foreword by Sarah Winters

Create a truly human-centered web that supports users throughout their entire journey.

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As the web has matured, so have search engines, algorithms, and marketing practices meant to attract pageviews. Modern SEO isn’t about delivering traffic for traffic’s sake—it’s about helping real people find the right information, at the right time, and in the right place.

In this practical, illuminating book, Rebekah Baggs and Chris Corak make the case that SEO plays a central role not just in search rankings, but in delivering an excellent user experience. After all, most interactions don’t begin on our carefully crafted homepages, but on a list of search results—and only by connecting our efforts in content, design, development, and search optimization can we create a truly human-centered web that supports users throughout their entire journey.

This book explores:

The history of SEO, how it got a bad rap, and how to make it better
The importance of satisfying users’ search intent with meaningful content
Investigating search behaviors as part of user research and discovery
Integrating SEO considerations into your design and development processes
How to avoid snake-oil practices and invest in holistic, human-centered SEO

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When we understand how people think about our content, we’re uniquely empowered to help them find it. SEO for Everyone is the first book that teaches readers how to optimize content for real-world users, not just algorithms. It belongs on the shelves of web professionals everywhere.

Kristina Halvorson

Author of Content Strategy for the Web

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Behind every search engine query is a human being on a journey to learn, do, and explore. Human-centered SEO makes you their guide. Go beyond mining for clicks, and start integrating design and search marketing to genuinely satisfy your users’ needs and your business goals.

Dr. Pete Meyers

Marketing scientist at Moz

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Look, you didn’t get into design so that you could make things for robots instead of people. Rebekah and Chris help you get the most out of search engines in ways that can enhance your design and content work, make it more accessible, and better serve your audiences.

Jonathon Colman

Senior design manager at Hubspot

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Forget everything you thought you knew about SEO. Rebekah and Chris have provided a clear, practical guide to help you approach SEO in a way that truly puts people first.

Dan Shure

Consultant at Evolving SEO and host of Experts On The Wire podcast

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About the Authors

Rebekah Baggs is a content and UX strategist who has been helping teams solve complex content and collaboration challenges since 2006. She is cofounder of ONWARD, a consultancy that helps organizations bridge the gap between content, design, and technical SEO. She’s on a mission to prove that writing content for real people—not algorithms—is the key to success. Rebekah likes being outdoors in the water and cooking up a storm for hungry friends. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her family.

Chris Corak is an SEO strategist who has been working on the web since 1999. He is cofounder of ONWARD, a consultancy that helps organizations deliver empowering user experiences while overcoming tough organic search and content challenges. He believes the best way to optimize for SEO is to optimize for people first. In his free time, Chris loves playing guitar and spending time with his family in sunny Phoenix, Arizona.