SEO Guides, Tips & More!

As the world of search becomes increasingly complex, and more businesses leverage the power of the web to drive business, it’s more difficult than ever to effectively execute SEO. In fact, Google regularly updates their algorithm resulting in changes to how sites are indexed and the effectiveness of various tactics. In fact, approaches that worked a year ago may no longer be effective because of the updates implemented. While it can be a tough road to navigate, it doesn’t mean all hope is lost. In fact, if your company maintains a Google friendly website, follows the “rules” (aka Google Quality Guidelines) and has a little SEO knowledge, then there is a great chance for success.

In this blog post, I have assembled a comprehensive list of SEO resources for all marketers from those just starting out to the seasoned veterans. Extra bonus – a list of tools that we use to diagnose, analyze and resolve and enhance client’s SEO challenges.  As they say in Mexico – disfruta lo! – enjoy!

SEO Beginners – SEO Essentials

• Google Friendly Sites – If you want to develop a website that dominates the competition, it’s essential to create a Google friendly site. What does that mean? Check out this information from the search engine itself and learn why cloak pages are a “no-no.”
• Google Search Engine Starter Guide – Comprehensive guide of how to build and optimize a website that will rank well in Google and other search engines. Topics covered include managing your appearance in Google, optimize your content, optimize your images, making your site mobile friendly and promoting your site. While it’s definitely for beginners, it’s an essential read to understand how Google views a website and best practices for effective SEO.

• Bing Webmaster Guidelines – Comprehensive guide from the second largest search engine which covers a broad range of topics including SEO. Information reviewed includes site structure, crawlability, content, links and actions to avoid (black hat SEO). It’s an interesting read to learn about how Bing functions in comparison to Google, and where practices overlap.

• MOZ Beginner’s Guide to SEO – This comprehensive, seven-chapter guide, covers almost all aspects of basic SEO including SEO 101, how search engines work, keyword research, onsite optimization, technical SEO, link building and the SEO glossary. Great resource worth bookmarking and referencing as you start the SEO journey.
• SEO Basics – Complete Beginner’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization – A beginner’s guide published by WordStream, a SEO software company, that covers the basic elements of SEO. The information covered in this guide includes on-page optimization best practices, how to execute content marketing and link building, along with common technical SEO issues and even a section on international and local SEO best practices,
• How to Learn SEO – Now I am also a fan of going beyond the compiled guides and looking for the opinion of those out in the field. For this reason, I have included a link to this very question on Qoura.com. While I can’t guarantee all the advice offered there is accurate, I can tell you it does offer a sense of what resources are available and how to access them. In other words, unlike some of the other resources highlighted here, this information is not provided or sponsored by a company.

Advanced SEO Resources

• Learn SEO in 2019 – This guide explores more advanced topics not outlined in the other resources listed here. For example, there is an entire section on user experience (UX) and its impact on SEO. While it does cover the basics, there is also a lot of information about more advanced concepts and principles and how they all come together. There’s also a cool test at the end which will allow you to become certified if a passing grade is reached. Not sure what they will do for you, but I find it to be a good way to review what you have learned.
• Google Search Quality Guidelines – This is for the real Google nerd. It’s 164 pages of fun filled goodness outlining everything from what makes a quality Page to the concept of E-A-T and what it means in terms of quality. This was originally written for internal purposes, but was leaked to the public several years ago and provides interesting insights in how Google rates content.
• Advanced SEO – This group of insights covers a variety of topics from technical SEO to solving JavaScript issues in the SEO process. Now that’s advanced, and something that only those folks with a technical background can dig. I enjoy these updates because they tackle all aspects of SEO, including the fun topic of the latest Google updates and what impact it has had on search results.

