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SEO Like I'm 5: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Search Engine Optimization
2016 UPDATED 3RD 30% NEW CONTENT Matthew Capala provides something different and an overview of the SEO essentials suitable for any reader, even those without a strong technical background.
***** Dorie Clark, HBR Writer and Author of “Stand Out” (Portfolio)
There are a multitude of resources available to inform marketers and business owners of how to stay up to date with online marketing, but one that’s well worth reading is “SEO Like I’m 5” by Matthew Capala.
***** Brian Honigman on THE HUFFINGTON POST
Matthew's book got me to act, and if you read it, you will certainly start acting. I know “SEO Like I’m 5” is one of those books I will be reading daily, a page here, another page there.
***** Claudia Azula Altucher, Author of “Become an Idea Machine,” WSJ Bestselling Co-Author of "The Power of No"
Top 10 Best Marketing Books to Give as a Gift.
***** SmallBussinessTrends.com
“SEO Like I'm 5” is written in a way that is accessible to anyone who is curious about how SEO really works without spending a lot of time on theory.
***** Linda Gharib, SVP, Digital Marketing at Citigroup
While SEO has gotten harder than ever, Matt explains it in a way that will help you get in the game with a winning playbook.
***** Michael King, Founder of iPullRank
Make no mistake; this is no ‘SEO for dummies.’
Rather, SEO Like I’m 5 is the ultimate beginner’s training system for forward-thinking businesses and entrepreneurs that will get you found on Google, social media, and blogs.
You will also learn how to attract followers and leads like a magnet by building a vibrant community around your content, which both users and search engines will love, and leveraging untapped, high-growth platforms and social networks. Lastly, you will learn how to make money online and monetize your content like a pro.
When it comes to SEO, you can spend all your time studying the roots, or you can just learn to pick the fruit. With the 2nd, 2015-updated edition of “SEO Like I’m 5,” our approach lets you focus on picking up the fruit, not studying the tree.
In addition to taking you through the strategic process of building and optimizing your online presence, “SEO Like I’m 5” features dozens of free tools, ‘under-the-hood’ hacks, case studies, real-world examples, and actionable tips.
Why Read this Book?
There is an overload of information on the topic of SEO on the Web, most of it misguided or outdated, coming from self-proclaimed gurus.
Contrary to common knowledge, the ‘art of SEO’ is not defined by your ability to write code or hack Google’s algorithm. The truth is that today, online success has more to do with your ability to create amazing content, establish a strong social media presence, and build relationships with bloggers than writing lines of code or stuffing keywords into your meta data.
SEO Like I’m 5 takes you through an action-oriented, workshop-style, pain-free process to plan, build, and optimize your online presence,
- Where to start - Which free platforms and tools to use - How to build a search-friendly website - How to build a killer content strategy - How to become a rockstar blogger - How to find the golden-nugget keyword opportunities - How to monetize your website - How to attract backlinks to your content - How to build relationships with bloggers and influencers - How to build a winning social media strategy - How to make money online
Who is this Book for?
- Entrepreneurs and startups - Forward-thinking small business owners - Marketing managers - Students and professionals - Authors, artists, and bloggers
The cool thing about SEO Like I’m 5 is that it offers more than just text. It comes with hundreds of screenshots and step-by-step instructions you can actually use while reading it.
***** Dorie Clark, HBR Writer and Author of “Stand Out” (Portfolio)
There are a multitude of resources available to inform marketers and business owners of how to stay up to date with online marketing, but one that’s well worth reading is “SEO Like I’m 5” by Matthew Capala.
***** Brian Honigman on THE HUFFINGTON POST
Matthew's book got me to act, and if you read it, you will certainly start acting. I know “SEO Like I’m 5” is one of those books I will be reading daily, a page here, another page there.
***** Claudia Azula Altucher, Author of “Become an Idea Machine,” WSJ Bestselling Co-Author of "The Power of No"
Top 10 Best Marketing Books to Give as a Gift.
***** SmallBussinessTrends.com
“SEO Like I'm 5” is written in a way that is accessible to anyone who is curious about how SEO really works without spending a lot of time on theory.
***** Linda Gharib, SVP, Digital Marketing at Citigroup
While SEO has gotten harder than ever, Matt explains it in a way that will help you get in the game with a winning playbook.
***** Michael King, Founder of iPullRank
Make no mistake; this is no ‘SEO for dummies.’
Rather, SEO Like I’m 5 is the ultimate beginner’s training system for forward-thinking businesses and entrepreneurs that will get you found on Google, social media, and blogs.
You will also learn how to attract followers and leads like a magnet by building a vibrant community around your content, which both users and search engines will love, and leveraging untapped, high-growth platforms and social networks. Lastly, you will learn how to make money online and monetize your content like a pro.
