This is the complete guide to SEO certifications in 2024. In this in-depth review, you’ll learn what an SEO certification is, which are the best SEO certifications to pursue this year, how much they cost, and other useful tips to help you choose the most suitable SEO training program for your needs.
What Is SEO Certification?
An SEO certification is awarded to individuals who successfully complete an SEO Course. It shows that you have the necessary training and skills to work with search engine optimization.
There are many ways to get SEO certification. You can follow an online SEO course or attend a classroom-based course.
As you’ll see below, the cost and requirements for becoming SEO certified vary per course provider.
Is There a Google SEO Certification?
Google does not offer an SEO certification program. To become a Google SEO expert, you can follow an SEO course from a third-party provider and get certified.
Two digital marketing certificates offered by Google (Fundamentals of Digital Marketing and Google Digital Marketing & eCommerce Certificate) include some SEO-related lessons, but that won’t make you a Google SEO certified expert.
These are the top SEO certifications you can pursue in 2024 and get SEO certified.
Best SEO Certifications of 2024
- Reliablesoft SEO Certification
- SEO Specialization By Coursera
- All-around SEO Training By Yoast
- ClickMinded SEO Certification
- Moz SEO Essentials Certificate
- Semrush SEO Fundamentals Course
- Advanced SEO Certification Training By MarketMotive
- Bruce Clay Complete SEO Training Experience
- SEO Training Masterclass by Udemy
- SimpliLearn SEO Training Course
1. Reliablesoft SEO Certification
The Reliablesoft SEO Certification is the most comprehensive SEO certification program you can find online. It teaches you everything you ever need to know about SEO.
The Complete SEO Course includes 13 lessons covering all aspects of SEO. In particular:
- SEO for Beginners
- Technical SEO
- On-Page SEO
- Keyword Research
- Off-Page SEO
- Advanced SEO
- Conversion Optimization
- Website Speed
- Website Security
- Image Optimization
- Structured Data & Schema
- Google Analytics
- Local SEO & International SEO
- Mobile SEO
- SEO Tools & Services
- eCommerce SEO
The course has more than 9200 students, is highly rated in course reviews, and comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee (the best money-back guarantee in the industry).
You must complete the course and pass an exam to become SEO Certified and receive your SEO Certification.
The learning format comprises videos, checklists, tutorials, and an easy-to-use platform to help you learn SEO in the best possible way. The course instructor is a recognized SEO expert with more than 18 years of experience in the SEO industry.
Upon course competition, you’ll know exactly how to massively increase SEO traffic to your website as quickly as possible.
You can replicate the same proven process we’ve used to increase the traffic of a brand-new website to over 500,000 Google visits per month in one of the most competitive niches online.
When doing our market research to set the price for the course, we found out that good SEO courses were too expensive for the average person, so we are offering our course at a discounted price of $149, which makes it affordable for everyone.
With your registration, you’ll get lifetime access to the Digital Marketing Course Bundle, which includes:
- The Complete SEO Course
- eCommerce SEO Course
- Google Analytics 4 Course
- Keyword Research Course
- 10 more digital marketing courses.
This will help you build the necessary SEO skills and understand how to use SEO with other marketing channels to boost your results.
- Vendor: Reliablesoft Academy
- Price: $149 (once-off)
This is the best SEO certification course for beginners. It begins by explaining what SEO is and how it works. It includes many examples and step-by-step instructions to help students apply SEO in practice.
2. SEO Specialization By Coursera
This course is delivered by Coursera and offered by UCDavis (University of California). Coursera is an online training platform that provides access to several university-level courses.
Their SEO specialization bundle includes 5 courses covering basic and advanced SEO concepts. Among the instructors is Eric Enge, an SEO expert highly respected in the SEO community.
- Introduction to Google SEO
- Google SEO Fundamentals
- Optimizing a Website for Google Search
- Advanced Content and Social Tactics to Optimize SEO
- Google SEO Capstone Project
The course takes approximately 5 months to complete, and the total cost is $245. This program is offered as part of the Coursera Plus subscription, which costs $49 monthly.
