33 Top Seo Resources For Beginners
Since SEO is not yet standardized and not all universities or colleges offer to teach this, the subject for SEO is vast. Reading only a couple of SEO materials may not help you in the long run. Aside from Google that keeps updating its search algorithm which is already making search engine optimization hard, the number of people doing SEO is also growing.
The SEO learning materials you might have read a year ago might or might not be relevant anymore. That is why it is important to have multiple SEO resources that you can tap on. There are plenty of SEO guides available; some are beginner-friendly while others might require advanced SEO knowledge.
Table of Contents
How Do I Start Learning SEO?
As a beginner, it is a common question not only for you but also for others starting out. Where do I start or what do I read first are some of the questions you'll likely think. Since SEO is a broad subject entailing different branches like On-page SEO, Technical SEO, Off-page SEO, and more, it is overwhelming and it might put down your hopes to continue pursuing an SEO career.
However, you are in luck! We have compiled all essential SEO resources for beginners that you should include in your learning outline. Another thing is you don't need any money to be able to read this, all you need is a lot of effort, dedication, and time. Below are the resources you need to kickstart your SEO journey.
33 SEO Resources For Beginners
All of the SEO resources listed below have free learning materials, some might require you for a subscription or a one-time payment for more advanced lessons or certifications. The list comprises different types of organizations/websites where you'll find the SEO resources.
Resources from Google itself
Resources from SEO software developers
Resources from SEO blogs
Resources from SEO experts
Resources from Learning Institutions
Resources from Internet Marketing Agencies
The list below all offers basic SEO materials and is arranged in no particular order, we recommend starting with Google's resource material first since it is the Google search engine we are optimizing our websites for.
1. Google Search Central
Google Search Central, formerly known as Google Webmaster was made to help newcomers in SEO help their website increase online visibility mainly in Google Search Engine. It has several SEO resources from beginners to advanced levels. It also can help a business owner, web developer or SEO professional improve SEO for their websites.
Below are three resources you can start with.
Quickstart: Learn The Basics of Google Search
Google Quickstart lets you learn topics like how Google search engine works, getting your website on Google using Google Search Console, and why you need SEO. As a website owner, business owner, or both, it is important at least we learn how things work in the search engine space. Having this knowledge will serve as a foundation and will help you along the way.
SEO Starter Guide
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide is an article from Google Search Central. The Google SEO Starter Guide is a part of the "Beginner SEO" module that Google Search Central offers. "Getting started for beginners in SEO," says that one should understand creating and arranging content. It has an outline detailing and defining SEO terminologies a beginner should know.
It discusses some of the topics like creating unique, accurate page titles and more. SEO Starter Guide has a PDF version you can download in case you may want to read it offline or print it out.
Webmaster Guidelines
Webmaster Guidelines is an article from Google and is under the advanced SEO module. We've included this in case you are done with basics or just want to jump outright and learn. It outlines topics such as general, content-specific, and quality guidelines one must follow for Google to rank, index, and find your website.
One of the guidelines listed in the article is to ensure pages in the website can be found by using other links from other searchable pages. It also details some of the SEO techniques one must avoid such as automatically-generated content, using link-scheming strategies, and more.
2. Moz Learning Center
Moz offers not just SEO tools but also resources. Moz has several learning materials such as how-to guides, beginner's guides, webinars, and more. Most of the basic lessons are free while if you need in-depth learning, the Moz Academy has several advanced SEO courses. You can select the topics at Moz Academy and also get a certification after you have finished a course.
One of the SEO articles is "The Beginner's Guide to SEO". Moz Beginner's Guide explains all significant aspects of SEO to help increase search results, such as keyword or phrase research and link building. They also discuss a pyramid approach in SEO in which they call "Mozlow's Hierarchy of SEO Needs".
Google Algorithm Update by Moz
Google Algorithm Update History is an article from the Moz blog site. It discusses the major updates from Google's Search Algorithm starting from the year 2000. It is all the updated information every SEO beginner or enthusiast must know. Knowing the recent changes can help you optimize and have actionable tips for your SEO strategy.
