SEO is still on everyone’s lips when it comes to digital marketing, and it doesn’t show any sign of being decrepit. It’s already agreed that any business with a website should include SEO in their online marketing plan, but many individuals still circle around it.
You might also be interested in IS SEO REALLY A HARD SKILL TO LEARN?
SEO is an ever-changing realm, with lots of intricacies and in-depth tactics, which is why it can be intimidating at times for those who are just scratching its surface. However, any business that has an online presence will only be able to thrive by using SEO.
Luckily, it only takes a few optimisations to see significant results in customer engagement, brand recognition, and, ultimately, sales. With SEO, you can take it step by step and go through the basics, building up to more advanced technologies and SEO tactics.
Getting to the question that this post aims to answer to, learning SEO depends on how far you want to go with it. We will provide a general idea of how complex the learning would be, and what to expect from tackling this industry.
Ways of Learning SEO
The time it takes you to become good at SEO depends mostly on how you learn the information. There are numerous online tutorials, social media communities, courses and guides on SEO you can study from, as well as internship programs that could get you to work directly with an SEO expert, on real websites.
The fastest way to learn is hands-on, so try to get a job or internship where you can learn by doing, and having someone experienced to supervise you. If this option is not available, sign up for classes with a certified SEO professional, where you can submit your questions, get tested, and so on.
If you prefer a more DIY approach, start reading about SEO every single day, follow the most influential people in the industry, and have a website that you can practice on. If things ever get overwhelming, grab the phone, or write an email and hire a professional to guide you through.
For learning at home, free online resources and tools are available, like Google Analytics, the Google Search Console, and the Google Help Center. There are also hundreds, if not thousands of apps and tools by third parties (we recommend Moz Pro, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, etc.).
Learning the Basics of SEO
SEO can be a fantastic way of getting more valuable traffic to your website, but it’s not a short-term solution. Results might appear in at least a few months, not overnight. Consistency and perseverance are key to learning and applying SEO.
It’s a good idea to start with the basics, practicing your new skills by optimising your website and following the progress, testing, and checking your competitors. The basic SEO tasks include:
Basic SEO
- Keyword research
- Link building
- Knowing the ranking factors
- Content marketing
- Optimising on-page SEO elements like HTML tag
- Reading reports correctly
It takes as little as this to get started in the SEO industry and, believe us, it becomes addictive. The more you learn, the better you are, and algorithm changes keep you on your toes just when you get a bit too familiar with everything.
On average, and with consistent study (preferably daily), it would take you between 1 and 3 months to understand and be able to apply SEO basics.
Getting Into Advanced SEO
For more technical SEO tactics and tools that might require special knowledge, the SEO learning curve becomes steeper. Becoming a skilled SEO yourself can take over a year to accomplish, or even as little as 6 months, provided that you dedicate time and effort daily, or very frequently.
Do You Want to Learn SEO Fast?
Seeing experts at work is one of the most effective ways to learn SEO. If you want to work with experts to build your SEO strategy, don’t hesitate to contact us.