A track record of SEO success - Obviously one quality you should look for is a track record of success over a period of time in search engine optimisation and search engine marketing.
One quick way to check is to do a Google search on SEO training city, where city is your local area. (eg. SEO training Brisbane or Brisbane SEO training)
If the firm you are considering learning from doesn't rank well then you may be better off looking elsewhere. It also pays to check their SEO client portfolio. Do they have a portfolio? If so, are their clients happy with their SEO work? A few phone calls and you can make sure.
An understanding of current SEO methods - SEO is a dynamic industry. As search engines update and improve their ranking algorithms, so also must SEO companies update their methods of getting and holding good search engine rankings.
If the SEO training course you considering is focused on keyword density, link exchanges and creating complex metatags, then choose again. These factors used to be very important 3-5 years ago. Not so now. The best SEO these days is about keyword research, anchor text, article marketing, directory marketing, getting one-way links and using social media.
Avoid astonishing promises - If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. If the SEO training course you are considering promises to show you how to rank in the top 5 in Google for any search term then find someone else. As a famous movie once said" They're dreaming.
SEO is hard work and it does take time to rank well for competitive keyword phrases.
Determining the best keyword phrase to optimise for and then executing the optimisation over a period of time will eventually yield results.
Sound training methodology - Does the SEO training firm use qualified trainers? What are their qualifications and experience is both training and SEO. There's nothing more disheartening that have a boring instructor who reads his or her notes and doesn't believe in classroom interaction. Make sure your SEO trainer is both a good classroom trainer and experienced in SEO.
Hands-on experience - SEO theory should be backed up by hands-on practical experience where you get to immediately apply your new learning. Avoid any SEO training course where you are lectured to for a day or so without any hands-on experience. The best SEO courses are a combination of theory, example and practice.
Where possible you should have the opportunity to work on a real life SEO project and get the instructors help with that project.
Follow up support - The half life of any training course is about 4 days. Unless the theory is applied or revised, it leaves short-term memory and must be relearned. Make sure the training that you purchase includes some level of e-mail or telephone support. if they do, make sure you use it even if it's just to make sure you are on the right track with your SEO projects. Good quality handouts, notes and access to online resources is also something to look for.