3. Ahrefs Academy
Ahrefs is a popular SEO tool to get your rank higher and increase search results. In their blog and academy, they have several materials in which you can learn SEO. The Ahref Academy includes SEO training which consists of 14 video lessons that last about 2 hours.
One of their articles is "How To Learn SEO and Stay Sane". It discusses in the article how SEO can be quite overwhelming. The blog post also discusses free and paid SEO learnings and their advantages and disadvantages. It also discusses that it is better to do research or get it from SEO professionals if you are going to the paid programs.
4. Neil Patel
Neil Patel is the founder of UberSuggest, aside from that he also offers free SEO learnings either through his blog posts or digital marketing training. Either way, you can read or just watch which way you prefer.
One of his blog posts is "SEO Basics: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide". It discusses several on-site SEO concepts such as title tag, meta tags, link building, and more. You are assured that you get quality SEO knowledge since Neil Patel is a renowned SEO Expert.
5. LinkGraph
LinkGraph is an online marketing agency that offers SEO software toolkits and services. They also have a resource section such as ebooks, blog posts, case studies, and videos.
One of the articles they have for SEO is "How to Learn SEO: 11 Resources for Beginners and Intermediates". The blog post discusses that SEO is a strategy based on knowing how Google's algorithm and technology works. It also discusses the essential elements of SEO such as keyword research, on-page SEO, off-page SEO, technical SEO, and UI optimization.
6. SEMRush Academy
SEMRush offers free SEO resources through their SEO blogs and SEMRush academy. It has SEO for beginners and advanced SEO topics you can read. There are several SEO contents you can learn and they are regularly updated.
One of the contents under SEO is "Learn SEO: The Beginner's Guide to SEO". It discusses how SEO works in 2021, resources needed, and advice from experts. One expert's advice is to avoid the pitfall of trying to beat the search engine's algorithm because, after six or twelve months, your efforts will be for nothing as it continuously changes.
7. Hubspot Academy
Hubspot has a branch called Hubspot Academy, which offers free online training resources. There are various training programs you can choose like inbound marketing, sales, and more. Aside from their free materials, they also do certifications for the training you take.
They offer a number of SEO training resources you can take from basic to advanced levels. Some of their SEO lessons last about an hour each and after you have completed all of the training, you can start getting certified related to your training program. All you need to do is sign up to start learning at Hubspot Academy.
8. SEO Site Checkup
SEO Site Checkup not only provides an outstanding search engine optimization software but also a library of SEO resources. They have divided their articles into three categories to provide easy-to-follow lessons.
This is ideal for beginners wanting to learn search engine optimization as it does not jump directly to advanced SEO topics. After you are done with the Beginner SEO topics, you have a next module called Intermediate SEO before finally proceeding to Advanced SEO.
They also provide SEO news and changes that you can read to be updated on the SEO industry.
9. Yoast Academy
Yoast tagline is “SEO for everyone”. They do that by providing software called Yoast SEO and Yoast Academy to help website owners do search engine optimization. The Yoast Academy offers a wide range of SEO topics.
Yoast Academy has a free and premium plan. The free training is ideal for people starting out in SEO, as this will cover all the basics of search engine optimization. The training was developed by world-class digital marketing professionals and university-trained teachers. You also get to practice the theories discuss and get real-life best practices in the Yoast Academy.
10. Mangools Academy
Mangools has been making SEO simple since 2014 and one of the things they offer to make it simple is free learning materials. They have SEO guides, tool guides, SEOpedia, and a blog.
Their SEOpedia is a great resource if you are looking for a list of terms for SEO. The SEOpedia is divided into six categories which are general SEO, keyword research, on-page SEO, technical SEO, link building, and website traffic & analytics.
One of the articles is "The Complete SEO Guide for Beginners". It discusses simple-to-understand topics for SEO even your grandparents can comprehend. The subjects are divided into eight categories, and at the end, you get an SEO test and certificate.
