Is Google Certification Real?

by mwalker on 01/12/11 at 11:38 am

Is Google Certification Real?

There have been many rumors over the years regarding SEO certification from the major search engines, such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. Some companies claim that they are “SEO certified” by Google to deliver the best SEO practices. Simply put, there aren’t any forms of SEO certification or approval that are provided by Google, Yahoo, or Bing. However, there is a certification process for Google AdWords. Many companies will falsely extend their AdWords certification to also say they are SEO certified. Companies that falsely market an SEO certification generally have been reported to be scammers and do not produce quality results.

Although there aren’t SEO certifications from the search engines, there are other forms of SEO certification. Some SEO companies offer services to teach SEO techniques and strategies to people who are looking to SEO their own websites. These companies may be legitimate and offer sound advice, but people should still be wary of scammers marketing these services.

Although it is clear none of the major search engines offer certification, is there a possibility of there being one in the future? Every few months, search engines change their algorithms to deliver a more organic search result. It may be hard for some people or companies to keep up with SEO trends. It may come to the point where search engines recognize the need to do more than just guide individuals and companies on SEO but actually educate, and ultimately certify, them on doing it effectively with ethical, white-hat procedures.

Will this ever happen? Who knows, but one thing is certain – search engines will never disclose anything more than a basic level understanding of how they work. Over educating for certification purposes would only give the opportunity for people to negatively manipulate the search results, not to mention give away their proprietary algorithms and competitive advantage.

So, what can people do to get recognized on Google and the other search engines? There is a plethora of valuable literature on the internet regarding general SEO practices and even advanced strategies, but SEO is a full-time job and required several dedicated hours. Individuals or companies looking to improve their search results can hire an SEO company. A quality SEO company will not falsely advertise that they have a Google SEO certification badge, but rather demonstrate their SEO abilities on their own website and those of their clients.