For people who want to improve themselves in the field of SEO, there is no educational institution where you can receive an undergraduate education or diploma in this field. SEO experts receive face-to-face or online training to improve themselves in this field, and at the end of this training, they obtain SEO certificates.
Many different SEO certification institutions are available online or face-to-face to improve yourself in the SEO field. Some reputable platforms, online gurus, or various SEO experts offer courses in this field.
You will encounter many different people and institutions that provide SEO training. However, a significant portion of this paid training will be useless, and your money will be wasted. Therefore, you should choose the right platform or instructor and get a certificate after qualified SEO training.
In this article, we will list the most popular, best, and most exclusive SEO certificates in 2024 for people who want to learn about SEO or dream of becoming an SEO expert.
What Is SEO Certification?
An SEO certificate is a document issued by a course platform, a business, a brand, or an instructor stating that you have successfully completed an online or face-to-face SEO course. Since you cannot have a university degree in SEO, you can obtain an SEO certificate by completing quality training.
Many qualified experts in the market open courses to train people and share their knowledge. By attending these courses, you can qualify to receive a certificate and improve yourself in the field of SEO. However, there are also many opportunists who claim to provide SEO training because anyone can create SEO training in various ways and become a trainer in this field.
You can attend SEO courses offered by authorized brands and thought leaders to get an SEO certificate to use in your career and gain experience with qualified knowledge. In this way, you can also obtain an SEO certificate by completing the course.
What Can An SEO Certification Do For You?
The method used by people new to the SEO industry to learn the basics of SEO and prove themselves in the industry is to obtain SEO certificates. SEO certificate helps you create a nice CV if you are going to pursue a career in SEO.
A website owner or marketing manager with an SEO certification can perform simple SEO tasks. You don’t need a certification to work in the SEO industry or be the best in the SEO business. If research is done, it can be seen that some of the most professional SEO experts have not taken any online SEO courses.
Even the best online SEO courses will not benefit you if you have some familiarity with SEO. SEO is a dynamic process and constantly improves itself. For this reason, you cannot learn SEO completely with a course.
With an SEO course, you can get information about the basic building blocks and essentials of SEO. After this stage, it is entirely up to you to improve yourself and follow the trends. In summary, SEO certification is useful for educating yourself, gaining knowledge, and creating a good CV in the industry.
Is There a Google SEO Certification?
When it comes to SEO, the first name that comes to mind is Google. Google does not offer people a certification program. Therefore, a Google SEO expert can be a person who obtains certification by taking an SEO course through any third-party provider.
Google offers two different digital marketing certificates:
- Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
- Google Digital Marketing and E-commerce Certificate
These two certificates contain some SEO lessons. Do not think that you will become a certified Google SEO expert even if you complete these trainings.
Even though they are not issued by Google, there are very qualified SEO certificates. We will give you information about the best SEO certificates you can get in 2024 in the following topics.
Are SEO Certifications Worth It?
You can be successful as an agency or individual with or without certification. This may be enough if you, as an SEO agency or SEO expert, have been using SEO tools successfully for several clients. You can show your experience and skills with customer case studies to prove your success to people.
Many people say that SEO certifications are not very important. A study showed that 86% of employers overlook SEO certification when hiring an SEO specialist. Also, strikingly, the remaining respondents said that certificates were of little importance.
Getting an SEO certificate does not mean that you have received very good SEO training and learned every detail. The certificate you receive after training with an inadequate curriculum may not be of much use to you. At the same time, with SEO certificates, you only learn about SEO in theory, not in practice. Open a website after an SEO training and improve your SEO skills by getting involved. You can also attend applied SEO training.
Finally, getting SEO certifications can be a bit time-consuming. You can spend this time opening a website and learning SEO in practice. You can also learn about SEO from many free sources.
8 Best SEO Certifications
If you will receive qualified SEO training and obtain an SEO certificate, you should read our list. We have researched many SEO training for you and listed the SEO certificates of the most qualified training here. If you want to obtain a certificate that will make a difference and be taken seriously, you can attend the training on our list.
We have presented you with some of the best SEO certifications on the market. These companies are businesses with strong references and comprehensive courses. You also receive an SEO certificate by completing well-structured courses taught by experienced experts in the field.
