It’s a no-brainer that having a sense for digital media is becoming more and more of a necessity for the job market today. Companies expect students to have the ability to connect their brands on a wide variety of digital platforms. As students, we are faced with the challenge of developing an additional skill-set that may not be included in our required curriculum, but it could give us an edge over others when seeking employment.
I recently completed the Search Engine Optimization course offered through the Portland State Center for Executives and Professionals (CEPE); this course is one of six courses offered in the Digital Marketing Strategies Certificate Program. The course was taught by an Anvil Media integrated marketing expert Kent Lewis. His industry experience inspired the course material with real-life examples and up-to-date information.
I learned how to perform a basic SEO website audit, using the following check-list: Site Navigation Elements, Site Functionality, and eMarketing Components.
After completing this module, I ran the SEO audit on my current e-portfolio. The main purpose for the audit was to understand my lack of traffic to my external blog. The SEO audit led me to discover that my current links to my social media profiles were the cause behind the low traffic to my external blog. As a solution, I implemented an internal blog within the same platform as my e-portfolio and deleted my external blog. The audit has not only made my current blog easier to access, but also has highlighted my need for the usage of ‘Social Sharing Buttons’. According to Google Analytics, my site activity has increased traffic by 20%, and I have had positive responses to these very basic, but extremely effective site updates.
I am hoping that the implementation of these features will aid me in establishing a successful digital presence and capture the attention of potential employers.
I feel that this course is an essential tool for anyone interested in marketing / advertising / business sectors of any industry. More information about this program and other certificates offered through CEPE can be found here: http://www.pdx.edu/cepe/certificate-programs