Jammer, I was talking about you specifically when I was talking to family about
SEO instruction. I think that's pretty cool.
I think the cert is a great idea, just that it needs to be something that once granted is some level of assurance of a certain level of competency. That's what a cert is designed to do, but I've seen too many cases where a 2-day or week-long seminar ends with a certificate for every attendee (or there's a test, but a monkey could pass it). It becomes more about the marketing of the certification and less about the knowledge gained in getting it.
And I know this firsthand because I use those throw-away certifications myself to market our b&m business. I know they're worthless, but our clients don't.