How To Get Back Into SEO After Being Away

We all know the SEO/SEM industry is fast paced. Go on maternity leave, short term disability, or a sabbatical, and you come back to a whole new industry. New tools, algorithms, and ‘Google laws’ sprout up on a regular basis. They’re what keeps the industry growing, innovating and evolving.

Coming back after a year makes you feel quite far behind. After my recent, one-year leave it felt like I was joining the company again for the first time.

how to get back in the game

Successful reintegration depends on a plan to get back in the game. It takes preparation and determination, and most of all, adaptability. The things that were relevant a year ago have changed.

There are two ways to go about this:

1. take a little time every day to read up on industry news, or
   
2. give yourself a crash course before you head back to work

Both methods work. Which one you pick depends on your energy, time, and willingness.

Here are a couple of tips for each method in preparation, should you have to be away for a bit.

Method 1: Daily Reading

1. Choose 2-3 industry leading resources. Bookmark them or add them to a feedreader like Feedly.

2. Set aside some time. Pull up your bookmarks (or Feedly) and read away. It’s really that easy

An important point to keep in mind is that nothing is siloed anymore. It’s all integrated. SEO works hand in hand with paid search, social media, content marketing, mobile, etc. Choose resources that provide you with a well-rounded update of all facets.

Resources for daily reading I recommend:

• SEO:
  
  
  
  • Search Engine Land
    
  • The Moz Blog
  
  
• PPC:
  
  
  
  • PPC Hero
    
  • Word Stream
  
  
• Google:
  
  
  
  • The Google Blog
  
  
• Analytics:
  
  
  
  • KISS Metrics
  
  
• Content:
  
  
  
  • HubSpot
  
  
• All encompassing:
  
  
  
  • SEM Rush
    
  • Search Engine Watch
    
  • Search Engine Journal

method 2: Crash Course

1. Decide if you are able to invest not only some time but money as well. Choose either a paid online digital course or invest just time and energy and pick one of the many free online tutorials

2. Select the period of time you are able to set aside for your crash course. Take into account that each course varies depending on how many areas on which you’ll need to catch up

The same caveat applies here too: all digital marketing works hand in hand and no longer in its own silo.

Here are some resources. As you can see I’m a fan of Market Motive and Google:

• SEO:
  
  
  
  • Google
    
  • UDACITY
  
  
• PPC:
  
  
  
  • Google Adwords
    
  • Market Motive
  
  
• Analytics:
  
  
  
  • Google Analytics Academy
    
  • Market Motive
  
  
• Content:
  
  
  
  • MOOC
    
  • Coursera
  
  
• All encompassing:
  
  
  
  • Google
    
  • Market Motive
    
  • IAB Canada

[related cta]

• 10 Digital Marketing Certificates to Jumpstart Your Career
  
• Great Online Resources for Learning SEO
  
• The 58 SEO Authorities on Twitter You Need to Follow

^{* Lead image adapted from University of Central Arkansas}