All students named below have successfully completed a course at Search Engine College and attained official certification status (requiring a passing grade of 70 percent or higher.)

Search Engine Optimization 101

• Jonathan Tressler
• Louise Marshall
• Christy Hicks
• Debbie Moore
• Jessica Kennedy
• Michelle Macken
• Liang Wang
• Dorothee Balas
• Suzanne Robinson
• Paul Havey
• Deborah Neighbors
• Ajay Nair
• Donna Pineau
• Dino Basaldella
• Rob Whyte
• Amy Brockman
• Kindra Cotton
• Puja Dakhera
• Michonne Rose Proulx
• Terry Del Percio
• Sarah Harlock
• Robert Rivera
• Darlene Sojka
• Carmen Rivera
• Louie Zanoni
• William Smith
• Nicholas Fokianos
• Steve Ollington
• Jacky Hill
• Fredrick Johnston

Search Engine Optimization 201

• Debbie Moore
• Jacqueline Christian
• Christy Hicks
• Suzanne Robinson
• Paul Havey
• Ann Merrill
• Deborah Neighbors
• Jonathan Tressler
• Dino Basaldella
• Jessica Kennedy
• Amy Brockman
• Kindra Cotton
• Puja Dakhera
• Brandon Bergmann
• Robert Rivera
• Carmen Rivera
• Nicholas Fokianos
• Steve Ollington
• Ajay Nair
• Joseph Santia
• Rachel Haber
• Lewis Husbands

Pay Per Click Advertising 101

• Debbie Moore
• Adam Binstock Rebekah Pettigrew
• Bryna Davidow
• Deborah Neighbors
• Amy Brockman
• Brandon Bergmann
• Jessica Kennedy
• Nicholas Fokianos
• Yvonne Brandon
• Jacqueline Christian
• Ajay Nair

Pay Per Click Advertising 201

• Debbie Moore
• Adam Binstock
• Bryna Davidow
• Deborah Neighbors
• Matthew McGee
• Amy Brockman
• Puja Dakhera
• Yvonne Brandon
• Linda Le
• Brandon Bergmann
• Jacqueline Christian
• Shane Cummiskey

Web Site Copywriting 101

• Rebekah Pettigrew
• Ann Merrill
• Leann Phoenix
• Shane Cummiskey
• Birgitt Olsen
• Robert Garvie

Web Site Usability 101

• John Rodrigues
• Christy Hicks
• Karen Numoto
• Debbie Moore
• Matthew McGee
• Bev Asllanaj
• Maha El Refai
• Michonne Rose Proulx

Link Building 101

• Adam Binstock
• Deborah Neighbors
• Robert Rivera

Article Marketing & Distribution 101

• Dave Lobo

Copywriting for PPC 101

• Bryna Davidow
• Amy Brockman

Certified Search Engine Optimizer

• Ann Merrill
• Christy Hicks
• Puja Dakhera
• Bev Asllanaj
• Robert Rivera
• Jessica Kennedy

Certified Pay-Per-Click Marketer

• Matthew McGee

Certified Search Engine Marketer

• Adam Binstock
• Deborah Neighbors
• Bryna Davidow
• Debbie Moore
• Amy Brockman
• Leann Phoenix
• Brandon Bergmann
• Shane Cummiskey
• John Cullen

Congratulations everyone! Please contact your tutor if you are still waiting to receive your hard copy certificate, Status Page or certification seal.

Also, don’t forget to fan of our Facebook page and follow our Twitter profile @secollege for College announcements such as lesson updates, press releases, new courses, events and milestones.

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Like to learn more about our online training courses? Download our free SEO sample lesson.

So, two things happened today that prompted this post.

The first one was an email from a student who had friends and colleagues interested in the course she was taking via Search Engine College. She wanted to know if we had an affiliate program so she could refer people in exchange for a commission if they sign up.

