SEO Class Resources

I’m excited to be teaching the CPCC Small Business Center’s SEO class. There’s a lot of bad SEO advice out there and I hope to help some small business owners understand SEO better- whether they will be doing their own search engine optimization or hiring someone else.

In my class I’m going to be covering 4 basic topics about search engine optimization. Here are resources that I’ll be referencing in those sections:

1. Measuring SEO results
   • Google Webmaster Tools
   • Google Analytics
   • An explanation of personalized search engine results (why “rank” is dead): DontBubble.Us
2. Setting up a website for SEO
   • How Search Works (here’s another way of looking at it)
3. Creating SEO-friendly content
   • Google AdWords Keyword Planner
   • MergeWords.com
4. Building links for SEO results
   • Different value for different links (infographic)
   • Avoid Link Schemes

Although there are no textbooks for this class, here are some that you might find helpful:

• The class is an expanded version of my introduction to SEO ebook.
• A little intimidated by code? Don’t be scared. Here’s a simple introduction for you: HTML in Easy Steps
• Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability is a great book on making sure your website visitors do what you want them to do, when they visit your website.
• The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More is a great book about understanding marketing in the digital world and can help you understand how to find your niche in that market.
• The Non-Designer’s Design Book is especially helpful for people who have to do their own design work (this is a link to the forthcoming edition- which I assume will be as excellent as the previous ones).