SEO Mentors: The Top 13 Must-Follow Experts for 2024

SEO isn’t easy.

There’s a lot to keep track of, and Google changes the goalposts with every update.

But there’s a thriving SEO community to help you. You can learn from the top experts and SEO mentors.

And that’s what we’re going to cover in this post.

You’ll discover the top SEO mentors you should pay attention to in 2024.

We’ll cover:

• What an SEO mentor is
• How to find SEO mentors
• What to look for in a mentor
• The costs involved
• 13 top SEO mentors to follow

What Is An SEO Mentor?

An SEO mentor is someone who can help you understand the best practices of SEO, apply them to your website, and keep up with the latest trends and changes.

SEO mentors are usually people who have extensive professional skills and experience in the industry. They might specialize in certain aspects or have a broad knowledge of search engine marketing.

How To Find A Mentor In SEO

The easiest way to find an SEO mentor is to check out our list of experts below.

If you want to expand your search, you can use the following tactics:

Look Online

Most SEO experts have active social media profiles and personal websites. You can find mentors through a simple Google search or by checking out social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter.

Search for relevant hashtags on social media. You’ll find lots of industry pros and experts discussing the latest trends and best practices.

Join Online Groups and Forums

There are many SEO groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Reddit. In these groups, you’ll find experts sharing tips and discussing tactics.

You’ll also find experts offering mentoring services.

Attend Conferences

SEO conferences are a great place to meet potential mentors. These events often have industry experts as guest speakers.

You can learn from their speeches and workshops and talk with them afterwards to see if they offer an SEO mentorship service.

What to Look For In An SEO Mentor

There are a lot of SEO’ gurus’ out there. Some are more reputable and knowledgeable than others.

Here are key factors to consider when looking for a mentor:

Experience

A good mentor should have a ton of experience.

There are a lot of different elements that contribute to SEO success. It can take a long time to learn the basics and even longer to master a specific aspect.

Make sure any potential mentor has the hands-on experience to back up what they are teaching.

Expertise in Your Area

SEO covers everything from keyword research and content creation to link building and technical SEO.

Think about what you want to learn. Then, look for a mentor who is really good in that area.

Successful Projects

Look for a mentor with a proven track record of successful SEO projects. This shows they know how to use their knowledge in real situations.

It’s even better if they have experience in projects similar to what you are working on.

How Much Does an SEO Mentor Cost

The cost depends on what you’re looking for from an SEO mentor.

Many experts share free tips on social media and in their newsletters. Some also offer paid courses that provide more in-depth guidance.

If you want more personalized mentoring, you’ll typically have to pay an hourly rate or fixed price for a set of mentor sessions.

13 Best SEO Mentors In 2024

Here are the top SEO mentors for 2024.

You’ll find experts on Google updates, content, outsourcing, and more.

Many of them go ahead and dispense their wisdom for free on platforms like Twitter/X.

We’ve produced a round-up of 13 of the best mentors to follow in 2024. Of course, if you feel you’ve gotten great value from them, you might want to splash out on a course from them, order their services, or simply pop them a thanks online!

Content

Koray Tuğberk GÜBÜR

This is another Semantic SEO Case Study that has been performed in 5 months. Soon, I will publish 4 different SEO Success Stories under the one SEO Case Study.#seo #google pic.twitter.com/zNIOuAeJDF

— Koray Tuğberk GÜBÜR (@KorayGubur) January 27, 2021

If you’re interested in content strategy, Koray Tuğberk GÜBÜR is an outstanding SEO mentor.

He offers in-depth case studies with practical insights into SEO content marketing strategies. You can learn what works in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

Check out his course on Semantic SEO if you want to access his more advanced guidance.

Nick Jordan

Do that as fast as possible

And this strategy works.
Again, and again, and again.

No new backlinks.
No technical BS.
Just good content.

At scale.

— Nick Jordan (@nickfromseattle) March 6, 2023

Nick Jordan is the CEO and founder of Workello. He’s become a standout expert on SEO content.

One of his projects grew from zero to 1.5 million organic monthly visitors without link building. He’s also expanded his agency from a single writer to an extensive team of 45 writers and editors in just two years.