11. Quicksprout
Quicksprout is a collection of resources that is helpful for someone starting an online business. The categories are everything you need to know from making websites to managing your people. Although the website is a holistic online business guide from A-Z, you can still use their SEO materials if you are just starting.
One of the articles in SEO is "The Beginner's Guide to Technical SEO". In this topic, beginners can learn about technical SEO, which meant aspects aside from the content. One of the elements in technical SEO that they discuss is site speed. Your site's page speed is crucial because one second of delay for your web pages to open decreases your conversion rate by 7%.
12. Brightedge
Brightedge offers resources on its website. Some of the popular SEO resources are case studies, white papers, research reports, webinars, and customer stories. They also have SEO reading materials for someone just starting. Below is one of the guides you can read in their blog.
"An SEO for Beginner's Guide" is about the elements of an SEO and critical points such as the heading tags, meta tags. It also discusses specifics for heading tags, meta descriptions, image alt text, and internal linking. The article is handy for beginners as this will serve as a guide in doing on-page SEO on their webpage.
13. Search Engine Guide
Search Engine Guide is a website all about search engine topics such as marketing, local businesses, social media, and SEO. It is a simple website outlining various articles per topic which you could use as a go-to library in case you would want to read about something SEO-related.
The one thing I like about this website is how they categorize and how direct to the point their post is. An example is when you click for SEO tools under SEO, they list the tools like analytics, keyword research, link building, and more. If you are looking for a free tool to help you with page speed, you can easily choose the SEO tools in their list.
14. SEOBook
SEOBook was founded in 2003 by Aaron Wall. It is a website offering SEO training programs. Most of their in-detail training is exclusive to their members only. However, there are a couple of free SEO concepts you can browse, and this is just a basic explanation which you can also find on other SEO training websites.
They also list SEO tools with brief descriptions included which can help you find specific software for your SEO needs. Other SEO tools like competitive research, local rank, and website health check are only available for their members through their SEO community.
The paid membership is closed as of this writing, however, you can still join with a free and basic account.
15. Wordstream by LocalIQ
Wordstream by LocalIQ is a marketing agency serving businesses and communities in the US. Aside from helping local businesses, they also have a blog with several topics about SEO.
SEO Basics: Complete Beginner's Guide to Search Engine Optimization is one of the contents in Wordstream's blog. It discusses the overview of SEO in his article and why it is needed for your marketing strategy to rank high in SERP. It has eight topics for an SEO starter, and one of the topics in his list is keyword research and keyword targeting best practices.
There are more SEO articles in their blog which you can read and get some insights that can help you along the way.
16. SEO Theory
SEO Theory started in 2006 and was founded by Michael Martinez. All other content that was featured in the blog was chosen by Michael for their knowledge and expertise. The website can be a good resource for a beginner because it has the fundamentals of SEO topics, an SEO glossary, and SEO theorems and principles.
The website also produces content with up-to-date information. They also offer a premium newsletter that offers new ideas for SEO strategies, you get to ask questions related to SEO, case studies, and more.
17. Search Engine Watch
Search Engine Watch was founded in 1997 and is one of the world's longest SEO resources. It has several types of content such as case studies, podcasts, webinars, influencers, and events. Under SEO, users can learn various topics ranging from the basics of SEO to advanced lessons.
One of the SEO articles posted is "The Beginner's Guide to Semantic Search: Examples and Tools". The article explains what semantic are and the need to understand the concept. Since Google's Algorithm is returning query results with only keywords, we must convey the meaning by using relevant keywords or phrases; otherwise, the search engine can not understand or perceive it for a different meaning.
The website is also regularly updated and you can read the most recent industry news for SEO here.
18. State of Digital
The State of Digital is a content resource for anything under digital marketing. Everyone from a beginner to a digital marketing practitioner can learn since the topics range from basic to advanced levels. The categories not only include SEO but other digital marketing-related topics such as business, analytics, advertising, and more.
