How to Find Your Next Apartment As a Work From Home Student

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Working from home is gradually becoming the new norm in modern times, especially for busy students who have tight schedules as they are usually dealing with erratic work hours and a busy student life.

The COVID-19 pandemic certainly escalated work-from-home numbers. In January 2021, 56% of workers were “always” or “sometimes” working from home.

However, people were still working from home before COVID-19, and they’re going to continue working from home afterward. Many people even recognize that they prefer working from home due to the pandemic.

If you’re  currently performing your job from home while being a student, you need to make sure that your apartment is up to the task.

I will get to that list list in just a second… for those searching for a new apartment, here are some of my go-to websites for apartment searches across Canada (all of which I’ve used several times over the years, depending on where I have been studying/living):

OK. Now onto my tips for setting up your apartment for work-from-home individuals:

1. Make a List of Things You Need

Before you ever start apartment hunting, consider what elements are crucial to your work and if the new place accommodates this.

  • What type of work are you doing?
  • How often do you need to be online to do it?
  • What needs do the rest of your family have?

These are the factors that people often cite as their main needs in a new work-from-home environment:

Office Space

It can dramatically improve your productivity to have a dedicated office space. This is especially true if there are other people in the home. Even if you’re by yourself, though, it can help you focus, produce more quality work, and maintain a healthy work-life balance even when those two occupy (mostly) the same space.

Close to Commute Options

Some people only work remotely part of the time. For example, you may visit the office to use equipment, to hold important meetings, or because of your company’s policy. The remaining time can be spent at home with tasks that are handled digitally or over the phone.

If this is your experience, you need your apartment to be close enough to the workspace, so you can commute when necessary.

Pet-Friendly

For many remote workers, pets are how you relax when you’re not on the job. If you need pet-friendly apartments, make sure to place this on your list early. You don’t want to fall in love with an apartment complex, only to find it won’t accept your animal companion.

Events and Experiences

It can be lonely to both work and live inside the same four walls all week, every week. If you want to socialize and join a community while still remaining close to the “office,” you can choose an apartment complex that prioritizes community events.

Good Wireless Access

Many students need good internet access to study and work from home effectively. That’s especially true if you perform multiple video calls each day with colleagues or clients. Your livelihood will depend on a wireless network that’s up to the task.

Be sure to search for wireless providers in the area of each apartment. You can call ahead to verify their connection speeds and pricing options for more bandwidth. It can even be helpful to check if your ideal apartment is near a library or internet cafes, since outages happen.

2. Know Your Limits

There are certain things that can be a “deal-breaker” in apartments. The most common is price.

Everyone has a specific budget, and most people can go a little higher than their stated budget if necessary. However, if it’s too expensive, then it’s just too expensive. You might also have limits with:

  • Needing to be on the ground floor of an apartment
  • Requiring specific accessibility options
  • Wanting to pay rent online rather than in person

These are all important limits that you should note in advance. That will help you weed out the apartments that can’t suit your needs. It’ll also help you avoid pushing beyond your true limits just because your heart is set on a place or the walkthrough tour pressured you.

3. Talk to Apartment Rentals in Your Desired Area

Get as much information about the apartments in your desired area as possible. Start by:

  • Checking their websites
  • Investigating their locations with Google Maps or Google Earth
  • Reading online reviews
  • Finding new information about the apartments across multiple listings.

After that, make notes about anything that you haven’t found information on. This may include:

  • Rent including all fees
  • Security deposit amount
  • Lease length
  • Pet requirements
  • Current open apartments

You can call ahead to gather this information before you ever reach out to tour an apartment. It can also remove apartments from your list that seem too good to be true.

4. Tour Apartments and Make Notes About Anything You Like and Dislike

Apartment tours can be immensely helpful when it comes to understanding which place is ideal for you. If possible, record the full tour on your phone, so you can review it later as you narrow down the options. If the owner doesn’t allow recording, you can still usually take pictures.

Make sure to note what you like and what you dislike. Label them based on the highest importance and the lowest importance.

For example, if you don’t like the built-in decoration, that’s something you might be able to change. If you don’t like the fact that there’s no area to use as office space in the home, that’s something you can’t alter.

5. Narrow Down 3-4 Apartments and See If You Can Get Concrete Offers

This is a crucial step. You should narrow down your options to about 3-4 apartments that suit your needs.

Chances are, you won’t find the perfect apartment that matches your wish list and falls directly into your preferred budget. However, you’re likely to find a handful of apartments that meet all your needs, except for a few less-important desires. These are your “finalists.”

From here, reach out and get concrete offers from each one, or at least the promise of an apartment offer so long as you request one within a certain time period. You can talk to friends and family members, and come to a decision on which place fits the bill. You can then take their offer.

