No matter how small, every business needs a search engine optimization, or SEO, strategy. That’s because SEO helps your customers or clients find your company online. So if you have a website and you’re creating a social media presence, your business really needs to have an understanding of SEO to further your efforts. Otherwise, you could create web pages, use a blog writing service for quality content and sign up for social media platforms, but your target audience won’t be able to find you.
So how can your company get up to date with SEO? You have a few options. You could use the expert services of an SEO professional or company, or you could hire an employee with the expertise in this area. But if you have a small company without extensive resources, you’re not out of options. Instead, have one of your employees learn SEO techniques through online training programs. This is a perfect role for your marketing person or department, since SEO efforts go hand in hand with marketing efforts.
You will find a mix of free and paid courses available that include a range of beginning level information to extensive training in the field. Here are some online resources for learning SEO:
Get Started in SEO
The Internet has a wealth of information that covers the basics of SEO, as well as in-depth information. Search for articles and videos that cover the topic, as well as webinars, e-books and guides. The best place to start is with Google, since this company controls the direction of SEO with its search engine methods. Google shares free resources, including its Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide, with the public.
Also, there are many companies and individual experts who specialize in SEO and freely share their knowledge. Just make sure that you are looking at current information because the field changes. Also, SEO is not an exact science, so people have some differing opinions on the subject. Be sure to follow the advice of a website that is able to make it to the top of search results and that has a reputable name in the field. Here are some to consider:
- Moz
- Search Engine Watch
- JM Internet Group
- Search Engine Land
Take an Online Course
Another option is to sign up your employees for an online course. Some are free while others require a fee. Fortunately, a recent trend is for universities and training programs to offer Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, which offer in-depth training similar to the knowledge you would acquire if you took a college course in the subject. Look for ones that offer SEO training specifically, or SEO training as part of a broader Internet marketing course.
Learning SEO is invaluable to your business. It will help you reach your target audience and keep you competitive in your market. There’s nothing holding you back since the Internet contains so many resources open and available for your use.
Sharon T is a freelance writer with an interest in Internet marketing. She loves to take online training courses to refresh her knowledge and broaden her expertise.
