SEO is almost impossible to learn without a little help – I turn to some of the web’s leading SEO blogs when building my SEO/SEM knowledge…

When you start blogging or online marketing it doesn’t take long before you realise that search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the key factors behind so many online successes – no matter which niche you are in! You can Tweet, Stumble, Digg and bookmark as much as you like but if your pages are not ranking highly for popular keywords in your niche then your online success is very limited.

Soon after realising this I decided to turn to the experts and learn from those who specialize in achieving that #1 Google ranking. Today I present to you a top list of my favourite SEO blogs – blogs that have helped me dramatically improve my search engine rankings and allow me to gain traffic from appearing higher up in the SERPS (Search Engine Results Pages) for my chosen keyword.

If you thought SEO was a walk in the park then you had better think again, with many niches of today becoming over-crowded with competition you really can’t afford to not keep on top of your SEO knowledge and making sure that you are applying cutting edge SEO techniques to your blog or website. As a blogger in the internet marketing/make money online niche I have found it tough to get my head around search engines and gaining a better ranking but the following blogs have made it much easier, often writing tutorial based posts in laymen’s terms.

Never underestimate the power of Google or any other popular search engine for that matter. Just gaining the top spot for a popular keyword or keyphrase can massively increase your traffic, and more importantly this will be targetted traffic – people who are more likely to buy your product(s) and click your links.

1) SEO Book

SEO Book is primarily one of the world’s number 1 SEO training programs. SEO Book not only serves as a training program but it also comes with tools, videos, a private members forum and a really great blog with some interesting tutorial posts. Although my list is not in any particular order SEO Book deserves to be at the top because their techniques & strategies are not based on abstract theory, but years of hard work & education.

Website: SEOBook.com

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2) Yoast

Another of my favourite SEO blogs which I like to turn to when brushing up on my SEO knowledge is Yoast.com. ‘Tweaking websites’ is Yoast’s slogan if you like and they cover everything from search engine rankings, to speed to user experience. Yoast founder Joost de Valk and guests provide tips on optimizing WordPress, Magento, search engine rankings, analytics and website performance. What makes Yoast so beneficial and unique is that they also offer the SEO tools, Magento extensions and WordPress plugins to make it all possible!

Website: Yoast.com

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3) SEOmoz

Another great SEO blog/website that deserves it’s place at the top end of this list is SEOmoz. SEOmoz provides companies and individuals around the world with online tools and tutorials to help with their Internet marketing and search engine optimization needs – They provide the leading on-demand software platform for search marketers worldwide, including the top search engine optimization educational information and resources.

Website: SEOmoz.org

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4) Matt Cutts

Everyone knows how secretive the world of Google is right? Well now is your chance to lend your ear to an actual Google employee. That’s right Matt Cutts joined Google as a software engineer in January 2000 and is currently the head of Google’s Webspam team. I think that is probably enough information for you to work out that this guy knows his stuff when it comes to SEO and SEM – head on over to Matt’s blog to get an insiders view of the goings on at Google and to learn some of the most cutting edge SEO techniques.

Website: MattCutts.com/Blog

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5) Search Engine Land

Search Engine Land is a news and information site covering search engine marketing, searching issues and the search engine industry. The site is led by journalist Danny Sullivan, who has been covering search for the past 11 years. It is published by Third Door Media, which also produces the Search Marketing Expo conference series and the Search Marketing Now webcast events. Clearly not just a blog but a website with a whole mountain of information to teach – great, easy-to-read posts from an SEO expert.

Website: SearchEngineLand.com

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6) Search Engine Watch

Now, I am quite a fan of blogs with whole teams of writers – it allows you to pick out the writers who communicate to you the best and teach you the most and then follow that particular expert. This is why I am very fond of Search Engine Watch – coverng many SEO sub-categories in great detail here are some topics which are definitely worth a thorough read: Analytics & ROI, Social Media Marketing, Promotion & Link Building and Search Marketing Training. If you are looking for a website that offers a great deal of valuable content for free, then Search Engine Watch is the place for you!

Website: SearchEngineWatch.com

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7) TopRank Blog

Similar to many others in this list TopRank Online Marketing is not just a great blog but a digital marketing agency that helps companies increase sales, brand visibility online and develop better relationships with customers. They specialize in content based marketing programs that emphasize social media marketing, search engine optimization and online public relations. Being tremendously successful in their field, companies hire them for training, consulting and implementation services.

Website: TopRankBlog.com

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8) Search Engine Journal

Similar to many other SEO websites and just like TopRank above, Search Engine Journal does not just focus on optimizing websites for better search engine visibility but it also teaches companies and aspiring marketers how to take advantage of social media and use it to gain traffic to their website or blog. Backed by a team of experienced SEO experts, Search Engine Journal is SEO tutorial at it’s best!

Website: SearchEngineJournal.com

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9) Search Engine Roundtable

The purpose behind the Search Engine Roundtable is to report on the most interesting threads taking place at the SEM (Search Engine Marketing) forums. By enlisting some of the most recognized names at those forums, the Roundtable is able to not only report on these outstanding threads but also provide a synopsis that provides greater detail into those threads. Save time wasted by searching through forums for some decent information – Search Engine Roundtable does it for you AND gives you a break down of each nugget of information.

