Applications close in 64 daysApplications open on Saturday 31 OctoberApplications for Cohort II are closedAll 21 places are taken
Search Mastery · Cohort II · Starts 11 Jan 2027
Master SEO & AI Search by doing the work.
A live 12-week programme for marketers who want to help businesses get found on
Google and recommended by AI tools like ChatGPT. You learn on a real website with
a small pod, then get four weeks of mentorship.
30% offfor the first 3 learners to pay in full. How it works
Led by Daniel Ndege, Head of Search at OnMedia, with two guest tutors.
Read our Google reviews
best hardware shop in Nairobi
Google results
#1Kilele Hardware · WestlandsTools, Paint & Building Supplies in Nairobi
#2Jenga Supplies · Industrial AreaCement, Roofing & Hardware Delivered Same Day
#3Mji Builders Centre · KilimaniYour Local Hardware Store Since 2009
AI answer
For hardware in Nairobi, two shops come up again and again:
Kilele Hardware for tools and paint, and
Jenga Supplies for building materials with same-day delivery.
Live sessionsThursdays, 11:30 am EAT on Google Meet
Time6 to 8 hours a week, from anywhere
Key dates for Cohort II
All times East Africa Time
Sat 31 Oct 2026Applications open
Fri 8 Jan 2027, 11:59 pmApplications close
Mon 11 Jan 2027Cohort II begins
Mon 5 Apr 2027Mentorship begins
Sun 2 May 2027Programme ends
Who it's for
Search Mastery is for marketers who want search to become their strongest skill.
01
Marketers moving into search
You already work in marketing and want search to become something you can deliver with confidence.
02
Technical marketers new to SEO
You are comfortable with websites, data or ads, but SEO and AI search have never properly clicked.
03
Motivated beginners
You are starting out and ready to put in the hours. The foundations pre-work gets you ready for week one.
It is not the right fit if you want a certificate without doing the practical work, or if you cannot set aside 6 to 8 hours a week for the 12 weeks.
What you'll be able to do
By the end, you will know how to help a business get found and chosen.
Every skill is taught for Google and for AI tools, because that is where people look for businesses now.
01
Diagnose any website
Work out how visible a business is on Google and in AI answers, what is holding it back and what to fix first.
Google68
AI answers22
02
Find what people are looking for
Research the searches and AI prompts that bring in customers, and see who is winning them today.
03
Plan content that earns its place
Map content and site structure to how people search and how the business makes money.
04
Write pages that rank and get quoted
Improve pages so Google ranks them, and AI tools can understand them, trust them and quote them accurately.
Ranks on page one Quoted by ChatGPT Cited by Perplexity
05
Fix technical problems
Find and fix the issues that stop Google and AI crawlers from reading a website properly.
06
Win local searches
Help businesses show up on Google Maps and when someone asks AI for the best option nearby.
07
Build authority
Earn the links, mentions and citations that make Google and AI tools trust a business.
Google and AI search
AI search runs through the whole programme, not just one module.
Every unit looks at the same problem in Google and in AI answers, so you learn how the two connect and where they differ.
In Google
Rank where people are searching
SEO is still the foundation. Most of what helps a business show up in AI answers starts with a website Google can find, understand and trust.
Keyword and search intent research
Content planning and site structure
On-page SEO and internal linking
Technical SEO and structured data
Google Business Profile and local search
Links and digital PR
In AI answers
Get recommended when people ask AI
When someone asks an AI tool who to buy from, it names only a few businesses. You learn how those few are chosen and what makes a business one of them.
How AI tools build answers and pick sources
Researching the prompts people actually use
Pages that are easy for AI to quote
Making sure AI crawlers can read a website
Keeping a brand clear and consistent across the web
Earning mentions in the sources AI relies on
Every piece of work you produce covers both, so you graduate able to explain a business's visibility on Google and in AI answers.
How a week works
Every week follows the same rhythm, so the programme fits around your work.
Plan for 6 to 8 hours a week. The live session is where you get unstuck, but most of the learning happens when you and your pod do the work.
MonPractical work
Your pod works on the assignment.
TueNew lessons
Recorded lessons and a walkthrough on a real website.
