Search engine optimization (SEO) is the single most important concept in the online realm. SEO can make your website easily discoverable, but it can also hide it to the point of non-existence. After all, almost 95% of the entire Internet traffic comes from a search engine.
A popular proverb says it all: The best place to hide a dead body is page two of Google search results. But we can go beyond humor and show you a few amazing SEO facts and stats here:
- 91% of all pages never get any organic traffic from Google.
- Google uses over 200 factors in their algorithm for ranking websites.
- The first organic desktop listing gets almost 20% of clicks, while the first organic mobile listing gets nearly 28% of clicks.
- 75% of people never scroll past the first page of search engines.
The stats are amazing indeed, but the conclusion is that you need to pay close attention to SEO and use state of the art tools and tactics if you want to rank highly in engine searches. Our job is to give you a hand, so keep reading to see 27 resources that can help you to design an amazing SEO strategy.
SEO Resources for Beginners
The first section is about useful SEO resources for beginner-level content creators and webmasters. It’s a great starting point for everyone who wants a user-friendly approach to optimization.
- How Google Search Works
We’ll start from scratch by presenting you How Google Search Works. It’s a document created by the largest search engine and it comes in two versions, short and long. As you might guess, the paper will tell you everything about the functioning of Google’s search engine and crawls, algorithms, and ranking.
- Steps to a Google-friendly site
The second resource also comes from Google and it represents a valuable supplement to the previous entry on our list. Steps to a Google-friendly site is a file that explains how to start building a well-optimized site and make it fully functional from day one.
- Page Rank
You can find a lot of relevant SEO materials on Wikipedia, including Page Rank. The page focuses on Google’s search engine algorithms and the way they filter, index, and rank digital content. In other words, Page Rank analyzes the number and the quality of links to determine the relevance of a webpage.
- The Beginner’s Guide to SEO
MOZ, one of the most popular optimization platforms, created The Beginner’s Guide to SEO. What we love about this resource is the fact that it relies on multiple infographics to visualize the experience and make the learning process simpler and more productive.
- Google’s SEO Starter Guide
Google’s SEO Starter Guide is a 32-page PDF document that explains pretty much everything you would like to know about ranking and content optimization. It’s a perfect option for diligent webmasters who are eager to spend a lot of time on SEO learning.
- Basic SEO Tips for the Beginner
Unlike the previous resource, this one is much shorter and more focused. Basic SEO Tips for the Beginner is a one-page document containing five simple optimization recommendations. We don’t recommend you to use it as the only learning material, but it does represent a nice addition to other resources.
- Creating a SEO Strategy
If you are more of a visual learner, then you are probably going to love Creating a SEO Strategy. How come? Well, it’s a great SEO guide that comes in video format, which makes it convenient for users who want to figure out everything in less than 15 minutes.
SEO Tools
The second group is dedicated to SEO tools that every webmaster should rely on in everyday work.
- Google Webmaster Tools
This is where it all begins for website administrators. Google Webmaster Tools make a whole set of practical features and functions that you will exploit daily. The platform takes care of everything from webpage indexing and backlinking to troubleshooting and analytics.
- Microsoft SEO Toolkit
Microsoft SEO Toolkit helps web developers, hosting providers, and web server administrators to improve their website’s relevance in search results by recommending how to make the content more search-engine-friendly. It is based on three modules (Site Analysis, Robots Exclusion, and Sitemaps and Site Indexes) that cover pretty much everything you might expect of a good SEO platform.
- Keyword Planner
Keywords are a quintessence of SEO, which is why you need a comprehensive research tool. Google’s Keyword Planner will help you to identify and select the most relevant search terms and phrases that have the best chance of ranking highly in engine searches.
- Broken Link Checker
Broken links can seriously undermine your optimization efforts and deteriorate website ranking, so you better keep an eye on it using a free tool such as Broken Link Checker. The purpose of the platform is obvious and it’s up to you to make use of it regularly.