For those looking for help, feel free to message me

6. Safety

As a student living in an apartment, safety should always be a top priority. To ensure that your living space is as safe as possible, make sure to always lock your doors and windows when you are not home. A very important aspect of safety in apartment living is to be mindful of electrical safety by avoiding overloading outlets, using power strips with surge protectors, and never using electrical appliances near water sources.

Always be aware of frayed or damaged electrical cords, and make sure to replace them immediately. Additionally, always unplug appliances when not in use, and keep flammable items away from open flames, heating sources, and electrical equipment. By taking these simple steps, you can help ensure that your living space is a safe and secure environment.

When evaluating the safety of a neighborhood for your rental apartment, it’s important to take a comprehensive approach that considers a variety of factors. Here are some key steps you can take to assess the safety of a potential neighborhood:

  • Research crime statistics: Look up the local crime statistics for the area and compare them to those of nearby neighborhoods. Websites like crimereports.com or your local police department’s website can provide this information.
  • Talk to the locals: Ask people who live in the area about their experiences and perceptions of safety. They may be able to provide you with insight into the overall safety of the neighborhood.
  • Check out the neighborhood at different times of day: Visit the neighborhood at different times of day and night to see how it feels. Pay attention to the level of foot traffic, the presence of streetlights, and any signs of criminal activity.
  • Look for visible signs of safety measures: Observe the presence of security cameras, well-lit streets, and active neighborhood watch groups.
  • Consider your personal safety: Think about your own safety needs and whether the area meets them. For example, if you walk or bike to work, you may want to look for a neighborhood with good pedestrian and bike infrastructure.

By taking these steps, you can get a better understanding of the overall safety of a potential neighborhood and make an informed decision about where to rent an apartment.

 

How I Found Student Accommodation

accommodations, life in Canada, money, student life

Living in British Columbia is expensive. A recent report from CTV news says owning a home is basically a “distant dream”  in markets like this. Fact is, home ownership is a real issue in most Canadian cities, especially if you live in Vancouver (which I do).

Finding affordable apartments is no different.  In 2019, the government of BC took steps in an effort to help alleviate the issue, but it remains a fact that finding affordable rentals in BC (as well as other major Canadian cities) is increasingly difficult.

As a student, you need a place to live while you’re learning. Your choices for student accommodations can be varied, and as a UBC student, it’s important that you meet a variety of needs for those accommodations. Discovering the right place to live can completely change the way you’re able to interact with your college experience. Here are the steps I took to find the best form of housing at UBC, with some knowledge of my previous accommodation hunts.

1. Figured out a Monthly Budget

The first step is going to be figuring out your monthly budget. This will give you a better idea of the types of housing that you’ll want to pursue, whether you’re living on-campus, living by yourself off-campus, living off-campus with roommates, or even something completely different, like renting a short-term location.

Most experts suggest that you stick to no more than 30% of your monthly income dedicated to housing. However, depending on your other monthly costs, you may be able to get a bit higher to 40% or even potentially 50%. Working backwards can be helpful here; write down all your other monthly costs, like utilities, transportation, internet access, phone service, food, and other purchases you typically make, then see how much you have left. Here are a few easy  tips to save on unnecessary spending and save money:

Get a Roommate
This one is obvious, and it will save by far the most money. The average cost of a one-bedroom apartment is skyrocketing .  A roommate will also help with shared expenses like utilities, kitchen supplies, toiletries and groceries.

Negotiate When You Renew a Lease
Landlords want to keep good tenants. It costs them money to move you out and bring someone else in. That means you have some leverage.

Pay Upfront
Offer to pay the entire lease or at least a few months upfront for a discount if you can afford it. The landlord may cut a deal to have cash in hand, but it’s only an option if you have enough savings to cover and then some.

Save On Your Energy Usage
Your electrical bill is usually the next most important and relevant expense  after your rent. The good news is that you can control your electrical bill more than your rent!  Turn off the lights when not using them, unplug unused appliances (this phenomenon is commonly referred to as a “phantom load” or “vampire energy) and cut down on heating/cooling goes a long way.  Make sure to check out BCHydro’s article on saving on heating in the winter, and you can read more about the energy consumption of different ACs in this article I found on a premium-electric.ca.

Give Up Your Parking Space
If you don’t have a car, you don’t need a parking space. Offer to give it up in exchange for discounted rent. The landlord would be able to sell the space to another tenant, who might need extra parking, or find someone you can rent it to directly.

2. On-Campus vs. Off-Campus Housing

Before you really start looking for the right location, it’s a good idea to think about whether you want to live on-campus or off-campus. The options and benefits that come along with each can be beneficial for different students.

