Best SEO Courses Compared

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SEO (Search Engine Optimization) courses help you learn the ins and outs of driving organic search traffic to your website. It sounds simple, but in reality, nailing your SEO can be an elusive target. That’s why it’s important to enroll yourself in a solid SEO course to give yourself the best chance at devising and executing your SEO strategy successfully. We spent hours researching dozens of courses and found Simplilearn’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Training Course to be the best. It’s jam-packed with in-depth learning, it’s suitable for a range of different experience levels, and for such a comprehensive course, it’s relatively budget-friendly. 

The Best SEO Course for Most

Simplilearn’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Training Course is a comprehensive online boot camp designed to take you from SEO beginner to industry confidant in no time at all. 

This course doesn’t just cover the basics of SEO on its own. It also teaches you how to effectively incorporate SEO into your content marketing strategy too. You’ll also learn how to use Google’s popular tools like Keywords Trends and Search Console, and show you how to gather detailed insights from advanced web analytics. 

In a nutshell, Simplilearn’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Training Course will help you unlock the true potential of your marketing efforts by integrating fundamental SEO practices into your strategy. 

The Best SEO Courses to Consider

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Training Course (Simplilearn) – Best for Most
2. Complete SEO Training (Udemy) – Best for WordPress Users
3. Semrush Academy – Best Free Option
4. Yoast SEO Academy – Best for Bloggers
5. The Beginner’s Guide to SEO (Moz) – Best for Beginners

When It Makes Sense to Invest In an SEO Course

There are some skills in business that you can pick up on the go. Unfortunately, for most people, SEO is not one of these skills. 

SEO is a complex set of methodologies and strategies designed to ensure that the content you create is ready to impress Google enough to land on the first page of any relevant searches. It’s made even more complicated by the fact that Google is constantly releasing new algorithms, guidelines, and rules to idyllic SEO. 

So when does it make sense to invest in an SEO course? Right away!

If you have a website or online business and are serious about it showing up in relevant search results, you’ll need a decent understanding of how SEO works. The best course of action is to enroll in a comprehensive course before you create your website to ensure you’re enlisting the best SEO practice from the very beginning. If you’re bootstrapping your website or aren’t sure if your business idea will take off, there are plenty of free SEO courses or guides out there, which will give you a good enough understanding to implement the basics and help you get started on the right foot.

Also, if you’re looking to become an SEO specialist for a job change, career pivot, or potential promotion, investing in an SEO course is a fantastic first step. Or on the other hand, if your job duties are expanding to include SEO, a course will help you get up to speed quickly. 

#1 – Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Training Course – Simplilearn — The Best for Most 

Simplilearn is one of the biggest players in online training. It offers dozens of certified courses and is trusted by Fortune 500 companies for conducting top-level training for their employees. Simplilearn regularly features in our lists of best courses for most topics. And its SEO course is no different. 

Simplilearn’s Search Engine Optimization Training course will train you to become an industry-ready SEO specialist in no time. You’ll learn all the fundamentals of SEO such as keyword research, technical SEO, link building, analytics, and local SEO. 

There are no prerequisites for this course. It’s perfect for beginners who want an in-depth course to teach them absolutely everything there is to know about SEO. It’s also perfect for digital marketing professionals who’re looking to expand their career with SEO experience.

What we love about this course is that you’ll also learn about content marketing and how nailing SEO is vital in a successful content marketing strategy. You’ll also learn all about advanced web analytics so you can monitor whether your SEO strategy is working. 

This course also includes:

• Lifetime access to high-quality self-paced e-learning
• 20+ real-life industry-based projects to perfect the skills learned
• 3 simulation test papers for self-assessment
• 24×7 learner assistance and support
• Downloadable Certification of Completion to add to your resume

Learning is self-paced so you can complete it as quickly or as slowly as you like. And with lifetime access, you’ll always be able to review the course content to refresh your skills whenever you need. 

Simplilearn’s Search Engine Optimization Training Course will set you back $899. But it is one of the most comprehensive courses out there, so if you’re serious about a career in SEO, this course is a worthy investment.  

#2 – Complete SEO Training – Udemy — The Best for WordPress Users

Udemy’s Complete SEO Training + SEO for WordPress Websites is another great option for WordPress users. It’s comprehensive, suitable to a range of learning levels, and sells at an affordable price. In fact, this course has seen over 75,000 students learn the ropes of SEO. 

This course focuses on Search Engine Optimization on WordPress websites, so if you’re not using WordPress for your website, this course may not be the one for you.

The Complete SEO Training course teaches you how to reach rank number one on Google by:

• Learning how to correctly optimize your WordPress website 
• Improving the user experience (UX) of your website 
• Sourcing low competition, high traffic keywords
• Increasing organic traffic from Google and other search engines with on-page SEO
• Optimizing backlinks that will actually help your website

This is a no-fluff SEO course perfect for webmasters, bloggers, business owners, online marketers, web designers or developers, and content creators who use WordPress. 

The course includes 10 hours of on-demand video, 17 articles, and 14 downloadable resources, and you’ll have lifetime access for a one-time fee. Udemy will also provide you with a Certificate of completion to boost your resume.

The Complete SEO Training + SEO for WordPress Websites course costs $199. But Udemy often has great discounts on offer, so be sure to keep an eye out for a special price. Udemy also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so there is no risk in getting started right away! 

#3 – Semrush Academy — The Best Free SEO Courses

Semrush is a key player in the SEO industry. When you work in SEO, you’re likely to use Semrush or a competitor to track positions for the keywords that matter most to your sites. With this in mind, it’s easy to understand why Semrush Academy is one of the best free SEO resources out there. 