WedPractical work
Put the method to work on your site.
ThuLive session
11:30 am to 1:00 pm EAT on Google Meet, recorded.
Fri, Sat & SunPractical work
Finish the week's assignment and catch up at your own pace.
Feedback on your pod's work can come any day of the week, so you are never waiting until Thursday to know how you did.
Learning pods
You will learn in a pod of three, working on one real website together.
Cohort II has 21 places, split into
7 pods. Your pod does each week's work together, gets feedback
together and keeps each other going when work gets busy.
Your pod
Pod 02
Pod 03
Pod 04
Pod 05
Pod 06
Pod 07
21 learners · 7 pods · 3 in each
Reviewed every week
Small groups mean every pod's work gets looked at properly.
Learn from each other
You see how two other people approach the same problem.
Together after week 12
Your pod keeps meeting every week during the mentorship month.
Real work from week one
You practise on a real business website, so every skill sticks.
Each pod works on one real website for the whole programme. You measure where it
stands, find the opportunities and fix what is holding it back, the same way you
would for a paying client. By week 12 you have a before and after you can show.
The same nine prompts, checked in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.
Fix list2 of 4 done
Let AI crawlers read the websiteHigh
Add structured data to product pagesHigh
Expand the roofing category pageMedium
Ask recent customers for Google reviewsMedium
AI answerWeek 11
Where can I buy roofing sheets in Nairobi?
Kilele Hardware in Westlands is a popular choice, with a wide range of roofing sheets and delivery across Nairobi.
Kilele websiteGoogle reviews
Illustration of pod work, with a made-up business and figures
The 12 weeks
Five units of two weeks each, so every topic gets the time it needs.
Each unit covers the topic in Google and in AI answers, and ends with work you produce on your pod's website. Open any unit to see what is covered.
PreFoundationsBefore 11 January, at your own pace
How websites work, the basics of HTML, and setting up Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4. If you are new to this, it gets you ready for week one. If you already know it, a quick skim is enough.
You produceSearch Console and Google Analytics 4 set up and ready to use.
01-02How people find businesses nowWeeks 1 and 2
In Google
How Google crawls, indexes and ranks pages, and setting up the measurement you will use for the rest of the programme.
In AI answers
How ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews find sources, put an answer together and decide which businesses to mention.
You produceA baseline for your pod's website: how it performs in Google today, and what AI tools say about the business.
03-04Researching what people wantWeeks 3 and 4
In Google
Keyword research, search intent, and working out which searches are worth going after commercially.
In AI answers
How people ask AI tools for recommendations, how one question turns into many searches behind the scenes, and building a set of prompts to track.
You produceAn opportunity map covering keywords and prompts, with the competitors winning each one.
05-06Content and pages that get foundWeeks 5 and 6
In Google
Planning content and site structure around demand, then improving pages so they deserve to rank.
In AI answers
Writing and structuring pages so AI tools can understand them, trust them and quote them accurately.
You produceA content and site structure plan, and one page rewritten with the before and after compared.
07Catch-up and midpoint reviewWeek 7
No new material this week. Pods finish outstanding work, and each pod walks through its progress in the live session.
You produceYour pod's work so far, reviewed and up to date.
08-09Technical SEOWeeks 8 and 9
In Google
Crawling, indexing, canonicals, redirects, structured data and the page experience basics that actually matter.
In AI answers
Whether AI crawlers can reach and read a website, and using structured data to make it clear who the business is.
You produceA prioritised technical audit and implementation plan for your pod's website.
10-11Visibility beyond your websiteWeeks 10 and 11
In Google
Google Business Profile, reviews, local relevance, links and digital PR.
In AI answers
How AI decides which businesses to recommend, keeping a brand consistent across the web, and getting into the sources AI tools cite.
You produceAn authority and local visibility plan covering Google and AI answers.
12Capstone and getting paidWeek 12
Each pod presents its website's before and after as if to a client. Then we cover scoping, pricing, proposals and reporting, so you can sell the work with confidence.
You produceA client-ready presentation, a reporting framework, and a pricing and proposal template.
