SEO Fundamentals Course by Ahrefs

Jul 17, 2024

SEO Fundamentals Course by Ahrefs

Introduction

  • Instructor: Sam Oh
  • Focus: SEO fundamentals, with an emphasis on execution
  • Misconception: The term "beginner" does not mean simplistic
  • Example: Ahrefs - even as a large company, they stick to fundamental SEO principles
  • Outcome: Ahrefs’ site gets over a million monthly visits from Google alone
  • Modules: SEO Basics, Keyword Research, On-Page SEO, Link Building, Technical SEO

SEO Basics

  • SEO Definition: Search Engine Optimization - optimizing content to appear in search engine's organic results
  • Comparison: Search engines as libraries, storing copies of websites instead of books
  • Process: Uses crawlers/spiders to index pages and return the most relevant ones

Importance of SEO

  1. Free Traffic: Unlike ads, you don’t pay for search traffic
  2. Consistency: Organic traffic tends to be stable
  3. Massive Reach: Potential to reach a worldwide audience, notable stats for Google user reach

How Google Works

  1. Crawling and Indexation: Google’s spiders crawl websites, collect data, and index pages
  2. Ranking Algorithm: Hundreds of ranking signals, frequently updated
    • Key Factors:
      • Backlinks: Links from other sites act as votes of credibility
      • Search Intent: Understanding the purpose behind a query
      • Content Depth: Thoroughly answering the query matters more than content length

Keyword Research

Module Overview

  • Goal: How to find and choose keywords to target
  • Importance: Keywords set the foundation for SEO efforts
  • Example: Ranking for “SEO checklist” drives significant traffic

Process

  1. Generating Keyword Ideas
  2. Validating Keywords: Ensure they’re worth targeting

Choosing Keywords: Four-Point Checklist

  1. Search Demand: Measured by search volume
  2. Traffic Potential: Potential total traffic if ranked
  3. Business Potential: How valuable the keyword is to your business
  4. Search Intent Match: Ensuring the content matches the query’s intent
  5. Ranking Difficulty: Analyzing competition to see if ranking is feasible

Search Intent

  • Three Cs: Content Type, Content Format, Content Angle
  • Examples:
    • Blog Posts: How-to guides, Listicles, Tutorials
    • E-commerce Pages: Product and category listings

On-Page SEO

Overview

  • Definition: Optimizing web pages to rank higher in search engines
  • Focus on Search Intent: Ensuring the content matches searcher needs
  • Misconceptions: Over-reliance on keyword density and content length

Practical Steps

  1. Content Creation
    • Research top-ranking pages
    • Understand subtopics and structure
  2. Technical Optimizations
    • Titles, URLs, Meta Descriptions
    • Internal Linking
    • Image Optimization: Alt text, file names, and compression
  3. Readability and UX
    • Short sentences and paragraphs
    • Descriptive subheadings
    • Appropriate font sizes and conversational tone

Link Building

Overview

  • Definition: Getting other websites to link to a page on your site
  • Importance: Backlinks are a significant ranking factor
  • Types of Backlinks:
    • Earned via Outreach: Persuading others to link to your content
    • Natural/Organic: Links acquired without special efforts

Common Strategies

  1. HARO (Help a Reporter Out): Be a source for journalists
  2. Guest Blogging: Writing articles for other websites
  3. Skyscraper Technique: Improve popular content and request links to your version

Technical SEO

Overview

  • Purpose: Ensures search engines can find, understand, and index your site
  • Key Areas:
    • Indexation Tags: Ensure noindex is properly used
    • Robots.txt: Controls crawler access
    • Sitemaps: Lists of your site’s URLs for search engines
    • Redirects and Canonical Tags: Avoid duplicate content and consolidate link signals

Best Practices

  1. Logical Site Structure: Easy for users and crawlers to navigate
  2. Page Speed: Improve with caching and image compression
  3. Regular Audits: Identify and fix technical issues using tools like Ahrefs’ Site Audit

Conclusion and Additional Resources

  • Emphasis: Fundamentals can lead to significant growth
  • Tools and Resources: Continuous learning through Ahrefs blog, YouTube, and other tutorials