The State of Digital is not just a blog, it is a platform to get people moving forward in their careers. The core concept applied here is to teach the teacher principle. This lets the teacher understand more since he needs to pay attention more.
There are several articles pertaining to SEO on the website and one of them is "25 Ways To Learn SEO For Free" --It discusses how SEO as a career is getting more interest from people. However, there is no formal course or degree where SEO is taught since Google algorithm changes. He also discusses forums and events where you can learn, but it will cost you. He discusses ways to learn SEO for free and categorizes them into two: online and offline.
19. Portent
Portent is a marketing agency that has free SEO resources such as tools, ebooks, guides, and case studies. There is this one SEO tool for generating a topic which is called the portent content idea generator which you could use for your SEO such as title creation. As a beginner, this tool will help you a lot, some of the titles generated are funny, you just have to generate until you found something you like.
One of the articles is titled "What is SEO? A Digital Marketer's Guide to Organic Search". This SEO content discusses why organic search results are needed. It also discusses some of the basics of SEO such as how search engines work.
20. Learning SEO
The Learning SEO website is a great resource for SEO learnings and materials. It was created by Aleyda Solis, an SEO consultant, author, and speaker. The content of the website is all about SEO. Topics that are available are SEO fundamentals, SEO news, tools, and more.
They also have an SEO roadmap where you can use as a guide in learning. Starters can use this to learn on their own. There is also a google sheet where you can download it for free—the Google sheet serves as a syllabus for anyone interested in SEO.
21. Whole Whale
Whole Whale is a digital agency helping non-profit companies with websites, SEO traffic, analytics, content, and more. They also offer SEO products such as online courses. Aside from this, they also have a great number of resources such as digital advertising, google ad grant, and web optimization.
Web optimization is where can learn the SEO basics, how to design for behavior, and why it is important to do A/B testing.
One of the SEO articles is titled "How to Start Learning SEO - 6 Simple Steps". It discusses what SEO is and why it is essential. It also gave six steps for learning on your own. One of the steps discussed is finding a good SEO beginner's resource to start with.
22. WebFX
WebFx is an SEO agency that has good resources for SEO. Other than SEO, they also have learning materials for digital marketing, content marketing, social media, web design, PPC, and Amazon.
One of the SEO articles in their blog is "6 Steps To Learn SEO For Free-Learn SEO At Home". It discusses how someone can learn SEO in the comforts of their home. It also discusses six simple steps to follow, and one of the steps is about understanding the goal of SEO.
23. Exposure Ninja
Exposure Ninja offers several resources such as training guides, books, workshops, and webinars. Their SEO training guide is a complete SEO resource. It is divided into four topics which are on-page SEO, off-page SEO, keyword research, and Google analytics.
Other than the topics, there are additional training resources for SEO that you can explore. Their blog and podcast are resources after you are done reading their SEO training guide.
24. Reliablesoft
Reliablesoft is a digital marketing agency since 2002. It has a wide range of services offered such as SEO training, audit, consulting, PPC management, social media marketing, and web design. In 2016 the Reliablesoft digital marketing academy was founded. It offers a digital marketing course and is divided into two bundles; digital marketing bundle and SEO course bundle.
They offer a free basic SEO mini-course, ebooks, checklists, and other resources once you sign up for their website. The information is simple to understand, and the language is appropriate for non-technical people which is a great resource for a beginner.
25. Simplilearn
Simplilearn is a learning hub and a certification training provider. They offer several types of resources such as video tutorials, articles, ebooks, live webinars, on-demand webinars, and free practice tests.
One of the learning materials for SEO is "SEO Tutorial For Beginners: A Step by Step Guide". The SEO tutorial is in a video format, and every topic is around an hour of learning. The course is free and is best suited for SEO beginners.
26. Equinet Academy
Equinet Academy is a Singapore-based online learning institution. Aside from their paid courses, they have various types of free digital marketing resources such as case studies, guides, directories, metrics, tools, templates, events, and a blog.