You’ll be awarded an SEO certification after completing all five courses (including the Google SEO Capstone Project).
- Vendor: Coursera
- Price: $245
This is the best SEO certification for agencies. Course instructors are actively working in the SEO industry, and in the course, you’ll learn how to approach SEO as a service provider.
3. All-Around SEO Training By Yoast
Yoast is the company behind the most popular WordPress SEO plugin. Their SEO Certification courses are part of Yoast SEO Premium, which includes the Yoast SEO Premium Plugin and access to all their SEO training programs.
Yoast is a highly reputable company in the SEO industry, not only because of its plugins but also because of its general contributions to WordPress and the SEO community.
Yoast Academy courses, including the following:
- SEO copywriting
- International SEO
- SEO for beginners
- All-around SEO
- Keyword research
- Site structure
- Technical SEO: Crawlability and indexability
- Local SEO
- Understanding structured data
Each course has several lessons (broken down into short topics) and quizzes to test your knowledge of the particular topic. The instructors are SEO experts, part of the Yoast team. When you complete a course, you can get an SEO certification for your CV.
- Vendor: Yoast
- Price: $99 (per year)
This is the best SEO certification for non-technical users. In the course, you’ll learn how to optimize the technical SEO of your website without having technical knowledge.
4. ClickMinded SEO Certification
The ClickMinded SEO course is a comprehensive course that covers all aspects of Search Engine Optimization. Reputable SEO professionals teach lessons with years of working experience in the industry.
The program breaks down into 8 sections, with each section including around 3-6 hours of content. The most important topics covered are:
- Organic search
- Keyword research
- Content planning
- Google ranking signals
- Technical SEO
- SEO Tools
To get your SEO certification, you must finish the course (around 24 hours) and pass a final exam.
- Vendor: ClickMinded
- Price: $999 (once-off)
This is the best SEO certification for businesses. It’s one of the most expensive courses on this list and most suitable for companies with a big training budget.
5. Moz SEO Essentials Certificate
Moz is another company that is important in the SEO industry. They have been around for years, and their contribution to the SEO community is highly respected.
The SEO certification course includes 6 hours of instructor-led time and exams, and upon completing the exam, you become SEO certified.
While Moz has its own SEO tools, the course is not dependent on their tools. You can follow this course without having a Moz Pro subscription.
The program covers the following topics:
- SEO fundaments
- Keyword research
- On-Page optimization
- Link building Techniques
- SEO reporting
Upon completing this program, you’ll know how to create an SEO strategy and implement essential SEO techniques such as optimizing web pages, getting backlinks, and developing keyword research plans.
- Vendor: Moz
- Price: $595 (once-off)
This is the best SEO certification for non-SEO professionals. It’s only 6 hours long and covers basic and advanced SEO concepts.
6. Semrush SEO Fundaments Course
Semrush (a digital marketing platform) offers free online certification courses through Semrush Academy.
Their SEO course is delivered by Greg Gilford, an experienced SEO consultant with years of working experience in the industry.
The course has 31 modules that cover several aspects of SEO, including:
- SEO basics
- Technical SEO
- On-page SEO
- Mobile SEO
- Link building
- International SEO
- Local SEO
The total video duration is 104 minutes, and with the quizzes, you’ll need around 2 hours to review all the material. To get certified, you must finish all the lessons and pass a multiple-choice exam.
- Vendor: Semrush
- Price: Free
This is the best free SEO certification. SEMRush SEO Courses, although they are free, are all taught by experts and provide helpful information and advice.
7. Advanced SEO Certification Training By MarketMotive
MarketMotive’s advanced SEO certification is a complete course covering all aspects of Search engine optimization in detail. Lessons are taught by Matt Bailey, an experienced Internet Marketer.