- CoSchedule Headline Analyzer
If you want a webpage to inspire users’ interest, you need to write an eye-pleasing title. This is why we recommend you to use CoSchedule Headline Analyzer to assess titles and find ways to make them more attractive in the eyes of a typical reader.
- Dissertation Today
High-quality content should always follow a great headline, which is why we suggest consulting with writing experts at Dissertation Today. It’s a team of experienced and skilled content creators who can easily write excellent posts on a wide range of topics.
- Pingdom Page Load Speed Test
You probably know that users hate waiting for a webpage to load for more than a second or two. In such circumstances, the only reasonable solution is to utilize a tool like Pingdom to figure out website performance and learn how to make it faster.
SEO Skills
There are so many resources that can teach you precious SEO skills, so let’s check out some of our favorites.
- How to Set Up Your SEO-Friendly WordPress Website in 15 Minutes
How to Set Up Your SEO-Friendly WordPress Website in 15 Minutes is a special SEO edition that focuses on the largest content management platform. WordPress powers over 35% of all websites on the Internet, while this resource helps you to understand the platform and optimize it perfectly for a higher search engine ranking.
- SEO for Blogs
Blogging is a very popular online activity, with millions of authors publishing new articles daily. SEO for Blogs is a resource that concentrates on bloggers who want to make their posts easily discoverable, so we definitely recommend it to all of you content creators out there.
- How to Create Content People Will Bookmark and Remember
Neil Patel is a world-known digital marketer who invests a lot of time and effort in creating SEO guides and lessons. How to Create Content People Will Bookmark and Remember is one of his finest SEO works, so take your time to read it and improve your optimization skills.
- Strategic SEO for Startups
New companies hope to earn online visibility quickly, which is where Strategic SEO for Startups comes in quite handy. This optimization guide will tell you how to prepare an all-encompassing SEO strategy for your startup and skyrocket website ranking in record-breaking time.
- The quickest wins in SEO
If you are looking for some SEO shortcuts, this may as well be the ideal solution for you. The quickest wins in SEO will teach you how to solve small but important technical errors, but there are many other interesting details to check out.
- How to Conduct a Competitive SEO Audit
An ancient business proverb states that you cannot improve what you don’t measure. How to Conduct a Competitive SEO Audit concentrates on key performance metrics that you should monitor in order to identify optimization bugs and find ways to eliminate shortcomings.
- What Every Programmer Should Know About SEO
Another niche-specific resource is called What Every Programmer Should Know About SEO.
Miscellaneous SEO Resources
The last section is dedicated to SEO resources that cover various content optimization details.
- Webmaster Guidelines
If you are eager to understand the current status of your website, give Webmaster Guidelines a chance.
- Website Grader
Digital marketing goes hand in hand with SEO, so it’s always good to have a learning resource that explains how this process works. Website Grader gives webmasters a great overview of marketing-related features and explains their relations with SEO parameters.
- Google Webmaster Central Blog
The best way to study SEO is from the source itself, which is why you ought to follow Google Webmaster Central Blog. It will keep you up to date with all the latest optimization changes, tricks, and mechanisms.
- Google Algorithm Update History
Speaking of SEO changes, it is also necessary to keep track of modifications in the search engine functioning. This is where Google Algorithm Update History steps in to display a clear overview of changes in chronological order.
- Webmasters Help Community
As a website administrator, you can join the community of peers to read and discuss the latest industry news and events. Webmasters Help Community is a group hosted by Google where you can search for answers and ask for help SEO-wise.
- Search Engine Guide
The last resource on our list is Search Engine Guide, another place where you can find relevant information and learn about cutting-edge optimization trends.
The Bottom Line
SEO is a complex process that requires a fair share of skills, knowledge, and experience, but you can handle it much more effectively if you use the right tools and techniques. In this post, we showed you 27 resources that would help you to craft an amazing SEO strategy. Keep our tips in mind and make use of these resources – they will boost the visibility of your website in the long run.
