Do You Want to Learn SEO?

Learning SEO, or search engine optimization, is an excellent idea for anyone who produces content for the web, whether you are a writer, a coder or programmer, or a designer. Even if you are not part of your company's official optimization team, having a good grasp of SEO concepts makes it possible for you to create content that is highly optimized from the beginning. If you would like to know how to start studying SEO, read on for a quick guide for all levels of learners.

If you are a novice, you should start by reading a self guided textbook or taking a class at your local adult learning center, whichever method is more in tune with your learning style. This will help you to master the basics. This is doubly true if you are also a novice at HTML and CSS. If you are slightly more comfortable with the basics of SEO, a one to three day class or seminar would be an excellent way to put some polish on your understanding of optimization.

Once you have the basics, self study is the way to go. There are dozens of reputable blogs and article collections that can get you started, as well as a few good SEO forums. (Look around before you settle on a set of sites to read. SEO information on the web is of highly variable quality, so finding sites that will not mislead you is vital.) After the first week of study, you will probably find yourself moving away from "how to" sites and article directories and toward SEO blogs and forums. This is a sign of progress. It means you fully understand the techniques of SEO and are looking for advanced tricks and new developments.

Keeping your knowledge of Seo and all the developments in the field up to date is essential. As search engines change their algorithms to weed out spammers, web professionals must change how they write, code, and design their sites. Not optimizing to the very latest set of search engine specifications can be the difference between the first page of the search results and the 247th page. Reading forums and top bloggers will keep your SEO knowledge up to date, and attending seminars and web specialist conventions can give you an extra edge.

As you can see, learning SEO is not as simple as taking a class and getting an official "SEO master" certificate at the end. First you need to learn the basics, then you need to stay on top of new developments. However, once you have the basics of SEO down, an hour or two a week is all it takes to stay current in the field. Persistence is the key. Keep reading, and soon you, too, will be a master of SEO.