iMod Education

Recent graduate, Simon Page shares his thoughts on the iMod Education SEO Online Course

I have a confession to make.

Up until a few days ago, I had not attempted nor completed an online course. In fact, I have not done a single course outside of my tertiary studies, offline or otherwise (well, I did do a standup comedy course in London. More about that some other time…)

So I was relatively excited and curious to see what experience iMod Education’s SEO Course had in store for me. I was ready. Sit down. Sign up. Start.

This is an underused baby meme

The first lesson is an introduction to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and why it’s important to know how it works. As an “outsider” I had encountered SEO at a previous job and was taught the bare basics – although at the time I thought that I knew it all – sad! My dealings with SEO was creating metadata on webpages and articles for clients and was a fairly basic rehashing of what had been explained to me regarding SEO practices.

But now I was to discover that I had fairly limited knowledge on the topic.

After reading through the first lesson and introductory info, I saw that there was a multiple choice quiz that had to be completed. Nice! Multiple choices only ever sucked in Science class – and SEO isn’t a science! This format continued with lesson 2, 3, 4 and 5 in which search engines – with particular focus on Google naturally- were discussed, how they function and their purpose, as well as info regarding Google Analytics and related matters.

After lesson 5 you are faced with a practical (with written answers). Wait, I’ve got to write stuff now? But it’s SEO, I thought this was technical know-how…oh ok.

Now that wasn’t hard. Next!

The next couple of lessons cover the do’s and don’ts of basic SEO methods. Also covered are the content guidelines one should adhere to and how to write HTML headers and effective metadata (in which I realized I didn’t even know it all regarding the topic). This is followed by a second practical to recap the previous four lessons.

As you delve into the next few lessons things start to get technical and my non-technical mind began to spin a bit.

It was at this point that Simon knew his life would change

But now I knew how to redirect a broken webpage and how to make sure that I used the right keywords. Winning!

I must point out that during each lesson one will find a number of links and videos that can take up more time but are immensely resourceful, as well as the further recommended links. I also bookmarked a couple of pages from the course as I went along.

Over the next number of lessons, you encounter some topics that you are aware of as a typical user – namely the speed of websites and using Google on mobiles – which make it quite a few lessons that are easily relatable. And then I started reading the lesson on “Local SEO”:

Why is the nearest doughnut shop not on Google Maps?

*Rant starts*

EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS TO DO THIS PART OF THE COURSE FOR THE LOVE OF FRANK SINATRA

Simon’s anecdote follows:

I once discovered a field by trusting a local listing. Yes, a store had an address that I travelled many miles to reach, only to discover it didn’t exist and what was in front of me was a very large field. I tried calling them but the phone number didn’t work. An hour of my life that I will never get back. The field didn’t even have a park with a swing.

Ok, so that made me feel better. So did the lesson.

Even this image is optimized

I finished the last practical before moving onto the final two lessons, namely covering the ever-changing nature of Google and how to audit a website for SEO purposes. Which left the final exam.

For the record, procrastination is a terrible thing. Especially when faced with a final hurdle. But I (eventually) tackled the exam head on – and it wasn’t as half tricky as I thought it was (but challenging, nonetheless).

And with the exception of two further modules, I had completed the course. I am now an SEO graduate from the School of Hard Keywords, ready to take on the world of Google search.

So my overall thoughts on the course and summary:

The learning material was presented in manageable portions per lesson – considering there is an overwhelming amount of information for some topics covered during the course – and as a result, the lessons are less intimidating. The numerous practical tasks that are required to finish lesson quizzes make this much more dynamic than a fixed, theoretical course. Also, if you happen to own a website you can implement the lessons on your site as you progress and see the results.

For the record, Al Gore never invented the internet. He only invented Global Warming. Just kidding Al!

In summary, this course will get anyone skilled and into the world of SEO and Google, with both theoretical and practical elements to assist you. An engaging and enjoyable course with benefits for your website or blog – win!

You can sign up for the course here if you’re keen.