Resources for Learning SEO in Dallas

Learning SEO can be a pivotal way for a local business here in Dallas to gain the edge on their competition. Unfortunately as search engine algorithms become more advanced and the internet becomes increasingly more mobile and more social, the amount of local resources in Dallas focusing on SEO education has dwindled considerably. If you want to learn SEO in Dallas in person with trusted sources of SEO knowledge here is a list of resources for learning SEO in Dallas and the surrounding area.

We’ve attempted to evaluate people with different levels of SEO knowledge might benefit from each listing below. We’ve based this on our own experiences, official content, and online materials. Look for your SEO level in the categories Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert under each group / class / or conference.

This list is broken up into 3 main groups:

1. SEO Meetups and Meetings – These are typically weekly or monthly events where a speaker or a panel of speaker discuss SEO topics.
2. SEO Conferences – These are marketing conferences held in Dallas or nearby communities where SEO topics are presented and discussed.
3. College and Continuing Education Courses – These are highly structured courses offered by experts or local universities designed to teach up-to-date SEO and marketing topics and present attendees with a certificate of completion.

SEO Meetups and Meetings

DFWSEM
The oldest and longest running meetup event in the Dallas area, DFWSEM is a not-for-profit organization ran by a group of dedicated volunteers. The group boasts a long-running consistent track record of bringing top level SEO experts to town and holding great SEO discussions. Throughout the year the topics will vary between beginner and more advanced SEO but are typically somewhere between intermediate and advanced. This is the only SEO group with ‘corporate’ membership plans.

Beginner – You may be a little lost at first, but this is a good way to dive in and get started.
Intermediate – You’ll find a lot of new information here to propel your SEO career.
Advanced – You may have heard most of this before, you’ll find a good nugget from time to time.
Expert – Go for the networking and fellowship, you’ve likely heard, read, or known all of this already.

Membership Cost: $400 / year

Event Cost: $40 / event (Free for members)

Link: https://www.dfwsem.org/

Dallas SEO Meetup
The Dallas SEO Meetup group is the second oldest and longest-running SEO group in the Dallas area. The group tends to focus on more beginner topics but still has a long record of bringing quality SEO discussions and knowledge to Dallas businesses. The group is currently organized by Joe Youngblood and his team and the membership subscriptions are handled by us here on Dallas SEO Stars.

Beginner – You won’t be too lost, but you may not know some of the terms being used.
Intermediate – You’ll find a lot of new information here to propel your SEO career.
Advanced – You may have heard most of this before, you’ll find a good nugget from time to time.
Expert – Go for the networking and fellowship, you’ve likely heard, read, or known all of this already.

Membership Cost: $60 / year

Event Cost: $10 / event

Link to Subscribe: https://dallasseostars.com/subscription/dallas-seo-meetup-subscription/

Link: https://www.meetup.com/dallas-seo-interactive-marketing/

Dallas Marketing Club
A free to join club by local agency Rise Local and Status 26. The group boasts a zero cost entry fee and offers free alcoholic beverages. When we checked, the group’s meetup page was largely about website review clinics. If you’re a beginner trying to learn something new about SEO and your own website, this might be a good fit.

Beginner – This likely is the best fit for a beginner SEO wanting to learn more.
Intermediate – You may learn one or two new things here.
Advanced – No need to go to this.
Expert – No need to go to this.

Membership Cost: Free

Event Cost: Free

Link: https://www.meetup.com/Dallas-Marketing-Club/

SEO Conferences

State of Search
State of Search is an annual conference held in Dallas that focuses heavily on SEO topics with a few other types of digital marketing typically tossed in. The conference is hosted by DFWSEM and staffed by its volunteers. The ticket fee for entry into this show is typically lower than other, larger, national and regional conference series and can be a great value for those trying to learn SEO without leaving the Dallas area. The State of Search conference features some local SEO experts as well as numerous national SEO experts and emphasizes more advanced and expert level SEO knowledge.

Beginner – Don’t make this your first SEO learning experience, but going early on will definitely help.
Intermediate – You’ll find a lot of new information here to propel your SEO career.
Advanced – You may have heard most of this before, you’ll find a good nugget from time to time.
Expert – You may have heard most of this before, you’ll find a good nugget from time to time.

Cost (estimated): $350 – $2,000

Link: https://www.stateofsearch.org/

Digital Summit: Dallas
This conference is part of TechMedia’s Digital Summit series which holds digital marketing events in various cities across the country. Digital Summit Dallas mixes marketers from big companies with a Dallas presence (i.e. Hilton, Southwest Airlines, The Dallas Cowboys, etc…) along with speakers from various agencies across the country and big name keynote speakers like Mark Cuban, Steve Wozniak, and Seth Godin. While the conference doesn’t focus solely or largely on SEO, it does offer SEO presentations and a bevy of presentations on other topics focusing on intermediate to expert level content.

Beginner – Don’t make this your first SEO learning experience, but going early on will definitely help.
Intermediate – You’ll find a lot of new information here to propel your SEO career.
Advanced – You may have heard most of this before, you’ll find a good nugget from time to time. You may enjoy learning other disciplines too.
Expert – The keynotes are typically fantastic and motivational, you may pick up a nugget or two from a session or find a new tool or service at the expo area.

Cost (estimated): $245 – $999

Link: https://dallas.digitalsummit.com/

College and Continuing Education Courses

SMU’s Digital Marketing Certificate
The SMU Digital Marketing Certificate is offered by SMU Pro and packs a lot of learning into a college styled series of courses on the SMU campus. The SMU Pro Digital Marketing Certificate appears designed to help executives and business owners get a better grip in their digital marketing and to better interface with those in their organizations doing the digital marketing and SEO work. These courses also offer a lot of actionable knowledge that students can immediately apply in their own marketing campaigns and inside of their organizations.

Beginner – Due to the classroom style structure, this could be a good way to learn SEO basics along with various other digital marketing disciplines.
Intermediate – You may learn something new and get the certificate to prove it.
Advanced – You likely will feel like the SEO course is filled with stuff you already know, however, this is a great option for in-house / corporate SEOs looking to validate their knowledge to senior management.
Expert – Great way to dip your toes into a new discipline and makes a great wall treatment for your office.

Cost: $3,995 – $4,245

Link: https://www.smu.edu/Pro/certificates/certificates-in-person/digital-marketing

It is our hope that this list of SEO learning resources in Dallas, TX helps you connect with local SEO experts and colleagues to learn how to better rank in search engines and grow your local business. If you have any questions or feedback about this list please leave a comment below.