Search marketing firms going through the training provided by the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization will be able to pick up a seal of approval after taking courses through the SEMPO Institute.
SEMPO began teaching online courses in search marketing in January 2007. after opening with a course on SEM fundamentals, SEMPO added advanced classes to the mix.
“The Institute certification process will provide interactive agencies that participate in our program with a means of showing they are up to speed on current SEM strategy,” SEMPO Chairman Dana Todd said in a statement.
Agencies will qualify for certification after at least 20 percent of the staff completes at least one course through the SEMPO Institute, with a 75 percent passing grade or better. SEMPO said there will be two levels of certification, based on the percentage of staffers completing courses.
“In doing market research and talking to agencies we found a real desire to have an ‘instant differentiator,’ a seal of excellence that would help an agency distinguish itself against the competition by showing that a significant number of its employees are highly trained and skilled in search engine marketing,” Katie Donovan, SEMPO Institute Business Development Manager, said.
“Agencies told us they liked the idea of certification, given the strong reputation the Institute and SEMPO as a whole have in the marketplace.”
We see a greater need for search marketing now that universal search figures more prominently with the major search engines. Since one can no longer rely on a list of ten blue links being the only options coming up in search results, advertisers will want to know their agency has the acumen to deal with this new search environment.
