Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialization

Learn 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. You will also learn strategies for setting goals and client/stakeholder expectations, building effective analytics and reports, and communicating SEO improvements.

100% online course

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Intermediate Level

Approx. 11 hours to complete

Suggested: 4 weeks of study, 2-3 hours/week

English

Subtitles: English

What you will learn

Conduct effective competitive content analysis

Manage client relationships and report progress

Optimize google business pages to have higher visibility in local search landscape

Use keyword research to optimize search results

Skills you will gain

Mathematical OptimizationMarketingKeyword ResearchManagement

100% online course

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Intermediate Level

Approx. 11 hours to complete

Suggested: 4 weeks of study, 2-3 hours/week

English

Subtitles: English

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

1

Section

5 hours to complete

Introduction

Welcome to week 1! As you may remember from Module 4 within the last course, Search Engine Optimization Fundamentals, keywords are an extremely important tool for helping your customers find you in an often crowded field. Effective use of keywords on your optimized website can result in free targeted traffic to your site, helping you to reach your business goals. In this module, you will use the keyword research you conducted in the last course and you will learn a process for selecting the best keywords to optimize your website in search results. We will look at concepts like relevancy to the site, keyword intent, how competitive the keyword is in organic search, and how well that term might convert once it receives traffic. We’ll also discuss how to identify and evaluate competitors, how to map keywords to pages, and how to create a keyword map for your clients and your own site. There is a lot to discuss in our first module, so if you are taking this course without learning the materials of module 4 within the SEO Fundamentals course, I highly recommend you complete that module before diving into this one. So, let’s get started learning how to apply keyword research!...

12 videos (Total 53 min), 1 quiz

12 videos

Course Overview2m

Applying Keyword Research Introduction0m

Why do a Competitive Analysis?2m

How to Perform a Competitive Keyword Analysis5m

Analyzing Your Competition6m

Develop a Plan to Compete10m

Competing With Page Level Information4m

Dealing with Larger Sites4m

Mapping Keywords to Pages3m

Questions to Ask3m

Keyword Mapping Processes4m

Creating a Keyword Map for Clients4m

1 practice exercises

Optimizing A Website For Search20m

2

Section

7 hours to complete

Advanced On-Page SEO

Welcome to week 2! While keywords help users locate relevant web pages, it’s the content itself that determines whether a click converts to a sale or increased site traffic. In many corners of the SEO world, the expression “Content is King” is a generally accepted rule, and in this module we’ll examine content from many perspectives: how to analyze it, organize it, create it, make it great and build it into our strategies. You’ll also learn how to conduct effective competitive content analysis and internal content audits. And finally, you’ll learn how to create a site-wide content strategy building on the data we uncover in our study and analysis of content. ...

12 videos (Total 62 min), 1 quiz

12 videos

Advanced On-Page SEO1m

Benefits of a Competitive Content Analysis3m

Dissecting the Competitive Content Analysis3m

What Kind of Content Will Resonate with Your Customers?4m

Conducting an Internal Content Audit2m

How to Begin Your Content Analysis5m

Organizing and Evaluating Content6m

Creating a Strategy for Optimizing Content3m

Domain Level Content Strategy7m

What Makes Content Great?7m

Different Types of Content and How to Use Them8m

Creating Impactful Content6m

1 practice exercises

Advanced On-page SEO20m

3

Section

5 hours to complete

Local SEO

Welcome to week 3! In the lessons that follow, you will take a close look at local SEO strategy. You will see how to optimize your Google business pages, on-site content and external references such as citations, backlinks, and reviews to help your local business have higher visibility in the local search landscape. By the end of this module, you should be able to not only describe a bit of the history of how Google displays local searches but also utilize best practices to develop a high quality local SEO approach. ...

10 videos (Total 55 min), 2 quizzes

10 videos

Local SEO1m

Why's Local SEO Important?2m

Local SEO History3m

Current Local SEO Landscape3m

Organic Search Versus Paid Advertising5m

Google My Business!8m

Improving Your Local Visibility10m

Importance of Off-site Citations4m

Quality Off-site Link Building8m

Importance of Customer Reviews7m

1 practice exercises

Local SEO20m

4

Section

7 hours to complete

Creating an SEO Campaign

Welcome to week 4! In this module, we are going to discuss the human factor of SEO - how to manage your relationship with clients. We’ll talk about what should be discussed in the critical first meetings, how to manage your client’s expectations, and how to track and report on progress toward your client’s goals. By the end of this module, you’ll have developed a solid approach for achieving a productive and successful relationship with your client....

10 videos (Total 51 min), 1 quiz

10 videos

Creating an SEO Campaign1m

Scoping an SEO Project5m

Proving Your Value to Potential Clients6m

Managing Client Expectations8m

Asking the Right Questions7m

Importance of Achieving Quick Wins2m

Developing SMART Project Goals4m

Establishing Benchmarks and Tracking Metrics8m

Reporting Progress to Your Client5m

Course Summary1m

1 practice exercises

Creating an SEO Campaign20m

Instructor

Rebekah May

SEO Manager & Lead SEO Instructor

About University of California, Davis

UC Davis, one of the nation’s top-ranked research universities, is a global leader in agriculture, veterinary medicine, sustainability, environmental and biological sciences, and technology. With four colleges and six professional schools, UC Davis and its students and alumni are known for their academic excellence, meaningful public service and profound international impact....

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Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialization