SEO
Best SEO Courses Online – Free & Paid Options
Earning a degree is a good thing for some professions. After all, you wouldn’t want a doctor who learned his trade via YouTube videos taking out your appendix, would you? Of course not.
But for other professions, you can learn just as much, if not more, than a college curriculum’s worth online for a fraction of the cost. Search engine optimization is one of those things.
That’s not to say there’s no value in an SEO specialist earning a degree – any education is a good thing, particularly if it’s in a related field like computer science, marketing, or communications.
But as you probably know, the SEO field is in a constant state of flux. And it’s more than competitors tweaking their strategies to jump ahead of you; it’s also regular and sometimes major changes to Google’s search algorithm.
If you’re just getting started in SEO, you’re a mid-level professional looking to add tools to your toolbox, or even a seasoned veteran seeking the latest tricks, we’ve got just the thing.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of the best online SEO courses available, so you can find exactly what you’re looking for.
Free SEO Courses
SEO Certification Course (HubSpot)
A marketing and sales software developer, HubSpot always thinks of marketers’ needs. And that includes its SEO Certification Course. It covers the basics of SEO, including evaluating your current site, building backlinks, and performing keyword research.
Length: Under three hours for six total lessons
SEO Training Course: Learn How To Get Organic Traffic From Search (Ahrefs)
Another SEO software tools provider, Ahrefs, offers a free course for SEO beginners. This program starts from scratch, explaining why SEO is important and guiding participants through the basics of keyword research, page optimization, and beginning technical SEO.
Length: 14 lessons over two hours
Free SEO Training: SEO For Beginners (Yoast)
The makers of the popular SEO plugin for WordPress want to help you learn more about SEO with a free online course. Yoast’s program is designed to quickly equip you with the knowledge you need to impact your site’s ranking as quickly as possible positively.
Length: Two hours
SEO Training For Beginners (Shopify)
When it comes to ecommerce, Shopify is the big dog on the block. To help online retailers maximize their impact and revenue, Shopify offers free SEO training for beginners. With its focus on digital shopping, this course is ideal for entrepreneurs.
Length: 16 lessons in just over one hour
On-Page And Technical SEO Course (Semrush)
The makers of keyword research and analytics tool Semrush offer a course for intermediate SEO professionals covering on-page and technical SEO. Upon completion of this, you can test for certification.
Length: Seven lessons in one hour
Intro To Search Engine Optimization (WordPress)
Popular blogging platform WordPress offers an entry-level course to introduce you to the fundamentals of SEO. Content is available on-demand, and you will receive a certificate of completion.
SEO Basics (Conductor)
Conductor offers several free SEO courses, including SEO Basics, Paid & Organic Synergy, and Evangelizing SEO. All are intended to help you maximize your digital marketing strategy and increase search rankings.
Length: 1:30 for SEO basics
A Beginner’s Guide To Local SEO (BrightLocal)
Local SEO puts you in front of customers right when they’re looking for you – which means it’s really important. This course from BrightLocal Academy will equip you with the knowledge and skills to start showing up on those searches conducted in your neighborhood.
Length: Eight lessons + certification in roughly one hour
Google SEO Fundamentals (Coursera/University Of California, Davis)
This course, designed by UC Davis, will help you quickly get up to speed on the basics of search engine optimization. It includes information on developing a strategy, keyword research, and search behavior.
Length: 11 videos, eight hours to complete
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialization (Coursera/University Of California, Davis)
More in-depth than this previous one, this program will teach you how to perform competitive analysis, develop influencer relationships, and create reports on your findings.
Length: Five courses
Paid SEO Courses
Free is always a great thing, but if you’re looking for something a little more serious and focused, it might be worth your time to invest in a paid course. Here are some of the best ones:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Training Course (Simplilearn)
Simplilearn is an online “boot camp” educator. Its Advanced SEO Course is intended to prepare you for a role as a full-stack SEO professional. This in-depth program focuses on everything from the basics of the search field to advanced skills like off-page optimization, developing a content marketing strategy, and managing analytics.
Length: 58 lessons ranging from under five minutes to roughly an hour and a half.
Price: Self-paced learning – $1,199, online boot camp – $1,499
SEO Essentials Certification (Moz)
SEO software provider Moz offers a wide variety of training options through its Moz Academy. Of particular interest is the SEO Essentials Certification. This course is intended to provide you with the knowledge you need to get started in SEO, including developing an understanding of how search engines operate.
Length: Six hours of instructor-guided content
Price: $595
Technical SEO Certification (Moz)
Looking for something more advanced? This on-demand course is designed to equip you with the skills you need to take your technical SEO expertise from beginner to intermediate. You’ll learn about crawlability, indexability, accessibility, and site performance.