Semrush Academy offers 20 different course options, all of which are taught by industry experts. The courses consist of easily digestible video content that offers real-life examples of SEO in action. You can even test yourself at the end of each topic to make sure you’ve picked up on all the fundamental concepts. 

The most notable Semrush Academy course is SEO Learning Path taught by industry leader, Greg Gifford. This course includes 8 hours of video learning over five key lessons. You’ll cover topics such as the fundamentals of SEO, keyword research, backlink management, mobile SEO, and local SEO. 

The thing we love most about Semrush Academy? Upon completion of your chosen course, you’ll earn yourself a worldwide recognized certification for your time. 

So whether you want to learn the basics of SEO or just want to brush up on certain topics, this free course is perfect for just about anyone. Enroll in Semrush Academy for free today!

#4 – Yoast SEO Academy — The Best for Bloggers

Yoast is the creator of one of the best SEO plugins for WordPress. In fact, if you run your blog on WordPress, we’d be surprised if you weren’t using Yoast SEO to help track your blog’s performance. That makes Yoast a great place to learn about SEO for blogs. 

The Yoast SEO Academy courses cover topics such as all-around SEO training, international and local SEO, keyword research, SEO copywriting techniques, site structure training, and much more. 

Some of the things we love about Yoast SEO Academy include:

• All courses are developed by world-class SEO experts
• Learn real-life strategies to add to your toolkit
• Get ready-to-use templates to help you build your SEO strategy
• Gain access to optional assignments and challenging quizzes to cement your learning
• Invitations to webinars, conferences, and deep dives from the best in the business

You’ll also have automatic access to all new courses and be provided with badges and certificates to show your new expertise on your site. 

These courses are perfect for bloggers who are complete beginners or for those who are not so new but are not sure of how to properly use the Yoast SEO WordPress plugin to maximize their blog’s success.

Although you can access Yoast SEO Academy for free, to get the most out of your learning, we’d recommend signing up for Yoast SEO Premium. Not only will you have access to the premium features of your Yoast SEO plugin, but you’ll also have access to a much wider range of SEO learning.

Yoast SEO Premium + Academy is just $89 per year. Get started with Yoast SEO Academy today! 

#5 – The Beginner’s Guide to SEO – Moz — The Best for Beginners

Moz is another well-known name in the SEO world thanks to its SEO rank tracking platform. It also offers an abundance of Search Engine Optimization resources to help you nail your SEO from the get-go. 

With this in mind, it’s not surprising that Moz’s free course, The Beginner’s Guide to SEO, is one of the most popular free SEO courses available. 

This course is easy to understand and easily digestible. It won’t make you an expert, but it will quickly get you up to speed on basic SEO strategies and terminology. You could even complete the entire course within one or two sittings. The guide consists of eight chapters and covers topics such as: 

• How search engines work
• Keyword research
• On-page SEO
• Technical SEO
• Link building and establishing authority 
• Measuring and tracking SEO success

The only important thing to note about this course is that the content is almost entirely made up of text. So if you’re someone who prefers to learn via video, this course may not be the one for you.

If you like what you learn in The Beginner’s Guide to SEO and want to take your learning even further, Moz offers an SEO Essentials Certification series for $595. The course is a perfect add-on for anyone wanting to manage their SEO using Moz Pro. 

Start your free learning with Moz today!

Methodology for Choosing the Best SEO Course

Each of the courses we’ve listed here today has something different to offer. Which one you choose will mostly depend on how much you want to learn, what your budget looks like, and what the purpose of your website is. 

Aside from these key considerations, there are a few more pointed factors to consider when choosing the right SEO course for you. 

Certification

All the courses recommended here include certification upon completion to prove your learning. It’s not a requirement for a decent course, but usually, the courses that do provide one are well-renowned and know what they’re talking about. 

With this in mind, considering whether the course offers a certification can be a great way to determine whether an industry expert has contributed to the design of the course. 

Gaining certification is also a great way to show potential future employers that you have experience in the field of SEO and can open up more job opportunities for you. If you’re looking into a course for job-related reasons, a certificate will be a strong consideration for you. 

Accessibility

Considering the accessibility of the course encompasses two aspects. These aspects include whether the course is location-dependent and whether you must attend the course during certain hours of the day. 

These days it’s unlikely that the course you want to take isn’t offered through online learning too. But ideally, you also want to find a course that is ‘on-demand learning. You should be able to start the course immediately and take the classes at a time that is convenient for you. 

Learning Style

This consideration is particularly important when we realize that most of the courses you can take online are self-directed learning. If you don’t find a course that speaks to your learning style, you are likely to lack the motivation and discipline to finish the course. 

So if you’re a visual learner, look for a course that includes a lot of on-demand video learning. If you prefer reading, consider whether there are lots of downloadable resources for you to pore over. And if you like to learn by doing, only consider courses that provide real-life examples and actionable projects or checklists to cement your learning. 

Summary

Ranking number one on Google is a goal that most of us in the online industry aim for. There is no exact formula to get there, but an SEO course can give you the knowledge and the tools to help you build traffic from organic search results and power your business forwards.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive SEO boot camp, Simplilearn’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Training Course is a worthy investment. This course will take you from beginner to SEO expert in no time.

For WordPress users, Udemy’s Complete SEO Training course is a notable option. And for bloggers, the Yoast SEO Academy is the obvious choice. 

But if you’re bootstrapping your website or online business, there is no reason to avoid getting started with the right SEO practices from the get-go with Semrush Academy or Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO.