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DIY SEO Courses: A Comprehensive Roadmap to Mastering SEO Yourself

Want me to run SEO for you? 
Apply to work with me & my SEO team. I’ll research your SEO then reach out with next steps. 

People sitting in a row writing in notebooks for DIY SEO courses.

DIY SEO courses help business owners take charge of their online presence. If you’ve ever wondered how some new businesses appear at the top of search results even without huge budgets, this is how.

DIY SEO is all about optimizing to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) without relying on professional help. Implementing some key strategies can help you attract more organic traffic and potentially turn them into customers.

Step-by-Step Guide to DIY SEO

Here are the basic components that you will learn through DIY SEO courses.

Technical SEO

What most people don’t realize is that all other SEO efforts build upon technical SEO. This area focuses on optimizing the technical aspects of your website so that search engines can easily crawl, index, and understand your content. 

Most DIY SEO courses on technical SEO will teach you about aspects that impact on-page SEO. These include page loading speed, mobile-friendliness, structured data implementation, and robots.txt and sitemap creation.

Here are some resources to get started, both free and paid:

  1. Technical SEO for Beginners by Yoast: https://yoast.com/tag/technical-seo/ – This course covers technical SEO fundamentals from a beginner-friendly perspective.
  2. Ahrefs Technical SEO Course: Free Training for Beginners https://ahrefs.com/academy/technical-seo-course – These modules cover core technical SEO concepts like HTTP vs HTTPS, website audits, and Core Web Vitals optimization.
  3. Semrush Academy: Navigating On-Page And Technical SEO https://www.semrush.com/academy/courses/technical-seo-course-with-bastian-grimm/ – This course dives into technical optimization strategies for intermediate learners. 
  4. Moz Beginner’s Guide to Technical SEO https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/technical-seo – This more advanced guide covers a wide range of technical SEO topics in detail. 

A notebook and pen in front of a laptoip.

Keyword Research

Any SEO course worth your time will teach you how to do proper keyword research. You’ll get into things like user intent and how to select keywords that people search often. Then you’ll learn how to create content that aligns with searchers’ needs and expectations.

Here are a few free and paid online courses you can look into to get an idea of what’s offered:

  1. Moz Beginner’s Guide to SEO:https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo 
  2. HubSpot SEO Training Course:https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/seo-training 
  3. Google Keyword Planner Tutorial:https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lUVsZy4Ny8w – Google Keyword Planner is a paid tool, but this video tutorial is a great introduction to its functionalities.
  4. Semrush Academy: Keyword Research Course with Greg Gifford:https://www.semrush.com/academy/courses/keyword-research-course-with-greg-gifford/ 
  5. Ahrefs Academy: Keyword Research for SEO, Tools, Niche Websites, and Google Ads:https://ahrefs.com/academy/keyword-research-course 

Here are a few free keyword research tools that you can get started with:

  1. Google Search Console:https://search.google.com/search-console/about – keyword tracking and traffic insights.
  2. Answer the Public:https://answerthepublic.com/ – long-tail keyword discovery based on user search queries.
  3. Ubersuggest:https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/ – keyword suggestions, upgradable to remove limits.

I recommend that you use these free tools to test things out. When you know what you want and you’re ready to get serious, go beyond the basic tools. A paid subscription will give you more accurate and in-depth keyword metrics and competitor analysis.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO courses will teach you about the optimization techniques you can implement directly on your website to rank better. 

The main topic revolves around content. You’ll learn how to integrate your target keywords strategically throughout your website content, and connect relevant pages. After this, you’ll learn how to organize your website structure so it’s easy for both users and search engines to navigate.

Here are a few free and paid online courses you can look into to get an idea of what’s offered:

  1. The Beginner’s Guide to On-Page SEO by Backlinko: https://backlinko.com/seo-basics-for-beginners 
  2. SEO for Beginners by Google: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide – This course covers off-page SEO basics, too.
  3. Moz SEO Essentials Certification:https://academy.moz.com/path/seo-essentials-moz-certification – the free tier covers on-page SEO fundamentals, while paid tiers offer advanced strategies.
  4. Udemy SEO Courses: https://www.udemy.com/courses/marketing/search-engine-optimization/ – This contains a wide range of SEO courses with varying prices and quality.

Two men shaking hands.

Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO courses focus on strategies that you implement outside your website. They include link building, content marketing and promotion, public relations and influencer outreach, social media engagement, and online reputation management.

Here are some resources to  help you learn about off-page SEO through DIY courses:

  1. The Beginner’s Guide to Off-Page SEO by Backlinko: https://backlinko.com/seo-tutorial – This course covers various off-page SEO tactics.
  2. SEO Training Course by HubSpot Academy: https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/seo-training – This comprehensive course provides an overview of off-page SEO strategies. 
  3. The Beginner’s Guide to SEO by Google Developers https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide – This course covers all the basics, but includes sections on off-page SEO.

