As often as I recommend the SEO Fast Start guide, it's high time I published a review. The fact that I would take the take time to write a detailed product review on a free product should tell you just how high a value I place on it.
I'll be so bold as to say that SEO Fast Start should be required reading for anyone with a website or an online business. Even better if you have not yet set up your first website, as this guide will help you do it correctly right out of the gate.
It is written by Dan Thies, well respected SEO and lead developer of StomperNet's own SEO course. There have been 9 editions since 2001, with the latest edition released in June 2009. The guide is current, it teaches all white-hat methods (ie you won't get penalized), and it is under 100 pages.
Did I mention that it's free?...
The Importance of Learning SEO
A lot of people are under the impression that SEO is hard work, or that it's a waste of time because you'll just get "slapped" or penalized eventually and it's just too hard to keep up with the algorithms. That is FALSE.
If you do SEO correctly, you'll enjoy consistent top rankings and high quality traffic. I have web pages that I put up 3 years ago or more, have never touched since, that still bring in sales every single week.
The key word there was "correctly", and that is the reason I recommend Dan's guide.
I use 3 main sources for the majority of my traffic: SEO, Social Media, and short reports. Pay special attention here because this is important. If your website or online business is fairly new, you probably don't have much of a 'following' on social media sites. You also don't have an audience to use the short report strategy. While you can build on both of those, your time and energy is better spent with SEO.
Once you properly optimize your website and all of your online content, you can then connect with those visitors through social media and short reports. The same goes with List-Building. How are you going to build a mailing list with no traffic?
So first things first... SEO.
Why SEO Fast Start?
There is a lot of misinformation floating around the web regarding SEO. Some of that misinformation can do you much more harm than good. Ask anyone who has been through a Google Slap.
If there is anything going on with Google, or in the search industry, Dan Thies is on top of it. Erase everything you think you know about search engine optimization, and download this one guide. Stay on the mailing list as well so that you get notified of updates. A new updates just came out less than 90 days ago, for example.
Dan Thies is not going to teach you spammy strategies, or tricks & tactics. He errs on the side of caution, white hat as it's called, with a major focus on VO - or Visitor Optimization. He explains it all in detail, and in order, so his guide serves as a blueprint and an action guide that you can refer back to as you go.
Highlights & Features of SEO Fast Start
- Companion Website & Free Community
- Framework: How to Manage SEO Projects Easily
- Step-by-Step Actionable SEO Plan
- Dispels Misinformation & Complication
- Information Applies To ALL Search Engines
- Easy to Read, Easy to Understand
- Current, Up-to-Date Training
- Stops to Define Terms & Explain Concepts
- Recommends Free Tools
- Helps You Create Websites Visitors AND Search Engines Love
Dan Thies confirms many of the things I have been doing and sharing over the years - about content & site layout, the 3-click rule, tiered keyword structure, etc. He explains it all in great detail, but not to the point of oblivion. He intentionally kept the guide under 100 pages and at a level that anyone can understand and implement.
Not only should you download it today, you should print it out, put it in a 3-ring binder, and start reading it through one good time. Then go back and follow the steps... and implement them. You'll thank me for this one when your pages are ranking well and you are making sales in your sleep. 😉
http://www.seofaststart.com/download
Enjoy! 😀
Best,
p.s. I am also reading another SEO guide (not free) and will publish a comparative review later this week. Subscribe below to receive notification so you don't miss it:
About Lynn Terry
I agree with Lynn, this is an awesome resource everyone should read. Thanks Lynn for introducing me to it.
Thanks a lot for this review.
It's so great to have a free resource to improve our sales. I think the best thing about this material is that it's been updated so many times. That guarantees that we're gonna get the newest gay to improve our business.
Thank you so much!
thanks for your information about the seo guide. I will subscribe your newsletter
The Bible of SEO is what I am beginning to call this tome! I have the pdf opened daily on my computer screen. (I printed a few key pages, but printing out the whole guide is next!) I am going through it per your recommendation, Lynn, a little slower than some, but doing it. In fact, I'm willing to read and implement the steps over and over again until I really get it!
I've been curious about 'black' and 'grey' hat SEO, but there really is so much to implement here that is 'white' hat and WORKS, I think I'll just put those blinders on for a while, lol! This guide is definitely worthwhile and lends itself to easy step by step action. Best for now, Mary
No!!!! 😯 Don't go to the dark side!! 😀
I actually had this printed out over the weekend. It was only about $9 to have it printed and hole punched at FedExKinkos.
I downloaded the file quite awhile when you had recommended it in a webinar session and I had read it *on my screen* and I just wasn't absorbing it properly. I really wanted to make sure I understood it all before I add those new pages to my site that we were talking about in the Elite section of the forum.
So, this weekend I had some traveling to do with the family and I decided I wanted to take SEOFS with me, so I had it printed. I'm definitely absorbing it better this way. I want to read it the whole way through first, and then come back and go through it again while working on my site. Hopefully that gives me the results we're looking for!
I agree - I have the same experience. I have mine in a 3-ring binder as well, as with most courses I truly *study* and for some reason it really does make a difference. Probably because I'm less distracted AWAY from the computer 😉
There are several guides I keep within arms reach of my workspace - and this is definitely one of them!
This SEO ebook is a fantastic resource! I read it several weeks ago and I'm implementing many of Dan's suggestions as I work on a complete re-design of my website.
As an ebook publisher and frequent consumer of educational ebooks, I have to agree with the advice to print them out. I have several shelves of 3-ring binders filled with ebooks and articles. I read with a highlighter in hand and make notes, to help me actually implement all the great ideas I find in these resources.
Very much appreciate your providing access to this first-rate resource.
Wish I had known about this free SEO wonder before. Last spring I paid dearly for a full 'DoneForYou' SEO job. Still can't even get a date of when the 1st article was released, if it even was. Problem is now he's doing another round of sales and he hasn't even fulfilled the previous SEO orders! Hummmm, I'm debating how to handle this best and still remain ladylike. Might not be possible... In the meantime, I'm going to DEVOUR this SEOFastStartGuide so I won't be so clueless on this topic. Thanks a million, Lynn, for your great wods on this product. Can't wait to dive into it after reading all the good words from the others here.
I'm sure this has been said but I want to echo that this book is a must read for anyone begining in Internet Marketing. I love the idea a printing a hard copy (my printer is humming right now) and only wish I had done it a long time ago. Much easier to absorb and besides we all probably enjoy a break from staring at a monitor. Again, 3 cheers for Dan! Also, Lynn you are by far the most real and nicest person I have yet to meet anywhere on the web. Thanks for the guidance. God bless you girl!
Lynn, I sure appreciate learning about these publications. I agree with Phil - you're a very sincere and helpful person. You deserve all good things for researching and sharing so much with us. A million blessings coming your way.
Thank you - I keep thinking Dan may charge for this incredible resource one day, so download it free while you can... and take action on it! 😉 If you find that any of it is over your head the first time you read through it, no worries - it will become more clear as you start to implement it on your own sites.