Yeah, the world of SEO is constantly evolving, and keeping up with it can feel like trying to hit a moving target.
That’s where an SEO mentor comes in.
Imagine having a seasoned expert guiding you through the intricate maze of SEO—someone who can help you master keyword research, on-page optimization, and keep you ahead of algorithm changes.
In this article, we’re diving deep into the world of SEO mentors. We’ll explore what they do, why they’re important, and even highlight some of the most popular figures in the field.
Let’s get started.
What is an SEO mentor?
An SEO mentor is someone who has spent years in the search engine optimization industry, and has perfected their skill of ranking websites on the first page of search engines within a short time.
They have a track record of taking sites from zero visitors to thousands of monthly visits with their in-depth knowledge of how search engines work. Just as meteorologists study the weather to predict it, an SEO mentor observes popular search engines closely, tests their algorithms, and finds out what pushes a website to rank in the SERPs.
Through an SEO mentor, you can learn their techniques and hidden strategies to get the best results in record time.
Why are SEO mentors important?
SEO is a fast-paced industry that is constantly changing. What worked 10 years, 5 years, or a year ago may no longer work today.
Search Engine Journal chronicles the history of how Google's Algorithm has changed from 2003 to date, from coming up with new strategies and tactics for optimizing websites, to ranking on the top page of Google.
Keeping up with these changes can be tough when you haven't even figured out what works. Also, if you misstep, you can spoil months of hard work by getting penalized.
For example, SEO forums on Reddit and Quora are loaded with inexperienced website owners complaining about how they got hit by an algorithm change and lost a ton of traffic. Confused, they don't know what steps to take to recover their lost positions.
And that’s why you need an SEO mentor with a wealth of experience regarding search engine optimization, who can help you rank without getting penalized.
Different types of SEO mentors
There are different types of SEO mentors, depending on which of the four main types of SEO they focus on.
1. On-page SEO mentors
These experts focus on what you can do on your site and its content to make it easier for search engines to rank it.
They guide you to write better content, structure URLs, link internal pages, write title tags, and a host of other things related to on-page SEO.
2. Technical SEO mentors
They teach you the best practices for making your website fast and user friendly. They help you focus on improving site speed, making it easier for search engines to notice, index, and rank your website.
They also teach you how to use schema markup, which helps search engines understand your content better and improves your website's visibility in search results.
They're your go-to guys for resolving any technical issues you may face working with SEO.
3. Off-page SEO mentors
These mentors teach you the best practices and winning tactics when it comes to building backlinks to your website. There are many pitfalls associated with backlink building, and it's easy to get penalized by Google if you don't do it wisely.
Off-page SEO mentors can tell you the kind of links that work, and also show you what you should avoid so your hard work isn't wasted by a penalty from search engines.
They also teach you how to get top-notch backlinks from other authoritative sites that can help boost your website’s ranking.
4. Local SEO mentors
Local SEO mentors focus on how to optimize websites for local search.
By studying local SEO for years, they know what works when it comes to having your Google My Business page rank among the top results in your geographical location.
They also show you how to get your business to show up in “near me” searches, so people nearby can find you easily.
SEO mentors can also be sorted into different types based on factors like:
- E-commerce SEO mentor: focuses on optimizing online shops to rank tops on google. This is a booming sub-industry of SEO, as more people set up e-commerce shops.
- SEO agency mentor: teaches fresh SEO or digital marketing agencies how to scale their business to new heights.
- SEO career mentor: helps you secure an SEO role in a major company or agency by providing guidance as someone already working in your target company.
- Start-up SEO mentor: guides startups on how to get new customers through SEO.
Popular SEO mentors
The SEO industry has many geniuses who have mastered the art of ranking websites on Google. Here are a few of them.
Samuel Ficek
Samuel Ficek is an international SEO consultant. He specializes in helping early stage startups grow their user base via search engine optimization, while avoiding common mistakes that limit optimal performance in search.
He has worked for top companies like Canva, Royal Mail, and Car Next Door (now Uber Car Share). With over a decade of experience, Samuel brings a wealth of expertise in high-level SEO strategy, programmatic SEO for large websites, internationalization, team management, and cross-functional growth projects.
