{"id":18471,"date":"2025-11-10T10:24:05","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T10:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T11:56:05","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T11:56:05","slug":"starting-seo-reddit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting SEO: Where to Begin \u2014 Tips from Reddit Users"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#Introduction_%E2%80%94_Based_on_Reddit_discussions\" >Introduction \u2014 Based on Reddit discussions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#What_Redditors_Agreed_On\" >What Redditors Agreed On<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#Where_Redditors_Disagreed\" >Where Redditors Disagreed<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#Concrete_Tips_Redditors_Shared\" >Concrete Tips Redditors Shared<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#Week_1%E2%80%932_Learn_the_basics_and_set_up_tracking\" >Week 1\u20132: Learn the basics and set up tracking<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#Week_3%E2%80%936_Hands-on_content_and_on-page_SEO\" >Week 3\u20136: Hands-on content and on-page SEO<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#Month_2%E2%80%933_Technical_SEO_audits\" >Month 2\u20133: Technical SEO &amp; audits<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#Ongoing_Links_measurement_and_growth\" >Ongoing: Links, measurement, and growth<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#Useful_Tools_and_Resources_Mentioned\" >Useful Tools and Resources Mentioned<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#Common_Mistakes_to_Avoid_from_Reddit_experience\" >Common Mistakes to Avoid (from Reddit experience)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#Expert_Insight_Prioritization_Framework\" >Expert Insight: Prioritization Framework<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#Expert_Insight_Set_Up_Experiments_and_Attribution_Correctly\" >Expert Insight: Set Up Experiments and Attribution Correctly<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#How_to_Build_a_Portfolio_When_Starting_Out\" >How to Build a Portfolio When Starting Out<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/starting-seo-reddit\/#Final_Takeaway\" >Final Takeaway<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduction_%E2%80%94_Based_on_Reddit_discussions\"><\/span>Introduction \u2014 Based on Reddit discussions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This article synthesizes advice from a lively Reddit thread on learning SEO. Users from beginners to seasoned practitioners weighed in with what matters most when <strong>starting seo<\/strong>: foundational skills, practical experiments, the right tools, and how to build a portfolio. Below you&#8217;ll find the community consensus, where opinions diverged, a step-by-step starter plan, and two expert insights that extend Reddit&#8217;s advice.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Redditors_Agreed_On\"><\/span>What Redditors Agreed On<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Across the thread, several themes emerged again and again. These form a practical baseline for anyone starting out.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Learn the fundamentals first.<\/strong> Basics like how search engines work, HTML structure, canonicalization, and meta tags were recommended as must-knows.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practice on a real site.<\/strong> Many recommended building a simple site or helping a small business so you can apply theory to real-world issues and track results.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use Google tools.<\/strong> Google Search Console and Google Analytics (or GA4) are indispensable and free\u2014learn them early.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Focus on content and intent.<\/strong> Producing helpful content optimized for user intent was emphasized over trying to &#8216;game&#8217; rankings.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Track and measure impact.<\/strong> Set up proper tracking to tie SEO changes to traffic and conversions\u2014Redditors stressed this repeatedly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Join communities and keep learning.<\/strong> Read blogs, follow forums, and participate (like Reddit!) to stay up to date\u2014search algorithms change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_Redditors_Disagreed\"><\/span>Where Redditors Disagreed<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Not all advice was unanimous. Below are the key areas where opinions diverged and why each viewpoint has merit.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Certifications and paid courses:<\/strong> Some users recommended paid courses and certifications to accelerate learning and provide structure. Others argued free resources (Google&#8217;s guides, Moz, Backlinko) are sufficient if you&#8217;re disciplined.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tools vs. fundamentals:<\/strong> A faction advocated investing in premium tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush) early to learn data-driven SEO. Others suggested mastering the fundamentals and free tools first to avoid reliance on tool outputs without understanding underlying issues.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Start with technical SEO or content SEO:<\/strong> Some suggested tackling technical fixes first to ensure crawlability. Others recommended beginning with content and keyword targeting because content drives user value and immediate traffic gains.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Using AI-generated content:<\/strong> Opinions varied on AI. Some see it as a productivity booster when heavily edited and fact-checked; others warned against over-reliance and thin, low-value content that harms rankings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Concrete_Tips_Redditors_Shared\"><\/span>Concrete Tips Redditors Shared<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>These are practical, actionable tips pulled together from multiple Reddit contributors and organized into a logical learning path.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Week_1%E2%80%932_Learn_the_basics_and_set_up_tracking\"><\/span>Week 1\u20132: Learn the basics and set up tracking<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Read Google&#8217;s &#8220;Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide&#8221; and Moz&#8217;s Beginner&#8217;s Guide to SEO.<\/li>\n<li>Create a simple website (use WordPress or a static site) to practice on.<\/li>\n<li>Install Google Analytics\/GA4 and Google Search Console. Verify ownership and submit a sitemap.<\/li>\n<li>Learn to use Chrome DevTools to inspect HTML, check mobile view, and measure load times.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Week_3%E2%80%936_Hands-on_content_and_on-page_SEO\"><\/span>Week 3\u20136: Hands-on content and on-page SEO<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Research keywords with free tools (Google Keyword Planner, Search Console queries, AnswerThePublic, or limited free versions of Ahrefs\/SEMrush).