If you want to learn SEO, free SEO courses can teach you the exact skills you need.
And yes—the best free courses are just as valuable as paid ones. In fact, many are created by industry experts and leading companies.
Whether you're a site owner, content creator, or marketing professional, this guide will show you nine free SEO courses that deliver practical, up-to-date knowledge you can use right away.
1. Semrush SEO Crash Course with Brian Dean
Link: Semrush SEO Crash Course with Brian Dean
Course provider: Semrush Academy
Certificate: Yes
Course length: 50 minutes (seven video lessons)
Instructor: Brian Dean
Who it's for: SEO beginners and site owners who want a clear, step-by-step process for ranking on Google
This foundational SEO course teaches complete beginners the exact steps they need to follow to rank higher in Google using an SEO system that gets results.
In this course, Brian Dean, Founder of Backlinko and recognized SEO expert featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, and Entrepreneur, breaks down complex SEO concepts into simple, actionable steps.
What you'll learn:
- The basics of how search engines work
- A proven system for finding untapped keywords
- A step-by-step content creation process
- Practical link building techniques you can use today
- An effective approach to tracking your SEO results like a pro
Why we love it: The course delivers advanced SEO concepts in bite-sized, beginner-friendly chunks. Each lesson provides specific action items you can implement right away. Plus, Dean’s teaching style makes complex SEO topics feel surprisingly simple.
2. HubSpot SEO Certification Course
Link: HubSpot SEO Certification Course
Course provider: HubSpot Academy
Certificate: Yes
Course length: 3 hours and 50 minutes (eight lessons, 26 videos)
Instructors: Matthew Howells-Barby and Rachel Sheldon
Who it's for: Small business owners who want more website visitors, SEO professionals looking to level up their skills, and content creators who want their work to rank higher in search results
This comprehensive SEO course teaches you how to create and execute a complete SEO strategy from scratch.
Matthew Howells-Barby, HubSpot’s Director of Acquisition, and Rachel Sheldon, a HubSpot Academy Professor, will teach you everything from SEO basics to advanced techniques that drive real organic traffic.
What you'll learn:
- How search engines work
- How to conduct a step-by-step website audit
- How to do keyword research that actually works
- How to implement technical SEO fundamentals
- How to gather SEO performance data
Why we love it: The course combines deep SEO knowledge with practical examples from HubSpot's own success. Each lesson includes specific actions you can take immediately. Plus, you'll get access to real-world case studies showing exactly how these activities work.
3. Google SEO Fundamentals by UC Davis
Link: Google SEO Fundamentals
Course provider: University of California, Davis (via Coursera)
Certificate: Yes
Course length: 29 hours (four modules over three weeks)
Instructor: Rebekah May
Who it's for: Beginners who want a deep, academic understanding of SEO fundamentals and professionals seeking to build credible SEO expertise
This university-backed SEO course teaches you how Google ranks websites. And guides you in mastering both basic and advanced SEO concepts through hands-on projects.
Organic Growth Marketer Rebekah May leads this comprehensive curriculum that covers on-page, off-page, and technical SEO.
What you'll learn:
- How to master keyword research fundamentals
- How to conduct a complete SEO competitive analysis
- How to create effective sitemaps and robots.txt files
- How to execute a technical SEO audit
- How to measure brand recognition through social signals
Why we love it: This course combines academic theory with real-word application. Each module includes hands-on projects that let you apply concepts immediately. Plus, you'll get a university-backed certificate that can give credibility to your SEO expertise.
4. Keyword Research Essentials with Semrush
Link: Keyword Research Essentials with Semrush
Course provider: Semrush Academy
Certificate: Yes
Course length: 1 hour and 52 minutes (11 videos)
Instructors: Alex Lindley and Rita Cidre
Who it's for: Those who've mastered SEO basics and want to stay ahead as AI reshapes search
This course goes over how AI has changed the search landscape and provides actionable advice on finding keywords and prompts you can use to stay visible across search systems.
What you'll learn:
- High-impact keyword research methods using Semrush tools
- How to uncover low-competition opportunities
- Keyword mapping that connects every page to the right search terms
- How to build topical authority with the pillar-cluster model
- Optimizing for AI prompts and visibility beyond Google
Why we love it: This course doesn't just teach you basic keyword research. It teaches you an entire framework that includes finding seed keywords, mapping your entire site, and tracking AI visibility—all with walk-throughs that show you exactly what to do next.
