We live in a world where digital technicality is essential for business sales growth. The internet has shown that it has come to stay. What better way for your business to gain product visibility than to adapt to this new age? One way of adapting is to develop websites and blog sites. Then, create content that can pique the interest of people who visit the site. If the contents are relevant and authentic to the visitor's needs, it creates traffic. The traffic, in turn, creates monetary value off the internet.
The major way businesses and websites pull traffic to their sites are by creating quality content. Quality content is such that relates to people's keywords on search engines. These contents require constant optimization to be ranked high in the search engine. This is the idea behind Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Here, you will discover the best SEO certifications to set yourself up for the best SEO practices. Before delving into the main points, let us take a walk through on SEO.
How SEO works
SEO is the practice of improving the amount of traffic on a website or blog. It does this through the organic results of search engines. The traffic should be of high quality for it to increase in quantity. Of what need, though, is SEO?
Major search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Mozilla have primary search results. There, contents, web pages, or videos are ranked based on what the search engine considers the most relevant to the users. Generally, these rankings are decided based on the search engine's analysis of the CTR (Click-through rate). CTR is the percentage of people who click on the website or blog's ad after seeing your ad. So, to attract specific users to your website, you need to create the most relevant content. How? Through search engine optimization.
Nevertheless, SEO is not 'as simple as ABC.' It is a combination of complex techniques and methods. The best way to keep up with top-ranking content is to undergo SEO certified courses or training. The reason is that SEO methods are designed to make sure online content is well refined and relevant to the website visitors. And the content quality is usually accessed by Google since it is the most utilized search engine website. Google, however, keeps releasing new algorithms, guidelines, and rules. To make the most out of SEO, therefore, you need to be trained and certified in it.
Training in SEO is provided by different online (or even offline) course providers. These courses help learners become experts in the field of SEO. They achieve this by developing their content writing skills. They also expose their trainees to the constantly changing rules and guidelines by Google analytics. Some courses specialize in off-page SEO while others meddle in on-page SEO. Yet some teach how to optimize strategic keywords to create much traffic for your website. Regardless of what form the training comes in, a certification in SEO is of importance. This article looks into what you need to know about SEO certification.
What SEO certification really is
This is a means of awarding individuals who partook in advanced SEO training and completed the SEO course. The Certification usually indicates that such person has had the necessary training and skills required to be an expert in the knowledge of SEO.
Why do you need an SEO certification?
As a content creator or online business promoter, you might have various reasons for wanting to obtain a certification in SEO. Especially as it is a key to optimizing your content for search engine ranking. There are various reasons why you should get an SEO certification. Some are in the following:
To access a well-structured education or training in SEO- There are easy ways to learning. And even easier, as you can use Google to search for various articles or online materials that will aid your understanding of SEO. It would be better to learn from those who painstakingly break down and arrange the necessary principles for a successful SEO career.
Learning from qualified Experts- SEO certification can help you learn from advanced experts in the field through their available online training programs. Due to their years of experience, learning their methods would result in a faster learning process instead of gallivanting all over the internet. Some well-known SEO experts are Brian Dean and Aaron Agues.
It is motivational- Learning via SEO course programs will help boost your zeal in continuing the study. This is because the majority of these courses have sections or videos where other students share their success stories in SEO and tips to help you stay focused on the training.
Profitable Investment- SEO is a tool in creating that much traffic needed on websites. And traffic on websites leads to more money. And investing little amounts of money in improving a skill that will at the end of the day, boost your business sales rate can never be undermined.
To keep you in touch- Because of the constant metamorphosis of SEO guidelines and rules, taking an SEO certification course from time to time will help you stay attune with recent changes and update your SEO skills. Most courses provide a checklist that you can abide by to help you consider important factors in optimizing your website content.
Bragging rights- The SEO courses that offer certificates can serve as a means of showing off your acquired skills to people or companies, although most of the time, SEO depends more on the practice than the learning.
Is SEO certification necessary?
Not all SEO course providers award their students certifications. This could be because the concept of learning SEO is not as direct as learning how to drive a car. Your experience and Expertise do not usually come when you acquire the skill from a one-time training. It involves constant practice and adaptation to the Google guidelines and rules that keep coming up every year. SEO is not stable, it transforms and shifts with each new analytics. Also, many job openings or postings hardly require SEO certification as a job criterion for recruitment. Instead, they only care for experience in the aspect of SEO. So generally, we would say the SEO certification is important, but it is not a major criterion for determining one's broad Expertise in the field of SEO. Therefore, getting an SEO certification from a reliable SEO course provider might boost your SEO career, but the Certification alone does not determine your professional Expertise in SEO.
Key Facts about SEO Certification
Some major downsides to SEO certifications could be as a result of the following pointed facts:
Most SEO certification courses build on theoretical learning instead of actual practice. To become a successful SEO expert, you need to know how to apply what you have learned in the courses to optimize your website content for search engines.
