SEO never sleeps! Whether you're a link-building pro or just starting out, there's always something new to learn. From a quick workshop to a full-blown certification training, enrolling in a SEO link building course brings invaluable benefits like:
🔑 Link-building courses offer structured, systematic skill mastering, from the basics of link acquisition up to advanced strategies.
🔑 Best link-building courses are loaded with proven white hat link-building techniques tested by industry pros, so you can easily apply them yourself.
🔑 With an effective SEO link-building course, you can quickly learn how to measure your link-building performance and make strategic adjustments.
🔑 A comprehensive SEO course often showcases must-have link-building tools so that you know how to skip the manual part of link-building.
🔑 Some modules of a link-building training can instruct you on generating content that naturally attracts links.
🔑 Link-building courses often contain key communication modules to help you connect with potential link partners and forge strong relationships.
🔑A standard SEO link-building course arms you with strategies to steer clear of search engine penalties, keeping you compliant with current guidelines.
🔑 The best link-building courses give learners direct access to industry experts sharing advice on refining strategies and backlink management.
So, how do you pick the right one?
Luckily, we’ve done the hard work for you and put together our top picks for the best link-building courses of 2024. Your perfect fit is probably just a scroll away!
No time to sharpen your link-building skills but need to boost your SEO performance?
Reach out to pros at Editirial.Link!
We don’t just secure links from high-authority sites like podium.com, monday.com, hubspot.com, and more — we're excited to share our hands-on expertise to help you do it too! Forget generic link building courses; we devise our strategies to address your unique needs!
Link-building courses are concise, expert-led educational programs tailored for SEO pros at all levels, teaching effective techniques for acquiring high-quality backlinks.
For learners’ convenience, these programs are typically held online. While they mainly focus on link-building, many also dive into related topics like SEO content production, keyword research, and even technical SEO, based on each course’s unique curriculum.
Most modules are delivered in engaging video format for better visual learning, and are accompanied by quizzes to check your knowledge upon watching. Depending on the program, you may also have homework assignments that are personally reviewed by the course instructor, giving you valuable feedback on your link-building progress.
Some link-building courses come with a lively group chat where you can discuss topics and ask instructors questions. Plus, upon completion, you’ll earn a certificate or a final score to celebrate your achievement!
SEO link-building courses can vary based on your skill level and the course creator's unique style. However, here are the essentials you can expect from any link-building training:
🧩 SEO & Link-building basics
These are usually covered in the early modules of the course, explaining what link-building is and how it fits into the bigger SEO picture — boosting rankings, driving traffic, and building website authority.
🧩 Backlink types
The title says it all: such a module would dwell on the existing types of backlinks (natural vs. manual links) or highlights the differences between bad backlinks (low-quality, spammy) and relevant backlinks (top-quality, authoritative).
🧩 Backlink quality metrics
Here you may find a brief overview of key link quality factors, including domain/page authority, contextual relevance within the industry/niche, and the trustworthiness of the linking site.
🧩 Common link-building strategies
From this part of the course, you may source tried-and-true white hat link-building techniques so that you learn the ethical way of achieving long-lasting results in SEO.
🧩 Effective outreach methods
Modules like these offer practical examples of communication hacks for building relationships with website owners, editors experts, and link donors.
🧩 Linkable content creation
By the end of this module, you’ll have a clearer understanding of how to create valuable, industry-focused content that naturally attracts backlinks.
🧩 Algorithms & SEO penalties
This section of the course breaks down what algorithm updates are, why they happen, how they affect link-building, and the penalties search engines give for unnatural links.
🧩 SEO tools & Performance monitoring
A module with a name like this would definitely provide you with a couple of SEO tools for tracking link performance, analyzing competitors, and spotting link placement opportunities.
🧩 Strategic planning
Some course parts would cover tips for creating a link-building plan, setting measurable goals, tracking link-building KPIs, and scheduling content.
Finished a course but still can’t nail down the perfect link-building plan? Let Editirial.Link handle it for you! As a top-tier link-building agency, we tailor our strategies to your unique needs. Reach out and get a 100% custom link-building plan!
With countless online offerings, it’s easy to get lost — especially for newbies. But don’t worry! Here are some practical tips to help you navigate the sea of options.
