Free SEO Online Course Information
SEO. By now, you know it’s important; so important that for several years now it’s consistently among the top five marketing channels, exceeded in recent years only by social media.
But, just because you know it’s essential to your overall success doesn’t mean it’s easy. And despite a general understanding of concepts like “keywords” and “organic search,” implementing a reliable SEO strategy into your marketing plans typically requires a deeper level of understanding.
While there are tons of courses available, many of them are paid, requiring users to part with upwards of hundreds of dollars to complete the course. Fortunately, there are plenty of free SEO courses available to those willing to put in the work, many that are self-paced and easy to access, some of which even offer completion certificates for a minimal fee, should that type of thing be of use to you.
Where can you find these courses? Here are five of the top ones available to marketers, whether the goal is to learn from the ground up or just brush up on your SEO skills.
Moz’s Beginners Guide to SEO
Moz has long been considered an authority in the SEO world, and though they offer a paid SEO service, the site also offers a ton of free resources. Among those resources is their Beginners Guide to SEO, which has been used by millions of individuals who are looking for the “comprehensive information [they] need to get on the road to professional quality Search Engine Optimization…”
Sounds good, right?
Users engaging with this course will find ten user-friendly chapters that can help them become well versed in common SEO practices, such as keyword research; design and dev considerations; and the relationship between user experience, content, and search engine rankings.
Coursera
If you haven’t heard of Coursera, and you’re the type that wishes you could dive back into the college experience without the financial burdens or attendance requirements, then you’re missing out. Coursera is an online learning community that offers thousands of courses hosted by many of the world’s leading colleges, universities, and companies, including UC Davis, John Hopkins, Michigan State, Google, and VMWare.
While many courses will require payment – typically under $100 – to receive a certification of completion, many others, like the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialization course offered by UC Davis, offer site users the ability to audit the course completely free.
As an additional perk, because the site is a culmination of courses offered by various institutions, there are typically a few SEO-focused offered at once, some covering basics and others delving deeper into the subject matter.
The Advanced Guide to SEO
If you’ve been meandering around the web and checking into various SEO best practices, then you’ve likely stumbled across Neil Patel, and with reason. Over the years he’s become one of the major voices in the SEO community, and his Advanced Guide to SEO, co-written by Sujan Patel, presents the fundamentals of SEO in a concise, little package.
Though the title says advance, both novices and practiced SEO professionals may find value in this resource, but if you’re diving in with a completely clean slate, you may want to consider reading the MOZ resource first.
Each of the nine chapters, which are offered in easy to follow infographic form, cover a wide array of important topics, including the relationship between site speed and performance, link building, and indexing. Another popular section is the one that focuses on WordPress and SEO, a topic that is often highly relevant for those who are just getting their site or blog started.
SEMRush Academy
Similar to Moz, SEMRush is another major force in the SEO sphere, and though they have several paid resources, they do offer several courses, some that are specific to SEO and others that focus additional marketing channels, like PPC, content marketing, and affiliate marketing.
Among their SEO courses, which are, of course, free of charge, you’ll find SEO Fundamentals and Technical SEO, as well as various SEO exams you can take to showcase your newfound skills.
HubSpot Courses
You probably heard of HubSpot, but did you know they offer more than paid marketing, customer service, and CRM services? In addition to courses that focus on email marketing, content writing, and lead management, HubSpot has a solid SEO course, SEO Training Course: Building Sustainable Traffic for Business Growth.
Though not SEO by name, those trying to get a firm grasp on SEO’s roll in the big picture may also want to check out the Content Marketing Certifications course, which can help bridge the gap between basic SEO and its role in content marketing efforts – a connection that’s imperative for success in today’s highly competitive marketing environment.
Whether you’re brand new to SEO or you need to refresh or build your existing skills, there are a variety of online courses that can help take your knowledge to the next level.
While there are certainly numerous courses that require users to fork over some cash, these five courses are free and have acted as excellent resources for individuals at various points in their professional careers.
