Becoming an SEO expert does not happen overnight. If you wish to become one, you need hours of training and preparation. As a beginner, you can do the following easy and basic steps to start your SEO journey. Just remember to be patient because the process can be challenging especially for beginners.
1. Know how search engines work
Familiarize yourself with the basics of search engine optimization. To do this, you need to know first how search engines work. There are three key processes to know. These are crawling, indexing, and ranking.
Crawling is the process used by search engines to discover content on the internet. Indexing is how they include the discovered content in their index. Ranking is the way they decide which of the included websites will be shown in the search results and in what order.
2. Understand the function of SEO
SEO is not just including links and keywords in your content. To understand the function of SEO, you should put yourself in the shoes of your potential readers and visitors. SEO should provide people with ease of access to relevant content that they want.
As a content creator, SEO’s function is not just to get traffic for a single page on your website. SEO should make users visit your website often.
3. Get the appropriate SEO training
SEO covers a wide range of topics and processes. It is not often that you would use all of them for your website. To learn about SEO, you should know first what exactly you need for your business and attend a training session for it.
There are multiple SEO training courses available now on the web. Get your money’s worth by focusing on a particular skillset from a reputable training provider. If you wish to learn more, you have the option to enroll in a complete SEO training course.
4. Choose the best SEO tools
As someone learning SEO, you have to accept the reality that mastering this process cannot be done alone. To be good at what you are doing, you gave to rely on tools. Some of these tools are free, but it wouldn’t hurt if you start investing in your SEO career by purchasing tools that will help you in the long run.
Some of the free tools available are from Google including Webmaster Tools, Analytics, and Keyword Planner. Alternatively, you can purchase expensive tools which you can use for many years.
5. Apply what you learned
It is not enough that you learn the theories and concepts of SEO. Once you have learned the basics, you can start applying what you have learned so far. Take note that each website is unique and different. This means that your SEO solution depends on the specific needs and issues of the website you are working on.
Practicing what you have learned also allows you to encounter many issues and concerns that would teach you what to do in the future. By exposing yourself to as many SEO-related problems as possible, you become used to solving complex problems.