Google SEO Capstone Project from Coursera

SEO is a dynamic and growing career field that demands knowledge and skills in a variety of website optimization strategies and tactics in order to be successful. This course is designed to provide you with a solid foundation in SEO including the different elements comprising a website optimization client report, and arm you with skills you need to develop a tactical approach to SEO.

Whether you have successfully completed the other courses in the Search Engine Optimization specialization or are taking just this course, this project is your chance to apply the knowledge you’ve acquired to practice important SEO tactics and optimize a site of your choice from the ground-up. You will identify optimization opportunities on a site and discover valuable tips for pitching your plan and managing your relationship with your client, you will then develop a customized SEO solution for the website you chose, and go through each of the major steps needed to execute your strategy including keyword research, competitive analysis, improving the site’s meta-data and on-page elements. Along the way, you will receive feedback through the peer review process. This community of fellow learners will provide additional input to help you refine your approach to SEO and present your findings to clients and management.

What's inside

Syllabus

Getting Started and Milestone 1: Gauging a Site's Opportunity for Improvement

In this first milestone, you will identify an existing section of your (or outside) website by using your skills to gauge a website’s opportunity for improvement and higher ranking. Once you have selected a website, you will create an SEO pitch to internal stakeholders, or potential client, on why or how the website should be improved. Finally, you will develop a list of metrics that will help gather the information you need to begin to develop your SEO strategy to monitor and engage success. Let's get started!

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores search engine optimization, which is standard in online marketing

Examines various website optimization strategies and tactics

Taught by Rebekah May, who is recognized for their work in SEO

Covers diverse elements of a website optimization client report

Develops practical approach to SEO, which is useful for career development

Provides opportunity to apply SEO tactics on a site, which strengthens existing foundation

Reviews summary

Apply seo skills in a project

According to students, this course offers a highly practical way to apply foundational SEO concepts learned previously. Learners appreciate the step-by-step structure provided by the milestones, guiding them through tasks like keyword research, competitive analysis, and site audits. The core benefit highlighted by many is the opportunity to work on a real-world project, which is invaluable for building a portfolio and gaining confidence. However, a frequently mentioned point of concern is the peer review process, which some found to be inconsistent or unhelpful, impacting their learning experience. Overall, it's seen as a solid capstone for applying SEO knowledge.

Best for those new to applying SEO.

"As someone relatively new to applying SEO in practice, I found this project very helpful and appropriately challenging."

"This course is definitely geared towards people who are starting out with hands-on SEO projects."

"If you already have significant experience doing SEO audits, parts might feel repetitive, but the structure is still useful."

"It's great for beginners wanting to perform their first comprehensive site analysis."

Milestones provide clear, guided steps.

"The breakdown of the project into four distinct milestones made the large task manageable."

"Following the milestones gave me a clear roadmap for conducting the SEO analysis and strategy."

"I appreciated the structured approach to tackling the project from research to presentation."

"The syllabus structure with clear deliverables for each milestone was easy to follow."

Excellent for applying concepts from specialization.

"This capstone was perfect for tying together everything from the previous courses in the specialization."

"If you've taken the other SEO courses, this project is a great way to solidify and apply those lessons."

"It really helped connect the dots between the theoretical knowledge and practical implementation."

"Applying the techniques from modules 1-3 to a real project was very effective for learning."

Offers hands-on experience with a real site.

"The capstone project is the best part, allowing me to actually apply what I've learned to a real website."

"Working on a live site for the project was very beneficial for building my portfolio and understanding practical SEO challenges."

"I found the project milestones great for structuring my work on my own site. It wasn't just theory."

"This course gave me the structure and guidance to perform a full SEO audit and strategy on a site."

Review quality varies significantly among peers.

"The quality of feedback from peers was extremely inconsistent. Some were helpful, many others were not useful at all."

"Peer reviews were a weak point. It felt like some people just rushed through without giving constructive criticism."

"I was disappointed with the peer feedback I received. It didn't help me improve my project much."

"Reliable peer review is crucial for a project-based course, and this was hit or miss."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Google SEO Capstone Project with these activities:

Review Google Analytics Concepts

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Reviewing Google Analytics concepts that are included in the course is an important refresher to prepare you to get the most out of this opportunity and apply concepts to your own website

Browse courses on Google Analytics

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Identify the key concepts and metrics used in Google Analytics, such as sessions, bounce rate, and conversion rate.
Understand the basics of setting up and configuring a Google Analytics account.
Explore the different types of reports available in Google Analytics, such as traffic sources, audience demographics, and behavior flow reports.

Follow Google's Course on SEO Fundamentals

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Google offers an SEO Fundamentals course that explores the core concepts of search engine optimization. This course will provide a solid foundation for implementing the strategies you learn in this online course.

Browse courses on SEO Fundamentals

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Follow the video tutorials and complete the interactive exercises provided in the course.

Keyword Research Exercises

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Regular practice in keyword research will refine your skills and assist in identifying relevant and effective keywords for your SEO campaigns.

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Identify and analyze the target audience for a specific website or niche.
Brainstorm a list of potential keywords related to the target audience and website topic.
Use keyword research tools to refine your list and identify the most relevant and high-performing keywords.

Two other activities

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Show all five activities

Develop a Sample SEO Audit Report

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Creating a sample SEO audit report will allow you to practice the skills you will learn in this course and gain a deeper understanding of the process.

