In this detailed and step-by-step guide, we look at the best free online courses which lead to SEO certification!
There is a huge debate about SEO certification. Are SEO certificates worth the paper they’re printed on? Or does it depend on who issues the certification?
This is what I mean:
Does it matter who is behind the certification? For instance, will it make a difference if you received a Google SEO certification?
Let me give you a moment to think about that.
For what it’s what, let me point that an SEO certification is evidence of your training and skills as an SEO professional. It authenticates and validates you as a certified SEO professional. And it should have pride of place on your CV, LinkedIn profile and mantelpiece.
But first, what is SEO and why does it matter?
As you know, SEO stands for search engine maximization.
It is the active practice of optimizing a website by strategically improving internal (on-site SEO) and external (off-site SEO) aspects in order to increase the traffic the site receives from Google and the other search engines.
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How Do I Become An SEO Expert? -Understanding SEO Certification
This is my answer to the question, How can I learn SEO? The easiest and quickest way to “learn SEO” and become an SEO expert is to become certified as an SEO professional or SEO practitioner.
SEO certification is awarded to anyone who successfully completes an SEO course either online or in a classroom setting. It shows that the SEO Professional has the requisite education, skills and expertise to work as an SEO Professional. I believe that’s the foundation to becoming an SEO expert.
How Can I Learn SEO? And How Do I Get SEO Certified?
There are two main ways to “learn SEO” and obtain SEO certification. You can either get an SEO online training certification or you can become certified by following a classroom-based course. Whichever route you take to get certified, the result will be the same: You become a certified SEO Professional.
Advantages of SEO Certification
A search engine optimization certification, which you receive after an SEO certification course, has the following benefits:
- Gives you a thorough understanding of SEO and how it works, including tools, strategies and best practices
- You learn how to apply proven SEO methods to organically generate relevant keyword phrases for any website
- Makes you become recognized for your SEO knowledge and expertise
- You receive a certificate which:
- Differentiates and distinguishes you in a crowded marketplace
- Allows you to demonstrate proficiency to prospective clients
- (If working in-house) shows that made good on the investment approved by your manager
- You become an SEO expert.
How Much Does SEO Training Cost?
There are both free and paid SEO training courses. While the focus of this article is SEO certification through free online courses and exams, it is worth noting that there are many paid alternatives. And for the benefit of those who may be interested, I will showcase a few of the paid search engine optimization training programs that are currently available.
Should I Learn SEO Or Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is a lot broader than SEO. Digital marketing is the component of marketing that utilizes internet and online based digital technologies such as desktop computers, mobile phones, social media, email marketing and other digital media and platforms to promote products and services.
It is probably too broad to specialize in, except you want to spend years studying it, say at a College or University.
I recommend you specialize in SEO, but also learn those aspects of digital marketing that are either relevant to your niche or useful to your career path. Seek to at least have a basic knowledge and understanding of digital marketing.
Which Certification is Best For Digital Marketing?
Here are some of the best digital marketing certifications you should consider obtaining
- SEMrush Academy Certification.
- Moz Academy Certification.
- Google AdWords Certification.
- Google Analytics Certification.
- HubSpot Content Marketing Certification.
- HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification.
- Hootsuite Social Media Marketing Certification.
- Copyblogger Certified Content Marketer.
- Content Marketing Institute Online Certification.
- Facebook Ad Certification.
How Do I Get Google SEO Certification?
Good as it would sound to have a Google SEO certification, it simply doesn’t exist. That’s right.
Google does not provide any certification for SEO. Sorry 🙁
But don’t let that bother you. Because in this article, we will show you some amazing SEO certification programs. And come to think of it, Google can’t dapple into everything. It’s bad enough (or is it?) that Google has a stranglehold on the search engines.
What Is The Best SEO Certification?
Here, you will find a review of some of the best paid and free SEO certification courses. Please be aware that all SEO certification are usually valid for one year.
When you’re ready, let’s dive straight in.
Paid SEO Certification Courses
The Moz SEO Essentials Certificate (Series)
Presented by the Moz Academy, the Moz SEO Essentials Certification program is an instructor-led, six-part course that combines comprehensive, fundamental SEO education with actionable ways to implement your newfound skills using Moz Pro.