What we mean is, take a look around! Since you're definitely on LinkedIn, it's the perfect platform to connect with leading voices in the SEO community.
💡Pro tip! If your SEO connections are still limited, check out the latest 'Top Voices' in SEO charts, visit their LinkedIn profiles, and look for any mentions of learning tips.
Not only can you gather daily SEO insights from their posts, but you can also engage with experts who are eager to share the best training options!
For instance, take a look at Anna York’s recent post for some fantastic course suggestions — why not make the most of these gems?
As you grow your SEO network, you'll start to see that many experts you follow offer their own personal SEO courses. These often come with open invitations to join by a specific date.
Other courses even come with discounts and aren't tied to any specific dates, allowing you to enroll whenever you like!
Bottom line: The fantastic part about these offerings is that you can reach out to the course creators directly on LinkedIn and ask what matters to you the most about the syllabus and more.
For instance:
🎤“Who do you think will experience the biggest transformation after completing your course?”
My Tech SEO Pro course is specifically designed for SEOs who are great with content but understand there’s something more to success. They know they want to move past just on-page SEO into the technical side but they’re just not sure how to do it exactly.
Most likely, they don’t have a development background or coding skills, so they feel intimidated by technical SEO jargon or when they need to talk to developers about implementing their SEO recommendations.
Techseo.pro Course Creator
🎤”How do you keep your course content updated with the ever-changing algorithms and trends in SEO?”
To keep my course current, I update content before each session, especially around major changes like Google Core Updates. My ongoing SEO consultations keep me in touch with trends, challenges, and algorithm shifts, allowing me to refine course strategies for practical learning.
- I follow top SEO blogs and newsletters like Moz and Search Engine Journal.
- I experiment with SEO tactics on my own and client sites.
- I integrate the latest tools, such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Google Analytics.
- I update the course frequently and gather student feedback to stay relevant.
Complete SEO Course Creator
Not fully convinced by LinkedIn influencers’ courses? If you're looking for truly certified options, the best bet is to explore popular online learning platforms. Look for their course sections under “SEO” or “Link-Building” to see what they have to offer.
In fact, we've done the same research, and as promised, here are our best picks!
We've been chatting a lot about the value of LinkedIn today, and it goes beyond just outreach. Did you know it has its own educational platform called LinkedIn Learning? While it's not free, they do offer a one-month free trial for new users.
When on the platform, check out the SEO Strategy: Link-Building Course. It’s a great introductory program that covers all the basics you need to get a solid grasp of link-building if you are just a beginner.
The syllabus includes:
1) The Importance of Link Building for SEO
2) The Fundamentals of Link-Building for SEO
3) The Link-Building Process
💡Pro tip! SEO Strategy: Link-Building is just a part of a bigger LinkedIn course — Develop Your SEO Skills. Check each of its modules, it has more tips on link-building!
🎤 Ask an expert!
“How do you keep your course content updated with the ever-changing algorithms and trends in SEO?”
I strive to keep my courses fresh and up-to-date by either fully revamping older content or updating specific videos. Given the number of courses I manage, it can be challenging, but my strategy moving forward is to produce new content regularly while retiring some of the older courses.
Founder at DeyTips.com & Instructor at LinkedIn Learning Marketing Tools: SEO
“Who do you think will experience the biggest transformation after completing your course?”
My courses are most beneficial to self-employed individuals, professionals working in SEO & marketing daily, and those studying these industries at an advanced level.
Founder at DeyTips.com & Instructor at LinkedIn Learning Marketing Tools: SEO
In addition to its wide range of learning programs across various fields, UDACITY now offers a Search Engine Optimization Course.
While link-building is only one part of this course, it offers a comprehensive view of SEO, making it valuable for both beginners and seasoned professionals seeking to sharpen their skills.
As the course is hosted on the Udacity platform, pricing options include full catalog access for $249 per month or a discounted rate of $846 for four months.
💡Pro tip! The highlight of this course is its expert instructor, Matt Bailey, founder of SiteLogic — a dedicated SEO learning platform you can additionally explore to further boost your SEO performance.
