An SEO roadmap for people starting from zero
SEO looks huge from the outside. It isn't, once you know the order to learn it in. Here's that order, plus six free places to actually learn each part.
Why bother learning SEO?
Because the traffic it brings doesn't stop when you stop paying. A page that ranks keeps sending you visitors for years, which is why it's worth the slow start.
Show up when people search
Rank for what your customers type into Google, and they find you at the moment they're looking.
Stop renting your traffic
Ads bring visitors only while you pay. A ranking page keeps working after you've moved on to something else.
Become the answer
Publish enough good pages on one topic and Google starts treating you as a source worth ranking for the rest of it.
Six free places to learn SEO
Roughly in the order you'd use them, from first principles to deep dives on a single tactic.
1. Moz
The Moz SEO Learning Center is where most people start. It covers the fundamentals in order, and it's free.
2. Learning SEO
Aleyda Solis's roadmap. It lays out the whole field as a visual map and links a free resource for each stage, so you always know what to study next.
Key Features:
- Visual map of the whole field
- A free resource per topic
- Good for figuring out what's next
3. Google Digital Garage
Google's own free courses on digital marketing, with a section on search. Useful for a beginner who wants the basics from the source, and it comes with a certificate.
Key Features:
- Courses run by Google
- Covers marketing basics, not just SEO
- Free certificate on completion
4. SEMrush Blog
Long, thorough posts on SEO and the rest of digital marketing. Once you have the basics down, this is where you go to read up on a specific tactic.
Key Features:
- SEO plus PPC, social, and content
- Detailed how-to posts
- Free to read, no account
5. Ahrefs Blog
Ahrefs backs most of its posts with data from its own index, so the advice tends to be tested rather than repeated. Strong on tutorials and case studies.
Key Features:
- Claims backed by their own data
- Step-by-step tutorials
- Case studies with real numbers
6. The HOTH
The HOTH blog keeps a running log of Google algorithm updates and bundles a set of free tools. Handy when you need to check whether a ranking drop lines up with a known update.
Key Features:
- Timeline of Google updates
- Free tools alongside the posts
- Beginner-friendly guides
Running SEO for a SaaS product?
Our SEO Tools for Sheets run keyword research, rank tracking, and audits inside a spreadsheet, so you can do the repetitive parts without paying for a full platform.
Explore SaaS SEO ToolsWhere to start
Open the Moz beginner's guide and read it end to end. That's an afternoon, and it's enough to make the rest of this list make sense.