TLDR: A certification badge means someone knows where to click, not how to rank. Before hiring a “certified SEO expert,” ask for evidence of organic growth, not just completion badges.
The phrase “Certified SEO Expert” often shows up on freelance sites and in forum signatures. For small business owners trying to find real help with website visibility, the phrase sounds reassuring—a sign of proven expertise. The truth is more complicated.
This article explains what “certified SEO” means (or doesn’t mean), how to evaluate who truly knows what they’re doing, and how to think ahead as even more platforms move toward offering their own in-house badges for search engine optimization (SEO) and perhaps even generative engine optimization (GEO).
Clarifying the “Certified Squarespace SEO Expert” Claim
There is no official certification that makes someone an “SEO expert.” What happens is that SEO tools (like Ahrefs or Semrush) and CMS platforms (such as Hubspot) issue their own “certificates” or badges to encourage use of their platforms.
When website builders like Hubspot, Wix, Shopify issue SEO badges, it shows that someone is familiar with their platform settings. Squarespace’s equivalent is their “experts directory” where providers can signal they offer platform-specific SEO services. But in none of these cases is someone actually certified in search engine optimization.
We wrote this after encountering a forum profile promoting themselves as a “Certified Squarespace SEO Expert” alongside a Platinum Partner badge. That combination is misleading. Squarespace awards badges for sales volume—not for SEO proficiency.
If you come across freelancers marketing themselves as “Certified Squarespace SEO Experts,” the title doesn’t exist. Squarespace has no official SEO certification, exam, or accreditation—only its directory of designers. When someone uses that label, they’re either using misleading wording or referencing a generic third-party badge not affiliated with Squarespace itself.
These sorts of programs typically measure:
Whether someone watched tutorial videos.
Whether they configured a plugin correctly.
Whether they passed a quiz about that tool’s features.
They don’t assess whether someone actually understands SEO, site architecture, keyword strategy, or how to achieve measurable results.
If Squarespace ever launches a platform-issued certification, we’d take the test and display it—but that would be marketing, not credibility. Credibility comes from years of experience and real results: technical problem-solving, traffic growth, and measurable improvements for client sites, not from a self-invented title or a course badge.
Why “Certified SEO” Sounds Strong
In regulated fields, certification implies standards and oversight. But SEO has no governing board, no licensing exam, and no continuing education requirement. Anyone—literally anyone—can start a “certification” program, give it a name, and issue badges.
This lack of standardization creates confusion for small businesses who assume “certified” equals “qualified.” But a person can hold multiple certificates and still not have ranked a site for a competitive term, run a technical audit, or dealt with indexing issues, crawl depth, or structured data.
Freelancers who lean heavily on SEO certificates often have little more experience than the people hiring them. That doesn’t make SEO training useless, but it does make the “certified SEO” label misleading.
Vendor Neutral Training
Certification in such a fast-moving field is not practical—or necessary—but training can still help jumpstart learning. Look first for free vendor-neutral programs, versus courses based on the use of third-party apps. The University of California on Coursera provides a credible, non-vendor-based foundation. (See our guide on how to learn SEO.)
Keep in mind, when Google attempted to create their own digital marketing certification it was “shockingly bad,” promoting common SEO misinformation.
Curriculum ≠ Competence
When CMS platforms offer SEO certification, it’s important to understand what those credentials represent. A Wix or HubSpot course includes structured lessons and can be more broad than many tool-based tutorials, but it’s still theoretical knowledge.
Passing a course or badge assessment doesn’t prove someone can apply SEO effectively under real conditions—where competition, crawl behavior, and technical constraints collide. Platform familiarity is not the same thing as professional SEO proficiency.
Professional SEO proficiency means solving problems tools can’t detect—and recognizing that many tool-based “best practices” are busywork, not real optimization.
Platform certificates mark a beginner baseline, not strategic capability. The distinction matters when your business depends on visibility across search engines and AI-tools.
How to Evaluate Real Expertise
The SEO field is open to anyone, which makes due diligence even more critical. If you’re a business owner or marketing lead vetting SEO specialists, focus on verifiable outcomes and practical experience:
Check the SEO’s SEO. Use a free traffic checker to see if a freelancer or agency knows how to attract qualified traffic to their own site.
Ask for evidence, not adjectives. Request data from real projects—organic traffic improvements or conversion metrics. Case studies are more meaningful than badges.
Look for adaptability. If someone’s SEO background is based on a proprietary plugin, their understanding is narrow and outdated.
Ask platform-specific questions. How do they handle a CMS’s limited control over certain elements? Do they understand a platform’s JavaScript rendering implications?
Check how they measure success. Rankings alone aren’t enough. Look for qualified traffic and conversions—not quick wins or vanity metrics.
SEO is not a box-checking exercise. It’s an ongoing discipline that requires judgment, testing, and adaptation. No certificate can substitute for real-world proof.
Why This Matters for Small Businesses
Third-party certifications or classes are not a credential of mastery—and a certificate doesn’t make someone qualified to sell SEO services. Unfortunately, small business owners are the ones most at risk of being misled.
Many assume a “certified SEO specialist” must be credible and hire based on that alone. The result can be poor optimization, wasted budget, and months of lost traction.
Certificates are fine as part of ongoing learning, but they’re the starting line, not the credential that makes a practitioner. When hiring, larger employers prioritize proven experience and a successful SEO track record—small businesses should do the same.
When you’re hiring an SEO, take “certified” as a signal that someone watched content, not that they’ve demonstrated competence. SMBs can hire senior-level expertise for less than they expect—especially independent consultants focused on strategy over volume work. Avoid “guaranteed rankings” or cheap link packages—they waste money and momentum. (See our full SEO pricing guide for details.)
How to Approach SEO Credentials Practically
A reliable partner will be transparent about what they actually do and focus on measurable progress: rankings, impressions, conversions, and revenue.
Certificates show someone is engaged in learning. That’s good.
Experience shows they’ve applied that learning effectively. That’s better.
Results show they can do it for others. That’s best.
Use certificates as conversation starters, not deciding factors. The goal is not to hire the most decorated résumé, but the most capable partner.
Conclusion
Terms like “Certified SEO” or “Certified Squarespace SEO Expert” may sound impressive, but they aren’t meaningful. Before hiring anyone to improve your search visibility, ask for tangible outcomes and real examples of problem-solving.
The best SEO practitioners welcome questions and back their claims with data—not badges. In SEO, results are the only credentials that truly matter.
