“Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialization” offered by the University of California, Davis is one of the most comprehensive programmes for SEO in the world. It has enabled thousands of people across the world to start a new career and negotiate better opportunities.
According to a study conducted by Eli Schwartz, a growth advisor and SEO strategic consultant show the demand for SEO professionals is increasing, creating a “seller’s market.”Data from LinkedIn Sales Navigator revealed there are 47.5k US job openings related to SEO and 909K professionals in the US with “SEO” in their profile. Although there is no such data available for the Bangladeshi market, the demand for expert SEO professionals has been on the rise. As more and more people are adopting digital services, the competition between businesses to be at the top of search results have risen accordingly. SEO specialists are hired as part of digital and content marketing programs, by web developers, as content marketers, and in many other roles, simply because companies need web traffic to make digital campaigns successful. Whether you’re currently a search engine optimization professional or are working on building your way into the field, an SEO career promises excitement and tremendous potential for growth.
Learn it Online
In recent times, online courses have allowed professionals to learn valuable traits of their respective industries. The quality of online courses have improved to an extent, their certifications are increasingly valued by the biggest companies around the world. To help you climb the next step of your professional ladder, we have identified the best online course available on Coursera. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialization offered by the University of California, Davis is one of the most comprehensive programmes for SEO in the world that has enabled thousands of people across the world to start a new career and negotiate better opportunities.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
In the past, if you wanted to get noticed it meant renting a billboard or taking out an ad in a newspaper but now with large search engines being the go-to fonts of information for most people, entities have been seeking ways to fight to the top of search results using a process called search engine optimization (SEO). Major search engines like Google use algorithms to try to push relevant results to the top of the page so that when a user types in a computer mouse, they’ll get links to buy a new input device rather than pictures of Stuart Little trying to use a PC.
Now, how exactly these algorithms work is usually a closely guarded trade secret. But there’s enough public knowledge for professionals to attempt to tune their pages to boost their position in the search results. In fact, Google puts out a search engine optimization starter guide to help website owners improve their chances of earning the covenant top results.
What are Specializations?
A Coursera Specialization is a series of related courses designed to help professionals master a specific topic. One can begin a Specialization by enrolling in the entire specialization or a single course in the series. Some shorter Specializations include as few as three courses and only take a few months to finish. Longer Specializations can include ten or more courses and take up to a year.
About the Specialization
It is designed to teach optimization of website content for the best possible search engine ranking. Starting from the theory behind Google search and other search engine algorithms; you’ll also build practical, real-world skills that you can apply to a career in digital marketing or online content development, including on-page and off-page optimization, optimizing for local and international audiences, conducting search-focused website audits, and aligning SEO with overall business strategies. Each course is intended to build on the skills from the previous course, thus we recommend you take the courses in the order they are listed. The Specialization culminates in a hands-on Capstone Project, in which you will apply your skills to a comprehensive SEO consulting task.
Introduction
The first instalment of the programme explains how major search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo rank any website within their searches. Also, how content such as videos or local listings are shown and ranked based on what the search engine considers most relevant to users. This course is the first within the SEO Specialization and it is intended to give the enrolled a taste of SEO with some fun practices to get seen in Google. She/He will be introduced to the foundational elements of how the most popular search engine, Google, works, how the SEO landscape is constantly changing and what can be expected in the future. Subsequently, the core SEO strategies and tactics used to drive more organic search results to a specific website or set of websites, as well as tactics to prevent penalization from Google.
SEO Fundamentals
The second course of the specialization helps the enrollees to gain an understanding of search engine algorithms and how they affect organic search results and websites. Building on this knowledge, they will learn the key elements for creating an effective SEO strategy, including how to select keywords and perform keyword research; consumer psychology and search second behaviour; and how to conduct on-page SEO analysis to identify opportunities to improve a website’s search optimization.
Optimising a Website
This segment is designed to teach the ins and outs of optimizing a website, from conducting an initial audit to presenting your findings and recommendations. Hands-on activities include learning how to select and apply appropriate keywords throughout a website, incorporating keyword research in a content marketing strategy, and optimizing a site for local search. Concurrently, they will also learn strategies for setting goals and client/stakeholder expectations, building effective analytics and reports, and communicating SEO improvements.
Advanced Contents and Social Tactics
This segment is designed to help discover the content marketing and social media ecosystems and how these interconnected channels drive search results to a website. It intends to teach professionals to leverage content marketing and social media as part of their SEO strategy, and how to use influence marketing to establish a website’s authority.
Website Optimization Client Report Project
SEO is a dynamic and growing career field that demands knowledge and skills in a variety of website optimization strategies and tactics to be successful. This course is designed to provide you with a solid foundation in SEO including the different elements comprising a website optimization client report and arm you with the skills you need to develop a tactical approach to SEO. Whether someone has completed the other courses in the Search Engine Optimization specialization or are taking just this course exclusively, it will provide an opportunity to apply the knowledge that has been acquired in SEO tactics.
It will allow users to identify optimization opportunities on a site and discover valuable tips for pitching your plans and managing relationships with clients. Consequently, develop a customized SEO solution for a website and go through each of the major steps needed to execute any strategy including keyword research, competitive analysis, improving the site’s meta-data and on-page elements. Along the way, they will receive feedback through the peer-review process. This community of fellow learners will provide additional input to help refine the approach to SEO and present the findings to clients and management.