You’ll receive six hours of content guided by your instructors, test your knowledge with exams at the end of each of the five sections, and top it all off with shiny new credentials to share with your professional network, clients, and stakeholders.
Guided by your instructors, you’ll dive deep into each of the following core competency areas and topics that comprise good SEO:
- Fundamental SEO concepts
- Keyword research
- Page optimization
- Link building essentials
- Reporting on SEO
Who Should Take This Course?
This course is for anyone looking to learn and implement SEO quickly and efficiently, with the added benefit of maintaining proficiency over time.
Program Summary
- Course fee: $595
- Course duration: 6 – 8 hours
Content Marketing And SEO
Do you want to acquire skills in content marketing and SEO? Then this course may be for you. This is a class-based course which is also available online. It is presented by London School of Business and Finance.
With this course, you will learn how to implement organic search marketing strategies and gain an understanding of the best practices for link building – including how to produce original, relevant content. You will learn key skills through a range of practical techniques including: group projects, presentations, case studies, role plays and simulations.
Program Summary
- Course fee: £1,150
- Course duration: 4 days
Free Certification Courses
I don’t know about you, but I like freebies. I also like quality. If I can have a quality product that is free, I would love it. Which brings me to the SEMrush Academy. It is a free online digital marketing course platform that allows you to learn more about digital marketing, SEO, and other related topics. The Academy also provides a free SEMrush certification exam at the end of your course.
SEMrush Academy Certification
The SEMrush Academy also has free exams which you can take at any time. These exams essentially allow you to test your knowledge, identify your strengths, and find your weak spots. There is no limit to the number of times you can retake the exams. Upon successful completion of your chosen exam, SEMrush awards you an official certificate. The SEMrush academy certification is proof of the skills and knowledge you’ve acquired. Although free, the SEMrush SEO certification is as good as any SEO certification out there, including any Google SEO certification.
Why Study With SEMrush Academy?
Check out our award-winning article: “SEMrush Vs Ahrefs – Which SEO Tool is Best?”
Free Online SEMrush Courses on Digital Marketing
The SEMrush Academy has a range of free online courses. They all lead to an SEMrush academy certification or as some people prefer to call it, an SEMrush academy certificate.
SEO Course Leading To SEMrush Certification
SEMrush Site Audit Course
- Course content: 9 lessons
- Duration of course: 1 hour
Join Ross Tavendale in this free course to learn how to get the most out of the SEMrush Site Audit tool and fix issues that prevent your website from ranking high.
SEMrush SEO Toolkit Course
- Course content: 14 lessons
- Duration of course: 4 hours
Learn how to boost your SEO with SEMrush tools and get tips from practicing SEO experts in a series of free video lessons.
SEO Fundamentals Course with Greg Gifford
- Course content: 31 lessons
- Duration of course: 4 hours
Learn all that you need to know about SEO from prominent industry expert Greg Gifford in a series of video lessons.
Keyword Research Course with Greg Gifford
- Course content: 8 lessons
- Duration of course: 1 hour
Learn how to conduct keyword research from prominent industry expert Greg Gifford in a series of video lessons.
Backlink Management Course with Greg Gifford
- Course content: 7 lessons
- Duration of course: 1 hour
Learn all about backlink management and link building from prominent industry expert Greg Gifford in a series of video lessons.
Mobile SEO Course with Greg Gifford
- Course content: 7 lessons
- Duration of course: 1 hour
Take this course to start thinking mobile first and learn how to top the rankings in mobile searches — course professor Greg Gifford will teach you how!
Local SEO Course with Greg Gifford
- Course content: 10 lessons
- Duration of course: 1 hour
Take this course to learn how and when to do local SEO to attract local customers to your business.
Technical SEO course with Bastian Grimm
- Course content: 34 lessons
- Duration of course: 5 hours
Get a comprehensive and detailed overview of technical SEO from renowned industry expert Bastian Grimm in a series of video lessons.