Here are the 8 best SEO certifications you need to know;
- Google SEO Fundamentals by UC Davis
- SEO Certification Course by HubSpot
- All-Around SEO Training by Yoast
- SEO Foundations on LinkedIn
- Semrush SEO Fundamentals Course
- SEO Training by ClickMinded
- Moz SEO Essentials Certificate
- Advanced Search Engine Optimization Program by Simplilearn
Google SEO Fundamentals by UC Davis
This 29-hour training is ideal for those who are novices in SEO. Training provided by Rebekah May and Eric Enge is free.
We noted that Google does not provide an SEO certification. But within the SEO specialization created by Google and the University of California, Davis, and supported by Coursera, Google offers a free online SEO certification course called SEO Fundamentals.
The relevant course consists of four modules. After completing the average 29-hour course, you complete the final exam, and if you are successful, you receive an SEO certificate. Each module has video tutorials that are small in size. You can also take a quick test at the end of each module to see your knowledge.
SEO Certification Course by HubSpot
If you are looking for a successful certification course in SEO, HubSpot provides you with two different SEO courses. The first course is for candidates who are new to SEO. You can learn all the SEO basics here. This course provides information on many topics, such as the working principles of search engines, on-page SEO, keyword research process, and building strategies.
HubSpot SEO Certification Course is a completely free course. There are 7 lessons consisting of 26 videos, and five exams are solved. You can finish the course in approximately 4-6 hours. In addition to SEO, you can get information on social media, creating a potential customer base, and inbound marketing basics.
The other HubSpot SEO course is for participants who are more experienced. This course provides training on many topics, such as page experience, basic web data, and SEO transitions.
If you want to get basic information about SEO and your budget is limited, you can choose this course as a start.
All-Around SEO Training by Yoast
Yoast Academy does not send away those who want to improve themselves in the field of SEO empty-handedly. A versatile SEO course is offered for professionals on this platform. Participants who complete this course will obtain a qualified SEO certificate.
The certification fee is $99. When you pay this fee, you can access many additional courses in a single package. Yoast Academy also opens you up to international SEO, keyword research, local SEO, copywriting, structured data, and some specialized WordPress training.
The SEO training provided by Yoast, the company that founded the most popular SEO plugin of WordPress, will allow you to gain qualified knowledge on this subject.
With Yoast’s affordable SEO training, you will learn the process of;
- Doing keyword research,
- Preparing SEO-friendly content,
- Making your website structure suitable for SEO,
- Creating and implementing technical SEO strategies,
- Off-page SEO techniques such as backlink building, user experience optimization, email marketing, and social media.
This training includes three hours of instructional videos. You can also access some quizzes and downloadable checklists. Covering all the main topics of SEO, this training also provides a year-long course and access to the Yoast SEO plugin. However, 3 hours of video may seem short and simple for those with intermediate SEO skills.
SEO Foundations on LinkedIn
LinkedIn offers you SEO courses to gain basic knowledge. There are also some SEO courses that include advanced techniques for people with basic knowledge of the platform and will help you specialize. You can take courses on;
- SEO basics
- SEO keyword strategy
- E-commerce SEO
- SEO content writing
In the LinkedIn course, an evaluation is made at the end of each module to determine whether you have fully understood it before moving on to the next course. At the same time, at the end of the courses, you will be given a course completion certificate signed by LinkedIn.
You can take this course for free. At the same time, if you want your entire team to access this training and be eligible to receive the course certificate, there is also a plan for teams in SEO training. You can purchase it with licensing options starting from $500 per year per license.
Semrush SEO Fundamentals Course
Semrush is among the most popular digital marketing platforms and provides free online certification courses with Semrush Academy. More than one SEO course is provided for you on this platform. Experienced SEO consultant Greg Gilford, one of the most important names in the industry, teaches these courses.
The course has 31 modules covering different aspects of SEO. SEO basics is the best course for beginners. You can access many strategies, such as;
- Technical SEO
- On-page SEO
- Off-page SEO
- Mobile SEO
- Link building
- Local SEO
- International SEO
Semrush Academy SEO courses offer you all courses for free. At the end of the course, you can take the exams on the basics of SEO and receive certificates when you pass. Courses are approximately 1-2 hours long. Some courses also include content lasting 4-5 hours.
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Not only are all the courses featured here free, but they provide the most elite certification in SEO for marketers and beginners. After completing the free courses, where you will gain knowledge and practical experience, you can obtain certificates that will add value to you. Courses given by valuable experts offer you a wide range of knowledge and experiences.
