Class Central is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

University of California, Davis

Introduction to Google SEO

University of California, Davis via Coursera

Overview

Prepare for a new career with $100 off Coursera Plus
Gear up for jobs in high-demand fields: data analytics, digital marketing, and more.
Ever wonder how major search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo rank your website within their searches? Or how content such as videos or local listings are shown and ranked based on what the search engine considers most relevant to users? Welcome to the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This course is the first within the SEO Specialization and it is intended to give you a taste of SEO with some fun practices to get seen in Google.

You will be introduced to the foundational elements of how the most popular search engine, Google, works, how the SEO landscape is constantly changing and what you can expect in the future. You discuss core SEO strategies and tactics used to drive more organic search results to a specific website or set of websites, as well as tactics to avoid to prevent penalization from Google. We hope this taste of SEO, will entice you to continue through the Specialization!

Syllabus

  • Introduction to Google SEO
    • Welcome to the first week of the course! In this module, you will be able to define Search Engine Optimization and explain the basics of SEO as a business (as well as how SEO shapes the Internet itself). You'll learn about the differences between the main SEO job types and discover career options as an SEO. You will also identify the role of search technologies and list out search engine parts. You'll then review the evolution of SEO and the timeline of search engine development. Let's get started!
  • Current SEO Best Practices
    • In this module, we'll be discussing items that SEOs spend a great deal of time dealing with: SEO best practices, the algorithm updates that look for them and potential penalties for not adhering to them. By the end of this module, you'll be able to illustrate the concept of relevancy as it applies to search results, compare and contrast the functionality of search engine algorithm updates, and critically examine the ways in which webmasters attempt to circumvent these algorithms. You'll also be able to define important ranking factors used by modern search engines, and learn the necessary steps to avoid (or correct) any penalties applied by search engine algorithms. Let's get started!
  • SEO of Today, Tomorrow and Beyond
    • In this module, you will be able to explain how concepts like topic association and semantic analysis relate to the relevancy and trustworthiness of search results. You will be able to demonstrate the impact of brands and branding on search results, and critically analyze the role of social media and other emerging technologies on the landscape of SEO. In this module, you will gain an understanding of where SEO fits into the broader digital marketing landscape. You'll also be well prepared to write and optimize your own content for a website that will improve search results, as well as develop an optimization strategy for a client to implement that would help to increase their ranking while following best practices. Let's get started!
  • Your Audience and Building Personas
    • You've made it to Module 4! In this module, you’ll learn about and understand common behaviors of web searchers that can help you market to different types of consumers. We will close out this course by using a variety of SEO tools to conduct an audience and use this data to develop personas of your ideal buyer. Let's get started!

Taught by

Rebekah May

Reviews

4.5 rating, based on 6 Class Central reviews

4.6 rating at Coursera based on 9854 ratings

Start your review of Introduction to Google SEO

  • A handy introduction that explains the basics of SEO and teaches some strategies to improve the visibility of your site.
  • The course is really thorough from a beginners point of view. I came with some knowledge of SEO but it was outdated already and this course is pretty much up to date about what really is happening in the SEO landscape until 2015. It talks about…
  • The Course is Crisp and Easy to Understand. They have Covered almost Every part of SEO However, One I consider Important and should be discussed Was JSON+LD which wasn't discussed otherwise nice course for beginners
  • Profile image for Mohan Krishnan
    Mohan Krishnan
    One of the best course in SEO. Clear, deep and practical. Completed two weeks now and I am really enjoying the course.
  • Cybele Van Etten
    Very helpful introduction to SEO for beginners. I was able to finish the whole course in a couple of days.
  • Kavi Bharathi
    Introduction to Goole SEO is the best course for beginners. This provides basic insights about SEO and helps to get an overall idea about how search engines work and how this SEO helps our business. The way by which how traffic is attracted to a website is explained clearly. This is one of the best courses for beginners.

Never Stop Learning.

Get personalized course recommendations, track subjects and courses with reminders, and more.

Someone learning on their laptop while sitting on the floor.