Is SEO certification worth it?
SEO certifications are a fantastic way for people who are new to the industry to learn the basics of SEO and prove to current and future employees that you have a solid understanding of the industry. They can also teach website owners and marketing managers to do simple SEO tasks.
Yoast SEO Certification
| Certification | Description |
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AI for SEO – Gain a competitive edge, future-proof your keyword strategies, and soar to the top of search rankings – all designed to empower busy small business owners. |
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All-around SEO – In this course, you’ll learn practical SEO skills on every key aspect of SEO, to make your site stand out. |
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Yoast SEO for WordPress – In this course, you’ll learn about how to set up and use the Yoast SEO for WordPress plugin so it makes SEO even easier. |
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SEO copywriting – In this course, you’ll learn how to write awesome copy that is optimized for ranking in search engines. |
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Understanding structured data – Do you want to take a deep dive into structured data? In this course, you’ll learn the theory related to structured data in detail. |
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Keyword Research – Do you know the essential first step of good SEO? It’s keyword research. In this training, you’ll learn how to research and select the keywords that will guide searchers to your pages. |
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Local SEO – Do you own a local business? This course will teach you how to make sure your local audience can find you in the search results and on Google Maps! |
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International SEO – Are you selling in countries all over the world? In this course, you’ll learn all about setting up and managing a site that targets people in different languages and locales. |
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Ecommerce SEO – Learn how to optimize your online shop for your customers and for search engines! |
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Block editor training – Start creating block-tastic content with the new WordPress block editor! Learn all about the block editor and what you can do with it. |
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Technical SEO: Crawlability and indexability – You have to make it possible for search engines to find your site, so they can display it in the search results. We’ll tell you all about how that works in this course! |
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Technical SEO: Hosting and server configuration – Choosing the right type of hosting for your site is the basis of a solid Technical SEO strategy. Learn all about it in this course! |
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Structured data for beginners – Learn how to make your site stand out from the crowd by adding structured data! |
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SEO for beginners – In this free course, you’ll get quick wins to make your site rank higher in Google, Bing, and Yahoo. |
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WordPress for beginners – Do you want to set up your own WordPress site? This course will teach you the ins and outs of creating and maintaining a WordPress website! |
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Technical SEO (deprecated) – How can you detect and solve technical issues that prevent your site from ranking well? No technical background? No problem! |
Google crawlability and indexability are fundamental concepts in search engine optimization (SEO) that determine how well a website’s content can be discovered and included in Google’s search index. Let’s explore these concepts:
- Crawlability:
- Definition: Crawlability refers to the ability of search engine bots (like Googlebot) to access and crawl the pages of a website.
- Importance: If a webpage is not crawlable, search engines won’t be able to discover its content. Factors that affect crawlability include the website’s robots.txt file, the structure of URLs, and the use of navigation elements.
- Robots.txt File: Websites often use a
robots.txtfile to provide instructions to search engine crawlers. This file can specify which parts of the site should not be crawled. However, it’s crucial to ensure that important content is not unintentionally blocked. - XML Sitemap: Creating and submitting an XML sitemap is a best practice. The sitemap provides a list of URLs on the site, helping search engines understand the structure and prioritize crawling.
- Website Architecture: A well-organized website architecture with clear navigation paths aids crawlability. Internal links between pages also contribute to effective crawling.
- Indexability:
- Definition: Indexability refers to whether the content crawled by search engines is eligible and suitable for inclusion in the search index.
- Importance: Even if a page is crawled, it may not necessarily be indexed. Factors that affect indexability include the quality of content, the presence of duplicate content, and the use of canonical tags.
- Content Quality: High-quality and unique content is more likely to be indexed. Google aims to provide users with valuable and relevant information in its search results.
- Canonicalization: Duplicate content issues can be addressed using canonical tags. These tags specify the preferred version of a page, consolidating signals for similar or identical content.
- Meta Robots Tags: HTML meta tags such as
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow">can be used to explicitly indicate that a page should be indexed. - Noindex and Nofollow: Conversely, pages can include meta tags like
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">to instruct search engines not to index or follow links on the page. - 404 Errors: Pages returning a “404 Not Found” status code are generally not indexed. Regularly address broken links and 404 errors.
Understanding and managing crawlability and indexability are essential for effective SEO. Regularly monitoring these factors, using tools like Google Search Console, and following best practices help ensure that your website’s content is properly crawled, indexed, and made available in search results.
Cornerstone content refers to the most important and foundational pieces of content on a website. This content is typically comprehensive, authoritative, and serves as a cornerstone for the rest of the site. Cornerstone content plays a crucial role in providing a solid foundation for both visitors and search engines.
Key characteristics of cornerstone content include:
- Comprehensive and In-Depth: Cornerstone content is usually more extensive and in-depth than regular articles or blog posts. It covers a broad topic relevant to the website’s main theme or niche.
- Authoritative: Cornerstone content establishes the website as an authority on the chosen topic. It showcases the expertise of the content creator and provides valuable information to the audience.
- Evergreen: Ideally, cornerstone content is evergreen, meaning it remains relevant over time. While regular blog posts may focus on current events or trends, cornerstone content addresses fundamental aspects of a subject that do not quickly become outdated.
- Interlinked: Cornerstone content is often interlinked with other pages on the website. It acts as a hub that connects to and supports related articles and posts, creating a cohesive structure.
- SEO-Focused: Cornerstone content is essential for search engine optimization (SEO). When well-optimized, it can attract organic traffic by targeting key search terms and providing valuable information that search engines recognize as authoritative.
Examples of cornerstone content may include comprehensive guides, tutorials, or in-depth analyses related to the central themes of a website. For instance, a fitness website might have a cornerstone article on “The Ultimate Guide to Building Muscle,” while a travel blog could have a cornerstone piece on “Essential Tips for Budget Travelers.”
Creating and maintaining cornerstone content is a strategic approach for improving a website’s visibility, authority, and user experience. It helps the site establish a strong presence in search engine results and provides valuable resources for visitors seeking comprehensive information.