Contrary to what you might think, getting started in SEO is relatively easy. It doesn’t require formal qualifications, just your time. Although if you’re interested, we recommend checking out Google’s SEO certification. Whilst passing the course doesn’t mean you’ll automatically know everything in SEO, it’ll give you a good understanding of the fundamentals.
So if you don’t need qualifications, how exactly do you get your foot in the door?
Like most jobs, experience is the key. But if you can’t get into an agency how do you build up experience?
Thankfully nowadays it couldn’t be easier. If you’re keen to get started in SEO, there’s no better place to start than with your own website. Your website can be about absolutely anything – a passion, a hobby, or a side-hustle to bring in some money. By working on your own site you’ll begin to understand how SEO works.
And better still it’s pretty cheap to get started with your own website. In fact, if you choose Wix, you can get started for free (they also have a premium package available). But if you want to dip your toes in the water, the free version is a great place to start. You’ll also find loads of great templates to get you started with. All you have to do is add your content and images, then spend time optimising the website.
Learn Coding
Whilst most businesses manage their website through a Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress, Magento, Shopify etc, you’re still likely to come across websites where you might need to make changes in PHP or HTML. Therefore it’s important to at least get a basic understanding of how to code in these languages. Trust us, you’ll thanks us for this later.
Another language to look at is Python. Python can be used to automate repetitive tasks in SEO and improve efficiency. If you’re looking to start a career in SEO most agencies will ask what languages you know and Python will be one they will expect to hear.
There are loads of great websites out there that will teach you everything from the basics, right through to the more complicated aspects of coding
Watch Youtube Videos
You can learn so much from watching videos on YouTube. Whether it’s how to structure a page title or writing SEO friendly content, there’s pretty much a video for all areas of SEO. Whilst there are some great channels, there are also others which give bad advice, so make sure you watch videos from reputable channels like aHrefs.
Read Blogs and Follow Industry Leaders
Once you’ve set your website up and you’ve got some coding under your belt, how do you keep up-to-date with the ever changing landscape that is digital marketing?
Read and follow industry blogs – we recommend Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Land. Sign up to their newsletters. Follow their editors on social media.
By keeping up-to-date with all the latest blogs you’ll get a better understanding of what’s trending and if there are updates which you need to make your clients aware of.
But don’t just focus on the blogs about the latest updates – have a look at the older updates. Some of these might not be relevant anymore, but it’ll give you a broader understanding of the changes Google made and why they made them.
If you’re serious about a career in SEO the only thing it takes is your time. If you’re willing to invest the time learning what SEO is, how it works, and show results from your own website, you’ll have no problem landing your dream job at an SEO agency. Good luck!