Aleyda Solis
Aleyda Solis is an award-winning international SEO consultant from Spain. She is the host of SEO FOMO, a large community of seasoned and upcoming SEOs.
She's also the curator of learningseo.io, an SEO learning track in which she points interested newbies to free resources that can improve their ability to rank websites and drive traffic.
Ryan Stewart
Ryan Stewart is experienced in SEO, who has worked with Moz. Currently, he's focused on teaching marketing agencies to scale their business, from managing just a few clients to having dozens of them, and streamlining processes to meet clients’ needs efficiently and effectively.
Matt Diggity
Matt Diggity is an expert in affiliate SEO, and he's the host of The Affiliate Lab.
His website and YouTube channel (with 160,000 subscribers) are among the most popular platforms for SEOs around the world.
Josep M Felip
Josep M Felip is an SEO manager at Learning Technologies Group, managing migrations, increased traffic, and implemented automated reporting systems. Being in the SEO industry for over 14 years, he has spoken at popular SEO conferences like BrightonSEO. He has also served as a judge for the UK and European Search Awards.
Having learned SEO from scratch by building his own e-commerce site, Josep now specializes in data analytics, growth marketing, digital marketing and the likes. He has collaborated with international and blue-chip firms, driving impressive results across different industries and languages.
Let’s see what some of his mentees have to say about him.
Marie Haynes
Marie Haynes shifted from veterinary medicine to SEO in 2008. Since then, she has grown to become one of the top voices in SEO.
And with the dawn of the AI age, she's differentiated herself as one of the foremost people when it comes to optimizing your website for top rankings in the face of AI.
She also hosts an SEO community on her website, and a newsletter where she shares her latest findings.
John Mueller
John Mueller is a big deal in the SEO world. With over 16 years of work experience at Google, he is currently the senior Search analyst and search relations team lead at Google.
He's the go to person whenever people want to know about what's happening in Google Search and how updates can affect their site. He's known for sharing the best practices, and telling people what to avoid to not get penalized by Google.
He's usually the one to announce Google updates, how Search is changing, and also answer public questions about all things related to Search.
Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan is often called the "father of search engine marketing". He started talking about search engines even before Google was born through his publication, Search Engine Watch, in 1997.
After selling it off, he co-founded another search engine website called Search Engine Land in 2006. Today, Search Engine Land is one of the most read blogs about SEO.
Lately, he has taken a more relaxed role in the SEO industry, and is currently serving as the Public Liaison for Search at Google where he helps the public understand Google better, and for Google to hear the public better and improve.
Meelad Mashaw
Meelad Mashaw is an SEO coach and consultant at SearchCyrus, with over 10 years of experience ranking websites on Google’s SERPs. He provides personalized, jargon-free strategies that caters to your needs, focusing on tangible results like higher rankings, increased traffic, and better conversion rates.
His areas of expertise include keyword research, on-page optimization, content creation, AI utilization, local SEO, competitive analysis, and conversion optimization.
Meelad's coaching is designed to empower you to confidently manage your own SEO, offering clear, actionable plans for immediate implementation.
Benefits of an SEO mentor
Save your time
Instead of trying to figure it out on your own, you can stand on the shoulder of someone who has a strong foundation to skyrocket your understanding of SEO and hasten your ability to produce results.
You get to know which SEO tools to use without reading tons of reviews.
Your SEO mentor can estimate how many backlinks you'll need to hit your desired spot on Google SERPs so you know what you're working towards right off the bat.
Better success rates
SEO mentors have failed countless times. And they keep on testing the search engine algorithms, so they can help others succeed.
They can explain why your website isn't ranking, why your traffic is dropping sharply, and how to fix these issues.
Avoid costly mistakes
It's common for people to get penalized and lose months of hard work because they used SEO techniques that are against Google's guidelines.
An SEO mentor can tell you what type of backlinks to avoid, and how to recover from SEO spam if competitors target your website.
Stay updated
SEO is fast-paced, and it can be overwhelming trying to keep up with the changes when you're still trying to find your feet.
An SEO mentor can help you stay ahead of the curve with the latest changes and trends in the industry.
Learn new techniques before everyone else
As search engines get better at understanding what humans want from search, their algorithms change, and so the way they rank websites change.