The syllabus includes:
Introduction to SEO
Discover what SEO is, how it fits into the customer journey, and the inner workings of search engines.
Keywords
Learn the strategies experts use to optimize their sites for search engines, from building the perfect keyword list to fine-tuning for maximum impact.
On-Site SEO: Optimize UX & Design
Explore how to optimize your site's elements — source code, tags, URLs, and navigation — to master onsite SEO.
Off-Site SEO: Link-Building
Deepen your understanding of SEO with offsite optimization tactics, including link-building — a powerful technique you'll acquire for your campaigns.
SEO Audit
Master the art of performing both content and technical SEO audits, while learning to steer clear of ineffective SEO practices.
Conduct an SEO Audit
Evaluate the results of an SEO audit and present your top five recommendations for optimizing search engine performance.
🎤 Ask an expert!
“Who do you think will experience the biggest transformation after completing your course?”
People who are new or a few years into the industry and want to take that next step. Or they are looking to change careers. Either way, they like the industry and want to grow, be competitive, and take control of their future. They’ve realized that learning new skills and enhancing their knowledge and experience will be the key to building their career. This course will give them skills and insights into major areas of SEO and construct an SEO audit template that will grow with them.
Digital Marketing Instructor & Trainer at SiteLogic
“How do you keep your course content updated with the ever-changing algorithms and trends in SEO?”
I start by developing a core structure of concepts and skills that have never changed. From there, we explore what is given as typical advice but dig into the reasoning and how it applies. The purpose of the course is to teach students how to critically think, process, and evaluate the changing trends. So rather than chasing trends, they are evaluating them in terms of “capital M” Marketing and business objectives rather than unproven, short-term hype.
Other than that, the course is updated as needed, and I maintain an active library of trusted resources, articles, and podcasts for ongoing professional development.
Digital Marketing Instructor & Trainer at SiteLogic
🎁Bonus pick! Matt Bailey recently launched his brand-new Comprehensive SEO Course, designed to take you from SEO basics to advanced mastery.
The key value lies in the hands-on assignments paired with dynamic lessons, plus live feedback directly from the expert himself.
🎤“Who do you think will experience the biggest transformation after completing your course?”
The primary audiences are people who are 1-4 years into the industry, business owners/entrepreneurs, and those making a late career shift. I get learners from different backgrounds of web design, sales & marketing, copywriting, customer services roles and many more.
Digital Marketing Instructor & Trainer at SiteLogic
🎤“What is the primary objective of your course?”
The goal of the course is to not only show how-to do SEO but develop the multiple skills within SEO that all work together for the finished product. The transformation is using SEO beyond rankings to make businesses profitable! By seeing the bigger picture and understanding how all of the elements work together, students are now inspired to take on bigger projects or move into management roles with confidence.
Digital Marketing Instructor & Trainer at SiteLogic
No introduction needed! Most of us have considered getting certified through this platform at some point — Coursera offers incredible knowledge from top universities and renowned instructors worldwide.
When it comes to SEO, it features a superb Search Engine Specialization Course taught by top-notch experts like Eric Enge and Rebekah May representing the University of California, Davis!
The course is designed for those with a basic understanding of SEO and is aimed at anyone looking to explore new perspectives on familiar topics through the lens of academics, or simply to get a taste of how SEO is taught at the university.
Like any other Coursera program, you can kick things off with a 7-day free trial, followed by a monthly subscription of around $40 per month (PS: the course lasts for 3 months).
The syllabus includes:
Introduction to Google SEO
Here you’ll be able to analyze the influence of ads and corporate funding on search development, compare search engine algorithm updates, and craft original website content to boost search results.
Google SEO Fundamentals
This section will teach you how to perform a competitive webpage analysis, evaluate brand recognition, create sitemaps/robots.txt files, manage redirects/ site errors; or use SEO tools for audience analysis and buyer persona development.
Optimizing Website for Google Search
Here you´ll discover how to use keyword research to identify optimal SEO keywords, create content using diverse tactics, implement best practices for local SEO, and develop a strong strategy for client retention.
Advanced Content & Social Tactics to Optimize SEO
From this module, you´ll learn how to implement content marketing for better rankings, cultivate relationships with influencers to grow your audience, establish collaborations with influencers, and analyze data to identify the most shareable content.