The second thing was a conversation I had with another mum at my son’s school who suggested that because I work on the Internet, I should “look into affiliate programs” as she had heard they are a great way to market a web site.

Both of these things made me realize that I’m obviously not very good at marketing. Because Search Engine College already HAS an affiliate program. We’ve had one for over 5 years in fact. But if one of our own students didn’t know and someone I chat to every day didn’t know, then I’m obviously not promoting it well enough. That’s a big marketing FAIL right there.

So, for those of you who didn’t already know, guess what? Search Engine College has an affiliate program.

It’s actually a pretty generous one – 15% commission on any new registrations, a USD 2 sign up bonus and a USD 50 performance bonus when your commissions reach $1,000. We pay out at USD 200, so if a student referred by you registers and pays for our Search Engine Marketer Pathway (currently priced at USD 1,495.00), your commission would be USD 224.25 and you would automatically reach the minimum payment threshold with just one sale.

Provided you are already a student, you can even use your affiliate link to purchase future courses. By doing this you will receive a 15% commission from your own orders, indirectly providing you with 15% off the purchase price of any course.

Convinced yet? Convinced but worried it will be a time suck to get going? Don’t be. Once you login, you can grab text links, banner code and other marketing tools for fast integration into your site, email signature or blog. We’ll send you step-by-step instructions if you need them, but truly, it should only take you about 5 mins to slap up a link.

Whether it makes you rich like Mr Happy in the photo here, or whether it just pays enough to cover your daily coffee is up to you. But give it a go and let me know what you think.

We’ve been publishing the Search Light newsletter for over 10 years now and figured it needed a makeover.

Our first issue includes an article based on a fascinating test-run of Google’s new Books Ngram Viewer, as well as a bunch of Q and A’s from this blog.

It also features a range of terrific job vacancies in the search industry and a USD 50 discount on our SEO and PPC courses, exclusive to subscribers.

Enjoy!

All students named below have successfully completed a course at Search Engine College and attained official certification status (requiring a passing grade of 70 percent or higher.)

Search Engine Optimization 101

• Perrie Faulkner
• Shane Cummiskey
• Bryna Davidow
• Bev Asllanaj
• Ignacio Rojas Martínez
• Erika Joseph
• Leann Phoenix
• Adam Binstock
• Christina Shirley
• Cameron Ward
• Dan Hesson
• Brandon Bergmann
• Christine Auton

Search Engine Optimization 201

• Shazad Sarwana
• Paul Stewart Fabry
• Yvonne Brandon
• Bev Asllanaj
• Leann Phoenix
• Jeinmy Lluberes
• Joel Gonzalez
• Adam Binstock
• Bikouse Matta
• Ignacio Rojas Martínez
• Christina Shirley
• Bryna Davidow
• Denise DeVaney

Pay Per Click Advertising 101

• Linda Le
• Matthew McGee
• Erika Joseph
• Leann Phoenix
• Jeinmy Lluberes
• Sharda Dewal
• Jayne Henry
• Jeremiah Shilhavy

Pay Per Click Advertising 201

• Cedric Black
• Stacy Jackson
• Erika Joseph
• Leann Phoenix

Web Site Usability 101

• Christina Shirley

Article Marketing & Distribution 101

• Devony Jackson

Certified Search Engine Optimizer

• Jeinmy Lluberes
• Christina Shirley

Certified Pay Per Click Marketer

• Erika Joseph

Congratulations everyone! Please contact your tutor if you haven’t yet received your hard copy certificate, Status Page or certification seal.

Also, don’t forget to fan of our Facebook page and follow our Twitter profile @secollege for College announcements such as lesson updates, press releases, new courses, events and milestones.

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Like to learn more about our online training courses? Download our free SEO sample lesson.

All students named below have successfully completed a course at Search Engine College and attained official certification status (requiring a passing grade of 70 percent or higher.)