Working with online stores? An optional recorded lesson covers ecommerce search.
After week 12
Four weeks of mentorship while you put your new skills to work.
Weeks 1 to 12 · 11 Jan to 4 AprTraining
Weeks 13 to 16 · 5 Apr to 2 MayMentorship
Weekly pod calls
Your pod meets Daniel every week to talk through real work with clients, employers or your own business.
A one-to-one session
One session with Daniel during the month, focused on your goals and what you want to do next.
Included once you have paid in full
Mentorship runs from Monday 5 April to Sunday 2 May, once your balance is paid by Friday 19 February.
Tools you'll work with
Learn the tools professionals actually use.
The goal is not to memorise software. You learn when to use each tool, which evidence to trust and how to turn data into a decision.
Google Search Console
Google Analytics 4
Google Tag Manager
Looker Studio
Ahrefs
Screaming Frog
PageSpeed Insights
Google Business Profile
ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini
Perplexity
Google Sheets
WordPress
Shopify
Google Meet
Getting paid
Learn the work, then learn how to get paid for it.
Week 12 and the mentorship month focus on turning your skills into income, whether that means clients, a better role or a new job.
Win clients
Scope a project, price it fairly and present it in a way a business owner understands.
Grow where you are
Bring SEO and AI search into your current role and become the person your team relies on for it.
Get hired
Show employers real work you have done, so you are not relying on a certificate alone.
You practiseDiscovery callsScopingPricingProposalsPresenting auditsClient reportingRetainersPortfolio building
What you'll graduate with
Graduate with work you can show and frameworks you can reuse.
By week 12, your work should look much closer to a professional delivery folder than a folder of course notes.
01
Research & Strategy
A baseline audit in Google and AI answers
A keyword and prompt opportunity map
A competitor analysis
A content and site structure plan
02
Pages & Technical
A page rewritten to rank and be quoted
A before-and-after comparison
A prioritised technical audit
A structured data plan
03
Visibility Beyond the Website
An AI visibility and brand review
A local search plan
An authority and citations plan
04
Client-Ready Assets
A client-ready capstone presentation
A reporting framework
A pricing and proposal template
Session recordings
Four weeks of mentorship
Search Mastery alumni access
The real outcomeOpen an unfamiliar website, work out how visible the business is on Google and in AI answers, decide what matters first and explain what should happen next.
Your tutors
Learn from people who do this work for clients every day.
Lead tutor
Daniel Ndege
Head of Search at OnMedia
I teach SEO and AI search the way I practise them. We start with what the business
needs, look at the evidence and decide what is actually worth changing.
You learn on live websites, with imperfect data and real competition, because that
is where the skill is built. I lead the live sessions, review pod work and run the
mentorship month.
“The lessons are highly interactive and hands-on. Daniel takes time to explain the reasoning behind things rather than giving quick answers. I now feel way more confident about approaching SEO systematically.”
AGAbbott GitongaCohort I learner
“Every session was packed with practical examples, live walkthroughs, and insights from real projects. It helped me develop the confidence to think through SEO problems on my own.”
EElijahCohort I learner
“Daniel simplifies complex concepts, explains things patiently, and uses real Kenyan websites to show how things work in practice. I now feel comfortable pitching clients and confident I can deliver measurable value.”
EWElizabeth WambuiCohort I learner
“The lessons are highly interactive and hands-on. Daniel takes time to explain the reasoning behind things rather than giving quick answers. I now feel way more confident about approaching SEO systematically.”
AGAbbott GitongaCohort I learner
“Every session was packed with practical examples, live walkthroughs, and insights from real projects. It helped me develop the confidence to think through SEO problems on my own.”
EElijahCohort I learner
“Daniel simplifies complex concepts, explains things patiently, and uses real Kenyan websites to show how things work in practice. I now feel comfortable pitching clients and confident I can deliver measurable value.”
EWElizabeth WambuiCohort I learner
“The lessons are highly interactive and hands-on. Daniel takes time to explain the reasoning behind things rather than giving quick answers. I now feel way more confident about approaching SEO systematically.”