Local SEO

Local SEO courses will help you optimize for the specific geographic area you serve. They usually cover Google My Business optimization, local citations, and content strategies for attracting local customers.

Here are some resources to equip you with local SEO knowledge:

  1. Local SEO Training by Yoast Academy: https://yoast.com/academy/local-seo-training/ – This course provides a solid foundation in local SEO
  2. The Essential Local SEO Strategy Guide: https://moz.com/local-seo-guide – This guide delves into various local SEO aspects.
  3. Local SEO Learning Journeys: https://img.courses/seo-learning-journeys/ – These modules cover various local SEO aspects.

A man typing on a laptop.

Content Marketing

Courses for beginner content marketers will teach you how to establish your website as a valuable resource to attract organic traffic. 

Here are some resources to explore DIY SEO courses focused on content marketing:

  1. HubSpot Academy Content Marketing Certification Course: https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/content-marketing – This comprehensive course dives deep into strategies for creation and promotion.
  2. SEO Content: Complete Beginner’s Guide by Backlinko: https://backlinko.com/seo-content – A well-structured guide covering various tactics.
  3. Copyblogger Content Marketing Courses: https://copyblogger.com/courses/ – Copyblogger offers several paid courses that can benefit your SEO efforts.

Wrapping It Up

DIY SEO courses are game-changing for small businesses and entrepreneurs. They can make online marketing so much more affordable by teaching you how to manage your own SEO efforts. You also get to decide how you present your business online. You can make sure you tailor your campaigns to your specific target audience and goals.

Even the small improvements you get in search ranking can lead to significant increases in website traffic and brand awareness. If you’re ready to take charge and attract more customers, DIY SEO is a powerful tool to consider. 

DIY SEO Courses: Your Burning Questions Answered

People sitting around a table, listening to another person.

What are some signs that my SEO efforts are working?

Here are some key signs that your SEO efforts are paying off and driving results to your website:

  1. Increased organic traffic is a major indicator that your SEO is working. You can monitor this using analytics tools like Google Analytics.
  2. Improved keyword rankings also show that search engines recognize your pages as relevant for certain keyword searches. You can use free or paid keyword tracking tools to help you monitor your progress.
  3. Higher engagement on your website shows that people aren’t just attracted, but stay because they see value on your pages.
  4. Organic bcklink growth shows that other websites see your pages as good resources. 
  5. An increase in the number of times your brand is mentioned online is also a sign of successful SEO. As your website becomes popular, so should your brand, and that makes people talk about it more. You can track mentions on social media and other websites that reference your content.

It’s important to remember that SEO takes time and consistent effort to see results. But by tracking these key metrics, you can gauge the effectiveness of your strategy and make adjustments as needed.

How do I measure the ROI of my SEO activities?

Here’s how you can measure the return on investment (ROI) of your SEO activities. Then you can understand how well your strategy is translating into actual business benefits. 

  1. Start by calculating your SEO investment, including the cost of SEO tools, your time, content creation, and hiring people.
  2. Identify your target conversions, like sales, newsletter signups, or lead form submissions, then track and analyze them. Look at how many conversions come from organic search traffic versus paid advertising. 
    • You can assign a value to each conversion to help you calculate the total revenue you generate. Consider factors like customer lifetime value for recurring business models.
  3. Calculate your ROI using the following formula: (Gain from Investment – Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment x 100

Can I still compete in SEO without a large budget?

Larger budgets can provide access to advanced tools and resources. However, you can definitely compete in SEO with minimal spending. The key is to focus on:

  1. Becoming an SEO expert – Dedicate time to learning SEO best practices.
  2. Quality Content – Search engines look for high-quality content that provides value to users. Invest in creating informative, engaging pieces that address your target audience’s needs. Then, promote it on social media and other online channels.
  3. On-Page SEO – Optimizing all your page elements with relevant keywords.
  4. Build relationships with other respectable businesses in your niche to encourage organic backlink opportunities. You can also offer guest blogging or other collaborations to get high-quality backlinks.
  5. Take full advantage of valuable features included in free SEO tools, like keyword research, website audits, and backlink tracking.
  6. Target less competitive long-tail keywords. They are more specific phrases and have lower search volumes, but higher conversion rates. You can generate a lot of traffic if you combine this with a robust content strategy.

Want me to run SEO for you? 
Apply to work with me & my SEO team. I’ll research your SEO then reach out with next steps. 

Do you want to
better SEO?

Get my 5 Day SEO Email Course. I share 10+ years of SEO learnings so you can grow faster.

About Connor Gillivan

In the past 10 years, I’ve started 7 businesses & built two to $10M+ in annual revenue, teams of 30+ & an exit in 2019. Today, I run SEO & growth for my 4 B2B companies while teaching millions how to make SEO simple.

Do you want to
better SEO?

Get my 5 Day SEO Email Course. I share 10+ years of SEO learnings so you can grow faster.

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