7 SEO Courses (& Certifications) That Actually Deliver Results

Most SEO courses out there are outdated, too basic, or filled with theory that doesn’t work in practice.

The Backlinko team spent 50+ hours testing and evaluating over 20 SEO courses to identify the ones that actually deliver real-world results.

Our top pick? The Semrush Academy, which stands out for offering the most comprehensive and current SEO training available for 2025.

What makes Semrush Academy special is its combination of fundamentals and advanced strategies, taught by some of the most brilliant minds in SEO – all completely free.

Plus, you get a certificate for every course you complete.

A close second is Traffic Think Tank, offering an impressive 200 hours of training.

While it doesn’t offer certification, you get direct access to leading SEO experts and join an active community that helps you implement what you learn.

But these aren’t the only worthwhile SEO courses out there.

We’ve identified seven programs that stand out from the crowd – some free, others paid, but each one vetted to ensure it delivers actionable SEO skills you can apply immediately.

Before we dive into the full list, let’s clarify what SEO certification is and whether it actually matters for your career.

What is SEO Certification?

An SEO certification is official recognition of your search engine optimization knowledge, earned by completing a course and passing an assessment.

Here’s what most people don’t tell you about SEO certifications:

• They can give you a competitive edge in job applications, especially for entry-level positions
• While valuable for learning, they’re not as important as hands-on experience (a successful campaign with 10-50% traffic growth speaks louder than any certificate)
• They’re most beneficial for beginners learning SEO fundamentals or professionals formalizing their expertise
• They serve as proof that you’ve invested time in understanding modern SEO practices

The key benefit isn’t just the certification itself – it’s the structured learning path these courses provide to help you master search engine optimization techniques.

Benefits & Limitations of SEO Courses Certifications

Should You Pay for an SEO Certification?

Free or paid doesn’t matter – employers care about your SEO skills, not how much you spent on training.

Look for courses with hands-on projects and experienced instructors who have proven SEO results. Student reviews and community access are valuable bonuses.

Remember: A certification just shows you’ve invested time in learning SEO. Your ability to drive results is what matters.

Now, let’s explore the best SEO courses available in 2025.

The 7 Best SEO Courses & Certifications

We’ve narrowed down our top SEO courses and certification list to the following:

1. Semrush Academy

Semrush Academy is a great place to start.

It’s home to some of the most value-packed digital marketing courses on the internet.

The Semrush Academy team closely collaborates with industry leaders (both external and in-house) to produce informative, engaging, and insightful courses.

Semrush Academy offers a wide range of courses, catering to digital marketers at every level of expertise, from beginners to advanced training, ensuring they grasp core concepts and gain a deeper understanding of cutting-edge industry practices.

For example, Semrush partnered with Kevin Indig, an SEO genius who helped G2 scale their organic traffic from 3M to 5M and led a team of 25 SEOs at Shopify to produce a highly informative and actionable course on SEO strategy.

Kevin’s training is just an appetizer.

As of 2024, the Semrush Academy has more than 15 value-packed SEO courses.

Check these out:

• Semrush SEO Crash Course with Brian Dean (1 hr)
• GA4 for SEO – How data helps businesses grow with Jeff Sauer (1 hr)
• Crafting a Winning SEO Strategy: A Guide for In-House Marketers with Kevin Indig (1 hr)
• How to Outrank Your Competition in Local Search with Wes McDowell (1 hr)
• Content-Led SEO with Brian Dean (7 hrs)
• SEO Principles: An Essential Guide for Beginners with Kyle Byers (1 hr)
• Local SEO Course with Greg Gifford (1 hr)
• Technical SEO course with Bastian Grimm (3 hrs)

Upon completing these courses, you can participate in their respective assessments. If you pass, you’ll receive a personalized and downloadable certificate.

Like this:

Here’s a review of Semrush Academy on LinkedIn:

2. Traffic Think Tank (TTT)

Traffic Think Tank (TTT) is another well-known name in the SEO industry.

It’s a paid SEO academy that offers 200+ hours of training. Along with templates and process docs created and used by industry leaders themselves.

TTT offers a wide range of SEO training courses that cover different aspects of SEO and are suitable for all skill levels.

So whether you’re a complete beginner who wants to understand how to perform keyword research or an advanced practitioner who wants to build a results-driven SEO strategy that can get you executive buy-in, TTT is the place to be for gaining in-demand skills and a comprehensive understanding of SEO tactics.

