Search engine optimization is always changing, requiring constant investigation to keep up. One of the best ways to identify new trends, in addition to research and analysis on your own site, is reading the learnings of trusted SEO experts.
Adding nine blogs to your daily regiment can be a bit daunting, but you can use a feed reader like Feedly or The Old Reader to corral your content into a single place to digest as it is published.
These nine blogs, below, offer information and investigation you can trust to be in alignment with search engine guidelines. They post frequently, and are typically well written and easy to read.
9 Trusted SEO Blogs
Search Engine Land. Considered one of the largest and most reputable search marketing blogs, Search Engine Land offers news pertaining to both SEO and paid search. You’ll also find posts on social marketing and other related topics from sister site Marketing Land. SEL contains more opinion-based articles and columns from many search experts across the industry. If you only have time to read three blogs, this should be one of them.
The Moz Blog. Deeply rooted in the philosophy that sharing information in the search industry will benefit everyone, Moz started off as a blog and forum. Founder Rand Fishkin, of Whiteboard Friday fame, also has a separate blog on Moz. Moz also publishes a biennial (every other year), deep analysis of the search engine ranking factors based on what they see in their own tools and also based on the opinion of a panel of SEO experts.
In short, Moz is one of the best SEO resources and should be on your top three list. Its popular YouMoz blog is open to anyone who wishes to publish an article, and the best posts are promoted to Moz’s main blog. Be more cautious in how you perceive the YouMoz blog’s content, however, because it mixes questionable and valuable content, based on its “anyone can post” policy.
Google Webmaster Central Blog. As the top search engine in many countries worldwide, Google’s own Webmaster Central blog is a wealth of information on the topics and tools within Google’s webmaster guidelines. You’ll find posts on innovations in Google’s search products, additions to its Search Console tools, and more. Bing also offers a webmaster blog, but its posting frequency is far lower.
Search Engine Roundtable. Manned by the vigilant Barry Schwartz, no site dedicates more posts to search engine forum activity and Google news. He writes regular summaries of the activity in the forums, and spices it with his own take on whether the forum chatter is on target or not. This is especially true of claims of algorithm shifts. Schwartz is usually among the first to confirm or deny such activity. If you’re a Google chaser or forum lover, you’ll want to read this one.
Search Engine Journal. Another news and opinion blog, Search Engine Journal covers some of the same news topics as SEL, but its how-to and opinion content will differ. It can be quirkier and slightly irreverent. You’ll pick up some useful nuggets of SEO strategies to try or stop doing on this blog.
SEO by the Sea. If you want to know the inner workings behind the algorithms, read Bill Slawski’s blog. He studies the search engines’ patents and breaks them down into language that’s more digestible. The content is typically a mix between these more scientific posts and more practical posts targeted at everyday SEO life.
Searchmetrics SEO & Content Marketing Blog. This blog is based on findings from search analytics platform provider Searchmetrics. Similar providers — such as BrightEdge, SEMrush, and Conductor — have their own blogs. But I prefer Searchmetrics’ blog because it’s a good mix of posts based on their own data that highlight trends across different industries, and more practical tips on implementing specific strategies and tactics.
iProspect Blog. As a prominent name in search marketing in the U.S., iProspect has plenty of resources to put behind generating relevant SEO and paid search content several times a week. The blog covers trends as well as specific items to implement to improve natural search performance.
Practical Ecommerce. With a slant toward ecommerce, we offer posts from several SEO experts, including technical SEO guru Hamlet Batista and me, weekly contributor Jill Kocher. Veteran digital marketing expert Armando Roggio also covers SEO topics frequently.