Google SEO Capstone Project
To wrap it up, you'll get practical experience creating an SEO pitch, running a competitive analysis, building a keyword map, and putting together a final report with your findings and recommendations to present to a client.
💡Pro tip! Even if link-building doesn’t get much buzz, the in-depth knowledge you’ll gain, plus the hands-on project you’ll present to university reps for certification, makes it totally worth it!
🎤 Ask an expert!
“Who do you think will experience the biggest transformation after completing your course?”
The course is targeted at people who are just getting started with SEO. The portion of the Coursera course that I teach is focused on content marketing and how it supports SEO. If you have a strong technical SEO background and you want to understand how visibility in the market can help your site(s) grow their presence in Google’s results, what you’ll learn there will be invaluable to you.
President at Pilot Holding, Inc & Board Member at MoneyGeek.com
The course is designed as both an upskill course as well as a course for those completely new to SEO and wanting to jump into the field. I think both types of students experience big transformations, it’s hard to single one out! I have had such positive feedback on career advancement from both groups.
SEO Consultant at Haypp Group & Instructor at UC Davis Extension
“How do you keep your course content updated with the ever-changing algorithms and trends in SEO?”
You are correct that SEO keeps evolving and it can be hard to keep up. It’s important to keep courses up to date, and my course on Coursera was developed on behalf of the University of California, Davis. Periodically, we do update the course to adapt to the latest changes in SEO to ensure that we keep it fully up to date.
President at Pilot Holding, Inc & Board Member at MoneyGeek.com
Keeping course content updated is an ongoing process. We are constantly changing links, adding new notes and replacing lessons that are outdated. This year in particular has had such major changes to the world of search that we are launching a host of new videos in a new course version, coming soon! I am excited since we will talk more about AI as well as recent algorithm changes.
SEO Consultant at Haypp Group & Instructor at UC Davis Extension
If you're not familiar with the name, no worries! BrightonSEO is a popular search marketing conference that takes place in Brighton, England. It's all about sharing expertise and insights in the field, and they even offer their own training sessions!
A treat for newbie link builders is its FREE Introduction to Backlinks Course, taught by the knowledgeable Dixon Jones and Sante Achille in an engaging video format. It’s a fantastic way to get started in the world of backlinks without any cost.
The syllabus includes:
1) Understanding backlinks
2) How to Perform a Backlink Analysis
3) Link Building in Action
🎤 Ask an expert!
“In your experience, how frequently do SEO professionals need to enroll in courses to stay ahead in the field?”
Over my last 25 years in SEO, the overwhelming mantra from the “Old Guard” was that a course would be out of date really quickly and that the only way to learn was through experience. Because things change so fast, there is merit to this argument – but 25 years on, there are at last some enduring norms that a new SEO SHOULD learn and I think a course is a perfect way to start.
But the student should always seek to understand the reasoning behind the course content… because the world DOES change, and course instructors CAN give misleading or out-of-date guidance. I always recommend that SEO professionals always rely on “Brain 2.0”.
Do not take everything for granted!
CEO at inLinks
“Who do you think will experience the biggest transformation after completing your course?”
The awareness of the complexity of this field. When I speak or teach, I try to reach out in many different directions to highlight the opportunities to learn many disciplines: Coding, Social Sciences, Anthropology…
Brand Ambassador at Majestic.com
“How do you keep your course content updated with the ever-changing algorithms and trends in SEO?”
When I prepare for a course, the critical issue is to implement incremental changes to the content. There are rarely disruptive elements: Many times, there are opportunities to increase efficiency in the SEO process that allow participants to concentrate on the bigger picture and avoid the less relevant details.
Brand Ambassador at Majestic.com
Ahrefs is an awesome SEO tool that sets you up for success every time they launch something new! Don’t miss out on their FREE Advanced Link-Building Course —it’s filled with practical strategies and real-life examples, perfect for both beginners and seasoned pros looking to perfect their link-building skills.
Led by Sam Oh, a VP in Marketing at Ahrefs, this course has been thoughtfully crafted with a syllabus that aligns perfectly with his expert vision.