On-Campus Housing Options and Benefits

Most colleges will provide some kind of student housing on campus. UBC offers its own student residence options; the Vancouver campus alone has 15 residences with 13,000 students. Some of the benefits of living on-campus include:

  • Easier access to on-campus amenities
  • Less time spent commuting
  • More access to your student community
  • Rent often includes utilities and a meal plan
  • Access to residence services, often staffed by other students

On-campus housing can be a great option if you really want to maximize your on-campus time. However, it’s common for there to only be a certain amount of housing, so even all the people who want to house on-campus may not be able to.

Off-Campus Housing Options and Benefits

If you’re interested in renting your own apartment off-campus, whether because you prefer to or because there are no on-campus options, there are a number of options available. You’ll typically want to try and find a location within about 10-20 minutes from the university. Some of the benefits of living off-campus may include:

  • Sharing the cost of rent with multiple people
  • More choice of your roommates
  • Learning how to live on your own
  • More options in housing styles
  • Potential to save money

If you’re looking for a more free-roaming method of the college experience, off-campus housing is a great option. You have significantly more control over your college accommodations when you use off-campus housing as opposed to on-campus housing.

3. Average Cost of Rentals

So, how expensive should you expect your rental to be? The truth is that cost will vary dramatically. A good starting point for off-campus housing is around $700-$1,000 CAD per month for shared housing. Non-shared housing may run you higher, although your price will inevitably depend on the location where you live.

A good option is to utilize a website like Bwalk.com (Boardwalk Rentals) to get an idea of rental prices across the country for different sizes of homes. For example, you can find an Edmonton 1 bedroom apartment for around $900 per month, whereas some of the more expensive Calgary 1 bedroom apartments are closer to $1,300 per month. That being said, there are two options for cost that will change the end amount you pay.

Sharing an Apartment With Someone Else

If you want to reduce the cost of your apartment, you may want to share your apartment with someone else. That may mean you and a few of your friends all going in on a specific apartment, or it could mean getting an apartment with someone who’s advertising a sublease. Either way, it’s almost always going to work out to be cheaper.

Most of the time, an extra bedroom is about $200 more than the baseline for a 1 bedroom apartment. In the same location, you could find a 1 bedroom apartment for $1,300, but a 2 bedroom apartment for $1,500. If you and a friend go in on the 2 bedroom, each person’s individual rent price will go down dramatically.

Renting Your Own Apartment or Home

Although price is the main selling point for sharing an apartment, privacy and individuality is definitely the main selling point for having your own. When you have your own apartment, you simply don’t have to worry about anyone else in your apartment, meaning you can decorate and maintain it however you like.

To determine whether this is a possible option for you, it’s a good idea to go back to your original budget. Is your budget closer to $1,000+ for renting, or is your budget closer to $600-$700 per month? If it’s the former, you may be able to find an apartment, with your chances rising as your budget gets higher. If it’s the latter, you’re probably going to want to look to share an apartment.

4. Commuting to and From School

This goes back to location. The closer your apartment is to UBC, the less time and money you’ll have to spend on the commuting. This is especially pronounced if you’re choosing between an apartment that’s half an hour away versus an apartment that’s only about 10 minutes away – that’s 20 minutes per ride, which works out to almost three and a half hours over a five-day week.

This problem will likely get even worse if you don’t have access to a car on a regular basis. Having to rely on the bus system can be a huge pain, especially if you’re a significant amount of distance away. Remember to factor the commute time in when you’re trying to find a great apartment within your budget – if you can’t find anything close enough in your budget, consider teaming up with someone else to rent together.

5. Understanding Apartments vs. Homes

If you’re planning to rent off-campus, there are multiple options available. Most commonly, you’ll be choosing between an apartment, which is a single unit in a large building full of units, and a home, which is its own standalone building.

Apartments can have many community amenities, like pools and clubhouses, that every member of the community can use as part of the apartment. Additionally, some apartments pay for some or all of your utilities, which often isn’t rolled into the rent of homes. Lastly, apartments are typically cheaper than homes, as they can be much smaller and there are more of them in a single building.

On the other hand, individual homes can give you significantly more space and freedom. It’s also more common for homes to be in areas that are further away from main streets, giving you a little bit more privacy and shelter from noise pollution. Plus, if you don’t tend to be very social, you don’t have to deal with other people living so close nearby.

Conclusion

Student accommodation in Canada can seem very difficult, and it’s certainly more difficult than just finding an apartment. After all, there are many more things for you to think about. However, with just a little bit of knowledge, you can know exactly what you’re looking for. The most prominent elements to consider are the price, the choice between on-campus and off-campus housing, the choice between apartments and homes, and your commute time. If you can make sure you’re choosing the right option for all of these things, you can make sure your time at UBC is productive and enjoyable.

Building a Path to Becoming an Artist on Your Own Time

education, technology

Many people with artistic desires wonder how they can realize those artistic interests. If you’ve ever loved the way that a certain type of art looks, it’s natural to consider turning that enjoyment into a hobby, or even a job.