Most certificates issued in some SEO certification courses are not internationally recognized or reputable.
Some SEO Certification courses are downright expensive to enroll for average keen beginners.
Again, certificates do not always equal Expertise in SEO skills.
Other Frequently Asked Questions about SEO Certification
Why is SEO important?
It allows brands to achieve more product visibility and publicity on their websites via search engines with little or no cost.
What does SEO certification cost?
The cost of SEO certification courses usually varies, depending on the course provider. Some factors like the quality of materials, videos, and contents used in the training, recognition of certifications, and experience of trainers influence the prize of the classes. While some providers even offer free courses, some are way expensive. This 2020, however, the cost of getting an SEO certificate has been estimated to fall between the ranges of $67 and $2750.
Does Google offer SEO certification course?
No, Google does not offer any SEO certification program. To become a google SEO expert, you have to make use of third-party program providers. The Digital Marketing Certification Program offered by Google online covers some lessons in SEO, but it does not certify one to be an Expert in SEO.
When can your term SEO successful?
When the quality and quantity of rankings and organic traffic of a website increases, that means the SEO has been successful. But it is not a permanent win, and it requires continuous effort in updating the SEO to achieve continuous progress.
8 Selected Reputable SEO Course Programs
These SEO course programs have been carefully selected for your choice through reviews and observations on the criterion that they tutor majorly on SEO. While some offer certifications, however, some do not. But they all promise their students effective training and guidelines in SEO. They are as follows:
1.)Yoast Academy
Yoast is amazing at teaching SEO for WordPress, copyrighting, and site structure. They are known for their updated and complete information on various SEO techniques.
Certification: They do not offer certifications
Price: Prices vary from course to course
Free course - for beginners only
Cheapest course- €39
Most expensive course-$199
2.) Udemy
Udemy makes SEO training very interesting and accessible at a very cheap rate for their learners. But they do not offer introductory classes, so the basics of SEO need to be known by interested leaners before embarking on advanced training in Udemy.
Certification: They offer a certificate of completion
Price: €199
3.) ClickMinded SEO certification
These SEO vendors offer a comprehensive package for easy SEO training that covers every aspect of the optimization of search engine content. They have experienced professionals and adequate training materials but are very expensive and might be more suitable for corporate companies.
Certification: They offer a certificate of completion, ClickMinded Google SEO Certification.
Price: $497
4.) MOZ
This course provider has been in the business of SEO training for years. As such, it has earned its recognition in the online community. The course package includes 6 hours of instructions from tutors and exams to become certified. They make use of their SEO tools.
Certification: They offer a certificate of completion, SEO Essentials Certificate.
Price: $595
5.) SEO that Works
This training is not for beginners, and it does not come cheap. It is a master class on SEO by a highly experienced SEO professional, Brian Dean. The program makes available real-life case studies and approved SEO strategies. It does not give Certification, however.
Certification: It does not offer a certificate of completion.
Price: It varies with new training
6.) MarketMotive
This SEO course provider undergoes introductory training on on-page practices, keyword research, basics of website design, and architecture. It has the quirks needed to improve your SEO skills, increase the CTR rankings, and create more traffic going to your website.
Certification: They offer a certificate of completion in Advanced SEO Certification Training.
Price: $299 for 180 days
7.) Reliablesoft
This reliable SEO course provider offers essential course bundles which include four courses-
An SEO course, Keyword Research course, Google Analytics course, and an E-commerce SEO course. This training covers all you need to know and understand about SEO. The course is not too expensive and can be easily afforded by students.
Certification: They offer a certificate of completion; The complete SEO Course Bundle
Price: $67 (once-off)
8.) Coursera
This is an amazing source of SEO knowledge that provides various training on different aspects of SEO. It has a total package of six lessons that last for about 4 weeks or 6 weeks each, depending on the table of contents. It provides certificates after completion of the exams.
Certification: They offer a certificate of completion, SEO Specialization Certificate.
Price: Free at enrollment. Subsequently could vary with each lesson.
Wrapping Up
SEO is a crucial factor in building a business, blog, or website's presence online by increasing traffic towards the sites via search engines. And because of this, there is a rising need for SEO experts in the world of digital marketing and content creation. Becoming SEO certified might be a good way of increasing your chance of adding valuable items to your CV and grabbing that job in the digital marketing industry. However, it might not help you hold your job or become an expert. The Certification alone does not translate to your Expertise, except you already have a job on SEO.
Education and constant practice give rise to Expertise in the SEO industry. As seen, there are many certifications to choose from. What you go for depends on your career goals, current SEO knowledge, and education budget. Just make sure you go through the course's syllabus and be consistent in the learning process.
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