Natural search engine optimisation, or SEO, is a major challenge for any business or organisation wishing to get noticed online. It is the practice of optimising a website so that it appears at the top of organic search results on search engines such as Google.
However, learning to master the subtleties of SEO can prove difficult, especially when relying solely on Google search results.
Indeed, the majority of articles that appear in search results match the search intent of the greatest number of people and are not necessarily the most relevant for learning how to optimise your website. For this reason, I recommend turning to specialised blogs, training courses and other resources, in order to develop a thorough understanding of natural search engine optimisation.
In this article, we will present some of these resources to help you learn SEO effectively.
Blogs to follow
Whether you are new to SEO or a seasoned professional, it is important to stay up to date with the latest trends and Google algorithm updates to improve your website’s visibility. That is why I have compiled a list of essential blogs to follow, sorted by skill level. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced, these blogs will offer you tips and tricks to improve your SEO and increase your website traffic.
Beginner:
- “Abondance”: this blog is run by Olivier Andrieu, an SEO expert with over 20 years of experience. It covers all aspects of SEO, including the latest trends and Google algorithm updates.
- “Miss SEO Girl”: this blog is run by Alexandra Martin, an SEO consultant with over 10 years of experience. She covers a wide variety of topics, from content strategy to link building, as well as image and video optimisation.
- WebRankInfo
- Ahrefs (FR / EN)
- SemRush (FR / EN)
- Backlinko – Brian Dean (EN)
Ahrefs, Semrush and Moz also offer free training in video format, however they are in English.
Intermediate:
- The Google blog is excellent and should rarely be wrong. However, it reads like documentation and will not give you real tips.
- Search Engine Land
- Search Engine Journal
- Search Engine Watch
Advanced:
- Bill Slawski’s blog. A more accessible version of his knowledge can also be found on go fish digital.
- The OnCrawl blog
- Charley Warginer (Python SEO)
There are obviously other sites, not necessarily worse, and you can add them in the comments, but I think this will give you enough content per level.
Note: obviously each respective blog has content of varying levels.
Following quality newsletters
One of the best ways to stay up to date with the latest SEO trends and updates is to subscribe to specialised newsletters. These bulletins allow you to regularly receive tips and advice from SEO experts, as well as updates on the latest trends and important changes in the industry.
- SEOFOMO: the gem. If you are looking for a quality SEO newsletter and are not overwhelmed by newsletters, this one offers genuinely high-quality tips and advice. SEOFOMO by Aleyda Solis is the option to consider.
- Search Engine Land: this newsletter covers all aspects of SEO, including the latest trends, tips and tricks, changes in search engine algorithms and much more.
- Moz Top 10: this newsletter is sent every week and offers a selection of the ten best SEO articles of the week. You will also find links to useful resources to help you improve your SEO.
- Ahrefs: this newsletter focuses on SEO and digital marketing. It offers practical advice on using Ahrefs tools, as well as tips for improving your SEO.
- SEMrush: this newsletter keeps you informed of the latest SEO trends and gives you advice on how to use SEMrush to improve your SEO.
- Backlinko: this newsletter is sent every week and offers practical tips to improve your SEO. You will also find case studies, in-depth analyses and proven SEO strategies.
- Yoast: this newsletter offers practical advice on optimising your website for search engines, as well as updates on the latest developments in SEO. Beginner level.
- SEO For Lunch: every week, Nick offers tips and practical advice to improve your SEO, as well as in-depth analyses.
Or consult directly the article on the best SEO newsletters
Attending SEO conferences
Attending SEO conferences is an excellent way to stay up to date on the latest SEO trends and best practices. These events also offer valuable networking opportunities with industry professionals, as well as chances to learn from domain experts.
Whether you are a beginner or an SEO expert, attending conferences is an excellent way to keep up with the latest trends and advance your career.
And above all, conferences reveal far more than articles do.
Here is a list of popular SEO conferences in French and English:
FRENCH:
- SEO CAMP’US: This is the largest SEO conference in France, bringing together SEO experts to discuss the latest trends and best practices in SEO. Topics covered include data analysis, content creation and search strategy. SEO Camp is an association.
- SEO SQUARE: This popular SEO conference takes place every year in France. It brings together SEO experts to discuss the latest trends and best practices in SEO in France and Europe. The conference is aimed at all levels, from beginner to expert, and covers a variety of topics.
- Black & White SEO. “The ONLY event that is 100% concrete, 100% tips, 0% bullshit”.
