Where or how can I learn SEO sufficiently enough to....

I'd really like to learn SEO techniques for my own affiliate sites and also be proficient enough to offer my services to potential clients for a competitive price. Is there a resource or course you would recommend? Is one resource better than another? How were you able to learn SEO?

Mike

 

You can start by purchasing an SEO Ebook or reading through these forums for tips....there is tons of information here. The best way to become more proficient is through practice on your own sites. You'll learn what works and what doesn't...then you can go to potential clients and show them your results.

I started learning SEO in June 2006 (with absolutely no prior knowledge) and I have picked up so much information on this forum by asking questions and reading. In fact, I spend a few hours each day reading through posts to see if I can pick up new information. It takes a lot of time and a desire to learn.

 

I would highly recommend SEObook.


Blogs to start reading:
http://www.seomoz.org/
http://www.sugarrae.com/
http://www.seobook.com
http://www.pronetadvertising.com/
http://www.linkbuildingblog.com/

Thats just a start hit me on aim if you want more blogs. Definitely get SEOBook it will lay the ground to help you learn more quickly.

 

Can an SEO business be very profitable(i.e. $4k-$5k+/month)? How has it benefited you? Has it enabled you to generate a fulltime income from your sites? I'm interested in hearing more. Thanks.

regards,
Mike

 

It really depends on how good you are and the number of profitable clients you are able to attract. Referrals also play a huge role...if you're good at what you do, your clients will refer you to others.

 

Ok, that makes sense. How about for your own sites? has learning SEO made it easier for you to get your niche sites ranking well and decent traffic? Has it taken the guess work out? My goal is to be able to generate $5k/month from niche sites, so would Learning SEO make a big difference?

Mike

 

Of course. But you also have to evaluate if it's worth it for you to spend the time learning SEO. It's quite a commitment and it will take a good amount of time before you see any results. It may be better to just hire someone with a good track record that can help you see results right away.

For me personally, I have been able to rank each and every keyword that I have targeted to the #1 or #2 position. As a result, traffic has been increasing by about 60%/month for the last 4 months.

 

Wouldnt it ALWAYS be worth my while to learn SEO? Maybe it would pay to find someone short term, but if my budget is only small at this point, wouldnt it benefit me to learn it for myself?

Mike

 

Just read blogs and read every ebook you can, thats how I learnt, was really easy to be honest as everything is in a pattern.

 

I agree with Rzvagelsky. If you are looking for quick results pay someone, then read up on your info. See what they did, do a before and after. My first big site, I payed for SEO, I think i learned more from that because I got to see the affects it had. Also get someone that is highly recommend, there are some sly people out there, if it sounds to good to be true in seo it probably is or you will get banned shortly after the promised results are reached.

Also think of your time as being worth $xx. If you spend XXX hours learning SEO, then you may want to pay someone as your time may be more valueable doing something that you are good at. Its called opportunity cost.

If you are looking to make that type of money, it may take a while. One tip tho, think out side the box. Don't rely on adsense, and offer something that is worthwhile to the end user.

Or you can go the blackhat route which I see becoming less and less profitable in the future.

 

I learned SEO by doing these:

1.) SEO books and online articles. Example: seobook.com
2.) By joining the forums, review each threads under SEO section.
3.) Watch videos, or browse for tutorials.
4.) After you have done all that, you must have a site/blog and practice your SEO skills in that site.

 

there are loads of ebooks available on the same... also read the webmaster guidelines of all the search engines.. tht will definitely help in learning abt SEO n also will keep u updated abt the latest changes in the alogos of the search engines... also u can go to matt cutt's website so as to get more updates on the same. n also there r loads of articles n blogs on SEO ...read them n get enlightended...

 

Rember : Nobody was born with knowledge

 

Begin with:
SEO books
SEO blogs
SEO forums
After, you will know what to do.

 

Yes, it would.

But, in order to do this you need to evaluate your niche first. How competitive and how profitable you niche is.

Some niche is very profitable but so competitive that you will be spending a lot of money in order to promote your site and get a good ranking in serps.

Some niche not competitive and it is easy to promote your site and get a good ranking in serps, but if you cannot make money form it what is the point?

So you need to find good balance between competitions and profit possibilities. Then learn SEO.

 

Jill Whalen's HighRankings.com forum is also hugely informative with lots of information every aspect of SEO. She has a good weekly newsletter too.

 

you can even go ahead in reading Brad Callen seo books

 

I learned SEO from Aaron Wall's SEO book and DigitalPoint. I spent hours reading here before I began to post. I tested techniques on my own sites, I even ended up getting a few banned but there is nothing like experience.

 

SEO Blogs are probably the least confusing and most of the good ones have been noted above.

Forums such as DP is great and serves their purpose but there are so many views from different people that sometimes it confuses the new guy.

 

thats what i find. Peoples views are so different to each other.