8 Ways to Stay Up-to-Date in the SEO Industry

Intro

I wouldn't be wrong if I define the SEO industry as a fluid and ever-evolving landscape. And we as digital marketers are constantly challenged and pushed to upgrade our knowledge and skills to stay on top of our game.

The digital marketing world heavily relies on SEO, there are no two ways about it.

In 2021, 69% of marketers invested in SEO. That means that 2 out of 3 marketers feel that SEO is important for businesses.

Why? Because it drives results.

To optimize a website for search engine rankings, you need SEO. A recent survey by HubSpot states that organic search, which is the result of SEO is the #1 source of website traffic.

(Image via Hubspot)

Sadly though, what SEO strategy worked wonders for you 5 years ago, may be redundant in 2022.

Google is constantly working on delivering a better user experience with its search results. It achieves this by constantly updating its algorithms.

When ranking factors change, you need to change your optimization techniques as well.

The more informed you are about Google’s latest algorithms, latest SEO techniques, trends, challenges, and different SEO tools, the better you can be at your SEO game.

Knowing this need firsthand, I have put together 8 practical and smart tips to easily keep yourself updated on the SEO industry.

Let’s get started.

8 Ways to Keep Yourself Updated About the SEO Industry

If you want to stay ahead of the competition and create a winning SEO strategy for every client, being aware of popular trends is not enough.

You need to adopt the most effective ways to follow the SEO industry closely and keep updating your skills according to the changing market.

Take note of these 8 expert-trusted ways to stay up-to-date in the SEO industry.

1. Follow Industry News

It’s important to follow the SEO industry news closely. A good place to get started is magazines and newsletters.

Subscribe to the news feed from some of the leading news sites and magazines in the SEO industry. It’ll help you learn about the latest trends and developments around you.

Avoid overwhelming yourself by subscribing to too many sources. Use your better judgment and rely only on top sources for authentic news.

Make it a habit to verify the news about updates or the latest techniques before you incorporate them into your practice.

2. Subscribe to Top SEO Blogs

SEO blogs are your top source to get updates about the SEO industry, trending topics, SEO best practices, and much more.

Search Engine Land, Moz Blog, Search Engine Journal, and Semrush Blog are a few examples of must-subscribe sites if you want quality SEO updates.

In addition to knowing the latest developments in the SEO industry, you’ll get to read an in-depth analysis of your website performance using the Semrush or Ahrefs or other website analytics tools.

There are SEO industry gurus like Stephan Spencer who have personal blogs where they share their opinions and advice on how you can upscale your SEO efforts.

They even host regular webinars to share their SEO knowledge, best practices, and hacks. These webinars present a great learning opportunity for you.

Reading blogs regularly can help you achieve more than simply gaining knowledge. You can get an expert’s perspective on all things SEO and coach yourself to drive better results for your website.

3. Follow SEO Experts and Thought Leaders on Social Media

Whether you are a big fan of social media or not, it’s a worthy source for SEO industry news.

Yes, people fundamentally use diffrent social media marketing platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to stay connected with their family and friends.

But these are also platforms where thought leaders from various industries share their ideas, inputs, and tips with their followers.

If you want to stay updated about SEO industry trends, follow your favorite SEO experts on social media.

Once they are added to your news feed, you will get regular updates about their podcasts, webinars, YouTube videos, blog posts, useful SEO tips for beginners, tool reviews, and SEO news that are worth taking note of.

4. Subscribe to Google Search Central Blog

Google is the undisputed king of search engines with a whopping 92.4% of the market share. It’s obvious that most of your clients want to rank high on Google because that's where most of their customers are.

And as a digital marketer, there is no better source for you than the Google blog to stay updated about the SEO industry.

What was earlier known as Google Webmaster Central Blog was renamed Google Search Central Blog in 2020.

(Image via Google Search Central Blog)

As Google developers say, this is your one-stop destination to find all the resource documents and blog posts from people at Google. This information can help you improve a website’s visibility on Google.

All you need to do is submit your email address and subscribe for Google Search Central Blog updates. You’ll receive the latest SEO updates, articles, and resources from Google.

5. Be Active in Communities and Forums

If you don't already know, a huge portion of SEO professionals and experts are very active on the internet. One look at Reddit or Quora and you will be surprised to see how popular a topic the SEO industry is.

If you want to keep yourself updated about the latest SEO industry news and trends, consider joining some of the most active groups on these forums and communities.

You can participate in discussions, ask questions, share your opinions on the queries that your peers raise, and learn from people who know SEO firsthand and follow the right SEO strategies to boost their business online.

These forums and communities are a great place to stay updated about data matching, the latest techniques in data analytics, and much more.

Google Search Central Help Community is also another top online destination you should regularly visit to stay future-ready in the SEO industry.

6. Listen to Podcasts

Podcasts are the latest means to keep yourself informed about your favorite subjects on the go. Top SEO podcasts are treasure troves of information related to the SEO industry.

Some of the most sought-after SEO podcasts include the Search Engine Journal Show, Marketing Scoop by Semrush, MozPod, WTSPodcast, and Rankable Podcast.

You’ll listen to thought leaders talking about core SEO concepts. There are also regular discussions on practical topics like the most effective all in one SEO tool, the best sales CRM tools, the latest ecommerce platforms, and a plethora of other topics.

Listening to podcasts has its own advantages. You can consume them on demand, no matter where you are. Listening to your favorite SEO industry experts is also much more effective than reading the same content.

So, when you are surrounded by projects and are unable to set aside time to read, podcasts are your best option to enhance your SEO industry knowledge.

7. Watch YouTube Videos

If listening to SEO podcasts is fun, imagine the much better experience videos can deliver. And if you want top-notch SEO-related videos, look no further than YouTube.

YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine after Google and 100 hours of video content is uploaded every minute.

(Image via Hootsuite)

Certainly, a majority of the SEO experts and industry gurus are active on this platform too.

Subscribing for SEO-specific channels on YouTube can give you a lot more information than just the SEO industry news and updates.

You can enjoy the tutorials and free courses run by SEO experts from around the globe.

It may take a bit of time for you to shortlist the channels you want to follow, but once you do, it's as good as being mentored by the expert personally.

8. Participate in SEO Conferences and Expand Your Network

As I mentioned earlier, there is a large community of SEO professionals in and around you. Conferences, corporate events, and tech expos provide a wonderful opportunity to not only meet SEO industry leaders but also your peers from different companies.

Watch out for such events in your area and take time out to participate in them. It’ll update your SEO knowledge and also expand your network.

You’ll get to hear others’ success stories, their learnings from failures, the latest technology revolutionizing the SEO industry, and much more.

What’s more, you get to hang out with thought leaders and make new friends too.

Final Thoughts

Now you know how you can stay up-to-date on SEO industry trends using some smart and proven techniques.

Even with a busy schedule, you can learn about the latest industry news, SEO hacks, the latest technology, and approaches people are using to achieve exceptional results.

Go ahead and adopt these tips to keep yourself updated about the SEO industry regularly. What you learn can easily put you ahead of your peers and develop you into a successful SEO professional.