What a turn of events!
As you’ve landed on this page, you are just one book away from mastering SEO.
If you don’t believe me, read reviews of those who have learned search engine optimization with the below-listed SEO books.
Seriously, you are facing eight “doors” once opened by business professionals. They can lead you from A to Z of search engine optimization: from SEO definitions and fundamentals to some senior-class tactics on how to optimize for conversions and little-known secrets of SEO.
Take out your magic wand and repeat after me: Revelio.
(Now, I am kidding. Just a huge Harry Potter fan)
So, to the list!
Top Books on Search Engine Optimization
Read the greatest books about SEO, with all its secrets and pitfalls. They have become the most important sources of knowledge for business leaders, founders, and managers who used them as guideposts in optimizing their websites for search engines.
SEO for Beginners
Subtitle: Learn the basics of SEO in under 3 hours!
Author: Mark Northwell
Number of pages: 99
What it covers
Are you a newcomer to the world of search engine optimization?
Then this beginner’s guide to SEO is the first book to ease you into it.
The author makes it clear why everyone optimizes for search engines today, how your site operates, or what “creatures” crawl your web pages and index them without you even noticing it. He also provides a complete list of keyword research tools that become handy to anyone trying to SEO their way to success.
And that is not all. You’ll get more SEO fundamentals.
99 pages divided by three hours = 33 pages per hour. What do you think? Can you manage it?
Whose recommendation is it?
Jerry Han, CMO at PrizeRebel:
“I say, always start with the basics. And this SEO book can help you do that. It explains why SEO challenges you first but then lets you reap the rewards. More importantly, it teaches you the essentials to help you put your foot on the grounds of the SEO kingdom.
What I liked the best – Mark Northwell doesn’t overwhelm you with technical details or complicated terms. He walks you through a simple and highly understandable guide.”
3 Months to No.1
Subtitle: The “No-Nonsense” SEO Playbook for Getting Your Website Found on Google
Author: Will Coombe
Number of pages: 247
What it covers
Imagine you’re giving someone your brand-new website and asking them to bring you the first page results on Google in just three months.
This someone is Will Coombe, and in this book on SEO, he demonstrates how he’d do this for you.
By erecting the four pillars of SEO, of course:
- Pillar #1. Relevance
- Pillar #2. Crawlability
- Pillar #3. Engagement
- Pillar #4. Authority
Under his guidance, you’ll learn how to find relevant target keywords, make it easy for Google to inspect your pages, boost user engagement, increase domain authority, and more.
Whose recommendation is it?
Jesse Hanson, Content Manager at Online Solitaire and Word of Card Games:
“SEO always seemed a complicated game for my understanding because I didn’t know its basic rules. Until I learned those from Will Coombe, a co-founder of the UK’s leading SEO agency, in this playbook.
The major revelation, however, was that nobody truly knows how to game Google. And it’s more like a cat-and-mouse game between this search engine and SEO pros. There are no super-fast hacks, but there’s hard work and certain steps to be taken.”
SEO Help
Subtitle: 20 Practical Steps to Power Your Content Creation, Marketing and Branding in the New AI World of Google Search
Author: David Amerland
Number of pages: 198
What it covers
In SEO Help, David Amerland talks about 20 SEO aspects you should know and apply in practice. For example, voice search, structured data, YouTube SEO, podcasting, hashtagging, etc.
In one of the chapters, he particularly outlines the role of AI in SEO and the perspectives it opens in front of businesses. He establishes the connection between artificial intelligence and semantic search and names the 4Vs of big data:
- Volume
- Variety
- Velocity
- Veracity
Remarkably, all chapters end with action checklists.
Whose recommendation is it?
Jesse Galanis, Content Manager at Tech Lockdown:
“My top pick among the best books for learning SEO is the fourth edition of SEO Help published in 2020. The first edition came out in 2010. Since then, SEO has changed a lot. That’s why the author updated this release and added tons of fresh content to it.
Interestingly, every chapter is like a standalone book describing a specific SEO topic. You shouldn’t necessarily read chapters one by one. You can skip those you don’t need and move to the part that kindles your interest most.”
Link Building Is Dead
Subtitle: Long Live Link Building!
Author: Sage Lewis
Number of pages: 216
What it covers
So, link building is dead, right?
So wrong.
Would you like to see that it’s actually more than alive?
Sage Lewis proves that by examples and case studies of Walmart, Catster & Dogster, and others. Obama’s link-building strategy, for instance, fueled his victory in the elections. You can also get easy backlinks just like other companies did. See how exactly in the book.
Besides, the author doesn’t let you forget about a social media link-building strategy you might need to develop right now to win the competition.
Whose recommendation is it?
Fernando Lopez, Marketing Director at Circuit:
“It’s one of the must-read SEO books on link building and its peculiarities. It makes you rethink your approach to getting backlinks. A link builder should be a PR professional, in the first place, not a spammer. That’s the key lesson I learned from this book.”
SEO Workbook
Subtitle: Search Engine Optimization Success in Seven Steps
Author: Jason McDonald
Number of pages: 360
What it covers
SEO is power. SEO is mysterious. SEO seems impossible.