Search Engine Optimization 101

• Cedric Black
• Wendy Ertel
• Jayeeta Maity
• Mamoun Ali
• Stacy Jackson
• Alessia Eroe
• Bill Marvin
• Jeinmy Lluberes
• Megan Glynn
• Linda Le
• Andrew Hackler
• Ben Williams
• Puja Dakhera
• Doug Smith
• Poppy Roy
• Tim Holleman
• Jacqueline Christian
• Ann Merrill
• Peter Worrell
• Graeme Gibbon
• Denise DeVaney
• Trina Tune
• Yvonne Brandon
• Ignacio Rojas Martínez
• Rachel Sachs
• Shazad Sarwana
• Leon Hostetler

Search Engine Optimization 201

• Bawantha Perera
• Cedric Black
• Victoria MacGregor
• Haresh Gobin
• Alessia Eroe
• Bill Marvin
• Stacy Jackson
• Gary Murphy
• Doug Smith
• Poppy Roy
• Toni Jackson
• Peter Worrell
• Linda Le
• Rachel Sachs

Pay Per Click Advertising 101

• Bawantha Perera
• Mike Diamond
• Joan Sommerer
• Mamoun Ali
• Alessia Eroe
• Bill Marvin
• Haresh Gobin
• Poppy Roy
• Jennifer Carmichael
• Stacy Jackson
• Cedric Black

Pay Per Click Advertising 201

• Mamoun Ali
• Alessia Eroe
• Bill Marvin
• Joan Sommerer
• Mike Diamond
• Jennifer Carmichael

Web Site Copywriting 101

• Hillel Wachs
• Poppy Roy
• Rachel Sachs
• Csilla Kosa

Web Site Usability 101

• Mohammed El Hakawati
• Bill Marvin

Link Building 101

• Alessia Eroe
• Mike Diamond

Article Marketing & Distribution 101

• Peter Worrell

Copywriting for PPC 101

• Joan Sommerer
• Jennifer Carmichael

Certified Search Engine Optimizer

• Bawantha Perera
• Mohammed El Hakawati
• Haresh Gobin
• Peter Worrell
• Rachel Sachs

Certified Pay Per Click Marketer

• Jennifer Carmichael

Certified Search Engine Marketer

• Alessia Eroe
• Bill Marvin
• Mike Diamond
• Joan Sommerer

Well done all of you! Please contact your tutor if you haven’t yet received your hard copy certificate, Status Page or certification seal.

Also, don’t forget to fan of our Facebook page and follow our Twitter profile @secollege for College announcements such as lesson updates, press releases, new courses, events and milestones.

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Like to learn more about our online training courses? Download our free SEO sample lesson.

If you are a privately owned New Zealand business with less than 50 staff and you take one of our Search Engine College courses between now and the end of September 2010, it appears that you *may* qualify for reimbursement of 50 percent of the course fee (up to a maximum of NZD 250 including GST) via the NZTE’s Management Training Assistance Scheme.

I say *may* at this stage, because I am fairly sure our courses qualify but NZTE is unable to offer pre-approval of courses or applicants for this scheme so you will need to make the final decision yourself on whether to apply. I am currently awaiting confirmation from NZTE as to the likelihood of our courses qualifying so will update this post when I have more information.

Important dates:

This scheme covers management training courses or workshops:

* booked and paid for between 1 June 2010 and 30 September 2010 and;
* attended between 1 July 2010 and 30 September 2010 and;
* for which applications for reimbursement are received between 1 July 2010 and 31 October 2010.

General eligibility criteria:

The Management Training Assistance Scheme is open to the owners/operators, and managers of small and medium businesses that meet the following criteria:

* Are privately owned (by an individual or individuals)
* Have few, if any, specialised managerial staff
* Have less than 50 full time employees (30 hours is considered full time)
* Are commercially trading
* Are not part of a larger business enterprise

The following are not eligible:

* Not-for-profit entities
* Charitable trusts

But never fear, charities and NFPs can apply for our free online training initiative instead.