Browse courses on SEO Audit

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Choose a website to perform an SEO audit on.
Use the SEO audit checklist provided in the course to identify areas for improvement.
Write a detailed report outlining your findings and recommendations.

Read 'The Art of SEO' by Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, and Jessie Stricchiola

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This comprehensive book provides a deep dive into SEO principles and strategies, offering valuable insights and guidance for your SEO journey.

View The Art of SEO: Mastering Search Engine... on Amazon

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Read and comprehend the key concepts and strategies presented in the book.
Identify specific techniques and tactics that you can apply to your own SEO efforts.

Career center

Learners who complete Google SEO Capstone Project will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

SEO Analyst

Search engine optimization (SEO) analysts devise and execute plans in order to influence a website's position in search engine results. SEO analysts are expected to monitor trends and innovations in the industry, as well as understand optimization strategies for both on-page and off-page elements. Enrolling in this Google SEO Capstone Project course may be useful to gain expertise in SEO fundamentals such as conducting keyword research, analyzing competitive websites, and optimizing on-page elements.

See salaries and explore the career path for SEO Analyst

SEO Specialist

SEO specialists plan, implement, and oversee SEO strategies to improve a website's visibility in organic search results. They perform keyword research, conduct competitive analysis, create and publish SEO-optimized content, and monitor website performance. This Google SEO Capstone Project course may be useful in giving you the SEO fundamentals that are needed for this role. You will be able to develop strategies, execute those strategies, and also determine the performance of your efforts. This will be valuable to show potential employers that you understand the full scope of what an SEO specialist does.

See salaries and explore the career path for SEO Specialist

Digital Marketing Manager

Digital marketing managers are responsible for planning, executing, and analyzing digital marketing campaigns across various channels, including search engine optimization (SEO). Skills in SEO are required to ensure a website ranks highly in search engine results. Taking this Google SEO Capstone Project can help you learn about optimizing a website for search engines, which is a critical aspect of digital marketing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Marketing Manager

Content Marketing Manager

Content marketing managers are responsible for planning, creating, and distributing content that is valuable, relevant, and engaging to a target audience. SEO is an important skill for content marketing managers to have, as it can help ensure that their content is seen by as many people as possible. This Google SEO Capstone Project can provide you with a deeper understanding of SEO, which will make you more effective in your role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Content Marketing Manager

Web Developer

Web developers design, develop, and maintain websites. While not all web developers need to be experts in SEO, it is becoming increasingly important for web developers to have a basic understanding of SEO principles. This is because SEO can help to improve the visibility of a website in search engine results, which can lead to increased traffic and conversions. By completing this Google SEO Capstone Project, you can learn more about SEO and how to incorporate SEO principles into your web development work.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Developer

Marketing Analyst

Marketing analysts are responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to help businesses understand their customers and make better marketing decisions. SEO is a key marketing channel that can be analyzed to help businesses improve their marketing campaigns. By taking this Google SEO Capstone Project, you can learn about measuring SEO performance, which will make you more valuable as a marketing analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Analyst

E-commerce Manager

E-commerce managers are responsible for planning, executing, and managing e-commerce strategies. SEO is an important part of e-commerce, as it can help to drive traffic to an e-commerce website. By enrolling in this Google SEO Capstone Project, you can learn how to use SEO to improve the visibility of an e-commerce website, which can lead to increased sales.

See salaries and explore the career path for E-commerce Manager

Business Analyst

Business analysts are responsible for analyzing business processes and identifying areas for improvement. SEO can be used to improve the visibility of a business's website, which can lead to increased leads and sales. By completing this Google SEO Capstone Project, you can learn about how to use SEO to improve business performance.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Project Manager

Project managers are responsible for planning, executing, and managing projects. SEO projects are often complex and require a variety of skills, including project management, SEO, and marketing. By taking this Google SEO Capstone Project, you can learn about the project management skills that are needed to successfully manage SEO projects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Data Analyst

Data analysts are responsible for collecting, cleaning, and analyzing data to help businesses make better decisions. SEO data can be used to track the performance of SEO campaigns and identify areas for improvement. By enrolling in this Google SEO Capstone Project, you can learn how to use data analysis to improve SEO performance.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Marketing Manager

Marketing managers are responsible for planning, executing, and managing marketing campaigns. SEO is a key marketing channel that can be used to reach target audiences and achieve marketing goals. By taking this Google SEO Capstone Project, you can learn about how to use SEO to improve marketing campaigns.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Sales Manager

Sales managers are responsible for leading and managing sales teams. SEO can be used to generate leads and drive sales. By completing this Google SEO Capstone Project, you can learn about how to use SEO to improve sales performance.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Product Manager

Product managers are responsible for planning, developing, and launching new products. SEO can be used to improve the visibility of a product and drive sales. By taking this Google SEO Capstone Project, you can learn about how to use SEO to improve product performance.

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Operations Manager

Operations managers are responsible for planning, executing, and managing day-to-day operations. SEO can be used to improve the efficiency of operations by automating tasks and streamlining processes. By enrolling in this Google SEO Capstone Project, you can learn about how to use SEO to improve operational efficiency.

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Financial Analyst

Financial analysts are responsible for analyzing financial data and making recommendations to businesses. SEO can be used to improve the financial performance of a business by increasing website traffic and leads. By completing this Google SEO Capstone Project, you can learn about how to use SEO to improve financial performance.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst