Where to get started?

[TheVolkinator]

I just joined as a Pro member and am fascinated by all the strategies. I was wondering what your opinion is on where to get started. I am familiar with SEO, but am interested in strategies and techniques people use to make the process easier, more effective, etc.

[kchandler]

Welcome!

The best area to look at as a beginner/intermediate is the seo guide: http://www.seomoz.org/beginners-guide-to-seo

Do you have any specific aspects you are looking for strategy in: on page, link building, etc?

[TheVolkinator]

thanks! All aspects, but particularly link building

[RyanKent]

In the right-corner of the navigation bar is the site's search box. Type in link building and you will be overwhelmed with the large number of well-written blog articles which have been written on the topic in the past couple of years.

[SimonCullum]

Well a great place to start was this Q&A Forum, so well done there.

Another starting point could be regarding getting the house in shape, as in making use of the On-page Optimization reports to identify any potential issues with your pages and site.

Could perhaps move on from there to a Link Analysis of your site and your main competitors so enhance your linking strategy.

Hope that helps.

Regards

Simon

[SimonCullum]

Yep, a good suggestion there by Kyle

[EGOL]

Before you dig deep into SEO, I think that it would be best to plan the following.....

*  The objectives of your website (what do you want to accomplish for yourself and what you want your visitors to do that will make your goals happen)

*  The content strategy for your site... create a list of content resources for your site, determine where they will come from, how they will work together to accomplish your goals

The above will work together to determine the design of your site, the navigation and the keywords that you will be attacking.

After you have done the above then read the SEOMoz Beginners Guide to SEO.  Then, after you know something about SEO, go back and revisit the objectives outlined above and tweak based upon what you have learned.  Then, go back and restudy SEO.

Defining your objectives and determining how they can be promoted with SEO are two very important parts of being a good webmaster.