Technical SEO

Aleyda Solis

Want to achieve SEO Auditing Success in 2023? Watch my Whiteboard Friday now 🤩👇🔥

Going through the keys to facilitate execution and achieve success! 💰 https://t.co/gBGf012699 pic.twitter.com/23VOlf3tAj

— Aleyda Solis 🕊️ (@aleyda) October 27, 2023

Aleyda Solis is one of the most respected SEO scholars and consultants working today. She’s an author, speaker, and entrepreneur with a ton of experience. You’ll find her articles in industry publications like Search Engine Land, Search Engine Journal, Moz, HubSpot, and Think With Google.

You can get her latest insights by signing up for her #SEOFOMO newsletter. Aleyda is also a regular speaker at events like INBOUND, SMX, Pubcon, Mozcon, SearchLove, and BrightonSEO.

Kristina Azarenko

Grab my 90-step checklist for auditing the technical SEO of ANY website.

I’ve done 3,000 audits and distilled all the information for you so you don’t have to.

And I’m giving it away for free.

Get it now https://t.co/Sli2bzu4HG

— Kristina Azarenko (@azarchick) November 12, 2023

Kristina Azarenko is a technical SEO specialist with over a decade of hands-on experience. She is acknowledged as one of the top 13 women shaping the SEO industry.

Kristina’s articles have been featured in Search Engine Land, Semrush, HotJar, and Business.com. She’s also a regular speaker at events like the Women in Tech SEO Festival and BrightonSEO.

Kristina offers a bunch of free resources and checklists. If you want more in-depth guidance, check out her SEO Challenge Course.

Agency Outsourcing

Joe Davies

If you want to be an 8 figure SEO agency in 5 years just do this:

– niche down
– productize
– bill by value (not by hours)
– stay lean and minimalist
– insource strategy, outsource deliverables
– give away your strategy in full
– post case studies every day on X and Linkedin

— Joe Davies (@fatjoedavies) October 4, 2023

Joe Davies is the co-founder of FATJOE and a specialist in agency growth. He has 17+ years of experience and is an expert in SEO deliverables and strategy.

If you’re interested in scaling your SEO agency, make sure you’re following Joe on LinkedIn and Twitter. You’ll get insights into how to use outsourcing and technology, and how to manage SEO clients.

You can also sign up for Joe’s free Agency Letter and receive practical SEO tips and advice every Wednesday.

Black Hat SEO

Charles Floate

Backlink Types to Use:
– Social Profiles
– Citations
– Reference Sites
– High Authority Editorials
– Niche Edits
– Guest Posts
– Press Releases
– Infographics
– PBN Links (Pro’s Only)

Backlink Types to Avoid:
– Forum Links
– Web 2.0 Links
– Sitewide Links
– Link Exchanges
-…

— Charles Floate 📈 (@Charles_SEO) September 22, 2023

Charles Floate is the go-to expert for insights into unconventional SEO strategies and black hat tactics. He first came to prominence through his The God of SEO blog, where he shared his experiences in ranking sites organically.

He also created several black hat SEO case studies that significantly impacted the industry. Charles offers several courses and eBooks on SEO and link building tactics.

Google Updates

Marie Haynes

Here’s what we know of the September Helpful Content Update so far.

It is heavily impacting many niche sites and recipe bloggers. Sites with conversations such as Reddit and Quora are seeing big boosts.

I share my thoughts on what the system is rewarding and what it likely will…

— Marie Haynes (@Marie_Haynes) September 25, 2023

Marie Haynes is one of the best SEO mentors for keeping up with Google algorithm updates. She is renowned for her understanding of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

Marie’s work has even been referenced in Google’s own documentation.

You can keep up with the latest from Maire by signing up for her newsletter and subscribing to her podcast. She also has several workbooks you can buy on her website.

Lily Ray

Reddit was the biggest winner of the August core update by far. Quora saw big gains too.