You can follow this course using self-paced learning and go through the lessons at your own time and pace or an instructor-led boot camp.
The course includes 30 hours of video content covering the following topics:
- SEO Introduction
- How Search Engines Work
- SEO Types
- Keyword Research
- Advanced SEO Concepts
- Advanced Content Marketing
- Web Analytics
The course is mostly suited for marketing managers, digital marketing professionals, content writers, small business owners, and anyone wanting to become an SEO expert.
To get certified, you must complete 85% of the course and 3 projects and pass an exam with a minimum score of 60%.
If you run a business and need a good course to get your employees certified in SEO, then this is definitely a course to consider.
- Vendor: Market Motive
- Price: $770 (once-off)
This is the best advanced SEO certification. It is a good option for marketing professionals who want to learn how advanced SEO concepts can work together in real-life scenarios.
8. Bruce Clay Complete SEO Training Experience
Bruce Clay has over 23 years of experience in the SEO industry and is one of the most respected SEO experts.
With your registration, you get access to the course for one year and an invitation to join monthly live Q&A sessions with Bruce.
The course includes 12 modules with around 15 hours of instruction.
- The Importance of SEO
- SEO Concepts
- Meet the Search Engines
- Website Anatomy
- Search Now and in the Future
- Content for SEO
- Mobile SEO
- Local Search
- Linking Strategies
- Siloing Concepts
- Technical SEO
- Best Practices
You also get the SEOToolSet, a set of SEO tools to help you implement and monitor your website strategy. Upon completion of the course, you get an SEO certification.
- Vendor: Bruce Clay
- Price: $1495
This is the best SEO classroom training program. If you want to experience SEO training in a live classroom environment, this is definitely one of the options to consider.
9. SEO Training Masterclass by Udemy
Udemy is a popular online learning platform. They offer many SEO courses, and one of their best sellers is the SEO Training Masterclass: Beginner To Advanced SEO. The course has a star rating of 4.7/5 based on the ratings of 6,400+ reviews.
The course was created by Alex Genadinik, a veteran Udemy instructor with 400,000 students.
The course includes 34 lessons with a total length of 18 hours. Some of the topics covered include:
- SEO Keyword research
- SEO Tools
- SEO With AI and ChatGPT
- URL Structure for SEO
- Google Analytics 4
- Link Build Strategies
- SEO Penalties
To get an SEO certification of completion, you need to finish all lessons. The course was recently updated to include topics related to SEO and AI.
Prices of Udemy courses change all the time. At the time of visiting, this course was offered for $99, but you can get it for less if you register on their website and wait for special offers.
- Vendor: Udemy
- Price: $99 (once-off)
This is the best SEO certification for developers. It covers many topics an SEO-aware developer is expected to know, like page speed optimization.
10. SimpliLearn SEO Training Course
SimpliLearn is one of the big players in online training. They offer many certifications that you can either take online (self-paced Learning), combined with a virtual online classroom, or custom corporate training.
Their Search Engine Optimization training course includes 30+ hours of videos, and besides SEO, it also covers topics like content marketing, keyword research, and web analytics.
The course has 4.5/5 stars from 853 ratings, and it awards an advanced SEO certification when completing 85% of the course and passes a test with more than 75%.
- Vendor: Simplilearn
- Price: $999
This is the best SEO Bootcamp. Besides accessing the self-paced material, you can attend scheduled live classes (at an additional cost) and interact with the SEO trainer and other students.
How Much Do SEO Certifications Cost?
Getting an SEO certification in 2024 is between $99 and $1495. Many vendors offer different types of courses, each setting its own pricing.
The table below compares the cost of the most popular SEO certifications.
| Certification | Cost |
|---|---|
| Reliablesoft SEO Certification | $149 |
| SEO Specialization By Coursera | $245 |
| All-around SEO Training By Yoast | $99 |
| ClickMinded SEO Certification | $999 |
| Moz SEO Essentials Certificate | Free |
| Semrush SEO Fundamentals Course | Free |
| Advanced SEO Certification Training By MarketMotive | $770 |
| Bruce Clay Complete SEO Training Experience | $1495 |
| SEO Training Masterclass by Udemy | $99 |
| SimpliLearn SEO Training Course | $999 |
The price gap between the lowest and highest-paying certifications is huge because of the nature of online training.