Becoming an artist can seem like a complex process, but in reality, you just need the blueprint so that you can do it. In 5 steps, you can turn your love of art into an artistic talent.

1. Choosing a Medium

Your first step needs to be choosing a medium for the art that you’re interested in. Remember, you’re not tied down to a specific medium. The skills you learn in any medium can transfer into other mediums, but you want to build a strong base in one specific medium before you move into another one. There are two main categories here:

Physical Mediums

A physical medium includes any process where you take a physical material and turn it into art. Some common forms of art using physical mediums include oil or acrylic painting, sculpting, whittling, knitting and crocheting, or even fashion design.

These physical mediums require that you have physical items that you then turn into a piece of art. People who love to work with their hands may find themselves drawn to physical mediums.

Digital Mediums

A digital medium includes any process where you create art using a computer or other digital tool. That means art using digital mediums includes general digital art, 3D modeling, CG modeling for film and TV, digital photography, digital collage, and algorithmic art.

If you already love using computers and digital tools, digital mediums may be a great option for you. It may also be a good idea to pursue digital art if you have little space for lots of tools, as your tool list will be much smaller with digital mediums.

2. Determining Your End Goal

Next, you need to decide what you want to do with your artistic endeavors. People will typically pursue either a hobbyist goal or a professional goal.

Hobbyist

Being a hobbyist is a great way to exercise your artistic desires without feeling the pressure to turn it into a career. If you want to work as a secretary by day, then come home and paint or sculpt for fun, that’s a completely justified desire.

Plus, some hobbyists can make a little bit of money from their artwork if they want to sell finished pieces or take commissions. Hobbyists can often learn on their own from a variety of resources.

Professional

If you want to make your specific art medium your full-time job, you’re looking to become a professional. If you’re starting to get into 3D modeling, for example, and you decide that you would love to design characters for video games and animated TV shows, you’re hoping to become a professional. Professionals will typically want to pursue more professional learning opportunities to add to their resume.

3. Deciding on the Most Important Supplies

When you’re a complete beginner, you only need the most important supplies to start practicing. For example, if you’re a beginner acrylic painter, you’ll likely invest in a few brushes, canvases, and basic blue, red, yellow, white, and black acrylic paints. You may see experts using dozens of different colors and brushes, but as a complete beginner, you don’t need to invest that much money.

The list of necessary supplies for a beginner will vary depending on the precise medium that you’re using. Your best bet will be to search online for “beginner supplies for [medium]” or “essential supplies for [medium].” A search for “Beginner supplies for painting” will bring up a great list, for example.

You’re not the first person to try out a new artistic medium, and these lists will direct you to the best tools for a beginner.

4. Practicing Regularly

This is one of the most important things to do when you’re trying to learn a new artistic medium. Practice is how you’ll improve your skills. Even if you don’t like the end result, you will have learned some new skills while you were going through the practicing process, and that’s important to remember.

Many people set aside a small amount of time every day to practice their new artistic medium. You may, for example, be able to set aside 30 minutes every day after you get home from work. Even just 15 minutes can make a big difference – over a year, 15 minutes a day ends up being over 91 hours! Opt for small amounts of practice over a long period of time rather than many hours of practice every so often.

5. Upgrading Your Tools Over Time

As you continue practicing and become better at your craft, you’re going to want to upgrade your tools over time. Create a list of priority upgrades – if you’re currently doing digital modeling with a mouse, for example, a budget tablet may be first on your list of upgrades, then a more expensive, high-end tablet. There are often three things that keep people from upgrading their tools.

Budget Restrictions

Of course, budget tends to come up first when it comes to issues regarding improving your artistry. Better tools are often more expensive. The best way to mitigate this problem is to space your improvements over time, purchasing just a single piece every few months or so. Again, a list can be massively helpful here – mapping out which purchases you want to make next will help you budget for them.

Knowledge Restrictions

This is another possible problem that artists can encounter when they want to upgrade. It can seem daunting moving from a simpler tool that you nonetheless understand well to a more complex tool that will be more beneficial for your artwork. Your best option will be to do research on the tool before you buy it, then make sure you keep your old tools around while you’re getting used to the new ones.

Space Restrictions

If you’re working in a physical medium, you may find that you run into some space restrictions when you try to move to better tools. These tools can end up requiring a significant amount of space, and especially if you live in an already-small area, restrictions may be pretty extreme. In this situation, the best option is typically to look for tools that you can put away when you’re not using them. That way, you don’t have to worry about running out of space.

6. Understanding When to Take Things to the Next Level

What is the “next level” for you? If you’re a CG modeler looking to become a professional, the “next level” may be a CG training program like the one from Think Tank Online. If you’re a hobbyist painter wanting to receive some recognition, the “next level” may be submitting your work to a local showcase. If you’re an aspiring fashion designer hoping to take commissions one day, the “next level” may be to take some fashion classes at a local community college.