Google seems to be incorporating more real user comments/subreddits into the search results for high-volume keywords

(E = experience) pic.twitter.com/enqo9yOUg2

— Lily Ray 😏 (@lilyraynyc) September 7, 2023

Lily Ray is the Senior Director of SEO and Head of Organic Research at Amsive Digital. She is one of the most knowledgeable SEO experts on Google’s search algorithm.

You can find Lily’s articles in Moz, Search Engine Land, and other top industry publications. She is a go-to source of information and insights on core updates.

Post-Update Recovery

Kasra Dash

I’ve analysed over 5,000 websites that have won after the HCU & Core Algorithm Update.

Here is an interesting link-building pattern I have found.

A lot of websites build more relevant links, such as guest posts to their money pages & articles, and they build link insertions to… pic.twitter.com/ImMYiID4YZ

— Kasra Dash 💰 (@Kasra_Dash) November 1, 2023

Kasra Dash is an entrepreneur involved in multiple SEO tools like FatRank, Searcharoo, Agency Backlinks, Highrise Links, AutoBlogging.AI, and Backlink Doctor.

He is one of the best SEO mentors for learning about post-update recovery.

You can get the latest insights from Kasra by signing up to his newsletter. He also offers one of the best courses you’ll find on link building.

Niche Sites

Niche Site Lady

Advantages of the new way:

1. Easier to skim read
2. Looks less like AI
3. Not over-optimised

I think Google is clever enough to match it to the query without the exact wording.

Caveat: I haven’t tested this. Keen to know if you have!

— Niche Site Lady (@NicheSiteLady) November 9, 2023

Niche Site Lady is the only anonymous SEO expert on our list. She has a proven track record in niche site building and generates $60,000 per month from her niche sites.

She offers a bunch of free resources and checklists. You can also sign up for her newsletter to receive her expert tips directly in your inbox.

Site Acquisition

Mushfiq Sarker

I am still buying sites…

But I am getting more creative on deal structure these days. It’s a buyer’s market (finally).

I am doing seller financing, profit-based payouts, and negotiating hard on multiples.

Good time to acquire (if you know what you are doing).

— Mushfiq Sarker (The Website Flip) (@TheWebsiteFlip) October 12, 2023

If you want to learn site acquisition and website flipping, Mushfiq Sarker is one of the top experts in the industry. He founded Inventige Media HoldCo, which specializes in acquiring, growing, and exiting digital online assets.

His site and newsletter, The Website Flip, is full of actionable advice and case studies on website flipping. It’s a great, no-fluff resource.

SEO Updates & Google News

Barry Schwartz

The last Google reviews algorithm update is now rolling out, going forward it will be regular and continuous.

This story includes:
* Snapshot quick facts
* Documentation changes
* The volatility trackers
* Previous review updates
* Advice on recovering from a review update…

— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) November 9, 2023

Barry Schwartz is one of the most well-known SEO experts. He’s the contributing editor of Search Engine Land and is always at the forefront of the latest SEO trends and news.

He’s a reliable source when it comes to understanding the impact of SEO updates.

You can get the latest from Barry by checking out his Search Engine Roundtable blog. He’s also very active on social media.

Google Itself

John Mueller

Occasionally someone asks about hidden H1’s. If H1’s help (they’re good!), surely hiding H1s stuffed with keywords will help ranking.

Well: No. Hidden text & keyword-stuffing are trivial to recognize. Stop doing 2005 SEO tricks, and focus on providing relevance to your users.

— I am John – ⭐ ⭐ LIVE ⭐ ⭐ (@JohnMu) July 4, 2023

John Mueller is the face of Google for many SEOs. He’s a Senior Search Analyst / Search Relations team lead at Google.

You can get direct insights into Google’s ranking factors and SEO best practices by following him on social media and checking out his latest webinars and blog posts.

He’s also very active on social. If you tag him in a question, there’s a good chance he’ll respond with some tips or advice.

Level Up Your Rankings by Learning from SEO Mentors

There are a lot of great experts who didn’t make our list. But collectively, the mentors we have included cover all the main aspects of SEO.

Give these experts a follow, sign up for their newsletters, and keep yourself informed.

SEO is much easier when you learn from the best in the business.