And yet, Jason McDonald believes anyone can master this craft. How? By following these steps:
- Step 1. Work out your SEO mindset and set goals
- Step 2. Create a keyword worksheet
- Step 3. Get your site to speak “the Google language”
- Step 4. Develop a content SEO strategy
- Step 5. Do off-page SEO and boost your social authority
- Step 6. Measure your progress
- Step 7. Practice all the time (worksheets + tools)
To make it all possible, you might need to create a dedicated team of managers, marketers, content writers, web designers, programmers, and outreach experts for your SEO project.
Whose recommendation is it?
Alex Milligan, Co-founder & CMO of NuggMD:
“Jason McDonald has become my coach in search engine optimization. His SEO workout book has taught me how to optimize effectively to get any website in an SEO-healthy shape. I like the comparison he uses in this guidebook. SEO is like physical fitness which requires discipline and smart work, not hard work.”
Ecommerce SEO
Subtitle: An Advanced Guide to On-page Search Engine Optimization for Ecommerce
Author: Traian Neacsu
Number of pages: 400
What it covers
Looking for the best books on SEO to learn how to optimize your eCommerce or dropshipping business website?
Look no further.
This guide is all you need to grasp how eCommerce SEO works and use this knowledge to your benefit. Whether it’s a homepage, a listing page, or a product detail page, any part of your eCommerce store will get just enough attention to make it shine in the eyes of Google and your visitors too.
Moreover, it will also help you cope with some challenging issues like crawl traps, for example.
Whose recommendation is it?
Jonathan Elster, CEO at EcomHalo:
“Running an eCommerce site requires different skill sets, and SEO is one of the most significant ones. That’s why I recommend this book to every small or midsize business owner.
Prepare for a long read, but be sure, it’s definitely worth your time. By reading this book and implementing the winning SEO practices from it, you invest in your eCommerce success.”
Learn SEO
Subtitle: Think Like Your Customers to Get More of Them
Author: Bruce Jones
Number of pages: 316
What it covers
What is your potential customer googling right now?
No need to keep the guessing games going any longer with this book for search engine optimization.
You’ll be able to “read” the thoughts of your customers, perform customer behavior analysis, take advantage of content auditing, and implement effective link-building techniques, among other things.
The author also uncovers the hidden truth behind the ways Google uses the E-A-T metric to judge your page quality:
- Expertise
- Authority
- Trustworthiness
Whose recommendation is it?
Michael Maximoff, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Belkins:
“SEO is the best tool for generating quality leads. It’s an axiom – a self-evident fact that requires no proof. For those who struggle to use this instrument effectively, Learn SEO is a bottomless source of helpful instructions. With Bruce Jones’ SEO guide, you will become a wizard of both on-page and off-page search engine optimization.”
How To Get To The Top of Google
Subtitle: The Plain English Guide to SEO
Author: Tim Cameron-Kitchen
Number of pages: 296
What it covers
Show me a business leader or SEO specialist who doesn’t want to reach the top of SERPs.
Bet, you won’t find any.
If you dream about getting to the first page (surely, you do!), this book is your backpack of foolproof strategies to do that.
The author names four ways to rank on the first page of Google for free:
- Google organic results
- Featured snippets
- Knowledge Panel local results
- Appearing on third-party sites
However, you not only wish to show up at the top, but you’d also want to gain a strong footing there, am I right?
For that, there are some killer tactics mentioned in this book. One of them, for instance, is regular keyword rank tracking and keyword analytics. The author also emphasizes the necessity of growing your blog’s audience to maintain a competitive edge over rival businesses. You shouldn’t underrate the power of outreach either and write pitches that get noticed by influencers, journalists, or bloggers.
Discover some other SEO strategies shared in a friendly tone by Tim Cameron-Kitchen, an SEO guru and founder of Exposure Ninja.
Whose recommendation is it?
Gerald Lombardo, Head of Growth at Popl:
“How To Get To The Top of Google is a smooth read for non-techies and SEO noobs. It reads like a personal story of an expert in search engine optimization who explains its principles and terminology in a way a 5-year-old would understand.
So, if you strive to make Google rank your site higher, apply the SEO growth hacks from this book. They can help you grow your business on the back of a solid SEO strategy from zero to hero.”
Bonus: More Resources for SEO Mastery
Need a little bit more guidance in search engine optimization?
Just as I thought. Believe me, you’ll always crave more because SEO is an unstoppable force. And if done correctly, it can propel your website or blog to unprecedented heights.
After reading the top SEO books, the following materials from Linkio are a good place to continue your learning path:
- SEO case study on how to build an authority site
- Broken link-building guide
- SEO webinars
There you go. Read, watch, and enjoy – and you’re welcome!
Master SEO Like a Pro
Your journey toward SEO proficiency may start right now.
In this article, you’ve found the most comprehensive roadmap of reliable books and resources to accelerate your SEO learning process. They will guide you through the intricacies of keyword research, content creation, outreach, link building, and other critical aspects. First, begin with the basics, then dive deeper into the technical side, but remember to always keep your finger on the pulse and monitor the tendencies and new tides in these mysterious waters.
Unlock SEO excellence with these books and use the tips and tools they enlist to improve your online business performance.
Btw, one of the instruments you can try out right on the spot is Linkio, an all-in-one SEO tool for link building. Start your free trial today and see the difference between winning and wasting time.
Good luck in SEOing and see you at the top.
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