Length: Three hours of instructor-led content
Price: $395
SEO Competitive Analysis Certification (Moz)
Yet another Moz Academy course intended for intermediate to advanced SEO professionals, this on-demand program will teach you how to identify and analyze your competitors’ SEO campaigns, conduct audits, and evaluate your rivals’ social media presence.
Length: Three hours of instructor-led content
Price: $395
SEO Certification (ClickMinded)
An online continuing education platform for marketing professionals, ClickMinded offers an SEO certification course designed with busy professionals in mind. It will teach you the basics of search engine optimization, and upon passing the final exam, you’ll be awarded certification. It also includes lifetime access to five mini-SEO courses.
Length: Three to six hours
Price: Single courses from $997
Advanced Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Certification Training (Market Motive/Simplilearn)
This in-depth SEO course goes far beyond the fundamentals, helping you take your skills to the next level. A bigger time investment than some courses on this list, it is intended to be a comprehensive course on all things SEO.
Length: 25+ hours
Price: Self-paced learning for $1,199, online boot camp for $1,499
SEO 101 (DistilledU)
Learn everything from basic skills to advanced concepts in this online university. SEO 101 focuses on how search engines work and the skills and principles you need to know to improve your ranking.
Length: Eight modules over 32+ hours
Price: $40/month paid monthly; $33/month paid annually
SEO Training (Bruce Clay)
Bruce Clay programmed the world’s first webpage analysis tool. Now, he’s sharing his expertise in search engine optimization via SEOTraining.com. This exhaustive course is learn-at-your-own-pace and features everything from beginning SEO training to advanced tactics.
Length: 15+ hours over 48 videos
Price: $1,495 for a one-year membership
SEO Basics (SERanking)
This structured online course is designed to walk you through every aspect of SEO and show you how to make it work for you. SERanking also offers a course on Content SEO to further expand your knowledge.
Length: 41 lessons over six hours
Price: Basic subscription starting at $39.20/month
The (Non-Techie) Marketer’s Guide To SEO (MarketingProfs)
This program is designed for people who don’t have degrees in computer science or related fields. It breaks down how search engines work and gives you specific steps to help you maximize your ranking without needing to learn a coding language.
Length: Seven lessons, 60-90 minutes each
Price: $595 annual subscription
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) And Marketing (University Of California, San Diego)
Learn the basics of SEO and how to structure your website in this online course from UC San Diego. You’ll gain practical experience performing the duties of an SEO specialist while learning to use various online tools.
Length: Three credit hours
Price: $695
Search Engine Optimization (University Of Phoenix)
Learn to perform competitive analysis, create a keyword strategy and develop a crawler-friendly site architecture in this online course. This program will provide you with a solid understanding of SEO tactics and best practices.
Length: Three credit hours, five weeks
Prices: $1,194
Search Engine Optimization (University Of Cape Town)
This online course will equip you with work-ready skills to allow you to take on an SEO role with confidence. In addition to a practical understanding of best practices, you’ll also receive an industry-recognized certificate from Africa’s top university.
Length: 10 weeks with 10 hours per week
Foundations Of Search Engine Optimization (University Of Toronto)
Learn to perform competitive research and develop SEO strategies in this micro-course. You’ll gain a thorough understanding of how Google works and learn best practices to help you climb the rankings.
Length: 15 hours
Price: $559 Canadian
Other Resources
The great thing about the internet (aside from the fun of optimizing websites for search engines) is the absolute wealth of information it brings you. Here are a few other resources you can use to learn more about search engine optimization:
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn is more than a professional networking site – it’s also a great place to learn.
At the time of writing, there were 521 SEO-related videos and courses available. And with such a large number to choose from, there’s sure to be something of value for every skill level.
PluralSight
Online tech learning platform PluralSight is a great way to learn new skills – including digital marketing and SEO.
A great place to earn tech certifications, you can even use it to learn to code if you want to add that to your growing set of web skills. A free trial is available, and then plans start at $299 per year.
Udemy
Another learning platform dedicated to helping you level up your skillset, Udemy has a number of SEO videos.
Each video lesson is sold separately, but this gives you the benefit of choosing exactly which aspect of SEO you want to learn more about. Courses start at $14.99 each.
Skillshare SEO Courses
Skillshare offers a wide range of original videos on a variety of creative and tech topics, including, you guessed it, SEO.
It’s a great place to brush up on the fundamentals or focus on a specific area for improvement. Prices start at $159 per year for teams.
A Great SEO Never Stops Learning
One of the best things about working in SEO is that no two days are ever alike. And as long as Google keeps tinkering away with its algorithm, trying to fine-tune search results, there will always be a need for a skilled professional to help websites climb the rankings on search results pages.