No matter what the next level is for you, you should take the step when you feel like there’s something bigger waiting for you once you take it. A CG modeling program may not require much preexisting experience with CG modeling, whereas submitting your artwork to a local showcase will require significant talent. If you look at the next step and you think, “I want to do that!”, you should take the next step. You never know what’s waiting for you down the line.

Life As A First Year Student During COVID-19

covid-19, education

(This is a republished piece. Credit)

Starting university is rarely easy for students. Meeting new friends, getting to grips with your course and moving away from home for the first time are all challenges. But what is it like to start university and have to deal with these things while also trying to remain safe from coronavirus?

Kavi Sharma, a first year Global Sustainable Development (GSD) student at the University of Warwick is currently living in one of the university’s largest halls of accommodation. Kavi said his halls has had one of the most coronavirus cases in the university. He told us about his experiences so far.

When we spoke to Kavi, he was in day one of his 14-day self-isolation period as someone in his flat had tested positive for COVID-19.  He said: “It’s a strange but also exciting experience to be self-isolating with people I only met a week ago. I’m just thankful that I get along well with my flat!”

Many international students are also having to self-isolate this semester. According to the latest QS coronavirus survey, 44 percent of the 312 international students questioned had been asked to quarantine upon arrival to the country where they’ll be studying.

Measures put in place by the university

Most universities are putting measures in place to protect students and staff against the threat of coronavirus. The same QS survey revealed that over half (52 percent) of the students questioned had been given a limit on the number of visitors at their place of residence.

Kavi said that at the University of Warwick, students “aren’t allowed in anyone’s bedroom and can only enter our own kitchen.”

The survey found that only 15 percent of the students asked were asked to take regular tests for COVID-19 and a further 15 percent of students weren’t asked to do any of these measures.

Other popular methods of protecting against the virus in universities included having online lectures rather than face to face lectures, making face coverings in public places compulsory, distributing hand gel and increasing the frequency of cleaning in university facilities.

When asked about the other measures the University of Warwick had put in place, Kavi said: “There is a hand sanitizer by most doors upon entering the building and we were each given a thermometer when we arrived.

“We also have to wear a mask in all face to face seminars and there are many signs around the university reminding us to socially distance and to wear face masks.”

Socially distanced freshers’ week

Freshers’ week is normally a week of partying, meeting new people and attending events put on by the university. With the government coronavirus measures put in place in the UK, a normal freshers’ week hasn’t been possible for universities this year and they’ve had to improvise.

Kavi’s freshers’ week at the University of Warwick consisted of a range of online events, including online nightclubs and escape rooms, which “barely any students attended.”

Bars on and off campus were open, but due to the UK government’s rules that all bars and restaurants must close after 10pm, there weren’t late nights out for students.

Kavi said: “I feel that I’ve missed out on the clubbing, as well as the ability to meet a large amount of people in a university society. But there will hopefully be plenty of time to make up for this when restrictions ease.”

He added: “I still enjoyed meeting people during freshers’ week, especially when compared to how boring it was at home for six months, but the freshers’ experience was still not as enjoyable as it would have been without restrictions.”

“It’s harder to meet new people”

Despite his university’s efforts to encourage online events, Kavi said the restrictions on social distancing have made it significantly harder to meet new people at university.
“It’s harder to talk online and can be slightly awkward,” Kavi said.

One positive of lockdown, Kavi said, was getting spend more time with his flatmates. He said: “It’s meant that we’ve been able to get to know each other properly, as opposed to just drinking with each other.”

The pros and cons of online learning

The latest findings from the ongoing QS coronavirus survey suggest that over half (51 percent) of students are being taught entirely online.  Kavi said: “The majority of my course is being taught online, with only three hours of in-person seminars per week.”

Kavi doesn’t find online, prerecorded lectures very engaging and said that there have been “a few technical glitches” since lectures went online. He added that “we are all still adapting to this new style of teaching and learning.”

However, Kavi found his live online lectures significantly more interesting as “the department have made an active effort to make them interactive, with debates and discussion.”

Like Kavi, 22 percent of respondents to QS’s online survey reported that their lectures were mostly online with some face-to-face learning. Of the 312 students asked, only 24 students were being taught completely face to face.

Kavi said: “The only advantage of being taught online is that I can get lots of sleep before the early morning lectures. I am on a lecture within five minutes of waking up – obviously with the camera turned off!”

Managing students’ mental health

Starting university can be particularly challenging on students’ mental health, with only 27 percent of students feeling that their university provides adequate mental health support, according to one Natwest survey.

Kavi doesn’t feel much has been done at his university to support students’ mental health. He said: “In comparison to the advice given for physical health, there has been nowhere near an equal amount given for mental health.”

One of Kavi’s concerns is that he might not be allowed to go home for Christmas. He said: “We were not made aware that there was a chance that we wouldn’t be able to go back home.”

