I was asked, this question:

If I want to learn SEO with no prior knowledge, where should I start?

Here was my reply:

• Set up a blog on WordPress.com & post some content & monitor the results. Go to http://your-name-here.Wordpress.com
• Watch some Google seo help videos or here
• Setup Google Webmaster Tools by adding verification code to homepage (very important), watch these 2 videos to undertand why you need it:
  * How to use Google Webmaster Tools and
  * Using Google Webmaster Tools for SEO
• Watch Matt Cutt (Google SEO chief) talk through a website audit
• Watch a Google webinar & powerpoint slides on “your site & Google“
• Watch a live SEO audit from marketingexperiments.
• Join an seo community site & order a training video:
  SEOmoz dvd £129
  SEO book videos & tools for £195 per month, min 1 month
  Webmaster World
  Search Engine Watch
  Google Webmasters forum (free)
• Get an Analytics SEO mentor (free).
• Go to an GoogleUniversity event at an SEO conferences:
  * Ad-Tech london on 21-22 Sept(free)
  * Internet World on April 2011 (free)
  * Search Engine expo advanced (£387) in London on May 2011
• Attend an in person SEO training class or 1 day course:
  * Google Adwords & Analytics Seminars for Success training – £357 for 2days -
  * Econsultancy: Search Marketing : Organic SEO Training – £495 for 1 day in Mancherster or London -
  * Internet Advertising Bureau: £950 for 1 day Tutor lead course for £950 in London -
  * Charter Institure Marketing: £1447 for 35 hours training course in Digital Marketing certificate, taught at set locations in UK -
• Attend an online SEO training course:
  * WebCEO seo software – slides & test: basic version is free or £193 for advance seo-training-course.com – software is about £200 per year
  * Search Engine Marketing institute: slides & test: £1042
  * Market Motive: Tutor lead £2280 over 3 months.
• Sign-up to an SEO podcast
• Buy an SEO book on Amazon
• Setup an iGoogle SEO dashboard of for SEO news, RSS feeds & keyword trends (or ask me to email you my dash to import)
• Follow SEO people on Twitter & read their tweets wefollow.com/twitter/seo

SEO articles to read:

• Google SEO starter guide
• Google SEO audit of their internal sites
• Google SEO basics
• Google webmaster guidelines
• What is a Google friendly site
• Questions to Ask SEO company
• What is Website management
• SEO cheat sheet – shows the anatomy of a URL
• SEO guide for Developers and pdf version
• Beginners guide to search engine optimisation (printable)
• 15-minute seo audit (e.g. try disabling javascript & browsing site)

If you think I missed anything, please add in comments box below: