One of the interesting things about SEO is that there isn’t one obvious route into it.
You don’t necessarily need an SEO degree. You don’t need to know how to code. And you certainly don’t need to understand every Google algorithm update before applying for your first job.
I didn’t start in SEO either.
My journey started around websites and technology. I became curious about what happened after a website went live. How would anyone find it? Why did Google show certain websites before others?
Those questions eventually led me to SEO.
So, if you’re a student, graduate, marketer, developer or simply someone considering SEO as a career, here’s how I’d approach it.
First, understand what SEO actually is
Don’t begin by memorising terminology.
Understand the problem SEO is trying to solve.
Someone needs something.
They search for it.
A search engine tries to give them the most useful answer.
A business wants to be one of those answers.
Your job sits somewhere in the middle.
Once you understand that, concepts such as keywords, content, links and technical SEO start making more sense.
Build a website
This is probably the advice I’d emphasise most.
Create something.
It doesn’t need to become a successful business. Buy an inexpensive domain, install WordPress and start experimenting.
Write an article.
Create a service page.
Change a title tag.
Connect Google Search Console.
Submit a sitemap.
Add internal links.
Break something and figure out how to fix it.
You can watch 100 hours of SEO tutorials, but there’s something different about opening Search Console and seeing your own page receive its first impression.
That’s when SEO starts becoming real.
Learn from the free resources available
You don’t need an expensive course to start.
Some of my own learning over the years has come from platforms and resources such as Google, Semrush Academy, Ahrefs, HubSpot Academy and Neil Patel.
Pick a structured beginner course and finish it.
Then apply what you’ve learned.
The second part is important.
It’s easy to get trapped in an endless cycle of certificates. One course leads to another, which leads to another.
Eventually, you need to do SEO.
Learn the different sides of SEO
You’ll quickly discover that SEO isn’t one skill.
There’s content.
Keyword research.
Technical SEO.
Link building.
Local SEO.
Analytics.
Website architecture.
User experience.
And increasingly, AI and how search is changing around it.
You don’t need to master everything immediately.
Learn enough of each area to understand how the pieces connect. As you gain experience, you’ll probably discover which parts you naturally enjoy.
Learn how websites work
You don’t have to become a developer.
But knowing what’s happening underneath a website will make your life much easier.
Learn basic HTML.
Understand status codes.
Learn what redirects do.
Understand crawling and indexing.
Know the difference between JavaScript, HTML and CSS.
Learn what a server is.
You don’t need to build complicated applications.
You just don’t want a developer explaining a technical problem while you have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about.
Stop chasing every algorithm update
When you’re new to SEO, Google updates can make the industry seem terrifying.
Someone on LinkedIn announces that SEO has completely changed.
Three days later, someone else announces that SEO is dead.
Ignore most of the panic.
Learn the fundamentals first.
Build websites that work properly.
Understand what people are searching for.
Create genuinely useful information.
Make important pages easy to find.
Measure what happens.
You can worry about the latest acronym later.
Learn to use data without becoming obsessed with it
Get comfortable with Google Search Console and Google Analytics.
Learn what impressions, clicks, CTR, sessions and conversions mean.
But don’t just report numbers.
Ask questions.
Why did traffic increase?
Why did this page lose clicks?
Why are impressions growing but conversions aren’t?
The tool gives you numbers.
Your value comes from figuring out what those numbers might be telling you.
Your first SEO job matters less than you think
Look for internships, junior SEO roles, digital marketing positions and agency opportunities.
Don’t become too obsessed with finding the perfect title.
A junior digital marketing role where you can work on real websites might teach you more than an SEO-labelled position where you spend every day completing the same task.
Early in your career, optimise for exposure and learning.
You want real websites, real problems and people who are willing to teach you.
Document what you’re doing
This is something I wish more people starting out would do.
Don’t wait until you’re an expert to share what you’re learning.
Write:
“I built my first website. Here’s what I learned.”
“I connected Search Console for the first time.”
“Here’s how I did keyword research for my project.”
“I tried improving this page. Here’s what happened.”
Six months later, you haven’t just learned SEO.
You’ve created evidence that you’re learning SEO.
That’s far more interesting to me than someone simply writing “SEO Specialist” on their CV.
And yes, learn about AI
If you’re starting SEO now, you’re entering the industry at an unusual time.
Google is changing. AI-generated answers are becoming part of search. People are using tools like ChatGPT to find information.
Learn about it.
Experiment with it.
But don’t make the mistake of learning “AI SEO” without learning SEO.
The fundamentals give you something to build on.
You don’t need permission to start
This might be the most useful thing I can tell you.
You don’t need someone to employ you before you can start doing SEO.
Build a website.
Choose a topic you care about.
Learn the fundamentals.
Try things.
Measure what happens.
Write about what you learn.
Then apply for opportunities.
My own SEO career started because I became curious about what happened after we put a website online.
Your starting question might be completely different.
That’s fine.
You don’t need to know exactly where SEO will take you.
You just need somewhere to start.