<\/li>\n<li>Practice writing titles, meta descriptions, headings, and optimizing page structure around user intent.<\/li>\n<li>Create 5\u201310 well-optimized pages or posts on your site targeting different intents and track their performance weekly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Month_2%E2%80%933_Technical_SEO_audits\"><\/span>Month 2\u20133: Technical SEO &amp; audits<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Run site crawls\u2014start with Screaming Frog (free mode), then consider Sitebulb or full Screaming Frog license if needed.<\/li>\n<li>Fix basic issues: duplicate titles, missing meta, broken links, slow pages, and mobile problems.<\/li>\n<li>Learn about structured data (schema) and implement basic markup where it helps (articles, products, FAQs).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ongoing_Links_measurement_and_growth\"><\/span>Ongoing: Links, measurement, and growth<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Experiment with outreach for guest posts and resource pages; help small businesses and request testimonials that link back.<\/li>\n<li>Monitor rankings, impressions, clicks, and conversion metrics. Use annotations for major changes so you can correlate actions to outcomes.<\/li>\n<li>Document wins in a portfolio: show before\/after traffic, keyword positions, and conversion improvements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Useful_Tools_and_Resources_Mentioned\"><\/span>Useful Tools and Resources Mentioned<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Free: Google Search Console, Google Analytics\/GA4, PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, Keyword Planner.<\/li>\n<li>Paid\/Pro: Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, Screaming Frog (paid mode), Sitebulb, Majestic.<\/li>\n<li>Educational: Moz Beginner&#8217;s Guide, Google SEO Starter Guide, Backlinko\/Neil Patel articles, industry newsletters like Search Engine Journal.<\/li>\n<li>Communities: Reddit (\/r\/SEO), SEO Twitter, niche Slack groups, and local meetups.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_Mistakes_to_Avoid_from_Reddit_experience\"><\/span>Common Mistakes to Avoid (from Reddit experience)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Not tracking baseline metrics before making changes\u2014then you can&#8217;t prove impact.<\/li>\n<li>Chasing high-volume keywords without considering intent or competition.<\/li>\n<li>Relying only on automated tool recommendations without human review.<\/li>\n<li>Creating lots of low-quality or thin content quickly and expecting results.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Expert_Insight_Prioritization_Framework\"><\/span>Expert Insight: Prioritization Framework<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Redditors often listed many tasks but struggled to prioritize. Use a simple scoring system like PIE (Potential, Importance, Ease):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Potential:<\/strong> How much upside could this task bring relative to your goals? (traffic, revenue, leads)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Importance:<\/strong> How critical is the issue to the site&#8217;s core functionality or user experience? (e.g., site wide canonical problems rank high)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ease:<\/strong> How quickly can this be implemented and measured?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Score each task 1\u20135 on these axes. Multiply or average the scores to rank tasks and focus on high-PIE items first. This reduces busywork and aligns effort with measurable outcomes.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Expert_Insight_Set_Up_Experiments_and_Attribution_Correctly\"><\/span>Expert Insight: Set Up Experiments and Attribution Correctly<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Beginners often change pages and celebrate traffic lifts without isolating the cause. Treat SEO changes like experiments:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Define a hypothesis (e.g., &#8220;Improving title tags for topic X will increase organic CTR by 10% and bring 15% more sessions&#8221;).<\/li>\n<li>Identify primary metrics (click-through rate, organic sessions, conversions) and secondary metrics (bounce rate, time on page).<\/li>\n<li>Use UTM tags for any internal promotional links, and add annotations in Analytics\/Search Console for the date of changes.<\/li>\n<li>Run changes on a sample of pages first, if possible, to see impact before wide rollout.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Accurate measurement lets you build a portfolio of wins that demonstrates ROI to clients or employers.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Build_a_Portfolio_When_Starting_Out\"><\/span>How to Build a Portfolio When Starting Out<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Reddit users recommended several low-risk ways to get measurable wins:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Optimize a personal blog or hobby site and publish a case study showing traffic\/keyword improvement.<\/li>\n<li>Volunteer to help a nonprofit or local business and track baseline vs. after metrics.<\/li>\n<li>Perform audits with prioritized recommendations\u2014include screenshots and projected impacts if you can&#8217;t implement changes.<\/li>\n<li>Document all experiments with dates, actions, and results. Employers care about outcomes, not just theory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Takeaway\"><\/span>Final Takeaway<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When <strong>starting seo<\/strong>, combine structured learning with hands-on practice. Start with the fundamentals\u2014crawlability, content that matches intent, and measurement\u2014then layer in tools and advanced tactics. Reddit advice coalesced around practice, tracking, and community learning. Use a prioritization framework and treat changes as experiments to build a portfolio that proves your impact.<\/p>\n<p><em>Read the full Reddit discussion <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/SEO\/comments\/nu7n1l\/i_wanna_get_into_seo_where_do_i_start\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction \u2014 Based on Reddit discussions This article synthesizes advice from a lively Reddit thread on learning SEO. Users from beginners to seasoned practitioners weighed in with what matters most when starting seo: foundational skills, practical experiments, the right tools, and how to build a portfolio. Below you&#8217;ll find the community consensus, where opinions diverged, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-seo"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18471"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18532,"href":"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18471\/revisions\/18532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rankz.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}