To stay on top, SEOs have to constantly adapt to these changes by coming up with new techniques.
Your SEO mentor can reveal what works at the moment to you, while others are still trying to figure it out on their own.
What to expect from working with an SEO mentor
Set goals
Setting clear goals will ensure that your time with your SEO mentor is productive, and each meeting is aligned towards an expected end.
Whether you're aiming to secure an SEO role within the next 6 months to 1 year, or you want to scale your startup using SEO, setting goals will help you and your SEO mentor tailor the meetings to your specific needs.
Pick a schedule
This will largely depend on your mentor's availability. Both of you need to agree on when to meet, and how often.
Pick a schedule that aligns with the rest of your commitments, while also making adjustments to fit your mentor’s schedule too.
On MentorCruise, we make it easy for you to schedule meetings with your mentor, and also give you a platform to chat with your mentor regularly.
Ask questions, get answers
Depending on your goal, ask questions that can help you achieve them. Tailor your questions to your goals, and your SEO mentor will provide answers to the issues you've been grappling with.
You can also get some insight into their personal experiences, and how they overcame the challenges you face.
Implement
After each meeting, you should leave with a deeper understanding of SEO. Your mentor might even assign you some tasks to implement or complete.
Putting those takeaways into action and doing the assigned tasks will fuel your growth, moving you closer to your goal.
Get feedback
While tackling these tasks, you might hit some bumps or run into unexpected challenges.
Getting feedback from your SEO mentor can highlight where you're struggling and guide you through any obstacles you face.
Professionalism
In most cases, your mentor will not be your pal. It's good to maintain the mentor-mentee relationship in a professional way, so your aim of having a mentor will be achieved within a reasonable period.
Sometimes, their feedback may come off as harsh, because they have higher standards. But it is by learning from their expertise that you’ll find yourself growing and improving.
Continuous improvement
With each round of feedback implementation, you'll notice that you're getting better at SEO. You'll start seeing results faster than you could on your own, and you'll develop a sharper sense for what works and what doesn’t.
Plus, you'll build more confidence in your skills and strategies.
How to find an SEO mentor
Surf mentorship platforms
A mentorship platform like MentorCruise can give you access to SEO experts who can dedicate time to mentor you until you reach your goal.
A plus point of our mentorship platform is that we vet our SEO mentors, like Karyn Corrigan, before allowing them on MentorCruise.
Also, mentors across different mentorship platforms will certainly dedicate time to ensure you reach your goals, because that’s why they’re there— to help you.
Join SEO groups and forums
There are SEO groups and forums online, where SEO enthusiasts come together to share insights and new findings from their test results. One such SEO forum is SEO Signals Lab.
You can join these communities to ask questions, share your own experiences, and even reach out to experts. Some of them might be willing to mentor you and help you improve your SEO skills.
Reach out to SEO experts online
There are SEO experts on X (twitter), LinkedIn and other social networks. You can reach out to them, and someone might agree to mentor you.
To get the best results, look out for potential mentors and their respective areas of focus. Engage with them on social media and show that you truly appreciate their work. You can even volunteer to work for them.
Also, you're more likely to get a yes from someone who isn't a celebrity SEO like Ryan Stewart or John Mueller. Pitch to those who haven't achieved the highest status yet, but are still miles ahead of you and can substantially contribute to your growth.
Attend conferences
Attending SEO conferences can be a great way to find mentors who can navigate you to achieve your SEO goals. Two of the most popular SEO conferences in the world are the Chiang Mai SEO conference in Thailand, and Brighton SEO conference in the UK.
You can also find an online SEO conference where you can interact with industry experts and hopefully find an SEO mentor. This list of SEO conferences (virtual and in-person), by Search Engine Journal, is a great place to start your search.
Find the perfect SEO mentor with MentorCruise
An SEO mentor can help you get to the next level in your SEO career. With their guidance, you’ll learn how to refine your SEO techniques and keep up with the ever-evolving SEO landscape.
By implementing their strategies, you can push your business or startup to the top of Google Search results, giving you increased visibility and a significant edge over your competitors.
So what are you waiting for? Find a mentor on MentorCruise to get a head start on your SEO journey!