At the moment, there aren’t any degrees in search engine optimization. That makes learning the SEO trade a pretty scattered enterprise, with a variety of resources and books by many a purveyor of “expertise.” As I’ve picked up the trade, there are several great search optimization resources I can rely on for up-to-date info and great advice on techniques and tactics.
Google Webmaster’s Central – The best place to get the information is straight from the horse’s mouth. If you’ve got a question about how Google operates, and some of the best ways to make your site searchable, this is the place to get the info.
Yahoo! Search Blog – The other horse. Especially now that Yahoo! and Bing are making nice, it’s important to know what the big dog’s main competitor deems important as well.
Matt Cutts’ Personal Blog – Matt started out as a software developer at Google and now heads their webspam team. Good guy to have on your side.
Occam’s Razor – Avinash Kaushik delves into the world of analytics. How to improve measurement, and make the most of your numbers.
Online Marketing Blog – More than just search optimization, Online Marketing Blog by TopRank gives advice on everything from social media optimization to traffic conversion techniques.
Search Engine Journal – Gives great advice on search optimization techniques, best practices and key resources. This one is my personal favorite.
Search Engine Land News – The latest in goings on with the world of search, this site is just a great way to stay in touch with the business side of search, and get great tips on search techniques. They also throw in some sweet advice on obscure, lesser-known search engines.
SEOMoz – Great resource with a variety of tools and advice on search optimization.
These are just a few of the great sites I’ve come across. The more I read, the more I realize that in the world of SEO, there’s information to be found in all of the tiny crevices of the internet. If you’ve got any suggestions, sound off in the comments.
*image courtesy of Technologygear.net
Those are great resources for learning about and staying current with SEO, Josh. Nice job compiling them.
The other essentials for SEO are tools: keyword suggestion tools, keyword analysis, and position monitoring, for example. Here are a few to consider:
Google’s Keyword Tool (free, in AdWords account)
Keyword Discovery ($$)
Wordtracker ($$)
SEOBook Toolbar for Firefox (free)
Authority Labs (free, up to $)
Tools are definitely an essential element in any optimizer’s repertoire.
Thanks for the feedback Mr T. Great suggestions.
[...] the heels of my last post on some great SEO resources, I’ve updated the blogroll to your right. I’ll be adding to the mix as time goes [...]