Future of SEO
Training - What Are Your Best options
for a Career in SEO?
By John Alexander
SEO Training of the Past:
If you think back to just 10
Years ago, when it came to studying search engine optimization
skills, there was very little in the way of solid educational
resources that were comprehensive and kept up-to-date. Any type of career training in search
engine optimization or even just basic SEO skills training was
being sold online - and in the early days, often by people who
where not really educators in but might be better
classified as marketers.
Fair enough because In the earliest days, there was no acronym for search engine optimization
because it didn't
even exist. In the earliest days, what was that phrase
again - I think most referred to it as "web Positioning."
Earlier than that, it was not even about ranking in the
beginning. But the
message was usually about "search engine submissions"
with a pitch that you must submit to thousands of search engines
regularly in order to be successfully found. Usually a plug for
some type of submission software that would promise to get you
traffic "through massive submission." Most of us in
those days fell for it and gave it a try, but the end result
of these types of programs was that it usually generated a ton
of junk mail from FFA (Free for All) sites.
There was the occasional newsletter type publication. Some free
and some were paid. Some were
worth it and some became pretty obsolete quickly. Then there
were others that leaned
eventually more towards hyped up "get rich quick" type
pitches rather than sharing any
valuable information such as it was back then.
Then there were the SEO forums which were great and still are (but then some
of the forums were not so great) as topics might
sometimes be skewed to a degree to
try and make SEO much more difficult than it is. But the forums
were free and there still are some decent forums today. One of the problems
with some of the forums was the arguing and flaming that seemed
to go on (only in some of them.) It was nearly like some people were posting attacks on
other people just to try and gather a crowd of observers. The other challenge with some
forums was that everyone
went by an alias, so you never really knew where the advise was
really coming from.
Forums still exist today and there are some good helpful ones around too.
SEO Forums:
Search
Engine Watch Forums - Many of the students who attend our
Workshops recognize Search Engine Watch as one of the more
established forums. Many of the long time SEO industry names
participate in this here.
Webmaster
World Forums - is a very large forum started by SEO Brett
Tabke
Crea8asite
Forums - Well established with some good information sharing
from time to time. Plus there are others.
My own early discovery of early SEO Training Type Resources:
As someone working away at SEO myself back in 1997 - I had
a client that mentioned someone he had met that seemed really
sharp with search engine optimization. And that is where I first
learned about what was known as the Academy of Web Specialists
which was Robin Nobles first online training company back in
1998. All my client had said to me was that this person he had met was
a student of SEO and had her
training at the Academy, so I looked into it. Back then, here was the very first
SEO training program I found
that seemed to be organized, comprehensive and loaded with value
driven content. The other thing I liked was the fact that the
courses had been reviewed, approved and recognized by the
University of Southern Mississippi for the option of earning
"University CEUs" (Continuing Education
Units.) Someone had taken the time to get the courses recognized by the
US educational system - now that was different. Cool - I thought
so I joined.
Over time, little did I know, that in just a few
short years, eventually I would be inviting Robin Nobles to come help
me teach my very first live hands-on Workshop in San Antonio,
Texas and after that, by January 2002 we would form our first brand new business
together as Search Engine Workshops.
SEO Skills Training
from the comfort of home
The Academy of Web Specialists no
longer exists, but Robin's complete
online SEO courses are available both in self study and in
Instructor Facilitated Versions through Online Web Training.
For certification through online training, you are required to
take the "instructor led" online courses as
certification can only be earned online this way.
Okay, enough about the old
days.
Let's fast forward to today SEO
Training Today and for the future:
Today search engine optimization
training comes in many forms and styles. In fact, like SEO
itself, there are some types of offerings that are very
different than others.
Major Seminars and Conferences:
There are still the big seminars which are often excellent
places to network, learn the SEO basics in a seminar format and
they usually have a range of different types of conference
speakers as well as guests from the major search engines such as
Google, MSN or Yahoo. There are often trade-shows with little
booths displaying various companies products as well.
