Best SEO Communities to Learn, Grow, and Connect

In our AI SEO Benchmark report, we explain how we use AI to gather data from SEO communities like Reddit and Quora to fortify our strategies. Why? Because one thing we've learned in our long experience is that community is a huge asset in the SEO world.

And we're not talking about the number of followers or likes on your social media accounts, but rather about connecting with other SEO experts. As a novice, you, of course, will want to look for support and mentorship. But community-building isn't limited to beginners. Even as an expert SEO professional or business owner, you need insights from fellow SEOs.

Plus, the networking opportunities that arise from this process can be invaluable. Every now and then, you see SEO experts working together on insightful reports. Then, there are podcast appearances and collaborative webinars.

That might leave you wondering: where do I find these thriving communities, and how can I join them? Well, we've got you covered. Let's look at some of the best SEO groups and learning opportunities we've come across.

What to Expect from Leading SEO Communities

When you follow SEO influencers, you're not expecting to see their morning routines or shopping hauls (although we'd love to know about Rand Fishkin's hair care routine). Instead, these communities are a treasure chest overflowing with SEO knowledge and experience.

The first thing you can expect to benefit from is up-to-date information as soon as (and often before) it is released. Be it an algorithm change or a new SEO trend, these communities and experts are always informed. Some of them are the insiders behind the changes, so you're getting firsthand information from them.

For example, as soon as Google released its November 2024 core update, Barry Schwartz was quick to take to X with quick facts and how SEOs view this advancement. It's this swift information delivery that helps you stay ahead even if you yourself are not actively combing through Google SERPs or the news 24/7.

Google November 2024 core update has been released on Veterans Day - here is what we know so far:
- Quick Facts
- Volatility Charts
- What SEOs are seeing
- Previous updates
- and morehttps://t.co/kb7ye3ppJa pic.twitter.com/4mKBWye6Gk

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) November 12, 2024

You don't only get news from these spaces but also tips and resources on how to adapt. These communities become a source of expert-led learning, with Q&A sessions, webinars, case studies, and tutorials shared regularly. For example, Neil Patel regularly shares self-conducted research and insights on SEO practices and content marketing.

Different age groups interact with various content formats differently.

For example, millennials like webinars, while baby boomers like email newsletters. And although all of the age groups are consuming short-form videos, they don’t all like blog posts.

So, depending on your… pic.twitter.com/RJAaKTU7Z0

— Neil Patel (@neilpatel) November 5, 2024

This research comes from real-world marketers and SEO professionals, giving you a practical perspective on these strategies. You're not just getting theories and best practices; you're also learning from their successes and failures.

Plus, many SEO influencers share real-world examples of themselves or others they know who have achieved significant SEO results through certain tips and strategies. With these insights at hand, you save time otherwise spent on trial and error.

Learning isn't the only thing that comes out of SEO communities. You also find a relatable place to build connections and professional relationships.

As a beginner, you can find mentors to guide you. Expert SEOs can find peers with whom to collaborate. Either way, it's a great way for everyone to advance their careers, solve common issues, get second (third and fourth) opinions on ideas, and find new perspectives.

SEO Communities For Structured Learning and Insights

There are layers to the level of authority and expertise you can find in different SEO communities. Some are beginner-oriented, while others are more advanced-level groups. So you can select the most suitable places for you based on what you're specifically looking for.

If you're on the hunt for some serious SEO learning from the top names in the market, here are the best choices.

1. Semrush Webinars and Community Resources

Best For: All levels

Price: Free

Community Type: Educational and career-building

Semrush has long been seen as a reliable tool for online marketing. After establishing itself as an SEO solution, the company has moved on to community-building and mentorship. Lucky for you, since you're learning from the best.

The Semrush Academy is the platform's offering for learning about SEO, eCommerce, social media, competitive research, content marketing, and more. Since all these webinars are free to attend, you can learn as much as you want and that too at your own pace. It's also a great place to start if you're already using Semrush for website optimization.

Semrush Academy

One of the topics Semrush covers is AI. You can find AI SEO tips in these webinars to optimize your website content for search generative experiences, which are likely to become increasingly common in the future.

Another interesting thing about these webinars is that they are available in five languages other than English, including Spanish, Dutch, French, Portuguese, and Italian. You can filter the results by language to find your desired medium.

Likewise, there are two formats to select from: live and on-demand. The latter is more convenient, as you can choose when to watch the videos and what topic you want to learn about. Plus, these are available 24/7 so that you can fit them into your own schedule.

