4 outstanding tools to learn SEO directly from Google

One of the worst things about the web is also its greatest strength: navel-gazing. There are few things on the web that people enjoy talking about more than the web itself. And one of the most popular topics on the web is search engine optimization (SEO). The problem, of course, is that there’s so much information – good and bad – that it’s tough to know where to begin.

Fortunately, four great resources to learn SEO come directly from Google, who you’d think ought to know a thing or two about what makes sites rank well. They include:

1. GoogleWebmasterHelp’s YouTube Channel – Dozens of videos covering helpful tips and tricks, many submitted as questions to Matt Cutts and others on the Google team. Great examples including this video on optimizing sites with small budgets:

2. Google’s Webmaster Tools Support Forums – Post a question and let the community help you out. Recent questions include things such as:
   • How can I get the top listing to my websites on Google?
   • Pages indexed on Google Webmaster Tools but not found on search
   • My 4 year old site got de-indexed today – HELP
3. Google Webmaster Tools Help index – Pretty straightforward series of short articles and tips designed to help you use Google’s Webmaster Tools most effectively. Well worth taking a look at.
4. Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide (PDF link) – Google initially developed this document for its staff, then made it public. Nothing in the document is rocket science, but if you’re just starting out, that’s how it should be.

While plenty of other fantastic resources exist – including SEOmoz, Search Engine Land and SEO Roundtable – Google’s tools provide excellent, free information for anyone just starting out. If you use these tools to learn how to cover the basics of SEO, they’ll provide you a good foundation for the more advanced topics these other sites frequently address.

Hat tip: Matt Cutts referenced Google’s Webmaster YouTube channel on last week’s “This Week in Google.”, which is Leo Laporte’s great podcast covering Google and the emerging cloud of web services. Give it a listen sometime. Yes, it’s a bit geeky, but that’s kind of the point, right?

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