Understanding SEO: A Systematic Approach to Search Engine Optimization

by Franz Enzenhofer

I’m trying to pull a Wittgenstein here, and by that, I mean writing the definitive book on a topic and then declaring the matter solved. Similar to Wittgenstein, I will fail, however while doing so, I will enhance the status quo of an entire discipline: Search Engine Optimization - SEO.

The primary goal of this book is to deliver a framework - that is, a way to think about - SEO. If you have online experience, whether you are a manager, developer, editor, product owner, or hacker, you should be able to read and comprehend this book. You should then be able to use what you have learned to make informed SEO decisions for your business. Be aware this book does not waste space replicating any technical specs (those you can easily google yourself), but it will explain what you need to do, when you need to do it, and why you need to do it. Also, this book is about SEO, organic search engine optimization, and not about SEA, AdWords or PPC.

This book is heavy on theory and light on examples. It is up to you to use your imagination, your experience, and your initiative to combine it all in a way that is suitable for your company.

If you are an SEO manager within an SEO agency, then this book is not for you. You are part of the problem, not part of the solution. This book exists to make you redundant.

Reviews for the print edition:
"an absolute recommendation" -Helge Fahrnberger (@helge)

"This book won't make SEO-consultants happy. Bloggers, authors, shop-operators, marketing directors as well as developers, however, should have read it [...]" - jam (at) ct.de c't magazin 04/18

"After reading it front to back last night, it is definitely the best resource of its kind out there, and does exactly as it says on the cover. Congratulations, and thank you, for putting together such a kick ass book." -Sebastian Pertosi, Head of SEO at www.tourradar.com

"Understanding SEO is a book on how to think about SEO without all the BS. Best SEO resource I ever got my hands on." - Christian Moreyh, Developer turned Travelling Online Markteer

"Instead of delivering a bulky 800 page book that no one ever reads, Franz puts everything there is to know about SEO into 152 pages which are both entertaining and profound. Use it as your printed consultant and it will save you tons of $$$." David Kitzmüller , CEO at oktav.com

"If you read this excellent book Understanding SEO and start to execute the learnings right now, your digital business will have a great time [...]. Thank you Franz for eliminating all the BS, and putting together those 150 pages of pure SEO knowledge, which every business owner – from individual bloggers to CEOs – should be aware of." Thomas Sommeregger, BA, Digital Marketing Professional, Google Certified Trainer, digitalbuero.at

"[...] Understanding SEO is something completely different. A required reading!" - Sebastian Prohaska, SEO Agency ithelps

"It brings Search Engine Optimization exactly to the point and elimantes all the bullshit. Enough theory to understand the matter and enough practical advice to get started. Must-read for everybody who wants to boost search traffic for the own website." - Michael Knoll - Project Lead websites in agency and businesses

"The one and only SEO-book you need to read! Why didn't Franz Enzenhofer publish this earlier? Would have saved me a lot of time and money." - Martin Staudinger, Herausgeber @ www.mamilade.net

191 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 3, 2018

Reviews

[Cedric Chin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book on SEO I’ve read. As the author puts it: “SEO is solved. The hard bit is the execution.”

This book explains everything you need to know in 150 pages so you can concentrate on that execution. Highly recommended.

[Rishabh Srivastava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Short, has actionable advice, and doesn't beat around the bush. But was published two years ago. Ignores some new things – including the "Top Stories" carousel on Google (which drives around half of all search page views for some of my clients in the media industry), as well as the "Summary answer" and "People also ask" features + their implementation

[inna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting in December, I began a new job in SEO. It's a completely new field for me, so there's a lot to learn! My boss gave me this book to help me understand the essentials of search engine optimization.

What I appreciate about this book is its simplicity. The language is engaging and straightforward, making everything easy to grasp. The author uses plenty of good examples, which I find incredibly helpful! However, it did take me some time to get through it because I often found myself googling technical terms to fully digest the new information.

For anyone interested in SEO, I highly recommend this book as a starting point!

More reviews by me on instagram: @penguinna_books

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important marketing step for a website, and can seem like a dark art. Too many companies hire a consultant to "fix SEO", in the same way they hire a designer long after the website is built to "add some design". This book has two enemies - the SEO consultants that take the money, and the companies that hire them. The goal is to convince you that SEO is a solvable problem that you should solve, not pay for someone else to try to solve it.

Franz presents a clear framework for understanding SEO, lays out a plan for improvement, and gives clear advice on what to do. He has concrete advice on specific issues, and backs it up with Google's own documentation. At every step, the advice makes sense, and you end up agreeing with him that if SEO advice doesn't make sense, it is probably wrong. This is a great antidote to the SEO blogs and algorithm chasers.

[Aleks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative hands-on guide.