The course discussed runs the gamut from free courses for absolute beginners to detailed classes on one specific aspect of SEO.
Just remember, no matter how long you’ve been doing it or how good you are, your education is never done. Keep learning – it’s the only way to ensure your website gets the ranking it deserves.
More Resources:
Featured Image: GaudiLab/Shutterstock
SEO
brightonSEO Live Blog
Hello everyone. It’s April again, so I’m back in Brighton for another two days of Being the introvert I am, my idea of fun isn’t hanging around our booth all day explaining we’ve run out of t-shirts (seriously, you need to be fast if you want swag!). So I decided to do something useful and live-blog the event instead.
Follow below for talk takeaways and (very) mildly humorous commentary. sun, sea, and SEO!
SEO
Google Further Postpones Third-Party Cookie Deprecation In Chrome
Google has again delayed its plan to phase out third-party cookies in the Chrome web browser. The latest postponement comes after ongoing challenges in reconciling feedback from industry stakeholders and regulators.
The announcement was made in Google and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) joint quarterly report on the Privacy Sandbox initiative, scheduled for release on April 26.
Chrome’s Third-Party Cookie Phaseout Pushed To 2025
Google states it “will not complete third-party cookie deprecation during the second half of Q4” this year as planned.
Instead, the tech giant aims to begin deprecating third-party cookies in Chrome “starting early next year,” assuming an agreement can be reached with the CMA and the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
The statement reads:
“We recognize that there are ongoing challenges related to reconciling divergent feedback from the industry, regulators and developers, and will continue to engage closely with the entire ecosystem. It’s also critical that the CMA has sufficient time to review all evidence, including results from industry tests, which the CMA has asked market participants to provide by the end of June.”
Continued Engagement With Regulators
Google reiterated its commitment to “engaging closely with the CMA and ICO” throughout the process and hopes to conclude discussions this year.
This marks the third delay to Google’s plan to deprecate third-party cookies, initially aiming for a Q3 2023 phaseout before pushing it back to late 2024.
The postponements reflect the challenges in transitioning away from cross-site user tracking while balancing privacy and advertiser interests.
Transition Period & Impact
In January, Chrome began restricting third-party cookie access for 1% of users globally. This percentage was expected to gradually increase until 100% of users were covered by Q3 2024.
However, the latest delay gives websites and services more time to migrate away from third-party cookie dependencies through Google’s limited “deprecation trials” program.
The trials offer temporary cookie access extensions until December 27, 2024, for non-advertising use cases that can demonstrate direct user impact and functional breakage.
While easing the transition, the trials have strict eligibility rules. Advertising-related services are ineligible, and origins matching known ad-related domains are rejected.
Google states the program aims to address functional issues rather than relieve general data collection inconveniences.
Publisher & Advertiser Implications
The repeated delays highlight the potential disruption for digital publishers and advertisers relying on third-party cookie tracking.
Industry groups have raised concerns that restricting cross-site tracking could push websites toward more opaque privacy-invasive practices.
However, privacy advocates view the phaseout as crucial in preventing covert user profiling across the web.
With the latest postponement, all parties have more time to prepare for the eventual loss of third-party cookies and adopt Google’s proposed Privacy Sandbox APIs as replacements.
Featured Image: Novikov Aleksey/Shutterstock
SEO
How To Write ChatGPT Prompts To Get The Best Results
ChatGPT is a game changer in the field of SEO. This powerful language model can generate human-like content, making it an invaluable tool for SEO professionals.
However, the prompts you provide largely determine the quality of the output.
To unlock the full potential of ChatGPT and create content that resonates with your audience and search engines, writing effective prompts is crucial.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the art of writing prompts for ChatGPT, covering everything from basic techniques to advanced strategies for layering prompts and generating high-quality, SEO-friendly content.
Writing Prompts For ChatGPT
What Is A ChatGPT Prompt?
A ChatGPT prompt is an instruction or discussion topic a user provides for the ChatGPT AI model to respond to.
The prompt can be a question, statement, or any other stimulus to spark creativity, reflection, or engagement.
Users can use the prompt to generate ideas, share their thoughts, or start a conversation.
ChatGPT prompts are designed to be open-ended and can be customized based on the user’s preferences and interests.
How To Write Prompts For ChatGPT
Start by giving ChatGPT a writing prompt, such as, “Write a short story about a person who discovers they have a superpower.”
ChatGPT will then generate a response based on your prompt. Depending on the prompt’s complexity and the level of detail you requested, the answer may be a few sentences or several paragraphs long.
Use the ChatGPT-generated response as a starting point for your writing. You can take the ideas and concepts presented in the answer and expand upon them, adding your own unique spin to the story.
