If you’re like me, you’re always scouring the internet like a scavenger for helpful advice on anything digital marketing or search engine optimisation (SEO) related.
In an industry littered with snake oil salesman, it’s sometimes hard to know who to trust and where to get valuable information from.
Well, rest assured. We’ve compiled a list of 5 fantastic SEO blogs that will help you keep up to date with all of the latest news, updates, algorithm changes, content strategy ideas – you name it.
This list is in no apparent order. If you are looking for the most trustworthy experts in our vast field of SEO, these are the SEO blogs you need to be following in 2020.
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1. Bill Slawski (SEO By The Sea)
Bill is by all means a Google magician. He understands the patents and dispels a lot of the SEO ‘myths’ out there.
If you’re looking for an insight into the intricacies that Google use to rank websites relating to their respective search terms, SEO By The Sea has a huge selection of great reading material.
He has written a wide range of white papers on a number of Google patents, especially the science around how featured snippets work, calculating how Google may score featured snippet answers.
Bill has been touted as one of the smartest SEO’s in the field and not many people would argue otherwise.
It is quite magical reading his posts, so if you’re a newbie or an advanced SEO looking to learn more about the more ‘science-based’ ways Google may score or rank image results or how search engines understand user intent through well-formed and ill-formed queries, then Bill is your man.
Check them out: SEO By The Sea
UPDATE: Unfortunately, Bill passed away earlier this year (mid-2022). His blog has had a tremendous impact on the way we do SEO here at Endpoint Digital and on countless SEOs all over the world. Rest in peace, Bill. You will be missed.
2. Barry Schwartz (Search Engine Roundtable)
Barry has been a long-time veteran of the industry and has an impressive pedigree as a frequent contributor/news editor for SearchEngineJournal and CEO of RustyBrick.
SERoundtable is a great source to find out all things SEO and SEM. Barry frequently updates readers with articles concerning Google bugs or possible algorithm changes, as well as updates on other search engines such as Microsoft Bing.
If you missed anything going on in the SEO space, don’t fret – there is always a daily search recap that details the most important discussions on search engine forums, as well as compiling a list of reading resources on other industry-related topics.
If you’re looking to keep up with any algorithm changes or anything SEO related, Search Engine Roundtable is always a great choice to catch up on things you might have missed.
Check them out: Search Engine Roundtable
3. Ahrefs Blog
You would think that a giant company who offers SEO tools wouldn’t be able to provide quality and helpful SEO content, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Ahrefs is not only a great tool, but they also have a large following on their blog too. Whilst they don’t necessarily focus on algorithm changes or SEO discussion, they do provide a lot of very solid advice on content marketing strategies, technical SEO, link building and even interesting concepts like using data forecasting and scripts to help improve organic SEO rankings.
They also have a ‘best of’ section in their footer, which are beginner’s guides to SEO basics, keyword research, on-page SEO, etc.
Ahrefs is a great place to start if you’re a beginner looking to build a foundation of SEO knowledge and given they very frequently update their blog, there is always going to be fresh and relevant content to enjoy.
Check them out: Ahrefs Blog
4. SearchEngineJournal
Another valuable resource for anything SEO and SEM related. They also have a focus on content marketing and social media marketing to give a fully-rounded reading experience.
SEJ offer a wide range of content, covering topics from link building, local SEO strategies, making use of data and analytics to create general guides and they frequently have guest appearances from Google’s own John Mueller.
They also do touch on the repercussions and general issues with Google bugs and have a dedicated section that mentions all current and previous Google algorithm changes dating back to SEO’s early stages.
Like Ahrefs, they are also aimed at beginner/intermediate SEO’s, offering guides on SEO basics, what SEO is, how SEO works, link building guides- you name it, they have it.
Check them out: SearchEngineJournal
5. SEMRush Academy
If you’re looking to get into SEO or want to brush up on some of your skills, then SEMRush Academy is a great place to go.
The courses are completely free and there’s a wide selection of courses to take, from PPC and SMM to content marketing strategies with Eric Enge of Perficient Digital, or Greg Gifford who has toured the world speaking at conferences on how to master the local SEO scene.
Everyone loves free things, so you really have nothing to lose. If you’re bored on a weekend, sit down and take one of their free courses.
They aren’t just courses taped by SEO ‘nobodies’, they are established industry experts with years of experience.
Check them out: SEMRush Academy
Other Notable Mentions
Of course our opinion is objective, so we’ve also added a few other resources that the search engine community seems to love.
Matt Diggity – Diggity Marketing
Over time we’ll add to this list if need be, but these are some great resources to get started, both for newbies and beginners in the SEO scene.