When it comes to SEO, you can spend all your time studying the roots, or you can just learn to pick the fruit. With the 2nd, 2015-updated edition of “SEO Like I’m 5,” our approach lets you focus on picking up the fruit, not studying the tree.
In addition to taking you through the strategic process of building and optimizing your online presence, “SEO Like I’m 5” features dozens of free tools, ‘under-the-hood’ hacks, case studies, real-world examples, and actionable tips.
Why Read this Book?
There is an overload of information on the topic of SEO on the Web, most of it misguided or outdated, coming from self-proclaimed gurus.
Contrary to common knowledge, the ‘art of SEO’ is not defined by your ability to write code or hack Google’s algorithm. The truth is that today, online success has more to do with your ability to create amazing content, establish a strong social media presence, and build relationships with bloggers than writing lines of code or stuffing keywords into your meta data.
SEO Like I’m 5 takes you through an action-oriented, workshop-style, pain-free process to plan, build, and optimize your online presence,
- Where to start - Which free platforms and tools to use - How to build a search-friendly website - How to build a killer content strategy - How to become a rockstar blogger - How to find the golden-nugget keyword opportunities - How to monetize your website - How to attract backlinks to your content - How to build relationships with bloggers and influencers - How to build a winning social media strategy - How to make money online
Who is this Book for?
- Entrepreneurs and startups - Forward-thinking small business owners - Marketing managers - Students and professionals - Authors, artists, and bloggers
The cool thing about SEO Like I’m 5 is that it offers more than just text. It comes with hundreds of screenshots and step-by-step instructions you can actually use while reading it.
194 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2014
64 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 4, 2017
Fantastic book. SEO is not everyone's cup of tea and can be a dark or boring or overly technical subject. SEO Like I'm 5 dumbs it all down into an engaging and understandable form without making you feel you're dumb or the author talking down to you.
Like the author says, nothing is impossible and having read this book and as long as you apply some of the advice and guidance it provides there is no reason why your websites improve dramatically.
Like the author says, nothing is impossible and having read this book and as long as you apply some of the advice and guidance it provides there is no reason why your websites improve dramatically.
January 2, 2018
A guide to SEO (search engine optimization) that mostly targets online businesses but also helps blogs and other websites. If I'd only review the information value of this book, I'd give it four stars. However, the presentation drops the rating.
It's quite clear that this is a self-published e-book. Despite being a 2nd edition, the book is still unpolished. A publisher or an editor could have helped remove the repeated content, broken sentences and typos. At one point, the book even asks readers to write their thoughts in the comments below – a quite obvious sign that the section had been copied from a website with minimal editing.
Final note: The title "SEO Like I'm 5" is just there to grab your attention. The presentation is not different from other SEO guides. Still, it's a good book.
It's quite clear that this is a self-published e-book. Despite being a 2nd edition, the book is still unpolished. A publisher or an editor could have helped remove the repeated content, broken sentences and typos. At one point, the book even asks readers to write their thoughts in the comments below – a quite obvious sign that the section had been copied from a website with minimal editing.
Final note: The title "SEO Like I'm 5" is just there to grab your attention. The presentation is not different from other SEO guides. Still, it's a good book.
February 4, 2015
My copy of SEO Like I'm 5 is replete with multicolored sticky notes. For someone who is interested in implementing a knowledge of SEO marketing in his job but doesn't know where to start, this book is a gem!
December 23, 2014
Great resource for beginners and Internet enthusists. Recommended.
August 8, 2018
A helpful SEO guide for beginners clearly geared at solo-entrepreneurs. I'd definitely recommend it if you're just getting into the online marketing world, or even as a brush up on some of SEOs basics. I did find that unnecessary lists of resources took up more of the book's content than I would have liked.
August 30, 2025
SEO Like I’m 5 is a clear, beginner friendly guide that breaks down SEO into simple, easy to understand steps. Perfect for anyone new to digital marketing, it explains complex concepts in a way that even a complete beginner can grasp and start applying right away.
June 16, 2021
It gives great insights on SEO, especially if you are a beginner.
September 19, 2021
Kind of interesting and useful in some ways.
But I think this is a self-published book of old blog posts...
But I think this is a self-published book of old blog posts...
March 9, 2023
Despite being a few years old, most of the information and anecdotes still hold up.
March 8, 2017
Great stuff. I've thought about starting a blog in the past - not only for passive income or something of the sort, but also as a creative writing outlet - and the author here provides a comprehensive blueprint for getting that started in a manner that can yield consistent, healthy results down the road. This book, as you can imagine, also comes in handy for any organization looking to improve their website(s).
March 4, 2017
Good on the basics of SEO as well as how to optimize your site to hit well on Google. Not so good on grammar and spelling. 3/7 would read again.
September 6, 2020
I was disappointed for the price. For being a textbook at NYU, there really wasn't much in the how to. Mostly links and back story.
October 3, 2015
Good! A lot of helpful insights.
December 14, 2019
a good book for beginners.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews