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!

Milestone 2: Initial Research Phase

In this milestone, you will focus on the initial research required to begin optimizing a website. This milestone has three main activities including developing a buyer persona, conducting keyword research, and performing competitive research. These activities will help you identify your target audience, frame your keyword research, and gain insight into your competition. The information you gather from this research process will help you develop a successful strategy for the website.

Milestone 3: Conducting a Content Audit and Technical Review

In this third milestone, you’ll examine the content of your competitors’ sites through a content audit to better position your own SEO campaign. You’ll also conduct an internal content audit to compare your site to those of your competitors and identify areas for improvement. Also in this milestone, you will develop a keyword matrix to help you determine which keywords should be assigned to specific pages on your site. In the final part of the milestone, you’ll perform a technical review of the site to identify any technical factors that may impact the ranking of the website. Each of these activities is critical to On-Page SEO.

Milestone 4: Presenting Your Findings

In this final milestone, you will develop a comprehensive presentation representing all the work you have done throughout the course. Using a standard outline, you’ll create one cohesive Word document and present your findings, analysis, and recommendations to your peers. The final presentation will also include a video in which you present your case to a potential client or employer outlining how your SEO strategy will improve ranking and business.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, 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

Seo strategies applied to real-world projects

learners say this course is highly informative when it comes to learning the basics of SEO. Students say they appreciate that the assignments in this course closely mirror real-world work. Although some students wish the course content was more up-to-date, many appreciate the step-by-step approach that the course takes. Students largely agree that the peer review process for assignments is not very effective, some claiming that it can be subjective and inconsistent. Overall, students widely agree that this course is highly engaging and beneficial to those looking to learn more about SEO.

Great for simulating real work.

"The assignments are demanding and a good practice close to real work."

"It was a fantastic opportunity to practice and gain experience in real SEO problems."

Makes learning easier to follow.

"The step-by-step approach was incredibly helpful"

"Concise, practical, and rich in content"

Course content is older than 5 years.

"I did the 5-part course. Overall I liked it, but it's very old."

"The video's are made more than 5 years ago, so there's actually misinformation in it."

Subjective and inconsistent grading.

"They are marked by other students who have enrolled in the course"

"Receiving a pass in the assignments doesn't make me feel like I have earned it"

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.

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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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