If you want to get discovered online, you're going to have to learn SEO basics. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available that will help you do just that.

Some of them are offered by the most prominent names in digital marketing. These guides are not listed in any particular order, they all rock.

1. The Moz Beginners Guide to SEO

Moz is a name that's well-respected in the digital marketing community. The company's guide to SEO basics ranks at the very top of the search results for "SEO guide."

The guide is broken up into 10 chapters that cover everything from how search engines operate to keyword research to measuring and tracking success.

2. Google's Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide

Google also has its own starter guide for SEO newbies. It's a great idea to read it even if you don't think it's the best.


Why? Because Google's guide teaches you how to play by the rules.


That's important because if you break the rules, you could lose rank.

3. Ignite Visibility SEO Starter Guide And Training Videos

The SEO Starter Guide covers beginner to advanced topics such as:

SEO basics

Keywords

Meta tags

Website navigation

Anchor text

Header tags

Mobile usability

Content

If you're more of a visual person, check out the SEO Training Videos also listed in the guide and on YouTube.

The videos are mostly whiteboard-based learning sessions. They cover advanced topics but also touch on many of the SEO basics.

Covered subjects include:

How to Do Keyword Research

404 Errors

How to Do Internal Linking

How to Diagnose a Drop in Website Traffic Quickly

Ranking in Bing vs. Google

And more...



4. Search Engine Land's Guide to SEO

Search Engine Land is blog that lives up to its name. It's no surprise that it also has its own  guide to SEO.

The whole thing is broken down into 9 easy to read chapters. They cover important subjects such as search engine success factors and how SEO relates to social media marketing.

The Search Engine Land guide is probably your best bet if you're really in a hurry. Some of the chapters cover key concepts very briefly.

5. The Kissmetrics Guide

Kissmetrics drives a lot of traffic to its blog with content marketing. One great piece of content that ranks well in the search results is its beginner's guide to SEO.

Unlike some of the other resources we've looked at here, it's a single-page article. That means you don't have to do a lot of clicking to read everything.


6. Neil Patel's Step-by-Step Guide to SEO

Neil Patel has redefined content marketing by continually producing longform content that's relevant to digital marketers. One of his finest works is the step-by-step guide to SEO.

Although it takes longer to get through that article than some of the others (note the word "longform" above), it's definitely a "one-stop shop" for basic SEO knowledge. If you have a little extra time that you'd like to put into your education, be sure to visit Patel's guide.


7. Buffer's Complete Beginner's Guide to SEO

Buffer also offers lots of content that's valuable to digital marketers. One example of that is Buffer's Complete Beginner's Guide to SEO.

The guide stands apart from some of the others because it delves a little more deeply into the algorithm behind the search results. It also offers practical advice for SEO novices.

It's another great option if you're in a hurry. According to Buffer, the article takes only 7 minutes to read.


8. Brian Dean's Definitive Guide to SEO

Brian Dean is another longform genius when it comes to content marketing. He's also the author of a comprehensive guide to SEO for beginners.

It's a great tutorial because it covers subjects not often mentioned in other SEO guides. For example:

RankBrain

The mobile-first index

The advantages of video content

Voice search

Although it's labeled a guide for beginners, it's probably best to read it after you've visited one of the other basic tutorials.

9. Ultimate WordPress SEO Guide for Beginners

The last guide is intended for people who use WordPress as their content management system (CMS) of choice. If that's where you're headed with your website, it's a fabulous starting point.

The tutorial begins by covering the basics, such as defining SEO and explaining why it's important to optimize your website.

Then, it goes into website optimization from a WordPress administrator's perspective. Specifically, it covers the following subjects:

URL optimization

Site Speed

SSL/HTTPS

Visibility settings

The guide also covers a variety of tools that you can use to help optimize your site even more.

Wrapping It Up
There are many resources out there on search engine optimization. Heck, there is even a movie on SEO.