This is the complete guide to SEO certifications in 2024.
In this in-depth review, you’ll learn what an SEO certificate is, the best free and paid SEO certifications to pursue this year, 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. It's not a university degree but a professional certification.
There are many ways to get certified. You can choose between free courses from reputable platforms like Semrush or Hubspot or invest in paid programs from recognized SEO experts and online academies.
The key is to select a course that aligns with your current skill level and career goals. Don’t just focus on the certification itself—look for programs that teach you practical skills you can apply immediately in your projects.
Let's take a closer look at the most recognized SEO certifications and how they can help you learn SEO.
Top SEO Certificates That Are Worth Pursuing
- SEO Certification By Reliablesoft
- SEO Specialization By Coursera
- All-around SEO Training By Yoast
- SEO Essentials Certificate By Moz
- Advanced SEO Certification By MarketMotive
- SEO Crash Course By Semrush (Free)
- SEO Training Experience By Bruce Clay
- SEO Masterclass By Udemy
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Program By Simplilearn
- SEO Certification Course By Hubspot (Free)
1. SEO Certification By Reliablesoft
- Best For: Beginners to SEO.
- Price: $89 (includes 4 courses)
- Duration: 2 weeks
- Certificate: Yes
The Reliablesoft SEO Certification is the most comprehensive SEO certification program you can find online. It teaches you (almost) everything you ever need to know about SEO.
It 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 Optimization
- 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).
To receive your SEO certification, you must complete all the lessons and pass a final exam.
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 how to 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 conducting market research to set the price for the course, we found that good SEO courses were too expensive for the average person. Therefore, we are offering our course at a discounted price of $89, which makes it affordable for everyone.
With your registration, you'll get lifetime access to the SEO Course Bundle, which includes:
- The Complete SEO Course
- eCommerce SEO Course
- Google Analytics 4 Course
- Keyword Research Course
This will help you build the necessary SEO skills and understand how to use SEO with other marketing channels to boost your results.
2. SEO Specialization By Coursera
- Best For: Agencies. You'll learn how to approach SEO as a service provider.
- Price: $147
- Duration: 3 months
- Certificate: Yes
The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialization is a certification course delivered by Coursera and offered by UC Davis (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.
The courses cover the following topics:
- 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 3 months to complete, and the total cost is $147. This program is offered as part of the Coursera Plus subscription, which costs $49 monthly.
After completing all five courses (including the Google SEO Capstone Project), you'll be awarded an SEO certification.
3. All-Around SEO Training By Yoast
- Best For: Optimizing your website for technical SEO.
- Price: $99 (per year)
- Duration: Self-Paced
- Certificate: Yes
All-Around SEO training is a free course offered by Yoast, the company behind the most popular WordPress SEO plugin. Yoast's SEO courses are part of Yoast SEO Premium, which includes the Yoast SEO Premium Plugin and access to all its 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.
4. SEO Essentials Certificate By Moz
- Best For: Non-SEO professionals. It’s only 6 hours long and covers basic and advanced SEO concepts.
- Price: $595 (once-off)
- Duration: 6 hours
- Certificate: Yes
The SEO Essential Certificate is offered by Moz, a leading company in the SEO industry. It has been around for years, and its contribution to the SEO community is highly respected.
The SEO certification course includes 6 hours of instructor-led time and exams. 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.
The only downside of this course is the $595, which is high for the average user, especially when there are more affordable options.
5. Advanced SEO Certification By MarketMotive
- Best For: It is a good option for those looking to learn advanced SEO concepts.
- Price: $770 (once-off)
- Duration: 30 hours
- Certificate: Yes
MarketMotive's advanced SEO certification is a comprehensive 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, going 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.
6. SEO Crash Course By Semrush (Free)
- Best For: Beginners to SEO.
- Price: Free
- Duration: 50 minutes
- Certificate: Yes
The Semrush SEO Crash Course with Brian Dean is a free, actionable course designed to teach the fundamentals of SEO. Across six lessons, you'll learn essential topics like keyword research, content creation, link building, and SEO monitoring.