- Webisland: an event / conference held every year in Nantes covering web marketing and SEO..
ENGLISH:
- MozCon: This is one of the most important SEO conferences in English. It takes place every year in Seattle, bringing together SEO experts from around the world to discuss the latest trends and best practices.
- BrightonSEO: This is an important SEO conference held every year in Brighton, UK. It brings together SEO professionals to share ideas and advice on the latest SEO trends.
- SearchLove: This is another popular SEO conference held in various cities around the world, including London, San Diego and Boston. It brings together SEO experts to discuss the latest trends and best practices.
Regular online conference
For beginners / intermediate learners there are plenty of online conferences run by SEO specialist companies, linksgarden being a notable example.
Otherwise, with the global pandemic, many conferences moved online as well as in-person, offering a unique opportunity to participate in SEO events remotely.
Or consult directly the article on the best SEO conferences
Here are some regular online conferences:
- SEOCAMP (FR)
- OnCrawl (FR / EN): OnCrawl online conferences are freely accessible online and are an excellent resource for SEO professionals. OnCrawl brings together SEO experts from around the world and offers detailed presentations on the latest trends, best practices and advanced search engine optimisation strategies. (I love it!)
- MozCon (EN): an annual online conference organised by Moz, focusing on the latest trends and techniques in SEO, content marketing and brand strategy.
- SearchLove (EN): a series of online conferences organised by Distilled, focusing on the latest trends in SEO, content marketing and conversion.
- SEMrush Global Marketing Day (EN): an annual online conference organised by SEMrush, covering a variety of digital marketing topics including SEO, online advertising, social media and more.
- BrightonSEO (EN): a free online conference organised by BrightonSEO, covering a variety of topics in SEO, content marketing and brand strategy.
- SEO Spring Training (EN): a series of online webinars organised by Search Engine Journal, covering a variety of SEO topics, including the latest trends and advanced techniques.
- Pubcon (EN): a series of online conferences organised by Pubcon, covering a variety of digital marketing topics, including SEO, online advertising, social media and more.
- YoastCon (EN): an annual online conference organised by Yoast, focusing on the latest trends in SEO, content marketing and brand strategy.
Note that this list is not exhaustive and there are many other regular online conferences that may be of interest to SEO professionals.
Watching SEO YouTube videos
Here is a list of YouTube channels in French and English that offer video content on SEO:
FR:
- Miss SEO Girl: channel of SEO consultant Alexandra Martin
- Olivier Andrieu: channel of the founder of the Abondance website, specialising in SEO
- SEO CAMP reposts its conferences on its YouTube channel!
EN:
- Moz: channel of the well-known online marketing platform, offering videos on SEO, content marketing, PPC, etc.
- Ahrefs: channel of the SEO analysis platform Ahrefs, offering videos on SEO techniques and data analysis
- SEMrush / SEMrush France: channel of the SEO analysis platform SEMrush, offering videos on trends and best practices in SEO
These channels offer a wide variety of content, ranging from technical tutorials to practical advice for improving your SEO.
The advantage of channels like those mentioned in English is that they guide you step by step through SEO knowledge and processes to optimise your learning.
There is also Google Search Central on YouTube, admittedly not the most entertaining, but interesting nonetheless. There is also SEO CONSPIRACY if you are already very advanced in SEO.
And finally, a special mention to the Twitch channel Trikaya, which is exceptional.
Following SEO training courses
There are many SEO training courses available online to improve your skills and this is generally the best way to gain a lot of experience.
Here are some of the most popular and well-regarded training courses:
- Frères Peyronnet: this SEO training is offered by two SEO experts. The best and most essential is “Algorithmie des moteurs de recherche” (Search Engine Algorithms). It is recognised for being particularly comprehensive and accessible to beginners and experts alike. It is available on Olivier Andrieu’s FormaSEO platform.
- Olivier Andrieu: this SEO training is offered by one of the most renowned SEO experts in France. It covers all the latest trends and best practices in SEO, including the latest Google updates and advanced search engine optimisation techniques.
- Laurent Bourelly’s semantic cocoon: this training focuses on the semantic cocoon technique, an advanced content optimisation method to improve a site’s position in search results. It is recommended for people who already have some SEO experience and are looking to deepen their expertise.
- SEO High Level: this high-level SEO training is aimed at experienced professionals looking to deepen their knowledge and skills in SEO. It is offered by SEO experts and covers advanced topics such as log analysis, multilingual SEO, advanced keyword research, SEO project management, etc. The training includes practical cases and exercises to help professionals put the knowledge acquired into practice.