Meanwhile, live webinars are typically followed by Q&A sessions. So, you're not just learning but also interacting with the community and SEO experts.

For every webinar, you can see the hosts and their credentials. Many of them are Semrush experts accompanied by heads of SEO operations at renowned companies like Wix, YouTube, Duolingo, Synthesia, and so on.

Hosts of Semrush webinars

The webinar page provides a synopsis of what to expect during the event. At times, ''surprises'' are also revealed, which may be a chance for you to learn about new and upcoming features on Semrush or insider tips from industry leaders. So, you can go through the descriptions before choosing which webinars suit your needs best.

Semrush webinar synopsis

2. Google Search Central 

Best For: All levels

Price: Free

Community Type: Educational  

Since most of your SEO efforts end up being implemented on Google, why not learn from the experts behind the search engine? After all, it's the source.

Google Search Central has quite a lot of resources for you to learn from. The Documentation tab is where you’ll find detailed guides covering everything from beginner SEO tips to advanced technical aspects. Some of the topics these guides cover are SEO fundamentals, ranking and search appearance, crawling, indexing, and monitoring and debugging. 

Google search central

The Search Central also has a case study section. Here, you can find case studies of businesses that have successfully boosted their traffic on Google. These success stories can guide your search engine marketing strategies. 

Then there’s the Blog section, which keeps you up with the latest algorithm updates and best practices. Google uses it to announce any significant changes that might impact how websites rank. These blog posts break down what each update means and offer tips on adapting, making it a must-follow for staying in the loop with Google’s landscape.

Google blog

SEO Communities For Trend-Focused Discussions and Real-Time Updates

The SEO world is quite dynamic. One day, you're optimizing your site for rich results, and the next day, you have to prioritize AI Overviews. It's important to stay on top of these SEO industry trends so that you can adapt your strategies as soon as possible. Being a part of a community where people share real-time updates can help you here. 

3. Reddit's r/SEO

Best For: Beginner and intermediate

Price: Free

Community Type: Educational and networking

Reddit has become the go-to for everything from finding that one song you can't remember to keeping up with the latest happenings in the SEO space. Many SEO experts and even tool developers are present on the platform to share their expertise with others. For example, Semrush is active in many threads, answering questions about their tool and providing tips.

The r/SEO subreddit is dedicated to gathering SEO experts and enthusiasts from all over the world to discuss trends, strategies, tips, and news. It has over 330k members, all of whom are eager to help others and share real-time advice.

You don't necessarily have to go to the subreddit with a query. Maybe you just want to be a part of a discussion. Even better, start a conversation yourself.

We also recommend looking out for case studies. These are the personal experiences of SEOs and website owners who have tried something new and want to share results with others. Sometimes, SEO agencies also post their experiences with using different optimization strategies for their clients' websites.

So we completed one seo experiment, must read
byu/mayu-tch inSEO

Software developers who create SEO tools are also active on the subreddit. If you check the feed regularly, you might come across an opportunity to collaborate on a project or even become a beta tester for a new tool. So, it's not just a forum for advice but also growth and career-building opportunities.

Launching a freemium SAAS for SEO Professionals
byu/Big-Cap-1535 inSEO

4. SEO Signals Lab (Facebook Group)

Best For: Beginner and intermediate

Price: Free

Community Type: Educational and networking

SEO Signals Lab is a Facebook group where SEOs from all industries come together to discuss their work, share tips and tricks, and network with others. It has more than 75k members, many of whom are experts in their fields.

You have to send a request to join the group, but they're quick to approve it. Once you're in, you can introduce yourself to the community and start interacting with others.

The group discussions are very active, covering a wide range of topics from technical SEO to content marketing and link building. The members are also quite willing to help.

Group rules

In one of the group rules, the moderators have urged members to "post your latest experiments and results." You'll see a lot of this in the group. If someone tries a new strategy or sees success with a certain tool, they share their success (or pitfalls they faced), and the group discusses it.

It's a great place to learn from others' experiences and get inspiration for your own SEO projects. You might also strike up some valuable partnerships through this group since you have access to everyone's Facebook profiles. However, just make sure you're not being intrusive. Ask for permission before reaching out to someone in their DMs.