These seminars usually attract
many beginners as well as some professionals and are an
excellent place to attend if you enjoy the conference style of
learning. You pick and choose which speakers you want to listen
to, organize your day so that you can catch most of what you
feel will be interesting to you. You will often meet friends at
these conferences or make new friends and it's fair to say
you'll have a good time.
Major seminars and conferences you may
want to check out:
Search Engine Strategies
Webmaster World and
Search Marketing Expo
Other Online SEO Communities:
The SEO
Workshop Resource Center gives you access to courses,
Webinars, live SEO Instructional sessions, SEO Professionals Group,
plus access to 4 years of archived instructional sessions. Not
an SEO Forum so much as a community of SEOs who share
strategies, regular instructional on-screen sessions, live
Webinars on every topic, plus on-demand webinars and access to
all basic and advanced courses at one low price.
Free SEO Training Programs: - things to be aware of occasionally
Free SEO Training Programs appear
from time to time where you can attend a conference for free.
The one thing to keep in mind with some free SEO conferences, is
that from time to time you may be surprised by the delivery of
the information in a variety of formats. Sometimes, because the conference is "free to attend"
there will be a certain amount of psychological or manipulative
tactics or high pressure sales may be employed.
Things to keep in mind when attending free events...
What are these tactics and why are these tactics employed?
Most likely
there are always a percentage of the attendees than can be
pressured or bullied into spending. Anytime you feel that you
are being put into a feeling of awkwardness about saying no
thank you, then it's usually nothing but awkwardness from there
in (if you don't stand your ground.)
Most people are
tired of strong arm methods for high pressure sales.
Nevertheless,
always remember that if the event is a big one and 100% free - there is more
chance of high pressure sales because someone has to pay the
bills at the end. These tactics can take you by surprise if you
are expecting to just attend a seminar to learn new things, then
find that after every presenter finishes speaking that they are
allotted up to an 1 hour to lay on high pressure sales
tactics.
In all
fairness, I'm sure this is not the case with every "free
training event" but just be aware that it can (and does)
happen. If you attend the free style training, just use
good wisdom and go prepared.
Free SEO Training Groups that are the exception:
You can usually attend Free SEO Meet Up groups without concern - but the pressure tactics are connected
more with the
bigger free conferences. Usually ones that heavily push wealth
creation or say they are giving away huge bonuses and get rich
quick schemes. I could write and entire article around this, but
let's get back to discussing still other legitimate real SEO
skills.
There is still yet an entirely different approach to
SEO skills training and this is the model that I believe is
one of the most effective as far as actually imparting the
genuine skills to a participant in minimal time and with the
highest degree of accuracy and success. Nothing quite matches
personalized training face-to-face with a good ongoing support
even after the training has been completed.
A Real World Local Community Approach to SEO
Training:
This is the SEO Training that
based on imparting genuine SEO skills to each participant in a
face-to-face Workshop that includes ongoing support after the
class ends with the Free 6 month Mentoring Program. Training
with fresh approaches to SEO accuracy, individual and group
exercises, demonstrations, examples but most importantly, each
class is delivered to only to a tiny group of individuals (so
each participant gets personalized coaching.)
No sneaky up sells or expensive mentoring programs because the
free mentoring program is included in the cost of tuition. No
hidden agendas or surprises. Just face-to-face search engine
optimization training and Internet Marketing skills imparted to
each attendee with tremendous attention to detail focusing on
each participant.
With today's educational options in SEO, making a swing more
towards "real world" training it's a fact that more
and more businesses want to bring SEO skills excellence
in-house. And they are no longer going to feel like they
have to put their staff on a plane - because the Workshops are
available locally.
One of the things that came from our first years of teaching
students in many different class styles, was the secondary new
business concept that was born in back in 2004 - with the Search
Engine Academy Local SEO Skills Training.
|
"SEO skills training with a difference"
- The idea with Search
Engine Academy was to establish local SEO schools in
business communities right around the globe so that
people can attend a Workshop right in their own
community.
