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Certification in SEO/GEO?
Posted by on October 7, 2025 at 11:13 amI’m a bit new to this and trying to level up in my field (content marketing). I’m seeing job postings asking for SEO/GEO certification. This IS something my company will pay for.
Is there a certification program you’d recommend? Having that piece of paper seems important for me to move up right now — both internally and externally.
Of note: My current company is mad about A.I., so the GEO element would definitely be looked upon as exciting from an approval standpoint.
If possible: I’d love a program that not only hits on best practices, but really helps me understand analysis and intent shifts (which, to me, is the most fun part about SEO).
Thank you for your time.
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1 Reply
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When it comes to certifications in the digital marketing domain (whether it be SEO, Paid Ads, Content Strategy, Email, Social Media, etc) there are paid and free ones. The popular free certifications include Hubspot Academy, Semrush Academy, Google Skillshop, etc. Some of the paid ones include Moz Academy, Yoast SEO, and certification courses in Simplilearn. Go through these certifications find the one that suits to your requirements.
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These days you’re better off saving yourself the spend and just watch YouTube or other videos on it and what people have done with different websites.
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What in the heavens is a SEO/GEO certificate? If that was something a job was requiring I’d just make one in Photoshop.. What a joke..
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I charge a dollar and the cost of printing the certification on real sheep skin.
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I am taking these two courses through SMX Master classes (through search engine land): Will Scott = Generative Engine Optimization Master Class, and Christopher Penn: AI Prompting Master Class. Shall see if they tell share anything of solid value.
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This is how I got into seo. I was doing pest control for 5+ years with a blown out knee so I needed a desk job.
Found coursera. Took the courses offered from UC Davis for SEO. $50 a month. Took me six months to complete while working my PC job full time. The end of the course is a project to build and optimize a website that I then used in my portfolio to land my first SEO position. From there most company training outs you through the regular rigmarole of SEMrush, hubspot, and the other free platforms that provide their certifications. I’m sitting on like 30+. Other than the first one that got me my job, they’re worthless.
Paid certs (which aren’t widely recognized) may help you get a leg up for raises but if you’re doing well and trust your company to pay you fairly then it may not be worth it.
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there are plenty of SEO courses in which you get a certificate for finishing. SEMrush for one has it. GEO would be a no as that isn’t really a thing. you optimize for the search engines in hopes to show up more via Ai results.
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Is this satire? (GEO certificate)
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For SEO there is no real certification. We have a podcast episode that explains the reasons for this but the short version is that the only company that could offer a certification would be Google, and they’re not going to. You can buy certifications online but they aren’t worth anything. SEO is a no-barriers-to-entry industry where anyone can say they are a professional. There is no certification, unlike with some professions.
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If you’re trying to level up, and since your company is “mad about AI”, why don’t you read up on how these machines work? No need for certs, there are tons of books on these for beginners. You don’t really have to understand all the technical details, as long as you have a good understanding of how it works on the surface you’re well ahead of the rest.
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Some employers will take the Google Analytics certification seriously. Semrush also has some AI certifications. However, they’re all free. Your employer would be better off paying for useful tools for you to use.
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Formal certifications mean nothing in SEO. It’s a complete wild west. You earn your creds by what you do and who you know.
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