You also have the option to join their tight-knit Slack community by enrolling in their premium-tier plan. This community is a place for industry leaders to hang out, expand their networks, ask/answer questions, and progress in their careers.

Check out their pricing:

See the value for yourself – begin a 14-Day Free Trial now!

Here’s a review of TTT on ProductHunt:

3. Google SEO Fundamentals (UC Davis) by the University of California, Davis

Google SEO Fundamentals is a great course for SEO beginners.

This course has been created by the University of California, Davis, and is available on Coursera.

The training comprises 28 videos divided into the following four modules:

• Getting started and introduction to on-page SEO
• Introduction to off-page SEO
• Introduction to technical SEO
• Keyword research and theory

The course takes 29 hours to complete. Meaning it requires a significant time investment.

However, it’s worth it. And if you’re a beginner looking to master SEO basics, you should definitely give it a try.

This course has four assessments. After passing them, you’ll receive a personalized and downloadable career certificate.

Like this:

Here’s a review on Coursera:

4. SEO Certification Course by HubSpot

HubSpot’s SEO Certification Course is ideal for you if you want to learn and understand the fundamentals.

This course comprises 26 videos divided into six modules and takes about four hours to complete.

You’ll learn:

• SEO basics
• Technical and on-page SEO
• Keyword research
• Link building
• Optimizing your website for rich results
• SEO reporting

The course also includes five quizzes to test your knowledge.

After completing the course, you’ll earn a personalized and downloadable certification like this:

A genuine customer review couldn’t be found for this course.

5. SEO Training Masterclass 2024 by Alex Genadinik

Alex Genadinik’s SEO Training Masterclass is one of the most popular and comprehensive paid SEO courses on Udemy, with more than 7,000 ratings and 95,000 students.

It’s an 18+ hours course with over 274 video lectures divided into 35 sections.

These lectures cover everything from keyword research to how to use SEO tools to URL structure for SEO, backlink strategies, local SEO and more.

Despite its comprehensive scope, Alex has skillfully structured the course.

So that you can effortlessly navigate through it or watch it without feeling lost or overwhelmed.

After completing the training, you’ll also earn a certificate of completion that you can display on professional platforms.

Like this:

The course also has dedicated sections to help you become a freelance SEO specialist, get a full-time job, or build an SEO agency.

The SEO Training Masterclass 2024 by Alex Genadinik is way better than many other courses on this list. It dives deep into the nitty-gritty of SEO and provides a practical approach.

Here’s a review of the SEO Training Masterclass on Udemy.

6. Moz SEO Essentials Certificate

SEO Essentials Certificate course is a six-part course offered by Moz.

If you aren’t familiar with Moz, it’s a popular all-in-one SEO platform.

It’s ideal for beginners as it covers:

• Fundamental SEO concepts: to learn the basics of SEO
• Keyword research: theories and framework for researching keywords
• Page optimization: important page optimization strategies and how to implement them
• Link-building essentials: what backlinks are, why they’re important, and how to get high-quality backlinks
• Reporting on SEO: how to set up and clean your data in Google Analytics

Each course section has quizzes to test your knowledge along the way.

The final part of this course includes an assessment that you need to pass to earn your Moz SEO Essentials Certification.

Like this:

Moz SEO Essentials teaches you how to apply your newly learned skills using Moz’s paid SEO tool called Moz Pro. So if you’re looking to use any other tools, this course may not be the right fit for you.

Also, its $595 price tag may be just too much, especially if you have a tight budget. Many free courses on this list offer similar educational value. So that’s something to consider as well.

For this course, a genuine customer review was not available.

7. Advanced SEO Certification Training by Matt Bailey

Matt Bailey’s Advanced SEO Certification Training is a high-value SEO course that dives deep into the fundamentals, search engine algorithms, different SEO strategies, and content marketing. It’s available on MarketMotive, a respected online marketing training and certification company.

This course offers 30+ hours of video content and 15+ hours of live instructor-led online classes.

You can get your certification by:

• Completing 85% of the course.
• Completing three projects and one simulation test with a minimum score of 60%.

For this course, a genuine customer review couldn’t be found.

How to Select the Best SEO Course for You

When evaluating SEO courses, focus on what your goal is.

If you want to dominate your local rankings, Semrush Academy’s “How to Outrank Your Competition in Local Search” is a must-watch.

Alex Genadinik’s SEO Training Masterclass is a great choice if you want to learn SEO from scratch without feeling overwhelmed.

Moreover, the TTT community is a great place to discuss the concepts and strategies you learn.