Image credit: Jodi Harvey-Brown/Jodi Harvey Art
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can be daunting to learn from scratch.
Learning it feels like being dropped into a maze without a map.
There’s endless advice, dozens of guides, and no clear starting point.
I would know—I just started learning SEO from zero.
In this post, I’ll break down the simple approach and resources that helped me start learning SEO—without the noise.
Structurally Approach SEO
I started the mission to learn SEO through a clear structure and hands-on application.
I sought out a course and then mapped out an approach to practice the information collected from it.
I didn’t choose just any course, I sought out a course that had recognition and a reputation—the Search Engine Optimization Specialization by UC Davis was found as a result.
The recognition and reputation of the course were important. You shouldn’t throw your resources at anything without vetting first.
Having the structure that’s inherent to a course helped me keep track of what I was learning, why I was learning it, and where I was in my learning.
Without that tracking, it would be difficult to follow what one should and shouldn’t be spending time on.
Simplify Your Approach
As a beginner, it’s tempting to bookmark a bunch of sites, follow a bunch of professionals on social media, and save a bunch of guides to read later.
I suggest not doing any of that…
At least not yet anyway.
At the beginning, your main focus should be soaking up SEO information intentionally—not broadly.
I made the same mistake when I started—I followed, bookmarked, and saved whatever I came across that suggested a benefit.
But…
I didn’t understand anything because I was consuming beyond my level.
I read what was being suggested, but I didn’t understand what was being suggested—needlessly wasting time.
Simplifying your approach to learning—rather than consuming every SEO thing you come across—saves you so much time at the beginning of your journey.
Simplifying your approach can consist of things like:
- Learning The Basics
- Following A Structured Learning Path
- Mastering One Aspect At A Time
- Practicing What You’ve Learned
Once you simplify your approach, the next best thing to do is:
Apply Your SEO Info
The best way to ingrain something you’ve learned is to apply it—SEO is no different.
As a beginner, I figured the best way to apply the information I was getting was to:
- Set Up A Website
- Incorporate It In My Content
- and Utilize SEO Tools
‘To learn SEO, you must do SEO’—real simple.
Setting up a website through a system like WordPress allowed me to incorporate SEO in my first blog post and see the results of my discoveries—going beyond theory.
Utilizing tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics gave me an understanding of common SEO terms that left me confused when initially discovered.
As a beginner though—the most helpful tool I’ve had at my disposal since the start of my journey has been…
A Tool That Rules!
I know this may sound like hype, but in all seriousness, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been the most helpful tool in my SEO learning journey as a beginner.
AI (specifically ChatGPT) aided in my discovery of WordPress, the UC Davis Course, and most importantly, SEO Copywriting—I’ll keep this strictly about learning SEO though, since it’s the topic at hand.
AI and SEO go together beautifully and may very well be the future of SEO from what I’ve read.
But strictly for the case of learning and how to approach it—AI is a game-changer.
Ask it anything—free resources, reputable sources, step-by-step SEO tool explanations, etc.
If there’s one thing from this blog post you take and try in your approach to learning, have it be AI—it’ll guide you towards what should be prioritized in your learning of SEO.
Best Strategy? Be Consistent
Above all else, the best strategy for learning SEO is staying consistent.
Everything mentioned before will truly help you understand SEO.
Still, you have to stay consistent day in and day out to reinforce the information gained from those approaches.
That’s the biggest thing I’ve been practicing—consistency; one post, one lesson, one real attempt at a time.
If you’re on a similar path, you don’t need a map. You need movement.
Stick around—I’ll keep showing the work.
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