5. SEO Roundtable Community (Facebook Group)

Best For: Beginner and intermediate

Price: Free

Community Type: Educational and networking

SEO Round Table is another similar Facebook group where you can find everything from industry news and expert insights to helpful strategies and tools. With a little over 7k followers, this group is relatively smaller, which means you have a better chance of being noticed by the group's members.

Again, you can learn from others regarding SEO matters. If you're struggling with a certain SEO aspect or just want to see what others are doing, this group is a great place to start.

In the same vein, we'd also recommend liking the Search Engine Roundtable page. It's not exactly for networking unless you strike up a potential collaboration in the comment section, but it will be a great asset for learning about new SEO developments.  

Group post

They share everything that Google has said or done recently, along with what SEOs are saying about it. You also get web links to pages where you can find more information about whatever they have posted. So, it's a handy informational resource. 

SEO Communities For Networking and Professional Growth

Communities are not just for learning but also for partnerships and collaborations. We have found a few online platforms where you can foster connections with SEOs and marketers, and expand your professional network for peer support, mentorship, and work-related collaborations. 

6. Traffic Think Tank

Best For: Intermediate and advanced

Price: Paid ($99 per month)

Community Type: Networking and learning

Traffic Think Tank (or TTT, as everyone calls it) is like the VIP lounge for SEO pros who want to network and learn simultaneously. You'll find everything from recorded webinars and live Q&As with SEO gurus to practical guides on scaling SEO for businesses. What's really cool is that everyone in the community is super helpful, so you get this rare mix of insider tips and a supportive environment.

Traffic Think Tank

"TTT-ers" share resources and tips with each other. They also send each other their work to critique. You can even meet up with these professionals in real life and strengthen your network while learning at the same time.

The academy has over 200 hours of content that you can filter by skill level and topic to find information relevant to you. Besides webinars, you'll find process docs, cheat sheets, and more. There's a monthly Q&A session where you can ask industry veterans your SEO questions and get expert advice.

Since Traffic Think Tank is a paid channel, the quality of the content and community is top-notch. You won't come across annoying ads or self-promos that are common in free SEO groups. Plus, the membership fee helps keep the community exclusive and focused on professional growth.

7. OnlineGeniuses (Slack)

Best For: Intermediate and advanced

Price: Paid ($10/month)

Community Type: Networking and learning

OnlineGeniuses is a massive digital hangout for marketers on Slack. Imagine thousands of people from every corner of the marketing world — freelancers, agency pros, VPs, you name it — all jumping in to swap tips, answer questions, and keep up with the latest trends.

And the best part? It's totally free to join.

All members of the community are manually vetted to ensure a high level of expertise and professionalism. The group also hosts in-person, local events where you can meet your fellow Geniuses and continue to network and learn.

Online geniuses

There are a ton of channels within the group, covering everything from SEO and PPC to social media, copywriting, analytics, programmatic SEO, and influencer marketing. You can also hire and be hired through the community's job board.

8. BigSEO (Slack Channel)

Best For: Advanced

Price: Free

Community Type: Networking and learning

BigSEO started as a subreddit, which then transitioned into one of the biggest SEO Slack groups. While the group is free to join and doesn't have many requirements, you should be an advanced SEO professional. They do not entertain basic questions and mainly focus on advanced discussions.

BigSEO Slack Channel (Chatroom) For Serious SEO'rs
byu/K3zzeR inbigseo

You can join the community to learn about the latest tactics in SEO, such as ChatGPT SEO strategies and programmatic SEO. Similarly, if you run a marketing agency, you can find the best SEO practices for agencies in this group.

The Slack group has various channels, such as #sitereview, #technical-seo, #tools, #analytics, #localseo, #business, and #must-reads. There is also a #jobs channel where you can find SEO jobs from all around the world. These channels are also great for getting peer support and building connections that can later translate into partnerships or referrals. 

SEO Communities For Mentorship and Peer Support

An SEO group or channel is also an excellent place to find mentors to get guidance from fellow SEOs who may have more experience in certain aspects or industries. Here's where you can look for mentorship online.

9. Moz Community

Best For: All levels

Price: Free

Community Type: Mentorship and learning

The Moz Community, with its 500,000+ members, is an SEO respite for anyone from SEOs just getting started to professionals. Moz has been around for years, so it's got that credibility and solid rep in the SEO world.

In their community, you'll find a blend of SEO forums, expert articles, Q&A sessions, and resources that dig deep into topics like keyword research, link building, content marketing, local SEO, and technical SEO.