SEO Training by ClickMinded
One of the most effective courses for beginners and intermediate SEO experts is SEO training from ClickMinded. This training is 5 hours long and costs $997. The information provided in this training announcement states that they helped 8702 startups, agencies, entrepreneurs, and students learn SEO and get traffic by achieving higher rankings.
Throughout the training, topics such as the basics of SEO, introduction to SEO tools, optimizing a website for a search engine, keyword research, and introduction to Google Search Console are included. At the same time, a certification exam is held at the end of the training. Additionally, you can attend training on topics such as paid advertising, content and email marketing, social media marketing, web analytics, and sales funnel.
This platform offers you the opportunity to quickly learn the best SEO techniques. You can also learn many skills, such as;
- Basics of organic search
- The best SEO tools
- Establishing an SEO strategy
- On-page SEO and link-building
- Technical SEO
This course also provides significant advantages in topics such as local business, Shopify-based websites, YouTube, Amazon, and Pinterest SEO. It can also be described as a fully featured Google SEO certification course. It can be recommended to businesses and agencies that want to speed up the recruitment process of new and inexperienced employees because it is a somewhat expensive course.
This course also has a money-back guarantee for those who are not satisfied within 14 days. At the same time, instructional videos from leading experts are with you throughout the training. However, it is a somewhat high-priced course for those new to SEO. At the same time, brand awareness is less than in courses on platforms such as Moz and Semrush.
Moz SEO Essentials Certificate
For those who want to receive basic SEO training, Moz’s SEO Essentials certification is also very effective. When you attend this course, you can learn basic SEO concepts and put your skills into practice using Moz Pro, Moz’s paid SEO tool.
This course consists of subsections and is among the best SEO courses. There is an average video viewing time of 6 hours. At the end of the course, you solve a skills test to verify the SEO skills you have learned.
It presents you with many SEO concepts;
- Keyword research methods,
- On-page SEO optimization,
- Link-building strategies,
- SEO analysis and monitoring processes,
- Reporting processes.
You can eliminate the impracticality of SEO courses by completing tasks that provide hands-on experience in each section. The cost of this course is $595.
Moz SEO basics course has hands-on sections to strengthen your skills. There is also no need for a Moz subscription. It is a very strong SEO certificate in terms of brand awareness and status. You can also take additional courses that contain more detailed content on revealing different SEO strategies. The limitation of this course is that it does not have a technical SEO section and only teaches you how to use Moz Pro. There is no information about using other tools.
It is one of the best courses for SEO beginners and intermediate marketers. You can access the course content for one year and practice regularly.
Advanced Search Engine Optimization Program by Simplilearn
One of the most detailed and comprehensive SEO training programs on the market is provided by Simplilearn. This course provides all the necessary knowledge and skills for those who are new to the SEO industry and professionals to become a fully-rounded SEO expert. It is a highly advanced SEO certification course.
This course features live online lessons led by industry experts. There are 20 real-life projects learned throughout the course. It covers all SEO areas, such as;
- Keyword research,
- On-page link-building strategies,
- Local SEO,
- Technical SEO.
It is among the most difficult SEO certifications for participants to earn. To receive the certification, a student must complete at least 85% of the course, attend all online sessions, successfully complete five projects, and complete the simulation test with a score of 75 out of 100.
The most important advantage of the course is that the curriculum is very deep, and industry professionals give live lessons. It also has the best industry tools. The course has a 100% money-back guarantee. It is an SEO course that is not suitable for beginners and is more costly than other courses. At the end of the course, students who meet all requirements can receive an SEO certificate. You have to pay extra to attend additional classes, and you can also interact with other students throughout the course.
Conclusion
SEO certification is one of the effective ways to increase your knowledge in the SEO field and build confidence as an SEO expert. There are many SEO training courses on the market that you can get certifications for, with their strengths and weaknesses. There are training options for those with SEO knowledge at all levels.
A significant portion of SEO certificates on the market do not contain qualified training. At the same time, there is no guarantee that you will become an SEO expert by obtaining SEO certificates. Therefore, you need to choose a course by determining your goals and priorities.
2 Comments
Thanks for the comprehensive list! I’ve been looking to enhance my SEO skills, and this post couldn’t have come at a better time. Do you think these certifications are suitable for beginners, or should I have some prior SEO knowledge before diving in?
Great roundup! I’ve completed one of the certifications you mentioned last year, and it indeed boosted my resume. Curious to know, how do you think the value of these certifications stands up against real-world SEO experience?