• Advanced Guide to SEO – This is a super interesting resource because it covers topics that other guides have not addressed. Items such as site speed and performance, advanced data research, process of keyword research and impact on results, link building techniques and search verticals. In the last chapter, the topic of local and mobile search is covered in great detail, and this is actually an important topic that marketers and SEO’ers need to ensure they understand. Why? Mainly because this part of SEO is changing at record speed, and to be positioned properly, one needs to understand the fundamentals of this type of SEO.
• HubSpot Academy – From the sound of it, this is a pay for use program, however HubSpot offers some good courses that make it easy to understand SEO and the concepts behind it. While they offer several courses, the one I have linked to here focuses how to use HubSpot (ok I know), but also how to do link building for SEO. That’s a good one and it’s worth the time consumed in the sign-up process and one hour investment of time. Good for expanding your foundation knowledge of SEO, and going deeper into important concepts.
• Advanced Step by Step SEO Tutorial – This one is a 14 minute, fast paced video, that goes around the world on advanced SEO topics including page load time, technical SEO, keyword research, and covers Google Rank Brain optimization. The video is from Brian Dean of Backlinko, and is sure to keep you on your toes.

SEO Link Building Tools

In the past, I have reviewed keyword research tools and provided guidance and direction for those interested. In this post, I want to focus on ancillary SEO tools that don’t focus too much on keyword research. Below is a list of the other guys (link building tools) that you can use as you expand SEO knowledge.

• Monitor Back Links – This is SEO software that does exactly what the name says – monitor back links, but it honestly does so much more. Not only does it help you to create and build your site’s backlink profile, but it also gives insights into how to recover lost back links and fight negative SEO by removing damaging back links (or get you out of the bad neighborhoods). This is a tool that I use on a regular basis and find it to be very helpful, especially the daily updates on back link profile changes. HINT – Use this tool to monitor back link changes of your top competitors, and target those that link to them.

• Disavow.it – A handy tool that helps with removing the harmful effects of poor back links. It takes your list of unwanted links and turns it into a file that Google will accept and quickly process. Although I am hopeful you won’t have a very large list. I love the fact that it’s easy to use and it’s free.
• Broken Link Checker – Free tool that makes it easy to analyze and act on your site’s dead links. It makes broken link reclamation a breeze and is easy to use. No information needs to be provided to repeat the benefits.

• Buzzstream – A super comprehensive link building tool that allows you to manage link building projects, conduct outreach to influencers to create relationships, and improve overall link placement rates. It’s a fun tool that offers amazing insights and intelligence to guide both your linking building and content marketing efforts. The image on the homepage says it all, if you use this software, it’s almost a certainty your website’s link profile will take off.

• SEO Spyglass – Okay I do love the cool name, but it’s so much more than that. This tool allows you to assess all the back links pointing to your site, conduct an anti-penalty audit and run a variety of back link reports. This is such a powerful tool because it provides a high amount of actionable data to guide efforts. In fact, there is a way to check link quality by 50 quality factors making it clear which links are benefiting your site, and which need to go. A fan favorite!

Books on SEO

While the best information on SEO seems to be available online, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any books with valuable information. In fact, you can check out these books and expand your knowledge easily.

• Art of SEO – Mastering Search Engine Optimization (Advanced) -Comprehensive guide that explains not the core concepts of SEO and how search engines work, but also goes into great detail about the intricacies of aspects of SEO, search engines and more. It’s a regular read on my list and provides deep insights into the how’s and why’s of SEO.
• Search Engine Optimization for Dummies– I perused this book at one of the few bookstores still in my area, and found it to be surprisingly comprehensive. I love all the books in the Dummies series, and thoroughly enjoy the way they explain various concepts, and illustrate how they are related. It’s a much lighter read than the Art of SEO, but certainly no less educational or comprehensive.
• Ultimate Guide to Link Building – This goes well with one of the various tools reviewed above. Not only does it provide broad level information on the how-tos of link building, but it provides relevant examples. While it is several years old, the information contained is still very relevant. It is a helpful guide for those just getting started, and those who have been around the block.
• Get into Bed with Google –Okay, so whoever came up with this title is a good writer. Anyway, this is a good reference book that provides insights and tips and tricks that even seasoned SEO professionals can benefit from. Beyond this, the book offers links to other resources which makes it easy for readers to expand their knowledge on areas of interest.
• Google Analytics Breakthrough – This books provides much needed information on how to use Google Analytics to get the most important data about website traffic and trends. There are good insights on how to refine your measurement strategy and adjust reporting strategy. If you are looking for a book that demystifies Google Analytics, then this is a great resource for your reading shelf.

There you have it, a list of the top resources we use to move rankings up the SERP and enhance website traffic. Everything from online guides to dusty old books.

What did we miss?

Tell us about your most useful or favorite SEO resource in the comment section below!