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7 Best SEO courses [Updated 2026]

Discover the 7 best SEO courses in 2026, including free SEO training from Semrush and Yoast, practical coaching, and advanced SEO specializations.

8 min readUpdated
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  1. Here are the seven best SEO courses
  2. 1. Marketing Lad SEO Course
  3. 2. SEMrush Academy
  4. 3. Udemy
  5. 4. Yoast Academy
  6. 5. Hubspot SEO Crash Course
  7. 6. The Blueprint Training
  8. 7. Coursera SEO Specialization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a digital marketing strategy that helps websites improve their visibility in organic search results and attract relevant traffic. The stronger your website's presence in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant queries, the greater its opportunity to reach potential customers. Effective SEO combines useful content, technical accessibility, search intent, and a positive user experience to support sustainable organic growth.

Search engines such as Google and Bing use automated systems to discover, crawl, index, and rank web pages. Their ranking systems consider many signals, including how well content satisfies search intent, its relevance and quality, the usability and accessibility of a website, and links between pages and from other websites. Keyword research and clear site architecture remain important, but simply adding keywords does not guarantee higher rankings.

Businesses and individuals use SEO to maximize the visibility of their websites. Businesses frequently hire SEO specialists, and enterprises use SEO assessment tests to hire better candidates and execute strategies to improve organic traffic.

To start with SEO, you need a basic foundation for the entire SEO process. We have compiled the top 7 SEO courses for beginners to help them understand the basics of SEO.

Do you know what it takes to become an SEO specialist?

Do you know what some key elements to keep in mind when becoming an SEO specialist are?

Here are the seven best SEO courses

SEO course

Best for

Cost

Format

Marketing Lad

Live SEO coaching

Check current pricing

Instructor-led

Semrush Academy

SEO fundamentals and tools

Free courses available

Self-paced

Udemy

Specialized SEO skills

Varies by course

Recorded lessons

Yoast SEO Academy

WordPress and content SEO

Free and paid options

Self-paced

Google Search Central

Official SEO best practices

Free

Guides and documentation

The Blueprint Training

Professional SEO workflows

Check current pricing

Online training

UC Davis on Coursera

Structured SEO education

Check current pricing

Self-paced specialization

1. Marketing Lad SEO Course

Marketing Lad SEO course

If you’re searching for an SEO course to learn SEO fundamentals, then Marketing Lad’s SEO course is the best place to start!

The material is straightforward to follow, so the language is suitable for non-technical users.

Marketing Lad offers live SEO training for learners who prefer instructor-led sessions over recorded lessons. The course covers essential SEO concepts, including technical SEO, on-page optimization, off-page SEO, keyword research, and website auditing. Check the current course syllabus and schedule to understand which topics are covered and how the training fits your learning goals.

We explain how the SEO process can impact search engine algorithms, such as those used by Google. Then, we introduce the three central SEO sub-processes: Technical SEO, On-Page SEO, and Off-Page SEO.

The goal is to help learners understand how different SEO activities work together, from researching keywords and optimizing content to improving website performance and building relevant links. This practical foundation can help beginners develop the skills needed to work on real-world SEO projects.

Marketing Lad’s online course is here to show you several aspects of SEO.

The course covers topics like:

  • Digital Funnels

  • Keyword Research

  • Content Generation

  • On-page optimization

  • Link Building

  • Google My Business

  • Google Sheets

  • Google Search Console

  • Google Analytics

  • Website Auditing

  • SEO Tools

2. SEMrush Academy

SEMrush Academy

SEMrush is one of the leading players in the SEO industry. This SaaS company sells tools for SEO experts for online visibility and digital marketing. SEO plays a significant role in this.

SEMrush Academy offers SEO Fundamentals and Technical SEO courses that cover everything you need to become an expert in SEO. Top SEO experts, such as Greg Gifford and Bastian Grimm, arrange these courses.

In SEMrush, you can also discover how to use the SEMrush toolkit for SEO specialists with the highest benefit. The most notable feature is that the courses are constantly updated as SEMrush frequently introduces new features, including Google Certification Practice Test Dumps.

SEMrush Academy offers some of the most effective SEO courses available.

Semrush Academy offers a range of SEO courses covering foundational concepts and specialized topics. Since the course catalog can change, check the official academy for the latest available courses rather than relying on a fixed course count.

These courses cover things like:

  • SEO toolkits

  • Keyword research

  • Site audits

  • Link building

  • SEO fundamentals

  • Competitive analysis

  • On-page and technical SEO

In addition to the teachings, they also offer several SEO certifications. You can appear in the exam, pass it, and get the certificate.  This is an excellent option for agencies, marketers, and aspiring SEOs. You can use these certifications to register with insured customers that you’re an expert in numerous fields of SEO.

Many Semrush Academy courses and their associated certifications are free. Certification requirements vary by course, so review the individual course page to confirm whether an exam or certificate is included.

3. Udemy

Udemy is one of the most popular platforms for learning something new, with online education as its specialty. It offers more than 100,000 online courses.