- Eskimoz: this SEO training is offered by a renowned French SEO agency. It covers all aspects of SEO, including competitor analysis, keyword research, technical optimisation, content optimisation, link building, etc. The training includes online courses, webinars, practical cases and individual coaching sessions to help professionals improve their SEO skills and results.
- Alfie training: Alfie is a new platform for finding web marketing and SEO training courses. These are certified courses payable with the CPF. I highly recommend it.
I have personally completed some FormaSEO courses, notably those by the Peyronnet brothers. They are all of very high quality. Laurent Bourrelly’s course too. Slightly disappointed after the Peyronnet brothers’ MasterClass.
There are also “underground” SEO training courses such as Trikaya’s and Frédérik Bobet’s on internal linking.
Or consult directly the article on the best SEO training courses
5 tips for learning SEO
Natural search engine optimisation, or SEO (Search Engine Optimization), is a complex field that requires some practice to master. Indeed, reading articles or watching videos on the subject is important for acquiring basic knowledge, but practice is also essential for assimilating that knowledge and putting it into practice.
1) Practice, learn, again and again
SEO is like everything else — without practice, little assimilation!
It is important to understand that practice is a key element for success in SEO. You must practice regularly to assimilate the concepts and put them into practice. This means you need to optimise your own pages and create content optimised for search engines. By practising, you will also be able to test different techniques and strategies to see what works best for your website. Do not forget that practice makes the difference in learning SEO.
2) Open-mindedness
Open-mindedness is an essential quality in many areas of life, including in the field of SEO. Indeed, SEO is a constantly evolving field, with many algorithm updates, new techniques and new tools appearing regularly.
To succeed in this field, it is important to be curious, stay alert to the latest trends and be willing to try new approaches.
Open-mindedness is also important for learning from others without putting up barriers yourself. For example, perhaps you do not like Laurent Bourelly — is that a reason not to monitor his work? Obviously not. Black hat SEO — you do not like the idea? Talk to those people.
You get the idea.
3) Cross-referencing sources
Cross-referencing sources is an important practice in many fields, including SEO. Indeed, it is essential to verify the information found on the internet, as there may be errors, outdated information or even intentionally misleading information.
Cross-referencing sources means finding several independent sources that confirm or refute a given piece of information. This ensures that the information is accurate and up to date. In SEO, cross-referencing sources can help make informed decisions about strategy and tactics, based on solid data.
It is also important to cross-reference sources to avoid blindly following the trends or advice of a single SEO expert. Indeed, each expert has their own experience, their own vision and their own strategy, and it is therefore important to take into account different points of view to get a complete picture of the situation.
In the end, cross-referencing sources is an essential practice for obtaining reliable information and making informed decisions in the field of SEO.
4) The price of training courses and conferences
Price means nothing.
In SEO, there is a wide variety of training courses available, ranging from very affordable ones on Udemy, to those costing over €1,500.
It is important to be careful about the training you choose: if you buy a course for €10 and it does not meet your expectations, that can be disappointing but not dramatic. On the other hand, if you invest €1,000 in training that brings you nothing, that can be much harder to accept.
It is therefore important to carefully evaluate the different training options available and not be blinded by the lowest or highest prices.
This also applies to SEO conferences, which can have large price variations.
5) Learning Python for SEO
Python is a versatile and popular programming language that is increasingly being used in the field of SEO. Learning to code in Python can be very beneficial for SEO professionals for several reasons.
- First, Python can be used for machine learning (ML) and data analysis. ML can also help automate certain SEO tasks, such as backlink analysis, duplicate content detection, or even automatically generating all the Alt tags for your images.
- In addition, Python can be used for data scraping, which is useful for collecting data from websites or APIs for further analysis.
- Finally, understanding Python code can help SEO professionals communicate more effectively with developers and work more efficiently on website development projects.
Python can do much more to help you become an SEO master. That does not mean it is essential, but I recommend it.
Visit my article on Python for SEO to get started!
Final words
Everything you can read about SEO, even on highly technical blogs, only reflects part of the SEO spectrum.
The best advice I can give you is to learn how Google’s algorithms work and get your hands dirty. Tips are good, they are useful. But if you want to develop your own tips, you need to learn how Google works.
Also, do not blindly follow what people say. Especially since SEO is full of SEO myths. Admittedly, sometimes there is no point reinventing the wheel, but do what seems right to you.