The Importance of SEO Education for Web Strategists

There are some things in this world that will provide satisfaction only when you do it by yourself, and SEO (search engine optimization) is one of it. However, SEO is not a daily chore like brushing teeth or taking a shower – it is not acquired naturally. To do SEO, you will have to acquire special skills, and, you must be willing to invest your time on it. It is part science and part art – science, because there are definite algorithms, and art, because, you need to feel the pulse of each search engine.

On SEO Education

There is also an element of uncertainty in the ways search engines work, and that adds woe to those want to learn SEO. SEO is an evolving branch of education, and even as recently as 10 years back was not offered in regular colleges. Today’s SEO practitioners acquired most of their skill in SEO through trial and error learning technique.  It was mostly acquired by working for companies that specialized in SEO work. But fortunately for people like you who may want to learn SEO, help is virtually available on your finger tips. Thanks to the internet, those who want to hone their skills in SEO can do it online.

Before, you join one of the programs offered online, be careful to do a bit of researching. That is because, along with genuine SEO programs, there are many that are nothing but scams. A poorly structured paid program not only drains your money, but also wastes your time – you will be better off without it. It is therefore important to choose a program after you have evaluated its content and its relevancy to your needs.

Some SEO Educators

Here are some SEO higher-education programs you may want to consider – they have been time tested and found to be practical and worth the effort.

Bruce Clay SEO Training

The main objectives of this training program are to help you attain a superior website ranking for your web pages and bring in more traffic. Bruce Clay SEO training is the result of 17 years of relentless research culminating in 100s of satisfied customers all over the world. The course content has withstood the test of time with constant improvements and upgrades.

The latest curriculum for the course includes many useful tips and information you will not find anywhere else. The course revolves around emerging technologies, blended or universal search, trends, and strategies you can practically put to use in the social media. You will also learn how best you can use your digital assets, and for building links.

Bruce Clay SEO Training is ideal for beginners as well as advanced learners. The course duration is 4.5 days of intense training. At the end of the program you will receive the SEO Certified Analyst Certification and a 1-year free subscription to SEOToolSet.

SEO WebConference & Certification Training (SEMPO)

Most of SEMPO’s (Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization) training and certification is conducted online through webinars, and the topics are varied. To learn more about each webinar you should visit their website. You will also get more information about the training date and course content. For some programs you can register online. SEMPO’s website also contains a huge repository of resources which will help you to hone your skills in SEO.

This year’s prominent resource people include Eric Enge, Bill Hunt, and SEMPO President Chris Bogg. Candidates can also enroll for the 5-week program leading to the award of certification. SEMPO certification is widely recognized within the industry.

Most training programs center on Google analytics and are ideal for beginners as well as advanced learners of SEO techniques. Most programs aim at particular segment and it is up to you to take a program that you think will suit your needs best. SEMPO training is generally found to be very useful for those who intend to become professional SEOs.

Moz Academy

In spite of its academy sounding name, it is not really a college in its real sense. But there is enough material here to make you a professional class SEO strategist. At Moz, you will be able to learn the basics of SEO, techniques to get links to your web pages, using social media effectively, branding and content marketing. Most lessons are short and precise to the point.

SEO programs include – learning the basics, how search engines rank pages, keyword strategy building, key word researching, on page optimization and website architecture.

Link building programs consists of – understanding the value of links, how search engines value links, the different elements in a link, analyzing links and link reclamation.

Social media topics covered are – strategy making, identifying the right media, what to share in media, and Facebook & Twitter marketing.

Content Marketing program consists of – relationship to business, defining useful content, metrics of content and specific content discussion.

On Keeping Pace with SEO

Search engines do not generally have a positive view about SEO education, because, most engines believe SEO education is aimed at beating their algorithms. They keep on changing their algorithms as frequently as they can to stay ahead of SEO strategists. Therefore, for those who are learning the basics of SEO, learning itself is a constantly changing process in which they need to keep pace with the search engines. A good grounding is SEO can help you formulate your strategy for promoting your website. In SEO the only constant is change.