Introduction to Search Engine Optimization

Welcome to the first week of the course! In the lessons that follow, you will discuss and define the foundational overview of SEO and explore types of careers and salary expectations within SEO industry. By the end of this module, you should 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 also be able to explain the differences between three main SEO job types, and be prepared to choose a career that best suits your current goals.

Welcome to Module 2! We hope you're enjoying the course so far, and are ready to learn more about the evolution of SEO! By the end of this module, you should be able to at least summarize the timeline of search engine development, as well as demonstrate an understanding of key time periods and individuals who changed the way search worked and the way humans interact with the Web. Later on in the module, you'll gain the ability to critique the role of advertisements and corporate funding in the development of search, and explain the process by which the Web became monetized. This high-level look at the history of SEO will give you a solid foundation for understanding the material we'll be covering later in the course.

In Module 3, 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.