As an industry, SEO is relatively poorly understood by outsiders and as such, social proofs such as employees with certifications can tip the scales when a decision maker is choosing an SEO firm. Likewise, many marketing professionals seeking to broaden their skillset may seek a certification less for the certificate itself, and more for the attached course that many certifications offer.
In this article, we discuss the top SEO certifications for professionals at various career stages based on their coverage, cost, industry acceptance, and structure. We also provide our evaluation of the overall value of each course.
The Top SEO Certifications, Compared
| Certification | Length | Cost | Structure | Industry Acceptance | Best for | Upshot |
| SEO Essentials Certification | 3.5 hours | $595 | Videos | High | SEO Beginners, Junior Marketers | The best all-around SEO certification despite its focus on Moz’s tools |
| Google Analytics Certification | 5 hrs | Free | Videos + Worksheets | High | SEO Professionals, Marketing Managers | High industry acceptance but the narrow topic area limits its utility to in-house and agency marketers who are focused on reporting |
| Advanced SEO Certification Training | 45 hours | $799 | Live Classes + Video | Medium | SEO Professionals | The most comprehensive certification overall, and best for marketing managers and higher-level professionals |
| Content-Led SEO | 7 hours | Free | Videos + Worksheets | Medium | Junior Marketers | Best for junior agency staff and in-house marketers who want to go a step beyond the very basics of SEO |
| All-Around SEO Training by Yoast | 3 hours | $99/yr | Video | Medium | SEO Professionals | Seek only if you’re already investing in the paid version of Yoast’s SEO plugin |
| Google SEO Fundamentals by UC Davis | 29 hours | Free (with Coursera Membership) | Videos + Worksheets | Low | SEO Beginners | Most useful for SEO novices |
| Hubspot SEO Certification | 4 hours | Free | Videos + Worksheets | Medium | Beginners, In-House SEO Marketers | Most useful for SEO novices; more experienced marketers will find their time is better spent elsewhere |
SEO Essentials Certification from Moz
Moz’s SEO Essentials Certification is the most valuable certification on our list. It comes with a training course that covers the fundamentals of SEO, including keyword research, on-page optimization, and reporting, and the certification itself carries more weight because it is conferred only after an examination. Notably, this certification also covers more advanced topics as well, such as prioritizing keywords within a campaign and how campaigns fit into a company’s sales funnel. Because it’s offered by Moz, however, it does focus on their proprietary tools and will be less useful for marketers who favor Ahrefs or Semrush. Nevertheless, industry acceptance is high as Moz is a well respected name in the SEO industry.
- Certification Provider: Moz
- Estimated Completion Time: 3.5 hours
- Instructor: Not disclosed
- Upshot: The best all-around SEO certification despite its focus on Moz’s tools.
Google Analytics Certification
Offered by Google themselves, the Google Analytics Certification (not to be confused with the much more comprehensive Google Data Analytics Certification) is focused entirely on reporting using Google Analytics 4. While it doesn’t offer any guidance on SEO strategy or managing an SEO campaign, this certification is still valuable for marketers who use either SEO or Google Ads due to its high industry acceptance.
- Certification Provider: Google
- Estimated Completion Time: 5 hrs
- Instructor: Not disclosed
- Upshot: While the industry acceptance of this certification is high, its narrow topic area limits its utility to in-house and agency marketers who are focused on reporting.
Advanced SEO Certification Training from MarketMotive
MarketMotive’s Advanced SEO Certification Training is the most comprehensive training and certification on this list. In addition to live, instructor-led courses (as opposed to the recorded videos of most trainings and certifications) that cover a broad spectrum of SEO skills, it also includes several simulated SEO projects to help build familiarity. The certification itself also requires a minimum of 3 completed projects and a simulated test; representing a significantly greater investment than is required to obtain any other certification we found. The main downside, however, is its cost: at $799 it is the most expensive certification to obtain, but it is nevertheless a good investment for marketing managers and higher level professionals.
- Certification Provider: MarketMotive
- Estimated Completion Time: 45 hours
- Instructor: Matt Bailey
- Upshot: This is the most comprehensive course and certification we found, though its expense makes it best for marketing managers or higher-level professionals.
Content-Led SEO from Semrush
Semrush’s Content-Led SEO certification, as the name suggests, places its focus on content. The attached course that provides marketers with practical frameworks and tactics for creating content that attracts backlinks and engagement, as well as copywriting tips for newer writers. Because the certification comes automatically after a simple 20-minute quiz at the end of the course, but overall industry acceptance is middling despite the respect that Brian Dean and Semrush command. As such, the certification is best suited for more junior agency staff and in-house marketers who understand the basics of how SEO works, but need more practical development to fully implement an effective SEO strategy.
- Certification Provider: Semrush
- Estimated Completion Time: 7 hours
- Instructor: Brian Dean
- Upshot: Best for junior agency staff and in-house marketers who want to go a step beyond the very basics of SEO.
All-Around SEO Training from Yoast
All-Around SEO Training is offered by Yoast alongside the premium version of their WordPress SEO plugin. It covers keyword research, technical SEO, link building, and basic UX optimization, making the educational side of the course most suited for beginner marketers. The primary value of the certification however, is the website badge that can help serve as social proof for visitors, but given that this is one the few paid options on this list, we recommend investing in it only if you’re already planning on using Yoast’s premium tools.
- Certification Provider: Yoast
- Estimated Completion Time: 3 hours
- Instructor: Not disclosed
- Upshot: Seek only if you’re already investing in the paid version of Yoast’s SEO plugin.
SEO Certification from Hubspot
Hubspot’s SEO certification course covers the usual keyword research and link building strategies, but notably, the course also includes training on SEO reporting and KPI tracking through Hubspot and Google Analytics. When it comes to the certification itself, while Hubspot carries strong name recognition in the marketing world, that name recognition isn’t for their SEO expertise but rather for their marketing and CRM tools. As a result, this training and certification are best suited for marketers, in-house or at agencies, who already use Hubspot and want to familiarize themselves with the basics of SEO reporting.
- Certification Provider; Hubspot
- Estimated Completion Time: 29 hours
- Instructor: Rachel Sheldon, Matthew Howells-Barby
- Upshot: Despite Hubspot’s strong name recognition, the middling industry acceptance of this certification makes it most useful for marketers who already use Hubspot rather than those looking for broadly accepted social proof.
Google SEO Fundamentals from UC Davis
Offered as a partnership between UC Davis and Cousera, this certification is tied into a class that introduces students to the basics of SEO. It covers the technical foundations, on-page and off-page SEO, and keyword theory and research, and is meant to serve as a starting point for marketers at the very beginning of their career. As such, its practical value is limited for most marketers in the field. Reviews are mixed as well: more experienced students report outdated information, though those newer to SEO appreciate the focus on fundamentals.
- Certification Provider: Coursera
- Estimated Completion Time: 4 hours
- Instructor: Rebekah May
Upshot: This course/certification combo is most useful for SEO novices, and more experienced marketers will find their time is better spent seeking more advanced certifications.
