SEO Fundamentals Course by Ahrefs

Jul 10, 2024

SEO Fundamentals Course by Ahrefs

Instructor

  • Sam Oh

Introduction

  • Fundamentals of SEO with a focus on execution
  • Suitable even for advanced users, not just beginners
  • SEO can lead to compounded growth; example: Ahrefs' site gets over a million monthly visits from Google

Course Structure

  1. Introduction & SEO Basics
    • What SEO is
    • Why it’s important
    • How it works
  2. Module 1: Keyword Research
    • Finding keywords
    • Setting a foundation for next modules
  3. Module 2: On-Page SEO
    • Optimizing pages for keywords
  4. Module 3: Link Building
    • Google's ranking signals
    • Contribution to higher rankings
  5. Module 4: Technical SEO
    • Best practices and website maintenance

SEO Basics

  • What is SEO?
    • SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization
    • Process of optimizing content for discovery through a search engine’s organic results
  • How Search Engines Work
    • Think of search engines as libraries storing copies of web pages
    • When querying, it returns the most relevant results
    • SEO helps signal your page as the relevant result
  • Importance of SEO
    • Free traffic compared to paid ads
    • Consistent organic traffic
    • Ability to reach massive audiences
  • How Google Works
    • Crawling and Indexation: Google uses spiders to gather public info across the web
    • Ranking Algorithm: Hundreds of ranking signals, algorithm constantly updated

Key SEO Factors

  1. Backlinks
    • Links from a page on one site to another
    • Considered as votes of confidence
  2. Search Intent
    • Reason behind a searcher’s query
    • Match search intent for best ranking
  3. Content Depth
    • Search engines value comprehensive content
    • Depth ≠ Length; content should solve the query adequately

Module 1: Keyword Research

  1. What are Keywords?
    • Words/phrases people search to find information
  2. Importance of Keywords in SEO
    • Basis for search engine optimization
  3. Keyword Research Process
    • Step 1: Generate keyword ideas
    • Step 2: Validate keyword worth
    • Tool: Ahrefs Keywords Explorer
  4. Choosing Keywords - Checklist
    • Search Demand: Volume of monthly searches (Search Volume)
    • Traffic Potential: Total search traffic potential if ranked high
    • Business Potential: Value to your business
    • Search Intent: Match the query's intent
    • Ranking Difficulty: Competitiveness for ranking
  5. Search Intent - The 3 Cs
    • Content Type: Blog posts, videos, product pages, etc.
    • Content Format: How-to’s, list posts, tutorials, etc.
    • Content Angle: The hook that makes content appealing
  6. Finding Keywords Tools
    • Use keyword research tools (e.g., Ahrefs Keywords Explorer)
    • Look at competitors' top-ranking pages
  7. Determining Ranking Difficulty
    • Search Intent matching
    • Metrics of top-ranking pages: Referring domains, website authority
    • Topical Authority: Domain expertise

Module 2: On-Page SEO

  1. What is On-Page SEO?
    • Practice of optimizing web pages to rank higher in search engines
  2. Misconceptions About On-Page SEO
    • Not about keyword stuffing
    • Not about using keywords a specific number of times
    • Not about meeting a minimum word count
  3. On-Page SEO Best Practices
    • Satisfy search intent
    • Optimize titles, URLs, meta descriptions
  4. Creating an Optimized Page
    • Ensure content matches search intent
    • Analyze competitors’ content
    • Add internal links and optimize images
  5. Optimization Checklist
    • Include target keyword in the title
    • Use descriptive URL slugs
    • Write meta descriptions
    • Add internal links
    • Optimize images (name files appropriately, use alt text, compress images)
    • Improve readability (short sentences, descriptive subheadings)
    • Add OG tags and Schema markup if possible

Module 3: Link Building

  1. What is Link Building?
    • Process of getting other websites to link to a page on your site
  2. Importance of Link Building
    • Links as a ranking signal
    • Correlation between organic traffic and backlinks
  3. Methods to Get Backlinks
    • Create Backlinks: Manually adding links (e.g., directories, comments)
    • Buy Backlinks: Paying for links, risky, against Google guidelines
    • Earn Backlinks: Through email outreach, becoming a source, or organic mentions
  4. Attributes of Good Backlinks
    • Relevance: Contextual link placement
    • Authoritativeness: Link from high-authority pages
    • Anchor Text: Descriptive and relevant
    • Rel Attribute: Preferably followed links
    • Link Placement: Editorial links within content
  5. Effective Link Building Tactics
    • HARO (Help a Reporter Out): Offering expert knowledge in exchange for a link
    • Guest Posting: Writing content for another website
    • Skyscraper Technique: Improving on well-linked content and reaching out to those linking to it
  6. Email Outreach
    • Careful prospecting and vetting
    • Personalize and articulate a value proposition
    • Use subject lines to open emails; clear and concise messaging

Module 4: Technical SEO

  1. What is Technical SEO?
    • Optimizing your website to help search engines find, understand, and index your pages
  2. Tech SEO Basics
    • No Index Meta Tag: Ensures pages meant to be hidden are not indexed
    • Robots.txt: Directives for search engine crawlers
    • Sitemaps: Lists important URLs for smarter crawling
    • Redirects: Passing signals from one URL to another
    • Canonical Tags: Helps avoid duplicate content issues
  3. Best Practices for Technical SEO
    • Logical site structure
    • Healthy page load speed
    • Regular SEO audits (using tools like Ahrefs Site Audit)

Conclusion

  • Following these fundamentals should get you indexed, ranking, and maintaining good site health
  • More advanced tactics exist, but these are crucial as a foundation