Website: SERoundtable.com

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10) Search Engine Guide

Search Engine Guide provides a compilation of daily search engine news, search engine marketing pages which provide access to the collective wisdom of all the top search engine marketing experts with regularly updated articles, an Internet search engines page which lists resources and tools for exploring the deep web and performing advanced research and a search engine books and services directory – the place to turn for further information or solutions to your marketing needs.

Website: SearchEngineGuide.com

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11) Blog Storm

BlogStorm is the UK’s most popular search engine optimisation & online marketing blog. BlogStorm is written by Patrick Altoft, Director of Search at Branded3, a Leeds based digital agency specialising in search engine optimisation, online marketing & web development. Each and every post that Patrick provides seems to display a huge understanding of SEO which, in turn helps the reader to understand. Patrick has the wonderful ability of creating tutorials which communicate and translate perfectly, allowing you to put his tips into practice quickly and effectively.

Website: BlogStorm.com

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12) SEO Design Solutions

SEO Design Solutions, Inc. is founded on the premise of 13 years of tested internet marketing principles – They specialize in organic search engine optimization services to facilitate targeted rankings in Google, Yahoo, and Bing for keywords or relevant industry-specific key phrases for businesses of all sizes. As well as being a service to many internet marketers and small businesses SEO Design Solutions also provide a constantly updated blog with some truly insightful content.

Website: SEODesignSolutions.com

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13) Hobo Web UK

Again, not just a blog Hobo Web UK is predominantly an SEO service based in Glasgow, Scotland. Companies hire their expert SEO team to help build their brand online, NOT just improve Google search engine rankings. Apart from this Hobo Web UK also provide a great blog with tips on linkbuilding, how to increase your page rank, search engine optimization and some helpful tools and resources to help you with your SEO efforts.

Website: HOBOweb.co.uk

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14) Small Business SEM

Small Business SEM by Matt McGee the Assignment Editor for Search Engine Land is another great SEO blog to add to your reader. I think what drew me to Small Business SEM in the first place was Matt’s shere honesty and consideration for small businesses – Matt says, “Small businesses often don’t have the financial resources to put together a substantial plan of attack to improve their web site and increase traffic, conversions, sales, etc. SmallBusinessSEM.com is for small businesses that want to compete and succeed on their own terms (and budgets).”

Website: SmallBusinessSEM.com

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15) SEO Black Hat

SEO Black Hat is a private forum as well as a blog. Insightful blog posts covering topics such as: Comment Spam, Link Bait, Keyword Stuffing, Blogging SEO, SEM, Affiliate Marketing and much much more.

Website: SEOBlackHat.com
 
 
 

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16) SEOptimise

Another UK based SEO Agency, SEOptimise was founded in March 2006 by search engine expert Kevin Gibbons – His aim was to use the latest SEO techniques to help businesses maximize their website profiles in order to increase their online visibility and sales. Blog posts are typically very blunt and honest from a guy who isn’t afraid to express his opinions on the state of the internet and online marketing today.

Website: SEOptimise.com

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17) Redfly Marketing

Sorry to all of the rest but this has to be the best designed SEO site on the list – I’ve always admired what they’ve got going on over at Redfly and although it is not what they are on the list for they have got a beautifully designed website resultng in a great user experience. The blogs main contributor over at Redfly is Dave Davis (Managing Director of Redfly Marketing) who attended DIT (Computer Science Degree).

Website: RedflyMarketing.com

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18) ClickZ

ClickZ is the largest resource of interactive marketing news, information, commentary, advice, opinion, research, and reference in the world, online or offline. From search to social, technology to trends, ClickZ’s coverage is expert, exclusive, and in-depth. A partner of Search Engine Watch, ClickZ is an award-winning source for interactive and Internet research: facts, figures, research, and data on every facet of the online industry, domestic and worldwide.

Website: ClickZ.com

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19) Grey Wolf SEO Blog

The Grey Wolf SEO blog is run by Michael Gray. Michael became involved in web development and website management in 1998 – He was Webmaster for a major specialty retailer, helping create their website presence and growing their online sales from less than $10,000 a month to over $25 million in annual web sales. I’m sure you could do with some tips from this guy – amazing credentials and outstanding results from an internet marketing expert.

Website: Wolf-Howl.com

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20) Outspoken Media

The Outspoken Media team is able to offer clients a comprehensive mix of SEO consulting, social media services, content creation, online reputation management, affiliate marketing and SEO training services. They have also created the Outspoken blog to help teach other CEO’s and business owners how to benefit from the world of SEO and internet marketing.

Website: OutspokenMedia.com
 

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Looking at the above blogs I think it’s plain to see that SEO is not something you will learn overnight, instead SEO is something that you will keep building throughout your Internet Marketing journey – Use the above blogs to help speed up that process and effectively build your SEO/SEM knowledge, learning from the experts who have studied and perfected their SEO expertise.

As always, If you think I have missed any great SEO blogs in my list of Top 20 SEO Blogs please don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments section below with your suggestions.

Warmly,

Luke Etheridge