The syllabus includes:
While you won't walk away with a certificate, the insights you gain from this course will quickly show up in your SEO performance. Give it a try and see for yourself.
Semrush is already a well-known name in the world of SEO, marketing, social media, and competitive research. But did you know they also offer a fantastic library of educational programs covering various industries and topics?
Just take a look at their catalog, and you’ll discover awesome link-building learning options like the Backlink Management Course by Greg Gifford, a prominent expert voice in the SEO community.
And guess the biggest perk? The course is completely FREE and will be warmly welcomed by learners of all levels willing to have a grip on the basics of backlink management.
The syllabus includes:
Leaving empty-handed after the course? Not a chance! You'll walk away with a shiny certificate!
💡Pro tip! Want to dive deeper into Greg Gifford's courses? Check out his educational offerings at BrightLogical Academy! This time, he’s focusing on How To Master Local Link Building. Enroll for FREE for learners of all levels willing to explore the niche side of link-building. Take an exam upon course completion and get your certificate!
Moz’s SEO educational content has long become a go-to resource for thousands of SEO experts, and their Academy keeps that legacy going strong!
If you’re looking for a professional yet straightforward introduction to backlinks, Backlinks Basics course is just for you!
Here’s what you can expect for just $149!
The syllabus includes:
With its fun video format, you’ll stay engaged the whole way through! Plus, you’ll wrap things up with a quiz to test your knowledge and get feedback from the course instructor. Once you ace it, you’ll earn your Moz certification!
🎤 Ask an expert!
“Who do you think will experience the biggest transformation after completing your course?”
Everyone — no matter where you are in your SEO journey! At Moz Academy, we’ve built courses that cater to every level. Whether you’re a beginner looking to master the fundamentals, a mid-level professional needing to close a knowledge gap, or an advanced expert eager to stay on the cutting edge or fully leverage your SEO tools, you’ll find something here. Our courses are designed to transform your understanding and empower you to excel, no matter your starting point.
Content Team Manager at Moz.com
“How do you keep your course content updated with the ever-changing algorithms and trends in SEO?”
Staying on top of updating coursework is no easy task, not only because of algorithm updates and trends in SEO, but also because the Moz tools are continually evolving to keep up with the industry, so we have many challenges on the Content team!
However, we teach timeless SEO theory and practical, white-hat techniques that withstand the test of time. Our content stays relevant even when the SERPs shift because we focus on the “why” behind user and search engine behavior. For example, our SEO Essentials Certification was published in 2019, and is still highly relevant today because it teaches you to build strategies that create real value for your audience. And while our core teachings remain evergreen, we also update lessons to align with the ever-evolving search engine landscape.
Content Team Manager at Moz.com
If you’re on a budget and haven’t found a free course that sparks your interest, Udemy is your ultimate destination for affordable learning! Industry experts often share their insights at a coffee-cup price.
So, if you’re ready to level up your link-building skills, check out the Complete Link-Building Course by Joshua George!
In addition to the easy-going video format, you'll also receive a variety of downloadable materials that both beginners and seasoned pros can use in their daily SEO practice.
The syllabus includes:
Each module ends with a fun quiz to test your knowledge, and, just like Udemy always does, you’ll earn a shiny certificate to celebrate your achievement!
Maven is a cool online learning platform that offers live courses with real-world experts. Unlike the usual pre-recorded stuff, Maven keeps it fresh with interactive, live sessions. You get to chat and engage with both the instructors and your fellow learners, making the experience way more fun and dynamic!
Here, you go with Backlink Building at Scale course by a top SEO voice Chris Tweten.
In just two weeks, participants—including SEO agencies looking to enhance their operations, SaaS founders aiming to drive user sign-ups, and niche website owners eager to scale — will be equipped with actionable insights they can immediately apply in their practices.
The syllabus includes:
As we shared earlier, the beginning of the course always depends on demand since everything is live, with a cost of $250 per seat.
In addition to the valuable knowledge you'll gain, the course offers some great perks: lifetime access to all course materials, personalized feedback on assignments, a private community to discuss hot topics with peers, and a certificate upon completion!
🎤 Ask an expert!