Formal Education Sources for Digital Marketing

education, internet

Updated: This article has been updated on March 15th, 2023 to review all sources and links.

How do I learn about digital marketing and SEO if there is no “official” educational source for it?

Full disclosure: there is no “official”, industry wide, “standard” SEO certification. You can get Google Ads certified. You can get Google Analytics certified. (Both of which will help with your SEO efforts, incidentally.) There are many good beginner guides, like this one from 1stOnTheList, a local SEO company near Vancouver, BC.  Google does offer a great SEO Starter Guide as well as Webmaster Guidelines to help you on your SEO journey, but you cannot get Google SEO “certified”. In fact, there is no formal SEO certification at all, Google-endorsed or otherwise. (Note: There are plenty of agencies and third-party sites out there offering SEO ‘Certification’ courses. And yes, many of these are well worth it – see our list below for starters. But no: no matter how they spin it, none of these are, as yet, Google-endorsed or even recommended.)

Remember in the good old days, when the only ‘certification’ you needed was your reputation and your demonstrated know-how and skill? SEO is a bit like that. It’s a new-age skill in an old-school package. You earn your place in the SEO world, and the trust of employers, in a positively primitive way: with proven performance and exhibited expertise.

How do you get to that point of SEO smarts, though, where you can put on the show of expert performance required to succeed? Given that SEO is all about online expertise, the obvious and best place to find that expertise is, *ahem*… online. There are literally tens of thousands of online courses available for SEO training.

Here, we delve into why there isn’t an official Google-endorsed SEO certification program (yet); why doing an SEO course(s) is still worth it; and our top 10 SEO courses, training programs and learning tools out there right now (paid and free).

Why Isn’t There an ‘Official’ SEO Certification?

Why isn’t there an official, industry-recognized SEO certification? Let us count the reasons:

  1. SEO is an ever-changing beast. For reference, mid-way through 2019, Google revealed that they made 3200 changes to search in 2018. That’s around nine changes per day, dramatically up from the 350-400 changes it made back in 2010 (just one change a day, which at the time we all thought was ridiculous!) Keeping these numbers in mind, it goes without saying that trying to decide what SEO practices to include in any Google-validated SEO certification would be difficult. No. Impossible. Even the most SEO-savvy and brilliant SEO minds out there do not have access to these algorithms, so while there are definitely best practices which can be reasonably confirmed and followed, there is never going to be 100% consensus on what to include in an industry-recognized SEO certification.
  2. There are plenty of brilliant SEO professionals out there. But which one of those would be given the official nod to offer an industry-recognized gold standard in SEO certifications would mean everyone agreeing on who is the most brilliant of all. Never. Going. To. Happen.
  3. Ironically, Google is great at keeping secrets. You can find anything and everything using Google search. Everything except the exact details of Google’s search algorithms, that is. For any official SEO certification program to be 100% accurate, valid and purposeful, Google would have to spill the beans and tell us more about their search algorithms and how they work than they are ever going to be willing to do. (We’re all ears and eyes Google… ready when you are!) Listen carefully to any of the public interviews given by Google Search representatives, and you’ll find a common theme: they never give straightforward answers. There are implications and suggestions, but never full facts. They’re not trying to bamboozle us, they’re just trying to make sure nobody can bamboozle their users (i.e., searchers) by gaming the system.

Is Taking an SEO Course Worth It?

Short answer? Yes. (Otherwise we wouldn’t be writing this guide to the best SEO courses out there, would we?)

Long answer? Yes, and here’s why: Over 4.5 billion people worldwide use the Internet on a daily basis. (Internet World Stats – at last calculation, June 2019). It’s also been well-documented that Google processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average, which translates to over 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide. (Internet Live Stats) To make any sort of impression, to get seen at all amidst all that traffic and search activity, companies need their websites to be easy to find. SEO know-how is the most direct route to search success.

But beware: while there are a million guides out there promising you quick and easy SEO fixes, SEO – really good SEO – doesn’t come easy. Google has made sure of that. Which is where SEO courses and training come in.

Whether you’re learning SEO as a career move, or simply on a DIY basis, in order to put SEO best practices into place for your own business, your best bet is, undoubtedly, to take a course or two to get you started. Here, we list our 10 best courses, training and knowledge centres available online to help you make friends with Google’s algorithms and influence potential employers seeking SEO professionals. Some of these are paid, some are free, all are worthwhile for anyone hoping to make it in the world of SEO.

10 Best SEO Courses and Training for 2020

1. Google Courses & Essential Knowledge

As with all things online, and SEO specifically, start with Google.