AGAbbott GitongaCohort I learner
“Every session was packed with practical examples, live walkthroughs, and insights from real projects. It helped me develop the confidence to think through SEO problems on my own.”
EElijahCohort I learner
“Daniel simplifies complex concepts, explains things patiently, and uses real Kenyan websites to show how things work in practice. I now feel comfortable pitching clients and confident I can deliver measurable value.”
EWElizabeth WambuiCohort I learner
“The lessons are highly interactive and hands-on. Daniel takes time to explain the reasoning behind things rather than giving quick answers. I now feel way more confident about approaching SEO systematically.”
AGAbbott GitongaCohort I learner
“Every session was packed with practical examples, live walkthroughs, and insights from real projects. It helped me develop the confidence to think through SEO problems on my own.”
EElijahCohort I learner
“Daniel simplifies complex concepts, explains things patiently, and uses real Kenyan websites to show how things work in practice. I now feel comfortable pitching clients and confident I can deliver measurable value.”
EWElizabeth WambuiCohort I learner
Tuition
One fee covers the full programme and the mentorship that follows.
There are no separate packages, add-ons or upgrade tiers.
Full programme tuition
KES 39,000
USD 350 if you are paying from outside Kenya
Covers 12 weeks of training and 4 weeks of mentorship.
Start with 70% and pay the rest in February.
You need to have paid 70% of the fee by Friday 8 January to start.
01
To start, pay by Fri 8 Jan 2027KES 27,300 or USD 245
02
Balance, by Fri 19 Feb 2027KES 11,700 or USD 105
03
Once you have paid in fullMentorship is included from 5 April
30% off
The first 3 learners to pay in full pay KES 27,300 (USD 245) for the whole programme.
The full amount must be paid by Friday 8 January 2027, and this offer cannot be split into instalments.
Marketers who want to move into search, technical marketers who have never properly learned SEO, and motivated beginners. The foundations pre-work makes sure everyone starts week one on the same footing.
Who is it not for?
It is not the right fit if you want a certificate without the practical work, or if you cannot set aside 6 to 8 hours a week for the 12 weeks.
Is this mainly SEO or AI search?
Both, taught together. Every unit covers the topic in Google and in AI answers, because that is how customers now find businesses.
When are the live sessions?
Thursdays, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm EAT, on Google Meet. New material is shared every Tuesday.
What if I cannot join on Thursdays?
Every live session is recorded and shared, so you can catch up. Joining live is still the best way to get feedback and ask questions, so try to make as many as you can.
How much do I need to pay to start?
70% of the fee, which is KES 27,300 or USD 245, by Friday 8 January 2027. The remaining KES 11,700 or USD 105 is due by Friday 19 February 2027.
How does the 30% discount work?
The first 3 learners to pay the full fee get 30% off, so they pay KES 27,300 (USD 245) in total. It has to be paid in one go, and only applies while places remain.
What happens after week 12?
Four weeks of mentorship, from Monday 5 April to Sunday 2 May. Your pod has a call with Daniel every week, and you get one one-to-one session. Mentorship is for learners who have paid in full.
What are learning pods?
The cohort is split into 7 groups of 3. Your pod works on the same real website throughout the programme, completes the weekly assignments together and gets feedback as a group.
Can I get a refund?
Payments are non-refundable once the programme starts on Monday 11 January 2027.
Can I join from outside Kenya?
Yes. The programme is fully online. If you are paying from outside Kenya, the fee is USD 350.
Can my employer pay for the programme?
Yes. We can send a formal invoice and documents for finance or HR approval. The fee is the same. Email [email protected] to arrange it.
Will I work on real websites?
Yes. Your pod works on a real business website for the whole programme, and examples are drawn from real client work, with sensitive details removed where necessary.
Will Search Mastery help me find clients or work?
It does not guarantee a job or a client. It gives you practical skills, a portfolio of real work, pricing and proposal frameworks, and four weeks of mentorship as you put them to use.
Twelve weeks from now, you could be the person businesses trust to get them found.
Applications for Cohort II close on Friday 8 January 2027. There are 21 places.
Applications for Cohort II open on Saturday 31 October 2026.
Applications for Cohort II are closed. The next cohort will be announced on this page.