The course is perfect for beginners or those seeking to refresh their skills. It offers practical techniques for increasing website traffic through Google.
The lessons can be completed in 50 minutes, and after passing a multiple-choice exam, you can get a certificate from Semrush Academy.
7. SEO Training Experience By Bruce Clay
- Best For: Classroom training. If you want to learn SEO in a live classroom environment, this is definitely an option to consider.
- Price: $149 /mo
- Duration: 15 hours
- Certificate: Yes
The Complete SEO Training Experience by Bruce Clay offers a comprehensive SEO training experience ideal for digital marketers and business owners seeking to improve their website traffic and revenue. It includes one-year access to in-depth lessons, live Q&A sessions with Bruce Clay, and ongoing updates.
The course is suitable for all levels and includes resources such as videos, ebooks, and SEO tools.
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.
8. SEO Masterclass By Udemy
- Best For: Developers who want to learn SEO.
- Price: $99 (once-off)
- Duration: 19 hours
- Certificate: Yes
The SEO Training Masterclass: Beginner To Advanced SEO is one of their best-selling SEO courses on Udemy. Based on 8,199+ reviews, the course has a star rating of 4.6/5.
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 19 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
You need to finish all lessons to get an SEO certification of completion. The course was recently updated to include topics related to SEO and AI.
The prices of Udemy courses change frequently. At the time of my visit, this course was offered for $99, but you can get it for less if you register on their website and wait for special offers.
9. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Program By Simplilearn
- Best For: Those looking for an SEO Bootcamp.
- Price: $999
- Duration: 30 hours
- Certificate: Yes
The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) course is delivered by SimpliLearn, one of the big players in online training. They offer many certifications that you can take online (self-paced Learning), combine with a virtual online classroom, or customize for corporate training.
The course includes 30+ hours of videos, and in addition to SEO, it covers topics like content marketing, keyword research, and web analytics.
The lessons align with OMCP standards and offer one year of access to the SE Ranking platform.
The course has 4.5/5 stars from 853 ratings, and it awards an advanced SEO certification when 85% of the course is completed and a test is passed with more than 75%.
10. SEO Certification Course By Hubspot (Free)
- Best For: Building technical SEO skills.
- Price: Free
- Duration: 2.2 hours
- Certificate: Yes
The HubSpot SEO Certification Course is designed for individuals looking to improve their technical SEO skills. It includes five lessons, totaling 2.2 hours.
This course teaches you how to optimize a website according to Google’s Page Experience guidelines. You’ll also develop the skills to conduct a thorough technical SEO audit, identify critical issues that impact performance, and create a detailed website migration plan to migrate your website without losing SEO.
Additionally, you’ll learn how to analyze and track your website’s performance through comprehensive SEO reporting. This will allow you to monitor key metrics and make data-driven improvements to your SEO strategy.
To get your certification, you must complete all course lessons.
How Much Do SEO Certifications Cost?
In 2024, getting an SEO certification costs between $89 and $999. The price depends on the provider, the depth of the course content, and whether it’s a self-paced program or offers live training.
The table below compares the cost of the most popular SEO certifications.
| Certification | Cost |
|---|---|
| Reliablesoft SEO Certification | $89 |
| SEO Specialization By Coursera | $147 |
| All-around SEO Training By Yoast | $99 /mo |
| SEO Essentials Certificate By Moz | $595 |
| Advanced SEO Certification By MarketMotive | $770 |
| SEO Training Experience By Bruce Clay | $149 /mo |
| SEO Masterclass By Udemy | $99 |
| Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Program By Simplilearn | $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.
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.
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.
Our Course Review Process
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. Many SEO Courses 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 dedicated 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 course 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 academies offer SEO courses that are only available for enrollment in specific timeframes (usually once or twice per year). These courses were not included in our list. We only included programs you enroll in today and start learning SEO.
SEO Certifications: The Bottom Line
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 has its own requirements, targets a specific audience, and has a different price tag.
As you have read above, prices range from $89 to $999. Study each course syllabus carefully, read the reviews of existing students, and follow the course that best suits your needs.
