Educational Implications of SEO Courses on Algorithm Awareness

This study investigated how teaching search engine optimization (SEO) influences students’ algorithmic awareness, but also help them distinguish between organic and paid (SEA) results. Pre-course and post-course surveys were conducted with 150 students, and focus group discussions were conducted with five students from three disciplines: business, multimedia, and languages. The SEO courses enabled students to better distinguish between sponsored and organic search engine results and to understand the impact of algorithms. This has led to a more informed consumption of online information, with students becoming more skeptical of sponsored content. SEO skills have been shown to be relevant in each discipline, enhancing students’ algorithm awareness. This underlines the importance of teaching SEO to deal with the algorithmic information landscape in an informed way. This study makes an original contribution to the understanding of algorithm awareness, particularly in the context of SEO courses for students. While previous research has looked at the effects of algorithms on user behavior, few studies have looked at the influence of specific education on how students perceive and interact with search engines. This research fills a gap on the educational impact of SEO courses.