One of their material is "Learn SEO Tutorial: Step-By-Step SEO Guide for Beginners". It is divided into three sections. Section one talks about the introduction to Search Marketing. It also discusses the other Google updates from Panda (2011) to Bert (2019).
27. ContentKing Academy
ContentKing Academy is a great SEO resource for a beginner. The learning materials in the academy are the fundamentals of SEO, Google Search Console, technical SEO, structured data, international SEO, e-commerce SEO, content & SEO processes, and reporting and management.
One of the things I like here is that they have a frequently asked section. This is helpful especially for beginners since most of the learnings are a one-way approach. There is nobody you could ask for clarifications about SEO.
28. Search Engine Roundtable
Search Engine Roundtable is a website where you can have updated news about SEO. The contents are updated and made by Barry Schwartz. It is mainly a resource for search engine marketing where starters and veterans can read and find helpful knowledge.
Topics you can find on their website are about Google and other search engines. They also have SEO topics about sitemaps, link building, cloaking, and more. This is a great site to learn SEO tips as they provide a synopsis on topics reported on their thread. Authors can also expand on their articles and provide concepts that are not found on the website.
29. AllTop
AllTop is a website where posts from several SEO blog sites are consolidated and updated regularly. It is an all-in-one page resource where an SEO beginner can start his learnings. The topic is divided into Popular Top Sites for SEO and Top Search Engine Optimization Twitter Follows.
Some of the recommended industry experts to follow on Twitter on their website are Rand Fishkin, Danny Sullivan, Matt Cutts, Aaron Wall, and more.
30. Search Engine Land
Search Engine Land covers all aspects of digital marketing. This includes the latest news from industry trends, updates from products, and other search engines. Aside from news content, Search Engine Land publishes contributed pieces from subject matter experts across all digital marketing disciplines, which are jam-packed with useful ideas, methods, and strategies for conducting effective marketing campaigns.
One of the SEO materials is "What Is SEO?". This guide is divided into nine chapters allowing a pause for every discussion as not to overwhelm its students. Chapter 1 focuses on different types of SEO ranking factors.
31. Search Engine Journal
Search Engine Journal was founded in 2003 and is providing the latest news and content via the industry's best practitioners. They have several topics under SEO such as different guides, ranking factors, Google E-A-T, trends, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and more.
One of the resources is “SEO for Beginners: An Introduction to SEO basics". It is sub-categorized into two sections namely SEO basics and A Complete Guide to SEO. Under each category is a compilation of SEO materials relating to it.
32. WebmasterWorld
WebmasterWorld is a forum-based SEO community. It has several topics in its forum you can read, these are actual questions and scenarios where you can get actionable tips for your own site. Aside from the member's post, it offers a wide variety of SEO resources such as SEO tools, announcements, libraries, and more.
There is a pro membership to access advanced learnings and topics however you can still do basic stuff just by registering for free.
33. Backlinko
Backlinko was created by Brian Dean, he failed five times before having his SEO success. Brian rapidly created a name for himself and has become one of the SEO experts after establishing Backlinko. He shares incredibly practical tactics that marketers can utilize to improve their internet business. Backlinko has become one of the most well-known marketing blogs on the internet.
One of the blog content is "Welcome To The New Google SEO Guide". Brian discusses a beginner-friendly SEO guide. The topics are very concise and also have illustrated examples to follow. The guide is an easy read, and beginners will not be bored.
Conclusion
Now that you have all the resources needed, there is no more excuse for you not learning SEO. After learning and applying the concepts, don't be disheartened if you still do not see the results that you want. Remember, SEO is not a one-time job where you set and forget, it will require your time and effort since there are several factors that may change your ranking. One of those is the continuous update of the search engine's algorithm.
By having the right resources you can be up-to-date with news and trends, and see other experts' perspectives that you could use when doing your own SEO.
The 33 SEO resources for beginners listed here are all excellent resources. Some strategies and guides may not work for you, you just have to keep on refining your SEO process and keep the ones that are giving you good results. If you like the article, please comment below. You can also drop us a message by contacting us.