SEO – What It Takes to Win

DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED

In a constantly evolving marketing landscape, SEO is a crucial practice that is here to stay and more important than ever.

In this course, you learn:

  • Foundational elements of SEO – from the history of Google’s algorithms to updates throughout time … and why not to be afraid of these algorithms.
  • Technical SEO – how search engines crawl and index websites and how to make sure yours is built to make it easy for them.
  • Content and on-page optimization – from ever-changing best practices to finding out what key words and topics a website should use and why.

More important than just exploring the tenets of SEO – you’ll put them into practice. Hands-on workshops in each session include tools that SEOs use every day. You will be rewarded with the ability to turn research into actionable steps that make a website win.

This course can be applied to the following certificate:
Business Administration Certificate

Benefits and Learning Outcomes

  • Identify the foundational elements of SEO, including the history of Google’s algorithms and updates over time.
  • Explain the technical aspects of SEO, focusing on how search engines crawl and index websites, and articulate the significance of building a website that is easily accessible to search engines.
  • Evaluate and analyze websites of competitors to gain insights about consumer behavior.
  • Perform a content gap analysis to inform content strategy creation.
  • Practice on-page optimization techniques using tools commonly employed by SEO professionals.

Course Outline/Topics

Introduction to SEO

  • How Google Search Works
  • Overview of Google’s Guidelines
  • Google Algorithm Update History and Why Not to Be Scared
  • Keeping Up With SEO News

Technical SEO: Best Practices and More

  • Google’s Job: Crawling and Indexing
  • How to Help Google Crawl Sites Faster and More Often
  • Workshop: Crawl/Analyze/Identify
    • Crawl a website, analyze the crawl data and identify issues that may be hindering indexation or leading to less organic visibility
    • On-page optimization basics and best practices
  • Developing an SEO Audit

Keyword Research

  • Using Competitive Research
  • SERP Analysis
  • Free and Paid Tools
  • Google Analytics and Google Search Console

Competitive Research

  • Choosing Actual Competitors Over Real World
  • Identifying Competitive Strategies

Content Gap Analysis/Content Strategy Creation

Bringing It All Together to Create an SEO Strategy Built to Win

Who Should Attend

Digital marketers, web designers and developers, and anyone interested in learning about the latest SEO concepts to increase website traffic

Prerequisites

Basic understanding of websites and marketing concepts. If possible, please bring credentials for your organization’s Google Search Console account. This will allow you to use real data in course exercises.

Testimonials

The course was great and really got me started in my SEO journey. I liked that it was live and that we could go through our own sites in class and learn from our classmates as well as Tony.

Katie Jovanovic, FläktGroup SEMCO, Spring 2024

This is a must-take course if you manage a website and want to improve your search result page rankings, as well as identify keywords. The tools and tips shared in this course will be very useful in making some significant changes to our website.

Participant, Spring 2024

Tony shared a lot of great information and helpful tips and resources. He made sure we understood the content by providing activities throughout the
course and answering any questions along the way.

Participant, Spring 2024

Really excellent course – probably the best of the Digital Marketing program [which has] been really good so far.

Participant, Fall 2022

Really strong instruction with good exercises in class to help us learn.

Participant, Fall 2022

The instructor was extremely knowledgeable about the subject. He answered questions and explained everything well. I just wish the classes lasted longer, because there was so much to this subject. Plus, it was fun.

Participant, Spring 2022

Tony was a great instructor and took the time to answer student questions.

Participant, Spring 2022

I appreciate the in-depth class and feel as though I’m getting a better grasp on SEO. I’m definitely going to save these materials.

Participant

This course was exactly what I hoped it would be when I signed up. The opportunity to do the exercises during the class and then discuss was perfect for me (rather than trying to do them after work hours while juggling life). Thank you!

Participant

This was the best class I have taken with the UWM School of Continuing Education. It was very informative and presented in a way that was easy to digest. [The instructor] also did a great job of helping out with individual topics and concerns so it wasn’t just a broad overview.

Participant

I really enjoyed this course! I felt that I came in with very little knowledge on SEO and came out with a lot of helpful information, [and] tips and tricks to use that will be very beneficial to bring back to my organization. The exercises were really useful and created a dialogue that also added to the learning experience. Tony was great!

Anne Jones, Participant

Of all the courses, this one left me feeling most empowered to act. Some of that was from the individual consults during the class, but only to an extent. The tools and how-tos gave me excellent starting points to do more.

Participant

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