Please note that NZTE will reimburse applicants after their application has been lodged and assessed by them and approval and payment of the claim will be at the sole discretion of NZTE.

Perhaps you’ve been thinking about taking one of our but needed an extra incentive? Well now’s your chance. We offer courses in the following disciplines:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Pay Per Click Advertising (e.g. Google AdWords)
• Link Building
• Web Site Copywriting
• Article Marketing
• Web Site Usability
• Copywriting for PPC

So if you’re a qualifying New Zealand business and want to take advantage of the Management Training Assistance Scheme to save yourself NZD250 on our courses, you’ve got less than 3 months to do it. That’s right, the cut off date is 30 September 2010.

So don’t leave it too long. Enroll today, have some fun learning how to better market your web site online and save yourself some cash.

The initiative provides 25 charities or not-for-profit organizations per year the opportunity to learn search marketing skills at no cost, to help them make the most of their limited marketing budgets.

Well the idea launched with more of a whimper than a bang, so today we’ve distributed an official Press Release to try and drum up more publicity.

If you know of a charity or not-for-profit that might benefit from free online marketing training, please direct them to our release, encourage them to get in touch, and/or spread the word by linking to this post.

Thanks!

The College reached the 49 country milestone this week when a new student from Bulgaria enrolled online. We thought this was newsworthy enough to warrant a press release over at PRWeb.

Since its inception in 2004, Search Engine College has set new industry standards for education and training in the field of Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing and we are very proud to have produced over 1,000 happy graduates.

Here’s a list of countries where we have enrolled students to date:

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Barbados
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
China
Croatia
Czech Republic
Dominican Republic
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong (China)
Iceland
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jordan
Kuwait
Latvia
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Montenegro
New Zealand
Norway
Pakistan
Philippines
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
The Netherlands
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
UK
United Arab Emirates
Ukraine
USA
Vietnam
West Africa

What country do you think will be #50? Please comment with your best guess.

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Like to learn more about SEO? Download a free SEO lesson. No catch!

In a nutshell, we’re offering 25 charities per year the opportunity to learn search marketing skills at no cost, to help them make the most of their limited marketing budgets.

Our three latest recipients of free search marketing courses are:

1) Mental Health Education and Resource Centre (NZ)- provides a free mental health library for everyone in Christchurch and the South Island of New Zealand.

2) Babyloss (UK) – provides information and support online for anyone affected by the death of a baby during pregnancy, at birth, or shortly afterwards. Babyloss hold an annual Awareness Campaign each October, joining forces with four UK charities to plan remembrance events, distribute ribbon pins, and to raise awareness of pregnancy loss and infant loss amongst the general public and within the health sector.

3) Usable Websites (UK) – creates and hosts free websites for other charitable organisations throughout the United Kingdom. A number of their beneficiaries are eager to increase their search engine rankings and staff from Usable Websites will take Search Engine College training so they can offer advice on this subject.

Those are three very worthy not-for-profits and we are delighted to be able to offer their staff a free course.

If you know of a charity or not-for-profit that might benefit from a pro-bono course, please encourage them to get in touch and spread the word by linking to this post.

Thanks!

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Like to learn more about SEO? Download a free SEO lesson. No catch!

Another quick one if I may. In terms of providing keyword research to a client – could you please provide an example of what this might look like?

Thanks
Trina

Hi again Trina

I generally present the client with an Excel spreadsheet which has different tabs at the bottom with each keyword theme highlighted.

Within each tab, I collate the keywords in various ways e.g. alphabetically, by potential traffic, by KEI (keyword effectivness indicator) and by SEO potential.

Some keyword research services will do this for you e.g. SEO Research Labs

We are actually in the middle of editing our online Keyword Research 101 Course at Search Engine College. It goes into much greater detail about this topic. I don’t wish to provide a sample spreadsheet here, as it will be part of the Keyword Research 101 course curriculum, but a sample keyword research spreadsheet will be included in the lesson material for that course.