10 Business SEO Blogs You Should Be Reading

For many businesses these days, search engine optimization is a total hassle. It’s tedious, constantly changing, and at times more technically in-depth than your average online marketer wants to deal with.

It’s also absolutely necessary.

Whether you have a corporate site, companion blog, or microsite, chances are there’s always room for improvement on the SEO front. This may not be a problem for large companies who can afford to hire SEO professionals in-house or invest in external sources to help them out. But startups and early stage companies are probably stuck doing most of the optimization themselves.

So how can young companies keep up with the rest of the SEO Joneses without adding too much to their already full plates? By knowing where to go for the best information, of course. While there are myriad SEO-centric sites out there, here’s my list of 10 that could be most useful to businesses that are looking to make a bigger splash in search.

10. Daily SEO Tip

The name of the site says it all. Each day, the folks at Daily SEO Tip post a new article or idea to help companies (or anyone) boost their page rank and visibility. Tips are submitted from all over the web, so you get a nice diversified selection of content here. It’s not all SEO either; you’ll also find frequent tips for improving your corporate blog and social media strategies.

Despite the daily influx of content, you’ll rarely find a stinker on this site. One of the founders, Loren Baker, is also an editor for SearchEngineJournal, another well-respected spot for SEOs, so you can be sure the editors behind the scenes are keeping a close eye on the level of content that gets posted.

9. Marketing Pilgrim

A great resource for inbound marketers in general, the Marketing Pilgrim site has a whole channel dedicated to analyzing the latest SEO news and tools. Naturally, most of the keyword-centric topics are geared toward Google, but the content is generally light and fun to read (while not skimping on the nitty-gritty details).

But as I said, it’s far more than just an SEO site. Marketers and business folks will also find a bevy of insight and analysis on the latest happening in the worlds of social media, infographics, and more topics related to inbound marketing.

8. ReelSEO

This site is cool – and somewhat unique – in that it’s extremely specialized. This is because ReelSEO focuses primarily on the optimization and marketing of video content, an area where SEO is still very murky for most.

Notably, “The Definitive Video SEO Guide” is an excellent resource for companies looking to get the most out of their content strategies when it comes to video. While you’ll certainly find a healthy share of tips for optimizing your video content on YouTube, the site also covers the full gamut of video marketing and distribution.

7. Outspoken Media

OK, I’ll admit that I’m cheating a little here, as this is not really a pure SEO site. But from a content optimization and social media marketing standpoint, it’s a truly outstanding (and entertaining) resource to bookmark.

As for pure SEO, the tips you will find are right up the alleys of most business reps and online marketers. In other words, not too technical and easily digestible. Articles like “The 6 Flavors of SEO Your Company Needs” and “Why Hire a Professional SEO Consultant?” are perfect topics for a business audience. And hey, Lisa Barone isn’t listed over 2,200 times on Twitter for nothing.

6. Yoast

This is a cool site run primarily by Joost de Valk, a well-known figure in the SEO space. While you’re sure to find plenty of simple SEO tips and tricks, the site really stands out for two reasons.

First, it has a keen focus on WordPress SEO, and seeing how so many corporate blogs are run on WordPress these days, the value here is obvious. But the really cool stuff comes from the tool reviews. Obviously, there is an abundance of SEO utilities out there, but if you’re looking for the best plug-ins for your WordPress blog, Yoast is the site to checkout. Joost also builds his own tools like Google Analytics for WordPress, which is definitely worth a look for content marketers who don’t have a lot of time for on-page optimization.

5. Kaiser the Sage

This is somewhat of a lesser-known site I came across recently that has quickly become one of my go-to spots for business-centric SEO. It’s run by Jason Acidre, a search strategist who writes some of the most killer SEO articles I’ve seen in a while. It’s mostly a one-man operation, so while you won’t find a new post every day, almost each one is extremely in-depth with a practical look at optimization for businesses. (A prime example is this excellent piece on developing a scalable link building plan for corporate websites.)

The site has also become a great champion of content curation lately. For instance, a recent post asked 30 experts to share some of their favorite SEO-centric content. The result? An article with insights from some of the best SEO minds in the business, that at the same time includes awesome resources from all over the web. Win-win? I think so.

4. Search Engine Roundtable

One of the reasons I like this site is the way it organizes its topics. For some reason, I find it very easy to navigate from “Keyword Research” to “Link Building” and so on. It also happens to be an excellent resource for search engine news and commentary (Google, Bing, Yahoo).

Sure, some of the information will likely be over the heads of your average online marketer, but it’s still a good site to bookmark if you want to stay up-to-date on what the heavy hitters of search are up to. There’s also a healthy dose of info and tips for paid search strategies, which is an option worth considering as companies move to that next level of growth.

3. Search Engine Land

One of the best SEO sites in the business has a broad sampling of pretty much everything: news, tool reviews, how-to tips – you name it. While, once again, the latest news and analysis might be a little beyond the needs and skill sets of most inbound marketing reps, the site is for more than just the hard-core SEO junkies.

For example, you’ll find a great selection of introductory guide content on areas like search engine marketing (SEM), paid search, and the nuances of engines like Google and Bing. No matter what level you’re at, I guarantee you’ll learn something you didn’t know by perusing some of these resources.

2. TopRank Online Marketing Blog

Simply a must-read for businesses looking to improve their overall SEO, social media and inbound marketing strategies – particularly when it comes to finding the common thread that runs through all of them.

Founded by Lee Odden, TopRank has tons of great information for content marketers, and it really excels at providing practical tips and explanations for applying best strategies. Recent posts like “An Optimized Framework for Better Content Marketing & SEO” and “How Public Relations Can Avoid Failing at SEO” are just a couple examples of the high-quality insight Lee and co. provide on a regular basis.

1. SEOmoz

Quite simply, this is the best all-around SEO site on the web (in my opinion). Rand Fishkin and company have put together an incredible wealth of resources and information for SEOs of all levels and experience. It’s also a breeding ground for many of the top SEO minds in the world, so different perspectives and strategies are plentiful.

But if you only have time to view one piece of content each week, I have two words for you: Whiteboard Friday. This is a great video series where Rand and other SEO pros get in front of a whiteboard, break out the erasable markers, and sound off on some of the hottest topics of the day. It’s well worth the time, even for those who don’t have much to spare.

So that’s my list of some of the top SEO sites and blogs for businesses, but I’m sure there are some I’ve missed. Do you have a favorite SEO site? Sound off in the comments and tell us why!

Brendan Cournoyer is an editor and marketing associate with OpenView Venture Partners. You can follow him on Twitter @BrenCournoyer and find more from the OpenView team @OpenViewVenture.