The Best Places To Learn SEO Online in [2024]

Learning a new skill can be very difficult, and it can be even more difficult when that skill involves websites, coding, or digital marketing. When you mention the term “Search Engine Optimization” to a business owner they often have no clue what you are talking about or they assume that it will be complicated and too much work.

I, myself, have been learning about Search Engine Optimization over the past few years and it has definitely been challenging. At times, I had no idea what I was doing and was jumping from YouTube videos to random articles and blogs. To simplify things, I have put together a list of websites and resources that can help you learn more about Search Engine Optimization. Below you will find articles, guides, blogs, and more.

The Best Websites To Learn SEO Online

Search Engine Journal

Overview: Search Engine Journal is one of my personal favorites as it always has a lot of articles to read on the newest topics, and they also have a lot of free guides on the different types of  Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Content Marketing and Social Media. Make sure to check out their book- SEO for Beginners: An Introduction to SEO Basics.

Website: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sejournal

Search Engine Land

Overview: Search Engine Land is similar to Search Engine Journal as it has lots of great articles and free guides. A really cool piece of content that they have published and continually update is the Periodic Table of SEO Factors. It was first published back in 2011, it covers fundamentals, what can be harmful to your SEO, and new topics in the industry.

Website: https://searchengineland.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sengineland

Moz

Overview: Moz is an SEO software which aids with keyword research, audits, competitor insights, and backlinks.  Besides their software, they offer some helpful guides (The Beginner’s Guide to SEO and The One Hour Guide to SEO).

Website: https://moz.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Moz

Ahrefs

Overview: Ahrefs is another SEO software that provides a large variety of tools such as site explorer, keyword tracking, content research, and audits.  Ahrefs has a blog section with valuable information on all topics SEO. For SEO newcomers they have a piece titled “SEO Basics: A Beginner’s Guide to SEO Success” and it is very detailed with lots of images and videos. If you ever end up purchasing the Ahrefs software, there is the Ahrefs Academy and they show you how to use the key elements of the software in multiple videos spanning approximately 5 hours.

Website: https://ahrefs.com/blog/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ahrefs

Search Engine Roundtable

Overview: The Search Engine Roundtable is another site that I frequent, and it takes all of the top and highly viewed information from forums and allows you to see them all in one place. Generally, people only follow a forum or two but this allows them to see other sources and saves them time by not having to go through a lot of different pages to find what they are looking for.

Website: https://www.seroundtable.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seroundtable

The next couple of websites are from leading Search Engine Optimization and Digital Marketing experts in the industry.

Baclinko (Brian Dean)

Overview: Backlinko is a very well-known digital marketer, and he produces some of the best content, which ranks at the top of Google. If you were to search generic terms such as “SEO Blog”, “Link Building” or “Keyword Research” you will always find Backlinko near the top of the search engine results page.

Website: https://backlinko.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrianDean/

Neil Patel

Overview:  Neil is another digital marketing expert who consistently ranks for challenging keywords, and according to the Wall Street Journal he is one of the top influencers on the web.

Website: https://neilpatel.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/neilpatel

The Best SEO Courses Online

Besides taking in loads of information, just off Google, there are SEO courses that you can take online that will give you a more structured approach. I have taken a couple of online courses, myself when I wanted to learn about the topic in more depth. A good bonus, when registered for a course, is that you can typically email the course creator or instructor and they will answer any specific questions you may have.

SEMrush Academy

Overview: SEMrush is another SEO software company and they have a wide range of tools for social media, SEO, backlinks, competitor analysis,  Pay-Per-Click (PPC), and more. SEMrush offers free courses from their SEMrush Academy, and once you have finished a course you can take an exam and receive a certificate.  This is a professional certificate that you can add to your resume or Linkedin Profile. An example of the courses taught and the instructors are below:

• SEO Fundamentals with Greg Gifford ( 31 lessons + 4 hours length)
• Content Marketing Fundamentals with Ashley Segura (13 lessons + 2 hours length)
• PPC Fundamentals with Joel Bondorowsky (36 lessons + 5 hours length)

Website: https://www.semrush.com/academy/

Udemy

Overview:  Udemy is an online learning platform that offers over 150,000 different courses in all areas. Most of the courses you must pay for but they are very affordable. In the past, I have taken multiple courses on SEO and have spent less than $100.00.

Website: https://www.udemy.com/