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Welcome to Class Central’s comprehensive guide to the best Search Engine Optimization (SEO) courses available online! In this Best Courses Guide (BCG), we’ll delve into the essential topics you need to master SEO, including Fundamentals, On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO, and Technical SEO.
The r/SEO subreddit is an excellent place to ask questions and learn from other SEO enthusiasts. Google’s official SEO documentation also offers in-depth guides and best practices for achieving higher rankings on Google search results.
If you prefer structured learning, numerous online courses can help you become SEO proficient. Class Central features over 1,000 SEO courses, and we’ve curated a list of the best to get you started. These include top picks from platforms like Coursera and Udemy.
Our Top SEO Course Picks
Understanding SEO
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of optimizing your content so that it can be discovered organically by search engines. It’s a crucial strategy in digital marketing due to its capacity to drive free, consistent organic traffic to your site. More significantly, SEO can help your business reach an expansive global audience; Google alone boasts nearly 4 billion users worldwide.
If you are new to SEO, there is a lot to learn, from various SEO terms to trying out numerous SEO tools. The good news? Plenty of free online resources can guide you. Moz’s Hierarchy of SEO Needs is a fantastic starting point for navigating your SEO journey.
SEO Can Be Unpredictable
Even with perfect practices, Google may not always reward your efforts — and it might even penalize you. We at Class Central experienced this firsthand in 2021 when Google’s core algorithm update led to a 40% drop in our traffic. Although we have since recovered, the experience was a stark reminder of the volatility in SEO.
Google’s updates can be hit or miss. For instance, Class Central maintains optimized, lightweight pages, featuring minimal external scripts and rapid load times. Yet, anomalies can still occur. In 2020, we enjoyed media appearances in major outlets like The New York Times and even Yahoo! Finance.
With all the goodwill generated, one would expect consistent upward SEO trends. However, a single Google algorithm change reset some of our gains. While some competitors rely on Google for 90% of their traffic, we derive about 60% of ours from Google. Though impactful, it’s not devastating enough for us.
Our recommendation? Don’t over-optimize purely for Google. Instead, ensure that your product and content offer value independently of Google’s ranking criteria. Algorithms can change in an instant — years of work could be nullified overnight.
Why Trust Class Central?
Class Central has guided 80 million learners in finding the best online courses. With over a decade of experience in the e-learning landscape, we’ve built an extensive catalog boasting 250,000 courses and just as many user reviews. Not only do we curate courses, but we’ve also completed more than 400 online courses ourselves, ensuring authentic, first-hand insight into the learner’s experience.
Course Overview
- 4 courses are free, and 2 are paid
- 2 courses offer free certificates of completion
- The SEO subject is followed by 15.8K learners on Class Central
- Courses in this guide have more than 200K enrollments and views.
Among our top recommendations is Google SEO Fundamentals by UC Davis. Perfect for beginners, this course covers On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO, Technical SEO, and Keyword Research.
Upon completion, you’ll be well-equipped to formulate effective SEO strategies. The course delves into keyword selection and research, consumer search behavior, and on-page SEO tactics for actionable insights.
“What sets this course apart is its balance between theory and hands-on application. I found the discussions and assignments to be valuable opportunities for interaction and practical learning.” – Mohammed N, Coursera learner
| Institution | University of California, Davis |
| Provider | Coursera |
| Part of | Search Engine Optimization Specialization |
| Instructor | Rebekah May |
| Level | Beginner |
| Workload | 29 hours |
| Enrollments | 164K students |
| Rating | 4.8 (3.5K ratings) |
| Certificate | Paid |
The Ultimate SEO Training 2024 + SEO For WordPress Websites is an expertly delivered course by Joshua George, the founder of the award-winning SEO agency ClickSlice. Learn actionable steps to optimize your Google ranking, grasp keyword research, master technical SEO, and more.
This course covers:
- Website structure optimization for page 1 ranking
- Best keywords for your website
- The significance of content in SEO
- Competitor analysis
- Generating content ideas for your blog
- Building effective backlinks
“…went through the course, applying what I learned after each lesson. It’s made a big difference in a short space of time, and freed me from Google limbo.” – Peter D., Udemy learner
| Provider | Udemy |
| Institution | ClickSlice |
| Instructor | Joshua George |
| Level | Beginner |
| Workload | 7-8 hours |
| Enrollments | 57K students |
| Rating | 4.7 (11K ratings) |
| Certificate | Paid |
Learn the intricacies of technical SEO with Bastian Grimm through Semrush Academy. This beginner-to-intermediate course covers internal linking, site crawling, HTTP responses, log files, and more crucial tools.
No previous SEO knowledge is required, although a fundamental understanding can be helpful. Complete the course and ace the Technical SEO Exam to earn a free certificate. Semrush Academy also offers other SEO courses with free certificates, such as Keyword Research Course by Greg Gifford and Link Building Course.
| Institution | Semrush |
| Provider | Semrush Academy |
| Instructor | Bastian Grimm |
| Level | Beginner/Intermediate |
| Workload | 5 hours |
| Certificate | Free, upon completion |
Hubspot Academy offers a beginner-friendly SEO Certification Course. This course, equipped with simple steps and helpful resources, also facilitates a connection with a community of learners. Led by Hubspot experts, you’ll acquire foundational SEO knowledge, from keyword research to link building, and receive a free certificate upon course completion.
| Provider | Hubspot Academy |
| Instructors | Rachel Sheldon and Mathew Howells-Barby |
| Level | Beginner |
| Workload | 2-3 hours |
| Certificate | Free, upon completion |
Search Engine Optimization course by Tommy Griffith is tailored to elevate your SEO expertise. Tommy Griffith, an SEO expert with stints at PayPal and Airbnb, makes SEO accessible regardless of your initial proficiency levels. Focusing on industry best practices and actionable strategies, this course prepares you to develop a robust SEO plan.
Emphasizing building a personalized SEO framework, the course is designed for sustainable traffic growth, avoiding unnecessary complexities. You’ll benefit from quizzes, readings, and practical challenges to solidify your knowledge.
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