- A Workshop focused on
personal interaction with each participant (rather
than a traditional "run of the mill"
seminar.) Small class size instead of having
hundreds in attendance.
- A place close to home
- where students could be updated and even have the
benefits of ongoing support and mentoring (at no
extra cost.)
- Classes that offer more flexibility but always had the freshest
research and most up to date information - yet
delivered in a way so that the business owner gains
understanding.
|
Search
Engine Academy
The
Science of exactness in SEO
delivered to each participant with ongoing
mentoring & support .
|
SEO
Skills Training, Certification and 6 month Mentoring in a
Community near you
The idea with Search
Engine Academy was to establish local SEO schools in business
communities right around the globe so that people can attend a
Workshop in their own community.
Students seem to love the aspect of SEO skills taught in small
groups and face to face and with a 6 month free mentoring
program after class plus no need to travel our fly out-of-State.
Search Engine Academy teaches basic SEO, Advanced SEO and offers
SEO certification training in 2 Day, 3-Day and Complete 5-Day
Workshops in business communities across the country in US,
Canada and in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia too.
The Search Engine Academy Workshops
offer:
- Comprehensive, current and
value-driven content that teaches you how to measure SEO
influences accurately
- A curriculum that reflects the
"real world" exercises
- Recognition and tracking of
learner achievements - with daily evaluation process
- Consistent high-quality and
cost-effective training - followed 6 month free mentoring
program
- The most sophisticated SEO
training for exact accuracy in the minimal time and with
zero guess work
- the Search Engine Workshop is
delivered exactly as Robin Nobles and I do, but right in
your own local community. For Workshops
dates and locations see our future dates page here.
Unique Search Engine Academy
Benchmarks:
- Search Engine Academy and
Search Engine Workshops is one of the fastest growing
families of "real world" SEO educators with
community locations now delivering Workshops in over 20
different cities locally across the United States, Canada
and in Asia.
- Toronto Search Engine Academy
and Montreal Search Engine Academy has assisted Yahoo!
Canada in rolling out of one of it's programs.
- Search Engine Academy was
chosen by the US Patent office as the organization to
deliver a series of SEO trainings to about 150 US
patent office clerks. The US Patent office requires the very best
sources of training since they are the same ones who must
review new patents being presented to them by Google, MSN,
Yahoo and any other search engines for consideration of the
patent process of granting a patent.
- Search Engine Academy was one
of the very first SEO training organizations to deliver an
advanced workshop to staff attending from a major search
engine.
- Search Engine Academy and
Search Engine Workshops collectively have delivered SEO
training to small groups of all types of ordinary businesses
people from retail, wholesale and manufacturing to such
professional services such as legal services, real estate
professionals and accounting. SEO skills training has been
delivered to artists, to hospitals as well as to both
Canadian and US governments including the Royal Canadian
Mint.
Search
Engine Workshops
Search Engine Workshops are the
live workshops that Robin Nobles and I personally conduct
together from
time to time. These also include options for 2-Days, 3-Days Advanced or 5-Day
Complete Workshops. For next Search Engine Workshops
next dates, please see the registration
page for locations will be in Orlando and Las Vegas and
various dates.
Check our list of Local
Community SEO Workshop Locations and Dates here.
Read student success stories
after the Workshop here.
For SEO
Training and Internet Marketing and more
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About John Alexander:
John has taught onsite search engine marketing sessions to
small groups of people from over 80 different countries, and he's worked as a professional in the search engine industry for years.
John Alexander and Robin Nobles teamed up together in 2002 to create the Ultimate SEO Mastery Workshop. For more information about their
newest live, personal, SEO
Training Workshops, please visit Search
Engine Workshops. For local SEO Community Workshops visit Search Engine
Academy for a Workshop located near you. John and Robin also
offer complete online
SEO Training Courses and John writes Free
SEO Tips daily.
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