This is normal in the online world because there is no formal way of controlling prices. It’s the same situation in other industries, where online course prices tend to have a huge cap.
Do you get less value in paying for a cheaper course? Not necessarily; it depends on the course. The price tag does not necessarily reflect the value you get from a course but is how academies approach their pricing model.
Are SEO Certifications Worth It? Do They Make You An Expert?
Any certification that proves that you have undergone training in a subject is good for your CV.
So, getting an SEO certification from a reliable SEO training provider will definitely help your SEO career, but certification alone does not make you an SEO expert.
To become a true SEO expert, you need the following:
Working experience with SEO – SEO is not a theoretical concept but highly practical. To become an expert, you need to know how to apply what you have learned in the course in practice and optimize a website for search engines.
SEO successes – SEO is successful when a website’s rankings and organic traffic are improved. Knowing the theory and doing the necessary work is not enough. A good SEO specialist can deliver results, with or without certification.
Should You Pay For an SEO Course?
The answer is yes, and the reasons are the following:
An SEO course can save you time – A good course will teach you everything you need to know about SEO without spending time searching for answers on Google.
Use it for reference – There are hundreds of SEO rules to configure and for sure you won’t be able to understand and execute everything at once. Having a good resource to use as a reference can prove very helpful.
Follow a checklist – Most courses have checklists you can follow to ensure that all-important SEO factors are considered while optimizing your website.
Get inspired – Some courses include real SEO success stories that can motivate and keep you going. SEO takes time to work, and you’ll often feel disappointed. Reading how others made SEO work for them will help you concentrate on your goals.
Learn from the pros – Many SEO courses are written by experts with years of experience in the industry, and following their steps will get you results faster than wandering around and following advice from unsolicited sources.
It’s a small investment with great ROI – SEO can make you money through higher rankings and more traffic. Investing in SEO training is not a cost, but it’s actually an investment with a positive return on investment.
Methodology
We’ve used the following criteria to help you find the best SEO certification for your needs.
Certification – Only SEO courses that offer a certification were added to the list. There are many SEO Courses that are great but don’t offer certification, so these are not part of the list. You can view them in our SEO training courses guide.
SEO courses only – Some providers offer SEO training as part of digital marketing training. Upon completion, you get a digital marketing certificate. In the list, we only included SEO-dedicated courses.
View our digital marketing courses guide if you want to get certified in Digital Marketing, not just SEO.
Vendor reputation – We only added courses from trusted SEO training vendors.
Always available – Some vendors offer SEO courses only available for enrollment on specific timeframes (usually once or twice per year). These courses were not included in our list. We only have in the list courses that you can enroll in today and start learning SEO.
SEO Certifications: The Bottom Line
Watch this video for a visual walkthrough of the best SEO certifications.
Becoming SEO certified is a good decision for many reasons. You add another valuable item to your CV, increasing your chances of getting hired in the Digital Marketing industry.
If you already have a job as an SEO, it’s a great way to prove to your employer and clients that you know what SEO is all about.
Certification alone does not make you an expert. You need to practice and learn how SEO theory can be applied to practice. The best way to prove to yourself and others that you are a true SEO expert is to optimize a website and increase its rankings and traffic.
There are many SEO certifications to choose from. Each certification has its own requirements, targets a specific audience, and comes with a different price tag.
As you have read above, prices range from $149 to $1495. Study each course syllabus carefully, read the reviews of existing students, and follow the course that best suits your needs.
Is any SEO Certification missing from the list? I have explained in detail how we crafted this list. If you feel a certification is not included in the list, let me know in the comments.