Starter Guide

Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide offers pages and pages of excellent advice, ranging from:

  • SEO basics to get found on Google
  • SEO best practices related to structure, content, markup, titles and more
  • Common mistakes to avoid
  • Mobile optimization – a key element of SEO for 2019 and beyond
  • Content (text and image) optimization
  • Guide to using links
  • Analysing your site for search performance and user behaviour
  • Additional resources
  • And more.

While Google is quite clear up front that “This guide won’t provide any secrets that’ll automatically rank your site first in Google (sorry!),” following the best practices outlined in the guide should indeed “make it easier for search engines to crawl, index and understand your content.” Coming as it does direct from the very source of search, it’s a veritable treasure trove of accurate information to getting started with SEO. Ignore it at your own peril.

Google Search Console

Learn how to use Google Search Console.

Technically speaking, this isn’t an actual SEO course, but knowing how to use this free Google Tool can help you “monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot (a) site’s presence in Google Search results … Search Console helps you understand and improve how Google sees (a) site.” Which is really what SEO is all about – getting seen on Google (and other search engines).

Google itself recommends that all SEO specialists learn, and use, Google Search Console. As they put it, “As someone focused on online marketing, Search Console will help you monitor your website traffic, optimize your ranking, and make informed decisions about the appearance of your site’s search results. You can use the information in Search Console to influence technical decisions for the website and do sophisticated marketing analysis in conjunction with other Google tools like Analytics, Google Trends, and Google Ads.”

If you have any hope of making at as an SEO professional, you’re going to need all the help you can get. Who better to help you win at Google than … Google!

2. Udemy: SEO 2020: Complete SEO Training + SEO for WordPress Websites

This course has been widely lauded as the best SEO course out there.

Description: “Rank 1 on Google with Technical SEO, 1s Page speed, UX SEO, Backlink SEO, Keyword Research SEO + WordPress SEO Training.”

What you will learn:

  • SEO Training on 40 SEO factors
  • How those SEO factors affects the ranking of websites on Google
  • 8 Technical SEO factors
  • How to make your website to load in less than 0.5 seconds & increase sales / conversions by 2X
  • Essential skills to optimize your website for Google, Bing & Yandex search engines
  • How to improve the User experience of your website – The future of SEO
  • How to use the best free SEO tools across the entire web
  • Low competition, high traffic optimized long tail keyword list
  • An actionable list of more than 25 White Hat Backlink generation sources
  • Expired SEO techniques / Myths, which can hurt your website
  • And more…

How long it will take you: approximately 8.5 hours

Cost: CA$16.99* (full lifetime access)

3. Moz: SEO Training Course by Moz (via Udemy)

It makes sense that SEO giant Moz would offer an SEO basics course. Moz also offers an ‘Advanced SEO: Tactics & Strategy’ course, but you need to request an invitation to be accepted to this private course.

Description: “Learn SEO tips and tricks in this SEO training course from Moz.”

What you will learn:

  • SEO strategy development
  • Site audits and structure
  • Keyword research basics
  • On-page SEO fundamentals
  • Link building and off-page SEO
  • SEO for SERP features
  • Reporting on SEO

How long it will take you: approximately 3.5 hours

Cost: Free (full lifetime access)

4. Udemy: Complete SEO Training With Top SEO Expert Peter Kent

Who better than the author of SEO for Dummies, Peter Kent, to get you started on the path to SEO success?

Description: “Win the SEO Game & Dominate The Search Engines With the Author of Best-Selling Search Engine Optimization for Dummies.”

What you will learn:

  • How to pick the best keywords for SEO
  • How to prepare your site
  • How to avoid things that hurt your site SEO
  • The role of content in SEO
  • How to optimize your pages – meta tags, formatting body text and images, etc.
  • How to boost SEO with structured data markup
  • How to submit your site to search engines and directories
  • How to use Local-Search SEO
  • The importance of links in SEO
  • How to find places to get great links to your site

How long it will take you: approximately 8 hours

Cost: $15.99* (full lifetime access)

5. Skillshare ~ SEO Today: Strategies to Earn Trust, Rank High, and Stand Out

When Rand Fishkin, founder of SparkToro and previously co-founder of Moz and Inbound.org, and SEO industry legend looks deep into your eyes and tells you he’s going to take you through the “deep tactical and strategic elements of SEO” it’s hard to not get excited!

Description: “Join ‘Wizard of Moz’ Rand Fishkin to learn how to earn trust, rank high, drive traffic, and stand out.”

What you will learn:

  • Link earning strategies to help your content rank higher
  • On-page SEO optimizations to serve users first
  • The latest in search engine results pages (SERP) including rich snippets and schema markup (and why it’s time to go beyond “10 blue links”)
  • Best practices for mobile SEO and maximizing visibility for both mobile and desktop
  • Exclusive list of checklists, tools, links and resources included

How long it will take you: approximately 1.5 hours

Cost: Free

6. Yoast Academy: Online SEO Training

Listen. They’re not called “Yoast – SEO for everyone” for nothing. You probably already know Yoast as the amazing WordPress plugin, the SEO wizards who basically do all your SEO for you on your WordPress site. These guys know SEO and now they want you to know it too.