“Who do you think will experience the biggest transformation after completing your course?”
My course is suited for people who have a grasp of the basics but want to scale up their efforts. If you’ve guest blogged before or have earned link insertions in your backlink campaigns, my course is for you. I’ll teach you how to earn hundreds of backlinks per month using a proven framework for getting needle-moving results.
CMO at Spacebar Collective & Backlink Building at Scale Course Creator
“How do you keep your course content updated with the ever-changing algorithms and trends in SEO?”
My course focuses on strong execution of fundamentals – fundamentals of off-page SEO that haven’t changed in a long time. If you’re able to provide value to website owners and create win-win scenarios by leveraging digital assets, you’re in a great position for easy backlink wins. I also teach various risk mitigation tactics to make sure link building efforts aren’t in vain.
CMO at Spacebar Collective & Backlink Building at Scale Course Creator
If you are already deep into marketing and SEO, you’ve probably discovered the CXL learning platform — a dynamic resource crafted to educate established professionals and keep them leading the charge in industry innovations.
Besides, they offer an exceptional course titled Become great at SEO link-building, led by Irina Nica, Senior Product Marketing Manager at HubSpot, which is perfect for intermediate and advanced SEOs looking to propel their campaigns and achieve remarkable results.
With the "All Access" plan, starting at just $187 per month, you'll gain a range of valuable skills, such as:
As a bonus, you’ll receive 40 downloadable resources to enhance your practice, all wrapped up in a super quick course that only takes 4 hours to complete! A certificate? For sure!
💡Pro tip! What really counts for anyone thinking about this course is its assignment-based approach. It’s all about hands-on learning, so you can jump right in and put your skills to work instead of just sitting back and listening.
Blueprint is another giant in educating serious professionals in SEO and beyond, offering comprehensive certified training programs that equip learners with the latest strategies and insights needed to excel in the digital landscape.
What might catch your attention if you're on the hunt for improving your clients' SEO indices is their fresh course, How to Get High Authority Links For Your SEO Clients conducted by Elena Dimova, the Head of Community at Blueprint.
This course is all about helping SEO agencies, link-building pros, and businesses create strong link-building systems. The main goal is to provide insights that would teach them to deliver top-notch services to clientele without depending on headcount or external consultants.
However, as the course creators claim “...the course is designed to be accessible to both beginners and experienced agency professionals”, so it’s up to you.
The syllabus includes:
💡Pro tip! The course leverages the multifaceted approach and uses different learning tools such as videos, workbooks for training skills, downloadable materials to make the experience more hands-on.
About the pricing — the Blueprint sells training for $999, but why not take a demo first? It’s a fantastic way to see if it suits your needs before you decide!
🎁 BONUS: Tech SEO Course Pick!
Awesome news for those watching their wallets! Alison is one of the biggest learning platforms that offers programs with accredited certificates for FREE!
If you want to harness your technical SEO, especially learn how to index backlinks faster but can't afford paid options, check out the Technical SEO Training sponsored by Blue Array, a leading SEO agency in the UK!
Without a solid technical setup, your links might not deliver the results you’re after. It’s like building a house — if the foundation isn’t strong, everything else will struggle.
This course focuses on teaching you how to optimize your site’s structure, speed, and user experience, ensuring your links can truly shine!
The syllabus includes:
Technical SEO - Part 1
Master the purpose of Technical SEO, assess ethical and environmental considerations, explain crawling, indexing, rendering, and ranking, compare SEO tools, and analyze website data through crawling.
Technical SEO - Part 2
Learn to explain Page Experience, evaluate Core Web Vitals, select Structured Data, classify HTTP status codes, fix common content and on-page issues, and recognize various types of internal linking.
Technical SEO - Part 3
Learn to maximize website crawlability, identify images needing optimization, evaluate and resolve security issues, ensure content accessibility, and outline the steps for a complete technical audit.
Course Assessment
Ready to see how far you've come? Check out your final score!
💡Pro tip! The coolest part of this course is that after each module, you get to take an online quiz to check your understanding, and your quiz results will count toward your final score!
🎤 Ask an expert!
“Who do you think will experience the biggest transformation after completing your course?”
