SEO qualification

This comes up every now and again, but does anyone else think there is a need for an SEO body to create an approved SEO stamp of approval for professionals?

PPC guys have a ppc stamp of approval with GAP qualification. Does SEO need similar ( and no i didnt think google should do it?)

If so what kind of body should be reposnible and what of ideas do people have on what form it should take?

It would be handy, but it'd need to be a very respectable organisation who organises this or it could easily be exploited.

I think some amount of SEO is done by most site owners. That is the beauty of it. Its an art, not an exact science, that can be practiced and learned by almost anyone. It is something that keeps evolving and what works today may become ineffective tomorrow. I may be wrong here, but I like it the way it is. Once there is a body or organization to give SEO Pro certificates, we will have thousands of SEO courses mushrooming. People who are good at it but didn't go through a course and acquire a certificate will lose out on other less experienced folks.

My opinion.. SEO is not really a profession its an online game...You have to love the challange to be any good at it. If you love the challange then the desire to win teaches you the method. I think SEO is potentially the only easy way for a sole trader/small business to make releativley easy money left in the developed world. The problem that i think most who visit this board have is they are thinking of 'easy money limited work' ie sell something online that takes minimum effort on their part. But IMO the real money that can be made is the advertising and sales generation for bricks and mortar businesses. I was just reading a post by europa about profit sharing. IMO a very smart dude.. I work in education. There are two main reasons for doing a qualification 1) To get employment 2) to learn a skill you desire.

SEO courses could generate a significant amount of money. There is definatley a demand. But in the end its the players that win the game not the educated observers. SEO is not an academic subject. It has no theory. It is all about manipulating loopholes. I do not think an SEO course will ever be mainstream. But i do think learning SEO can make you rich. It certainly has put me on that parth.

I saw a post by a memebr the other day that said. (paraphrasing) 'I stopped posting because the quality of the questions being asked'. and than said EGOL you have changed that. lol.. where do you think EGOL learned what he knows.... I smiled.. One less player in the game.. SEO makes me money.... I learn every day i read and post here.. It makes me live SEO...I love it when i see someone competing with me.. i enjoy when someone disagrees with me.. I donot get discouraged when i know the answers to questions that are asked.. I am happy.. When i see the questions i do not know.. then i am motivated. Personally i would be happy if all others in the world did a course then they new SEO and left it there.... My road to riches would be just that much quicker.

Memebers of this forum for FREE tell others how to get rich. Its just most people do not realise that you need a quality product to sell to get rich. Well advertised crap is still crap....

This is already happening but I can tell you experience counts. I had one of Search Engine College graduates who started an SEO business last year contact one of my clients. His pitch was "we build links through a new natural way via press releases and articles." Well he didn't steal my client and his SERPs are down in the 600's for the SEO related search term he has targeted. I'm sure he is scrambling and most of his clients are too despite his consistent and blatant self promotion. Many of the newbies won't be able to produce results and their clients will move on. As far as I'm concerned that is just more opportunity for me. Most of the people finding me via the web have been through 1 - 3 firms before they reach me.

So....for me...NOJ.....who needs a certification body? Results count! Besides when big organizations like SEMPO don't even have any qualifiers for who can be a member what will the certification have behind it? I've been to a lot of SEMPO member sites and there are plenty of members I won't approve if I was running an organization like that.

I believe most SEO pros currently practicing the craft would not go for certification. Many do not sell SEO services, e.g. EGOL and Fathom. I doubt if they would take some mandatory classes on SEO or submit themselves to testing once the classes are completed.

I would never go for SEO certification for myself personally. I do not even have any references that others can contact to verify that I even know how to to spell SEO... I guess I would never be able to get any SEO customers. Folks like me would remain unemployed (or at leaset under-employed).

I'm in the same boat, I'd not go to a SEO course for a certification or something like that.

SEO it's too challenging and genuine to loose your potential creativity in this field by... going to school.

IMO, SEO is a continuous learning process as it changes all the time. Platforms like this (forum) are nice venues of learning new trends. So no matter how a good a person is at SEO, there will be always new ways to learn and explore ;)

Hi All

I did the United Kingdom Chartered Inst Of Marketing - E marketing course last year, 50% was an online exam and 50% an emarketing plan.

I dont know of any other course in Europe or USA but would be grateful for contacts to them.

Regards


Nick

I agree, but it would be good to have some sort of SEO qualification - businesses which want to offer SEO to their clients will look a lot more appealing to potential clients if they have some sort of qualification that is respected.

From a recruiters point of I would expect a general SEO certification to become very much like the current MCSE or similar in the IT "support" field.

To start with, very few have them - this makes the "lucky few" more desireable and arguably can drive salaries etc up. However, over time the market becomes saturated with them and their value diminishes to zero.

I'm over exagerating a little to make a point but hopefully you see what I mean. In general terms, a qualification shows that you know the THEORY behind a subject but does that mean you can apply it to real world scenarios too? Clients want to minimise the risks associated with recruitment wherever possible and this has to start with proof of ability.

I'll admit my technical SEO knowledge is extremely limited but what I do know is that clients want proof that a jobseeker can do what they say.... a qualification doesnt really do this - although it would certainly help. Jobseekers need to show specific keyword examples, URL's, client testimonials do... I think this will always be the way for SEO.

Paul.

Why is a standard necessary? You like the bigger brother sticking their fingers into everything? I bet you pay your taxes and then some too right? A governing body is not required because SEOs are consultants and when you hire a consultant you do due diligence as you would before hiring anybody else. IF you get screwed then you're either a) stupid because you didn't check out the company/individual, b) or were misinformed and therefor sue the pants of said SEOer..... but if hired a cheapo foreign SEO see point a).

Exactly DJStreet:
There are too many things that make it unnecessary and in my opinion, not practical.

For example, who is writing the standards? I was giving advice to a friend who works on websites contracted by MSN. Their contract requires Meta Descriptions and Meta Keywords to be used. Fathom would never be given a certificate if MSN were to be a part of writing the standards for SEO.