If you want to generate additional ideas, try asking ChatGPT follow-up questions related to your original prompt.
For example, you could ask, “What challenges might the person face in exploring their newfound superpower?” Or, “How might the person’s relationships with others be affected by their superpower?”
Remember that ChatGPT’s answers are generated by artificial intelligence and may not always be perfect or exactly what you want.
However, they can still be a great source of inspiration and help you start writing.
Must-Have GPTs Assistant
I recommend installing the WebBrowser Assistant created by the OpenAI Team. This tool allows you to add relevant Bing results to your ChatGPT prompts.
This assistant adds the first web results to your ChatGPT prompts for more accurate and up-to-date conversations.
It is very easy to install in only two clicks. (Click on Start Chat.)
For example, if I ask, “Who is Vincent Terrasi?,” ChatGPT has no answer.
With WebBrower Assistant, the assistant creates a new prompt with the first Bing results, and now ChatGPT knows who Vincent Terrasi is.
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023You can test other GPT assistants available in the GPTs search engine if you want to use Google results.
Master Reverse Prompt Engineering
ChatGPT can be an excellent tool for reverse engineering prompts because it generates natural and engaging responses to any given input.
By analyzing the prompts generated by ChatGPT, it is possible to gain insight into the model’s underlying thought processes and decision-making strategies.
One key benefit of using ChatGPT to reverse engineer prompts is that the model is highly transparent in its decision-making.
This means that the reasoning and logic behind each response can be traced, making it easier to understand how the model arrives at its conclusions.
Once you’ve done this a few times for different types of content, you’ll gain insight into crafting more effective prompts.
Prepare Your ChatGPT For Generating Prompts
First, activate the reverse prompt engineering.
- Type the following prompt: “Enable Reverse Prompt Engineering? By Reverse Prompt Engineering I mean creating a prompt from a given text.”
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023ChatGPT is now ready to generate your prompt. You can test the product description in a new chatbot session and evaluate the generated prompt.
- Type: “Create a very technical reverse prompt engineering template for a product description about iPhone 11.”
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023The result is amazing. You can test with a full text that you want to reproduce. Here is an example of a prompt for selling a Kindle on Amazon.
- Type: “Reverse Prompt engineer the following {product), capture the writing style and the length of the text :
product =”
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023I tested it on an SEJ blog post. Enjoy the analysis – it is excellent.
- Type: “Reverse Prompt engineer the following {text}, capture the tone and writing style of the {text} to include in the prompt :
text = all text coming from https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-bard-training-data/478941/”
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023But be careful not to use ChatGPT to generate your texts. It is just a personal assistant.
Go Deeper
Prompts and examples for SEO:
- Keyword research and content ideas prompt: “Provide a list of 20 long-tail keyword ideas related to ‘local SEO strategies’ along with brief content topic descriptions for each keyword.”
- Optimizing content for featured snippets prompt: “Write a 40-50 word paragraph optimized for the query ‘what is the featured snippet in Google search’ that could potentially earn the featured snippet.”
- Creating meta descriptions prompt: “Draft a compelling meta description for the following blog post title: ’10 Technical SEO Factors You Can’t Ignore in 2024′.”
Important Considerations:
- Always Fact-Check: While ChatGPT can be a helpful tool, it’s crucial to remember that it may generate inaccurate or fabricated information. Always verify any facts, statistics, or quotes generated by ChatGPT before incorporating them into your content.
- Maintain Control and Creativity: Use ChatGPT as a tool to assist your writing, not replace it. Don’t rely on it to do your thinking or create content from scratch. Your unique perspective and creativity are essential for producing high-quality, engaging content.
- Iteration is Key: Refine and revise the outputs generated by ChatGPT to ensure they align with your voice, style, and intended message.
Additional Prompts for Rewording and SEO:
– Rewrite this sentence to be more concise and impactful.
– Suggest alternative phrasing for this section to improve clarity.
– Identify opportunities to incorporate relevant internal and external links.
– Analyze the keyword density and suggest improvements for better SEO.
Remember, while ChatGPT can be a valuable tool, it’s essential to use it responsibly and maintain control over your content creation process.
Experiment And Refine Your Prompting Techniques
Writing effective prompts for ChatGPT is an essential skill for any SEO professional who wants to harness the power of AI-generated content.
Hopefully, the insights and examples shared in this article can inspire you and help guide you to crafting stronger prompts that yield high-quality content.
Remember to experiment with layering prompts, iterating on the output, and continually refining your prompting techniques.
This will help you stay ahead of the curve in the ever-changing world of SEO.
More resources:
Featured Image: Tapati Rinchumrus/Shutterstock
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