithm crawls through millions of web pages to find the most relevant and authoritative results. The search results are then displayed in the order of their relevance and authority.
Become Self-Made SEO Expert
Here are the facts to follow if you’re new to the SEO industry intending to become an SEO expert:
1. Keyword Research
Keyword research is the process of identifying the most relevant and valuable keywords for your website. You should choose keywords that are relevant to your business, have high search volume, and low competition. There are many tools available for keyword research, such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and more.
You can use our 100% free Long-tail Keyword Research tool to come up with keywords that are especially tailored to rank your content on search engines.
2. On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is the process of optimizing individual web pages to improve their visibility on search engines. The following are some of the best practices for on-page optimization:
Title Tags
Title tags are HTML elements that define the title of a web page. They appear in the search engine results as the clickable headline. You should include your primary keyword in the title tag and keep it under 60 characters.
Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are HTML elements that provide a brief summary of a web page's content. They appear in the search engine results as the text below the title tag. You should include your primary keyword and a call-to-action in the meta description.
Header Tags
Header tags are HTML elements that define the headings and subheadings of a web page. They help to structure the content and make it easier to read for users and search engines. You should use H1 for the main heading and H2 for subheadings, and so on. You should include your primary and secondary keywords in the header tags.
Content Optimization
Content optimization involves creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that meets the user's search intent. You should include your primary and secondary keywords in the content, but avoid keyword stuffing. You should also use variations of your keywords and synonyms to make the content more natural and readable.
URL Structure
URL structure is the way the web pages' URLs are organized. You should create short and descriptive URLs that include your primary keyword. Avoid using special characters, numbers, or stop words in the URLs.
Internal Linking
Internal linking is the process of linking pages within your website. It helps to distribute the link equity and improve the user's navigation. You should use descriptive anchor text for the internal links and link to relevant pages.
Image Optimization
Image optimization involves optimizing the images on your website for search engines. You should include alt text that describes the image using your primary keyword. You should also compress the images to improve the page speed.
Page Speed
Page speed is the time it takes for a web page to load. It is a crucial factor for both user experience and search engine rankings. You should optimize your website's page speed by compressing images, using a content delivery network (CDN), and minifying the code.
3. Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO is the process of improving your website's authority and relevance through external factors. The following are some of the best practices for off-page optimization:
Link Building
Link building is the process of getting other websites to link to your website. It helps to improve your website's authority and relevance. You should focus on getting high-quality, relevant, and natural backlinks from authoritative websites.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing involves promoting your website on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. It helps to drive traffic to your website and build brand awareness.
4. Technical SEO
Technical SEO involves optimizing the technical aspects of your website to improve its visibility on search engines. The following are some of the best practices for technical SEO:
Site Architecture
Site architecture is the way the web pages are organized on your website. You should create a clear and hierarchical site structure that makes it easy for users and search engines to navigate.
Mobile Optimization
Mobile optimization involves optimizing your website for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. It helps to improve the user's experience and search engine rankings. You should use a responsive design, optimize the images and videos, and improve the page speed.
Schema Markup
Schema markup is a code that you can add to your website to provide additional information about your content to search engines. It helps to improve the search engine visibility and click-through rate.
XML Sitemap
XML sitemap is a file that lists all the web pages on your website. It helps search engines to crawl and index your website more efficiently.
Robots.txt
Robots.txt is a file that tells search engine crawlers which pages or sections of your website to crawl and index. You should use robots.txt to prevent search engines from indexing duplicate content or irrelevant pages.
5. Analytics and Reporting
Analytics and reporting involve tracking and analyzing your website's traffic and performance. The following are some of the best tools for analytics and reporting:
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a free tool that provides insights into your website's traffic, user behavior, and conversions
Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool that provides insights into your website's search engine visibility, indexing, and performance.
bestSEOtool
bestSEOtool is a free forever SEO resource that offers premium-quality SEO tools, tips, tutorials and more. We are designing our Knowledge Base in such a way so that even a complete beginner can master the art of SEO by simply following our words. We offer 100% free SEO tools including the SEO Audit tool, Site Speed Insights tool, Keyword Research tool, and MUCH MORE.
Final Thoughts
Remember, learning SEO is more than just reading and reciting facts. It also involves putting what you've learned into practice. SEO is an essential aspect of digital marketing that can help your website rank higher on search engines, drive more traffic, and increase conversions.
By following the best practices of on-page optimization, off-page optimization, technical SEO, and analytics, you can create a strong SEO strategy that delivers results.
Remember to focus on creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that meets the user's search intent and avoid any black hat SEO practices that can harm your website's reputation.