It's also packed with free tools and guides, which is awesome if you're just dipping your toes in or looking to experiment without a big budget. Moz Community members also get free access to the Mozscape API.

Moz Community perks

What really makes the Moz Community stand out, though, is its Q&A forum. Members come here with real-world SEO questions, and it's not unusual for top SEO experts, including Moz staff and certified pros, to jump in with practical, detailed answers.

You also get free access to Link Explorer, Keyword Explorer, and MozBar, which is perfect for SEO beginners. Moz also shows you information about upcoming SEO events, whether they're hosted by the platform itself or by organizations they trust. The Moz Top 10 is a semi-monthly newsletter in which you get access to the most valuable SEO articles from across the web. Like the group, this newsletter is free, too.

10. Warrior Forum SEO Section

Best For: Intermediate to advanced

Price: Free

Community Type: Learning

Warrior Forum is a handy resource for marketers and business owners who want clear and detailed guides on how to perform intermediate SEO tasks. It's part of one of the oldest and most popular forums for internet marketing, which means you'll find everything from the basics to cutting-edge SEO strategies here. The conversations range from practical tips on ranking websites to deeper discussions about Google's core updates.

Warrior Forum

One of the standout features of the Warrior Forum is its super-active community. You're talking to thousands of members, from intermediate to seasoned marketers, who are always sharing advice and discussing what's working (and what's not).

It's also common to find specific threads where members share case studies and experiments. These can serve as great learning opportunities, showing you the thought process and results of real-life SEO strategies. The only downside to Warrior Forum may be the outdated interface, but don't let that deter you from the valuable knowledge and insights you can gain from this community.

11. Google Search Central Help Community

Best For: All Levels

Price: Free

Community Type: Learning and peer support

The Search Central Help Community is a direct channel to get your SEO questions answered by experts. Although the community is moderated and managed by Google employees, it's also open for users to help each other out with tips and advice.

The main topics people discuss here are related to ranking, structured data, crawling, and indexing. You can go through Community Guides to find the tutorial or workflow you may need.

If you don't find your issue already answered, simply post a question. Someone will likely respond with a helpful answer or point you in the right direction. Since this community supports 17 languages, you can find answers in a language that's easiest to understand for you. 

Google help

It's sort of like a mini social media platform but for SEOs. You can post questions, get answers, comment on other people's responses, and upvote posts.

Recommended answers in GSC help

If you have nothing to ask, you can simply share an insight you've discovered or contribute to a discussion. The Community forum has a Trending Posts section, where you can see the most popular and recent conversations. These are typically related to the newest Google updates or SEO trends. So, if you have a relevant question, you'll most likely find the answer here. 

Trending posts section

If you want to get detailed guides on GSC-related topics, switch to the Help tab. The Google Search Console Help is a one-stop destination where you can find the basic information about running your website or business on the platform. From the nitty-gritty of the Search Console to explaining how different reports work, this is where you get your hands on everything Google-related.

These Help pages are written by Google, so you know they’re spot-on. 

GSC help

Refine Your Skills and Credibility by Putting SEO Community Wisdom to Work

Now, with all the wisdom you've collected and the skills you've honed from these SEO communities, you can take your SEO strategies up a notch. At the same time, you can build a network of professionals that you can learn from and collaborate with.

Here's how to perfect this process.

Refining Your SEO Toolkit Through Community-Sourced Insights

When you're part of an SEO community, one of the biggest perks is discovering tools and best practices that others swear by. Everyone's always buzzing about the latest keyword research tool, link analyzer, SERP tracker, or digital marketing competitor analysis tool. Maybe you can give it a shot, too.

But before you go on and pay for a tool, we recommend you read enough use cases and success stories for it. In subreddits and Slack groups, people often share how certain tools helped them achieve results. See if you have similar issues or needs. If so, the same tool might work well for you.

However, don't rely solely on recommendations because then you'll end up buying subscriptions that you don't use. Instead, account for your requirements when assessing a new platform.

For example, you might notice a lot of discussions in the community about Ahrefs and Semrush. Both are powerful, but maybe you're an SEO agency owner whose clients want to steer their sites toward generative engine optimization to build an AI SEO strategy. Since Semrush now tracks AI Overviews, you know which of the two tools to select.

LinkedIn post

This way, each tool you choose becomes part of your go-to strategy because you've taken the time to test it out and see results that match your goals. So, start with community recommendations, but experiment and trust yourself to choose the right mix.

