You may ask yourself “how long does it take to learn SEO?”. This is a common question that is asked for a variety of reasons. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. A lot of companies and businesses use SEO to build their online presence. A strong online presence can transfer into more sales and customers.
Since we are constantly surrounded by technology and the internet, you may be surprised at how much SEO you already know. You do not have to be an expert at it, but some common knowledge can get you far.
Basics of SEO
The great thing about SEO is that basics can get you pretty far. Whether you are looking at making SEO your career, or you just want to improve your company’s social media, the basics of SEO are a good thing to know.
If you have a day or two, you can learn quite a bit about SEO. Take some time on your weekend to learn about SEO and what it encompasses. The main thing you will want to know going into SEO is that it has to do with search engine results and social media.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO would not exist if we didn’t have search engines like Google or Bing. What happens with the internet is that everyone started putting websites on the internet. That means there is a lot of information to sort through. Nobody has the time to look through every website trying to find the answer to your question.
That is how search engines came to be. They use algorithms to determine what website or page has the answer that you are looking for. This saves you a lot of time and energy. What it does is creates a space for websites to try and be the best they can be. The algorithm rewards certain behaviors and punishes others.
SEO Concepts
The main concept that you want to keep in mind is what does the Google algorithm like to see? This can be in relation to websites, social media posts, images, and videos. When a website is designed a certain way and has the right tags and keywords, the algorithm is more likely to show that website in search results.
Another thing to think about is ranking. Google ranks articles and posts according to how well they do. Certain websites and posts can be banned from the algorithm. This means that your post or website won’t show up in the search results at all.
Digital Marketing
Keep in mind that digital marketing is a wide field compared to SEO. Most companies that deal with social media or digital marketing, there is a team that has different roles to play. There may be several people assigned to doing SEO.
Other aspects of digital marketing include design, photos, content creation, and website building. SEO is the field that highlights all of these areas and puts them on display for the algorithm to see.
Social Media
There are certain reasons why some videos go viral and other channels and sites have a larger following than others. SEO determines what works when making posts and creating content.
Look at one of the pages you follow on social media. Why do you follow them? What makes them different than other creators who discuss the same subject? This is how SEO people look at content that they see on the internet.
Fundamentals of SEO
While the techniques may change for SEO, there are some things that will always stay the same. These things are called the fundamentals of SEO. They include things such as keywords, organic traffic, and search results.
Keyword Research
Google uses crawlers to read through the text on a web page. Crawlers are looking for specific keywords that are being used to answer questions and other information. A lot of SEO companies will target specific keywords on their posts and websites.
Search Engine Results Pages SERPs
The goal for every post is to rank on the first page of the search engine results page (SERP). Not a lot of people take the time to click on the second page for search results. The higher up you are on the first page will get your company a lot more visibility with your audience and potential customers.
Organic Traffic
There are two main forms of content on search engines, paid and unpaid. The paid content costs money and can become a huge expense for any company.
What you should aim for is the unpaid option. This allows you to have organic traffic come to your website. This may take more work but it will last longer and provide better results.
Google Analytics
A major trend right now is using data to find out more about what your customers want. However, Google Analytics is a tool that can help you figure out what the people that click on your content are interested in.
How to Learn SEO
So how long does it take to learn SEO? You may be able to learn the basics in several weeks. SEO experts tend to have several years of experience and know what is happening in the field of SEO. Give yourself about 3 months of learning SEO and you should be able to see progress.
If you want to learn about SEO, there are a variety of ways to learn about it. There are some books on it but the field changes quickly.
Most college classes aren’t going to go into depth because of how much it changes. Online courses, internships, and personal research seem to be the best approach to learning SEO.
Online Courses
There are a lot of different courses that are offered on the internet. The best thing that you can do is to find content that is free and high quality. When you have exhausted that resource, you can look at taking a course that costs money.
If you do take an online course, enroll in a good SEO course. You may also want to look at job postings and see if you can intern or get an entry-level role doing SEO.
Is SEO difficult to learn?
It depends on the person that is trying to learn SEO. Some people catch on quickly while others may take some time to learn. The people that tend to do best in SEO are people who are passionate about it and are willing to keep learning.
SEO is a Learning Process
The real answer to how long does it take to learn SEO? It is a learning process. You will never feel like you have fully arrived or you know everything. An important part of being in SEO is knowing that you will never stop learning while working with SEO.
What about the Time it Takes to Learn SEO?
We hope that the time you spend learning SEO is fun and exciting. How long does it take to learn SEO? That is up to you and what you can make work with your schedule. Everyone has a different situation. However, not all learning journeys are going to look the same.
Just know that as long as you are make progress and learn new things, you are going in the right direction. Getting a job or an internship in an SEO role is a big accomplishment. Secondly, celebrate the small wins as well as the large ones.
What to Look for in SEO Companies
If you are spending money on someone else to do SEO for your company, you do not want any SEO company. You want a company and people who know what they are doing and can provide results.
SEO Experts
There are many marketing companies that offer SEO as a service. This can seem great at first, but months can go by without you seeing any results. In addition, it can feel like a waste of money not to see the results you are hoping for.
To avoid this, ensure the people you are dealing with are experts in SEO. Because you don’t want it to be something they do as a hobby. Lastly, every company needs someone who eats, lives, and breathes all things SEO.
Learn the Basics
Finally, the best thing that you can do is to learn the basics of SEO. This way you know what is being talked about when searching for someone to do your SEO. When you know what should be done and what you want to be done, it will make choosing an SEO company easier for you.
Experience with SEO
The last thing you want to look for is someone who has experience with SEO. Remember, the field of SEO is always changing. You need someone who has experience and knows how to handle change.
What does experience in SEO look like? Many companies who specialize in SEO will have results from previous clients they can show you. Finally, sit down with a consultant and ask them about their experience. This is a great way to find out what they can do and what results they can make happen.