On Udemy, you can experience comprehensive SEO training at a very low price.  Each course has ratings, and on Udemy, one can experience complete SEO training for an extremely low cost.  Each course has ratings and reviews, allowing you to see what others have to say about their experiences. It also tells you exactly how many people have enrolled. 

Some popular SEO courses on Udemy include:

  • Site Audits

  • Link Building

  • Keyword Research

  • SEO for Local Business 

  • SEO for WordPress

Eligible Udemy courses generally provide a certificate of completion, and purchased courses may offer lifetime access subject to Udemy's terms and applicable exceptions. Check the specific course page for its certificate eligibility, access conditions, and refund policy before enrolling.

Udemy also offers specialty courses for teams. If you’re looking for training for four or more people, consider Udemy for Business. This can be an excellent choice for those who run an office. You will have your entire team certified simultaneously.

4. Yoast Academy

Yoast Academy

Yoast is known for its SEO plugin for WordPress and its educational resources for website owners, bloggers, and content marketers. Yoast SEO Academy offers training on SEO fundamentals, content optimization, and specialized topics. Its beginner-friendly lessons explain how search engines work and how to apply SEO principles when creating and maintaining website content. Check the official academy for the latest course catalog and access options.

The course is divided into three main sections:

Introduction to SEO, Content SEO, Technical SEO, and bundles, additionally. Some of the most well-liked SEO courses of Yoast include:

  • SEO copywriting

  • Multilingual SEO

  • Structured data

  • Site Architecture 

  • Keyword research

  • Content SEO

    Most of their courses are paid, but they also offer free training for beginners.

5. Hubspot SEO Crash Course

HubSpot is another prominent name in the SEO industry, providing sales and marketing CRM software in the USA to businesses. It offers businesses in the USA sales, HR, marketing, and CRM software solutions to streamline their operations and drive growth.

A free SEO course by HubSpot is worth considering. This course includes four lessons incorporating the following topics:

  • Developing an SEO strategy  that fits your business

  • Scaling your link-building campaigns

  • How to build and administer a guest blogging campaign

  • How they do SEO at the HubSpot blog

They focus on building backlinks to increase organic traffic. After completing the lessons, you will be able to evaluate and enhance your website’s SEO with a new outlook from experts who know how to rank on Google.

Overall, it’s a free course from an industry leader that will take no more than two hours of your time. There is no reason why you wouldn’t want to take advantage of this.

6. The Blueprint Training

The Blueprint SEO training comprises 13 courses that contain over 150 videos covering all aspects of SEO, including keyword research, link building, on-site SEO, and content marketing, among others. Four of those courses are free, and therefore the rest are paid.

These courses are intended for businesses; therefore, the paid ones are slightly more expensive than some of the other sites we discussed earlier.

The Blueprint SEO course is not based on theory or fluff, but on practical, real-world knowledge gained from working with several of the largest brands on the web. Some of them receive countless visitors from Google every month.

They offer SEO training for things like:

  • Agency sales

  • Competitive analysis

  • Content audit

  • Keyword research

  • Link acquisition

  • On-page SEO

  • Technical SEO

7. Coursera SEO Specialization

Coursera is a massive open online course(MOOC) founded in 2012 by Stanford University Computer Science Professors. It collaborates with the world’s top universities to offer online degree programs, making education more accessible and affordable for everyone.

But can these fellows help us out when it involves SEO?

Yes, indeed!

UC Davis created this SEO specialization.

It allows you to optimize the website content to ensure the best possible search engine ranking.

You will learn everything about Google Search and other search engine algorithms.

The UC Davis SEO Specialization on Coursera has included a structured sequence of courses covering SEO fundamentals, website optimization, advanced content and social tactics, and a practical capstone project. The current specialization lists five courses. Check the official Coursera page for the latest course titles, curriculum, and enrollment options before registering.

The specialization is designed for flexible, self-paced online learning. The time required depends on your existing knowledge, weekly study schedule, and progress through the lessons and assignments. Check Coursera's current course page for its estimated completion time and enrollment details.

Here’s what matters:

You can take the best possible advantage of the opportunity to take an online course from a prestigious American university to increase your SEO skills. Online courses simplify the process, making it easier to answer how hard it is to learn SEO with hands-on knowledge.

Conclusion

The primary significance of search engine optimization is that it enhances your website’s visibility. In contemporary business, visibility is everything if you want to go forward and lead your industry. People should be able to find you; this is not easy.

Choosing your SEO course is far from the last step in your marketing mission. If you don’t have time to go through every bit of knowledge the SEO books and courses provide, I recommend starting with a free course from Yoast Academy and then proceeding with the paid ones, such as Marketing Lad and SEMrush.

This will be an excellent beginning. A good online course is updated periodically to consider new trends, and it is continuously enhanced with new content based on user feedback.

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Shahid Shahmiri

Author

Shahid Shahmiri

Founder & SEO Strategist

Shahid Shahmiri is a digital marketer who helps online businesses grow with smart marketing tactics that improve sales and leads. He is passionate and driven to grow businesses online and is responsible for analyzing marketing, SEO, growth and managing promotional and media channels.

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