Description: “Our online SEO training courses teach you vital SEO skills you can apply at once. Find out how to outrank your competition and become the best result… Make quick and lasting improvements to your site… practice actual SEO skills from keyword research to technical SEO. Developed by world class SEOs and education experts trusted by the world’s biggest brands.”

What you will learn: What won’t you learn? The suite of Yoast SEO courses run the gamut from beginners to full-scale technical know-how. (They even offer a course on multilingual SEO!) It is possibly the most comprehensive SEO learning opportunity online.

How long it will take you: Varies

Cost: Training subscriptions range from $22.42 to $41.58 per month, with a free course for beginners.

7. Shopify Academy: SEO Course for Ecommerce

Designed specifically for ecommerce, this SEO for ecommerce course for beginners teaches learners how to optimize online stores to get found on Google. Discover what Google values in search results, how to research and select keywords relevant to (an) online store, and how to develop an ecommerce SEO strategy specific to (an) online store.

Description: “SEO Training for Beginners: How to get found on Google and earn more traffic in 2019. A 3-step SEO framework designed for ecommerce entrepreneurs who want to learn the fundamentals fast.”

What you will learn:

  • What matters most for ecommerce SEO: learn how Google works and the factors it considers when presenting search results
  • How to make people find you online: keyword research helps you discover the words and terms people use to find you.
  • How to optimize your Shopify store (which can be translated to other online stores)
  • How to add keywords to product pages, write meta descriptions, add alt-text to images and more.
  • You will also get a Shopify SEO cheat sheet – a step-by-step guide to a SEO strategy for a Shopify site (which can be translated to other online stores)

How long it will take you: 30 minutes

Cost: Free

8. HubSpot ~ Free Crash Course in SEO Training

Four lessons. 21 videos. Three quizzes. A short and very SEO-sweet crash course designed to give you the very best of the SEO basics in bite-sized chunks you’re guaranteed to remember.

Description: “Learn all things SEO, including link building, topic clusters, building search authority, and an inside look into how HubSpot uses blogging to rank #1 on Google.”

What you will learn:

  • How to evaluate and improve your website’s SEO looking at things like
    • Selecting the right keywords for your website
    • Teaching you how to make sure search engines understand the content on your page
    • Giving you an understanding of how search engines crawl your site
    • On-page and off-page SEO
  • How to build backlinks to your website at scale to increase your website’s visibility on the search engine results page
  • Learn and leverage the tactics HubSpot’s blog team uses to rank #1 on Google

How long it will take you: 1 hour and 36 minutes

Cost: Free

9. HubSpot ~ Free Download: On-Page SEO Template

Follow up your HubSpot crash course in SEO by then downloading their free on-page SEO template. More of a tool than a course, this is nevertheless one of the most hands-on SEO learning opportunities out there.

Description: “Learn to implement your SEO strategy step-by-step in 2020 with a free template designed to help you easily track on-page SEO elements.”

What you will learn/benefit from:

  • Organize on-page SEO strategy
  • Coordinate pages and keywords more easily
  • Implement key SEO elements according to best practices
  • Track changes and results all in one place
  • Perfect your pages as a first-time or advanced user

How long it will take you: Ongoing

Cost: Free

10. Get Your Hands Dirty

Again, this isn’t technically an SEO course. But there’s nothing like actually diving in and doing the work to learn the work. Dive in the deep end; sink or swim; practice makes perfect… and all that.

  • Practice on your own website. If you have to build a fake one, do it. WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Sitebuilder, Hostgator. There are lots of free options for you to make it happen and use that space to put your SEO skills into practice.
  • Find an internship or entry-level position. Search for jobs in an SEO agency or the SEO department of a company (there are plenty out there), and get your foot in the door doing actual, real-life SEO work. (Even if it means taking a pay cut.) Preferably with real-life SEO professional who can teach you along the way. Which brings us to…
  • Find a mentor. Just like in the good old days, find a ‘master’ and become his/her apprentice. Put your ego aside and learn from experienced SEOs professional who are already demonstrating proven results in the field.
  • Keep learning. Don’t get complacent. SEO continues to morph and evolve at a breakneck pace. So should you. It’s not like riding a bike; you do need to learn it again, and again, and again. If you don’t keep learning new skills, you will fall off. Continue to do your research. Stay up to date. Understand that “Content  is King” and become a better writer, or if you have to find a good content creator, take the proper steps to finding one. Use Google search to win at Google search. The Internet is a marvelous place to keep learning new things and find the latest in SEO education and updates. Use it.

*Note: At the time of writing, all Udemy courses were on sale at the prices listed here; prices may change.