Our technical SEO course can offer value for different reasons. If you’re new to the SEO industry or more of a generalist, it’ll teach you new concepts & tactics that you can start to implement across your website. So, this group of students would likely see the biggest benefit by using the course to support career development.
However, it’s suitable for all website owners and for those in senior positions, it can help to reaffirm knowledge or increase your confidence when singing off key decisions.
SEO & Ignite Director at Blue Array
“How do you keep your course content updated with the ever-changing algorithms and trends in SEO?”
Our course mostly focuses on the fundamentals of technical SEO, which for the most part haven’t changed too drastically over the years. While we regularly see changes to SERPS with new features, the launch of AI overviews, etc., the optimal technical SEO setup for a website is mostly the same. However, we do have a weekly newsletter that collates industry news for those who want frequent updates.
SEO & Ignite Director at Blue Array
SEO is all about continuous learning, and many wonder: “How often should I take up link-building training”?
To explore this, we went straight to SEO experts on LinkedIn to discover how often they update their knowledge — after all, there's much more to it than just link building!
Luckily, our LinkedIn poll caught the eye of nearly 40 SEO experts within the community! Here’s what we discovered from their votes and comment discussions:
🎤 Ask an expert!
“In your experience, how frequently do SEO professionals need to enroll in courses to stay ahead in the field?”
SEO is not a “set it and forget it” field. It requires continuous learning and adaptation to keep up with the latest trends and changes in search engine behavior.
SEOs should refresh their skills at least on a yearly basis. The evolution of search engines is in constant progress, with new algorithms, updates, and best practices emerging all the time. If you want to stay competitive and maintain your rankings, there’s no alternative to following up-to-date courses and staying informed.
SEO & Marketing Manager at Desotech
Staying updated is crucial with Google’s frequent core updates and new SERP features like AI overviews. Subscribing to Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Land, along with taking courses like Ahrefs’ Sam Oh tutorials, Moz’s SEO Training, and Coursera’s SEO Specialization on a daily basis, helps professionals adapt strategies and maintain visibility in their niche.
Co-Founder & Director at Scalablemedia.io
It’s hard to say how frequently SEO professionals need to invest in courses as knowledge and experience will vary.
I do think it’s important to invest in professional development regularly though, and there are plenty of options out there. That could be a generic SEO course or something more specific such as GA4, forecasting, or learning Python.
There’s also value in investing in soft skills. An important part of our roles as SEOs is communicating to wider stakeholders, whether that’s the senior team or clients. Learning how to communicate on progress effectively, while zooming out and looking at wider business impact (e.g. revenue) can go a long way.
SEO & Ignite Director at Blue Array
I recommend SEO professionals enroll in 1-2 courses a year, but it depends on your needs. If you have spare time, money, and gaps to fill with your knowledge and an SEO course makes sense, go for it.
Founder at Prismatic
The landscape changes several times a year, so I recommend offering at least two courses annually. Personally, I make it a priority to take courses from my peers on LinkedIn Learning and other platforms to stay current, particularly in industries I haven’t worked in recently.
Founder at DeyTips.com & Instructor at LinkedIn Learning Marketing Tools: SEO
I don’t think that the frequency matters to be honest. What does, though, is the intention behind it. It’s okay to recognize that you don’t know everything; it’s how you start growing. And then the fastest way is to learn from someone who has already achieved what you’re trying to achieve, for example, mastery in technical SEO. SEO is a never-ending process, so is learning.
SEO at MarketingSyrup Academy & Techseo.pro Course Creator
I think that courses are a great way to learn about SEO, especially for those that are first starting out. SEO is such a complex area and there is so much to learn, and for that reason a well-structured course can help lay that all out for you. Once you have taken that initial course, it’s important that you engage in actively using what you’ve learned, testing it out on live web sites and seeing what works, or doesn’t work, in the real world.
You can then supplement that knowledge with books and additional courses along the way. My book, The Art of SEO is an excellent resource, for example.
SEO is a field of constant learning, and for that reason, doing everything you can to keep building your skills is highly valuable. You could decide to take a variety of sources each year. Be careful to select those courses taught by recognized experts to get the best results.