SEO Resources Recommended For You:
SEO For Dummies: What Is SEO And How It Works
SEO For Bloggers: 48 Experts Share SEO Tips
SEMrush Tools Courses Leading To SEMrush Academy Certificate
SEMrush Overview Course
- Course content: 3 lessons
- Duration of course: 1 hour
Learn SEMrush! Get acquainted with SEMrush, learn about their analytics reports and project tools, and discover the benefits that integration with third-party services will bring in a series of video lessons.
Competitive Analysis and Keyword Research Course
- Course content: 8 lessons
- Duration of course: 1 hour
Learn how to take the first, most important, steps in SEO — competitive analysis and keyword research — with SEMrush tools. These steps are indispensable in building a winning SEO strategy.
On-Page and Technical SEO Course
- Course content: 7 lessons
- Duration of course: 1 hour
Learn how to improve and maintain your website’s health, and optimize your website’s content for both users and search engines with SEMrush tools to rank highly and gain more online visibility.
Link Building Course
- Course content: 5 lessons
- Duration of course: 1 hour
Learn how to build a relevant backlink profile for your website, keeping clear of bad backlinks, as well as arrange proper internal linking, all of this with SEMrush tools.
Rank Tracking Course
- Course content: 2 lessons
- Duration of course: 30 minutes
Learn how to evaluate your ongoing SEO campaign by tracking your website’s online visibility, and analyzing Google’s SERPs with the help of SEMrush tools.
Mobile, International, And Local SEO Course
- Course content: 8 lessons
- Duration of course: 1 hour
Learn how to optimize your website when it comes to certain search engine algorithms to rank locally, globally, and on mobile devices – all of this with SEMrush tools. Learn more
Management, Reporting, and Collaboration Course
- Course content: 3 lessons
- Duration of course: 1 hour
Learn how to manage your projects, facilitate your team processes, and organize reporting with SEMrush tools.
SEMrush Content Marketing Toolkit Course
- Course content: 9 lessons
- Duration of course: 4 hours
Gain an understanding of the SEMrush tools for content marketers. Make your exam preparation easier and get SEMrush certified!
Content Marketing Courses Leading To An SEMrush Academy Certificate
Content Marketing Fundamentals Course With Ashley Segura
- Course content: 13 lessons
- Duration of course: 2 hours
Dive into the inner workings of content marketing and learn how you can use content to complement and promote your brand in this series of video lessons.
PPC Courses Leading To SEMrush Academy Certification
SEMrush Advertising Toolkit Course
- Course content: 12 lessons
- Duration of course: 2 hours
Learn SEMrush and how to use SEMrush PPC tools by watching video tutorials and get practical advice every PPC should know.
PPC Fundamentals Course With Joel Bondorowsky
- Course content: 36 lessons
- Duration of course: 5 hours
Learn what it takes to become a confident pay-per-click specialist from field expert Joel Bondorowsky in a series of video lessons.
SMM Courses Leading To An SEMrush Academy Certificate
SEMrush Social Media Toolkit Course
- Course content: 5 lessons
- Duration of course: 2 hours
Learn how to use the SEMrush SMM toolkit by watching video tutorials and get practical advice from social media professionals.
SMM Fundamentals Course With Neal Schaffer
- Course content: 27 lessons
- Duration of course: 4 hours
Learn how to grow your social media presence from acclaimed leader in the world of business social media Neal Schaffer in a series of video lessons.
Wrapping Up – What is the Best Online SEO Course?
What are your thoughts about SEO certification? Is it something you would consider? Would you take advantage of the free training and certification offered by SEMrush? I know the training is not exactly a Google SEO training, but it’s as good is it gets, because SEMrush is world class!
Have you read any SEMrush academy reviews?
Having gone through this article, in your opinion, what is the best online SEO course?
Why not share your thoughts? You can share your thoughts on Social Media, and please do tag us.
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Thank you for sharing these links to free courses. All I have to do now is just bookmark your page. Which course would you recommend for being newbie?
Hey Jatin,
Good to see you here at Astute Copy Blogging.
I would suggest you start with the SEMrush SEO Fundamentals Course with Greg Gifford. It has 31 lessons over a period of 4 hours. And here you will learn all that you need to know about SEO from prominent industry expert Greg Gifford in a series of video lessons. That will give you the foundation you need.
Let me know if there’s anything else I can help with.
Take care and stay safe 🙂
Best,
Pedro