Learning search engine optimization can be overwhelming at first. There is a lot to wrap your mind around. But becoming proficient in SEO is definitely an achievable undertaking. Teaching you everything you need to know to go from SEO newbie to competent SEO in one article is next to impossible. Beginner SEO: Knows Title Tags Intermediate SEO: Good with Canonicals Advanced SEO: Understands 35% of Google’s Algorithm. Tops. But the next best thing is a guide that provides you with the resources to achieve SEO mastery on your own. This is that guide. If you are new to the world of SEO, you probably have some concerns like: Time. Will it take years to learn SEO? Information overload. There is so much SEO related content on the internet, where do I even start? Contradictory information. Who do I trust when I find different opinions? Fear of anything technical. Do I need to be technical to succeed? Hat Color. Should I use black, grey, or white hat tactics…? Or maybe all of them? Education. Do I need any formal education to work in SEO? SEO Gurus. Do I need to buy online courses from SEO gurus for thousands of dollars to learn? All of these concerns will be addressed in this guide, along with the resources you will need to nail down the fundamentals. SEO changes quickly. Webmaster Trends Analyst John Mueller says that Google updates and evolves its algorithms almost every day, which forces the SEO industry to evolve as well. Although the fundamentals stay the same, there are always new things to be tested and learned. To make this guide more objective, we reached out to some SEO agency professionals who have experience teaching SEO in an agency environment. We wanted to thank the following contributors for their advice and insights that helped us create this guide.