Last updated on December 8th, 2022
When I started out as a website creator, I had to learn about SEO the hard way. My websites were not reaching the audiences I wanted them to, and so I had to switch gears and start learning SEO to ensure my projects were each a success.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who found out about SEO this way as I often get questions regarding SEO. One question I was asked recently was about how long it takes to learn SEO.
So ,I thought I would write a quick guide for business owners who want to learn SEO themselves but aren’t sure if it’s worth it when they can hire an SEO expert (see also, ‘How to Become an SEO Expert?‘).
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How Long Does It Take To Learn SEO?
Before I answer this question, you need to understand that everyone is different. Everyone learns at different speeds, everyone has access to different resources, and so there is no cut-and-dry timeframe for learning SEO.
On average, learning the SEO basics can take you up to three months, and getting really good at SEO can take up to a year – depending on how much practice you put into it.
SEO can take a lot of time and practice before you start seeing results with your website. So, a lot of business owners want to learn it as quickly as possible but it’s not exactly a topic you can rush through and master within weeks.
SEO can be complex, and there’s a lot of different aspects you need to learn before you can start seeing the results through your business.
How To Learn SEO
How long it takes for you to learn SEO all depends on two things: how quickly you pick up new topics, and the kind of sources you are using to learn SEO in the first place.
There are free resources available out there, while there are also paid courses you can attend both in person and online.
Ultimately, each one has a different time frame and how long it takes for you to learn SEO (from basics to expert) comes down to how quickly you can pick it up.
I’ve met people who fly through SEO courses, but I’ve also met business owners who struggle to wrap their heads around it and successfully apply what they do learn to their website.
So, what kind of resources you use, and how fast of a learner you are all influence how long it will take for you to learn SEO for your business.
However, I find that engaging more with SEO learning resources does generally help learners pick up the pace. If you dedicate more of your time to SEO, then it’s very likely that you will learn more at a quicker rate.
I recommend doing the following to learn SEO more quickly:
Watch YouTube Content Or Listen To Podcasts
This was how I started out learning the very basics for SEO and it really helped to hear someone explain SEO in very clear and basic terms.
Plus, they’re free to view and you can engage with them in your spare time. I recommend BrianDean channel.
Read SEO Blogs
I started this website for a reason and that reason was to offer real guidance to business owners and marketers.
I have lots of articles that talk about SEO that you can read at any point to learn SEO from someone who knows it like the back of their hand.
There’s also plenty of other blogs out there that cover SEO, some of them written by marketers like me with real experiences to back up what they say. For example Niche Pursuits is one of my favorites.
Sign Up To An Online Course
Online learning has boomed since the COVID19 pandemic and it’s now easier than ever to sign up to an online course for SEO. Some are free, some require payment, but they all offer knowledge and information regarding various aspects of SEO.
Shadow An SEO Expert
If you have the time and connections to do this, then I seriously recommend it. A lot of people find SEO easier to learn when they see it in practice.
So, I recommend you find the right learning methods and style for you if you want to learn SEO quickly.
Is Learning SEO Worth It?
I mentioned at the start of this article that SEO was the key to success for my projects back when I worked as a website creator – so of course I’m going to say that learning SEO is definitely worth it (see also, ‘How Can I Learn SEO for Free?‘)!
If you are still in doubt, then here’s a few facts that highlight how important SEO is.
SEO is all about making your website more visible on search engines.
68% of online experiences start with a search engine and organic search drives 53.3% of all website traffic, so if you want your audience to find your business online, you need to start climbing those SERP rankings – and SEO can help you do just that.
Boosting your website’s SEO is also one of the most affordable ways to acquire new customers. SEO can help cut customer acquisition costs by 87.41%.
There are also other benefits to SEO including an improved brand to present to customers, it keeps you competitive with your competitors, and plays into other kinds of marketing like content or social media marketing you hope to try out.
As a result, many marketers (75%) agree that SEO marketing is an effective strategy. 70% of marketers even claim that SEO is more effective than PPC, and SEO is also proven to drive 1,000%+ more traffic than other strategies like organic social media.
So, it’s clear that SEO is a key component to an online business’s success.
The more SEO you learn, the more you can do to help your business’s website reach new audiences and higher SERP rankings – so, in my opinion, learning SEO is definitely worth the effort.
Final Thoughts
SEO is an important marketing strategy for all kinds of businesses, so it’s easy to see why so many business owners want to learn more about it.
There are tons of resources out there for you to access but it can take months to truly understand and master SEO – and then even longer before you start to see the results through your business’s website!
