Google’s decision to offer digital marketing certification, which includes search engine optimization (SEO), left a bit of a buzz. Others were confused.
Meanwhile, some are rushing to get certified. But should you?
Unfortunately, many SEO professionals have been disappointed with what they’ve seen of certification training so far. For example, Google instructors were teaching nonsense about keyword density and word count. (Once this problematic slide was called out, Google quickly deleted it.)
Whether you’re thinking about becoming Google certified or hiring someone with certification, here are some important questions to answer and things to evaluate.
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Does the person receive SEO certification or course completion?
short answer
In many cases, certification generally means that a person or user enrolls in and attends many courses.
Many certification programs offer a certificate of completion after each course a person completes. Or the certificate of completion is given after a person has completed a set of courses. This reward system at least shows progress toward an ostensibly larger goal: certification in a subject or discipline.
In some certification programs, attendees must pass a test to receive certification. Some of these tests are relatively easy to pass. Some are not so easy because instructors are trying to gauge whether an attendee has the genuine aptitude to be certified.
long answer
There are many types of certification, including but not limited to:
SEOUsability/UX (User Experience) AgileInteraction Design (IxD) Human/Computer Interfaces (HCI) User Interfaces (UI) And so on
In some cases, the classes may be a set of continuing education classes. This certification process can provide more trust value because the coursework appears to be endorsed by a college or university.
The most advanced route to “certification” is probably the least common route: getting a degree in the subject or discipline. This route is not for everyone because it is usually long and expensive, especially with out-of-state or out-of-country registration. In addition, you must apply and be admitted to the undergraduate or graduate program.
This route is best for truly passionate and passionate fans of the subject or discipline. However, people who choose this route can often become the best instructors for certification.
At the end of all these routes, after all the work, practicals, homework and tests, a person is awarded a certificate and usually a stamp that shows that person has gone through the entire certification process.
The stamp with image format is supposed to communicate trust, authority and credibility. Here are some things to consider when evaluating an SEO certification program:
Quality of teachers: You should look for experienced, well-educated and well-trained instructors. Simply having a check mark next to a person’s name does not automatically mean that an instructor is an expert. You want subject matter experts to teach the classes.Course quality: Check out the certification schedule to see what’s being taught. Are you taught how to use a certification body’s tool or toolkit? This is not necessarily an SEO certification. SEO professionals use several tools. Make sure the quality of the course is objective.Completion vs. certification: Are you awarded completion or a certification? Certification programs that require passing an aptitude test or tests may be better than certification programs that do not. On the other hand, as long as the subject matter experts are excellent, taking a series of courses to earn a certificate of completion can be just as authoritative and trustworthy.Training and continuing education. Understand that SEO certification is also not the same as SEO experience. Algorithm changes, emergence of search engine results pages (SERPs), fluctuating search traffic, evolving technologies, etc. they make SEO a continuous (iterative) process.
So, if you want to hire or hire a qualified SEO, don’t just use certification as a qualifying factor. Please consider continuing education, training and experience.
What about unethical SEO and ethical SEO?
short answer
This is a topic that Google has overlooked. Nowadays, anyone can get SEO certified by Google. Therefore, SEO certification does not guarantee that an SEO professional follows all of Google’s guidelines and best practices.
long answer
I know. Many SEO professionals want to overcome this issue. Many SEO professionals believe us to own this topic is long overdue. The ethical vs. unethical debate is the proverbial elephant in the room.
Ethical SEO it means following all the rules set by web search engines. This type of SEO professional is considered an ethical SEO professional.
Unethical seo involves various methods that do not follow the rules and guidelines set by web search engines. These unethical methods are typically used to get higher rankings faster than ethical methods. Companies that implement unethical SEO methods may feel that the risk of search engine spam is worth taking.
The classification is not a strict division. There are usually shades of gray.
For example, an ethical SEO may not spam search engines, but will follow a usability/UX rule that differs from what search engines recommend. An unethical SEO may follow most of the rules, but really disagree and ignore a guideline or two. In the end, ethical SEO is often in the eye of the beholder.
As mentioned above, I don’t think the folks at Google have fully thought through this certification process. If Google really wants its SEO certification program to communicate trust, credibility, and authority, it should have considered the different types of SEO methodologies. Talking to the “Spam Department” and search quality evaluators might have helped.
Can Google Succeed With SEO Certification?
short answer
Google can get some benefits from SEO certification. Currently, searching and evaluating search lists is not commonly taught in schools from elementary school through college. People still think that search engine optimization is optimizing only for search engines instead of optimizing for people who use search engines.
As long as these circumstances persist, I think Google can succeed.
long answer
What would be better? If Google offered a certification on how to best use its arsenal of search tools.
If Google can provide seals of approval for Google Analytics and Google Ads, why not provide similar certification for using Google’s available search tools? What can SEOs and other professionals learn from each of these search tools? How can people better connect Google search tools with different products, such as Google Analytics?
What about image search? Looking for video? How can novices and experts alike make an image XML sitemap? A video XML sitemap? I can see many topics in the course agendas that lead to practice exercises and test questions.
This type of certification can be much more useful for newbies and SEO professionals and other types of web professionals.
What will I do as an SEO professional?
I will probably take the certification courses for several reasons.
For credibility? Of couse.
But I will also evaluate the quality of the information presented. After all, Google is not the only search engine. I prefer to have a broader SEO perspective than to focus only on a single search engine.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
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About the author
Shari Thurow is the Founder and Director of SEO at Omni Marketing Interactive Omni Marketing Interactive and the author of the books Search engine visibility and When search meets web usability. Shari is currently a contributing editor for the ASLIB Journal of Information Management. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Information Architecture Institute (IAI) and the User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA).
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