Positioning Yourself as a Thought Leader by Contributing Value

If you really want your peers to know you and show interest in your brand, you've got to make yourself known. The shift from a passive participant to an active contributor can make all the difference in establishing yourself as a thought leader.

How do you do this, though?

Share your own case studies and results from real projects. Not only does this build credibility, but it also forces you to dig deeper into your own work, reflecting on what really moved the needle and how you can explain it clearly to others.

Let's say you recently ran a successful SEO campaign for a local business that boosted organic traffic by 50% over six months. Don't just announce this win in a community. Instead, break down your strategy so that others can learn from it. Talk about the tools you used, the link-building strategies that actually worked, or even the initial challenges and how you tackled them.

Creating Repeatable Workflows from Community Tips

When someone shares a great technique, like an SEO trick or a process for improving site speed, don't just try it once and move on. Instead, think about how you can build it into your regular workflow.

Take an example from the Google Search Console Help. There's a guide to answer the question, "Why did my site traffic drop?" 

Google guide

You could use it once to figure out why your traffic dropped and then forget about it. However, the best approach would be to add it to your monthly site audit workflow.

Suppose you use Semrush Position Tracking and find out that certain keywords on your site have a sudden drop in rankings.

Semrush position tracking

Then, you go on to Traffic Analytics and see that the keyword rank loss has resulted in low traffic. There's also a decline in purchase conversions across desktop and mobile.

Semrush traffic analytics

Instead of frantically trying to figure out why, you can refer back to the Google Search Console Help checklist and quickly determine the cause of the traffic drop. Building workflows like this doesn't just make your work easier; it also saves time and increases consistency across your projects.

Plus, the more you refine your workflows, the more valuable your insights become if you decide to share them back with the community.

Developing Trend Awareness by Observing Patterns in Discussions

While this takes a bit more time and attention, you can actually predict (to some extent) trends before they become mainstream through SEO communities. If you're a regular in the group and keep up with discussions, you'll start to see certain topics and challenges pop up repeatedly.

This can be early signs of shifts in SEO practices. Rather than just jumping in when everyone else does, you can learn to anticipate changes,

For example, if you notice a lot of conversations around AI-driven content tools or discussions about Google's core updates, that's a hint that these areas are gaining traction. You can then keep a close eye on Google's social media pages.

Similarly, if you see that questions about predictive SEO are becoming common, you could brush up on your knowledge and tool familiarity. You'll already be a step ahead when everyone else decides to jump on the bandwagon.

The more you get into this habit, the sharper your instincts will become. You'll also be able to spot patterns in what people are struggling with. This could highlight new opportunities or areas of focus in your SEO strategy. 

You can further confirm your suspicions using a tool like Semrush Trends. It helps you keep an eye on trends on a website or in a market. For example, it can give you market benchmarks and shifts in top players’ strategies that you can then use to determine if something new is up. 

Semrush Trends

For example, if you notice that high-ranking websites are now focusing more and more on video SEO, this could mean there’s a trend towards video marketing. You could focus on creating more video content so that you can rank in Google’s video pack. Even better, share this information with other community members. 

When you're known for being a step ahead, other members of the community are more likely to seek you out for advice, which only further establishes you as a go-to resource and thought leader.

Join, Engage, and Succeed With SEO Communities

Joining an SEO community isn't just about finding answers. That's just the primary use case. It's about building relationships, learning from real experts, collaborating with others, finding new tools, and finding real-life results for SEO strategies.

The future of SEO marketing agencies and experts is likely to be filled with rapid advancements and new changes every other day. Just in 2024, Google released two core updates. With AI search engines and new algorithms being developed, you'll need a community more than ever. From getting your SEO issues resolved to sharing your success stories and cultivating new connections, SEO communities are a must-visit for anyone involved in the field.

As you engage more, you'll not only gain insight but also build credibility that could open up amazing opportunities. So don't just stand by; jump in. Pick the communities that fit your goals and start connecting.

About the Author

Djanan Kasumovic

Writer

Djanan Kasumovic, Head of Growth at Influencer Marketing Hub, drives innovation in digital marketing with expertise in AI marketing and AI influencer strategies. He is directly involved in shaping content strategies for top clients like Viral Nation, NeoReach, Brandwatch, and more, blending creative flair with data-driven insights to ensure people not only enjoy the content but leave a little smarter.