5. The SEO Roadmap
Link: The SEO Roadmap
Course provider: LearningSEO.io
Certificate: No
Course length: Self-paced (10 comprehensive sections)
Creator: Aleyda Solis
Who it's for: Anyone who wants a structured path to learn SEO, from complete beginners to advanced practitioners looking to fill knowledge gaps
This carefully curated SEO learning path, developed by world-renowned SEO consultant Aleyda Solis, shows you exactly how to master SEO from the ground up.
What you'll learn:
- Step-by-step SEO fundamentals
- Proven SEO processes and workflows
- Platform-specific SEO (WordPress, Shopify, etc.)
- Advanced technical SEO tactics
- SEO automation and tools
Why we love it: Unlike traditional courses, this resource provides a clear learning path with hand-picked, up-to-date content from trusted SEO experts. Each topic links to the best free resources available, letting you learn at your own pace and focus on what matters most to you.
6. Content-Led SEO with Brian Dean
Link: Content-Led SEO with Brian Dean
Course provider: Semrush Academy
Certificate: Yes
Course length: Five hours (27 video lessons)
Instructor: Brian Dean
Who it's for: Content creators and SEO professionals who want to create content that ranks on Google's first page
This advanced SEO course teaches you how to create content that ranks highly in search results and attracts backlinks. You'll learn the exact techniques Brian Dean used to get 5M+ monthly readers to his blog.
What you'll learn:
- Content frameworks that attract backlinks
- Advanced search intent optimization methods
- Strategies for identifying "Linkreators" who share content
- Copywriting strategies that drive conversions
- Systems for scaling content production
Why we love it: Dean provides specific, tested frameworks you can use immediately. Each lesson includes real examples and step-by-step processes. Plus, you'll learn how to scale these tactics once you've mastered them.
7. International SEO with Aleyda Solis
Link: International SEO
Course provider: Semrush Academy
Certificate: Yes
Course length: 1 hour 10 minutes (16 video lessons)
Instructor: Aleyda Solis
Who it's for: SEO beginners entering global markets and experienced professionals looking to enhance their international targeting strategies
This step-by-step course shows you how to expand your website's reach into global markets by teaching you techniques for targeting international audiences and boosting your global search visibility.
What you'll learn:
- How to identify profitable international markets
- How to set up a website structure for global targeting
- How to implement content localization strategies
- How to measure international SEO success
- How to avoid common international SEO mistakes
Why we love it: Solis provides a practical framework based on real client cases. Each lesson includes specific examples and walkthroughs using actual tools. Plus, you get a course worksheet to guide you in implementing everything you learn.
8. Local Toolkit Crash Course
Link: Local Toolkit Crash Course
Course provider: Semrush Academy
Certificate: Yes
Course length: 26 minutes (nine videos)
Instructor: Rita Cidre
Who it's for: Brick-and-mortar business owners, marketers, and beginners who want to improve local visibility and manage their Google Business Profiles using Semrush
This course provides a focused plan for quickly improving local SEO performance. It takes the guesswork out of Google Business Profile (GBP) management.
What you'll learn:
- Tips for setting up and optimizing your Google Business Profile
- How to connect your GBP to Semrush's Local Toolkit
- What it takes to keep your business listings accurate across online directories
- How to use AI tools to create posts and manage reviews faster
- Methods for tracking how your business ranks in Google Maps
Why we love it: This course allows you to set up your GBP, optimize your profile, and start tracking results in under an hour. And there are step-by-step Semrush walk-throughs you can follow in real time.
9. Technical SEO Course with Bastian Grimm
Link: Technical SEO Course with Basian Grimm
Course provider: Semrush Academy
Certificate: Yes
Course length: Three hours (34 video lessons)
Instructor: Bastian Grimm
Who it's for: SEO professionals who need to understand technical concepts, agency teams handling technical SEO projects, and site owners who want to improve technical performance
This comprehensive course teaches you the exact technical SEO skills you need to optimize your website’s performance. And it’s perfect for both beginners and experienced SEOs who want to master technical optimization.
What you'll learn:
- Crawl budget optimization techniques
- Mobile-first indexing implementation
- Log file analysis methods
- Web performance optimization
- JavaScript SEO fundamentals
Why we love it: Grimm delivers deep technical insights in clear, understandable terms. Each lesson builds your technical expertise, from basic concepts to advanced implementations. The course includes real-world examples that show you how to apply these techniques to your site.
Put Your SEO Skills into Practice
Learning SEO through courses is great.
But implementing these tactics is how you'll really learn how to do SEO. And get real results.
Start applying these concepts right away with a Semrush free trial and take actions like:
- Performing keyword research
- Analyzing competitors
- Tracking keyword rankings
- Creating optimized, user-friendly content
- Finding technical SEO issues holding your site back
The best part?
You can access every Semrush Academy course while testing the full Semrush platform.