President at Pilot Holding, Inc & Board Member at MoneyGeek.com
It’s a constant learning experience. And not just SEO! Even after 30 years, I take courses in marketing, data analytics, sales, and many other areas to stay sharp and knowledgeable. The best part? Learning from other disciplines makes my SEO and marketing even better!
Digital Marketing Instructor & Trainer at SiteLogic
We set aside a yearly training budget for each of our employees, including our SEO team. This encourages our team to take at least one yearly training course and sometimes more, depending on their budget and the cost of the courses. Leaving this decision up to the employee is often best as they will understand what they want and need to train in.
SEO & Marketing Manager at MeasureMinds
The more you learn, the better positioned you are for SEO success! When you leave a course with actionable learnings, it’s important to put what you learn into practice. Whether it’s on your own websites or doing client work, using what you learn in SEO courses will take time to see results.
My suggestion is that you take courses to elevate your efforts after spending enough time to see measurable results. Since SEO often takes 6+ months to see results, that would be the most frequent you should take new courses.
CMO at Spacebar Collective & Backlink Building at Scale Course Creator
I have been working in this field for 30 years, 27 of which I have spent working in SEO or related professional activities. I think junior professionals learning about SEO can take some courses during the first 3 to 5 years of work. Depending on their capabilities, skills, and passion, they will begin to feel the “plateau effect”. In other words, they will start to see the same answers to their questions repeatedly and hear people say, “It depends…” That’s when taking courses becomes useless. I suggest building a network of reliable and trusted professionals and using it to share knowledge, compare metrics, and develop a critical spirit that will allow us to understand and contextualize the data.
Brand Ambassador at Majestic.com
SEO is a fast-moving world, with changes happening yearly, monthly, and even daily! To truly stay ahead, SEO professionals need to commit to continuous learning. Mastering the essentials is just the beginning — revisiting and refining your skills regularly is crucial.
But the real edge comes from staying nimble. As search evolves with AI integration, SERP features, and brand presence shifts, enrolling in targeted, ad-hoc courses is essential to keep your strategies sharp across content, technical SEO, link building, and beyond.
Content Team Manager at Moz.com
As you can see, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how often you should refine your SEO skills. Approaches vary widely among experts, but one thing is certain: in the competitive world of SEO, continuous learning is non-negotiable.
We were almost ready to skip this question as the real impact of SEO courses hinges on how experts apply their link-building skills in practice. But one insightful comment from our LinkedIn poll truly stood out!
You’re right on point about driving traffic to the website, and I’m curious to know if others in the community have seen success with SEO courses in achieving that goal.
Aspiring Professional
Basically, the commenter raised a valid question: Do SEO experts actually see significant improvements in their performance after completing an SEO course? Intrigued, we reached out to more pros to find out.
🎤 Ask an expert!
“Have you experienced measurable improvements in your SEO results after completing an SEO course?”
I like to make it a weekly habit of selecting an SEO video on YouTube to watch — even if I think I’m good at a topic — as there are always better ways to do things. As of the latest things that really helped me to improve my performance is a video by Nathan Gotch’s On Page Checklist.
The main takeaway from this was that rather than injecting NLP keywords into your content to optimize it; you should be writing sections about that keyword and see them as topics needing to be covered rather than just keywords.
Totally propelled my daily SEO!
Founder at Cupid PR
Long ago, after years working on both on-page and off-page SEO, I decided it was time to dive deeper into technical SEO. The only way to truly understand it was by following a course that provided a clear, step-by-step learning path, as it’s nearly impossible to gain comprehensive knowledge of the subject by piecing together fragments of information on your own.
By applying the knowledge I gained from my first Tech SEO-focused course, I managed to get my core pages into the top 3 on the SERP in a surprisingly short timespan. Since then, many other pages have followed the same path.
SEO & Marketing Manager at Desotech
Since I’ve taken a couple of SEO courses, I’ve managed to land a few freelance clients. One of which I just helped increase their traffic by 36.5% over three months of working with them. It’s for a small news outlet, so increasing traffic is their biggest priority. The technical SEO and content systems I picked up from courses were a huge reason why I managed to land this result.
Founder at Prismatic
I had one of my employees go through a series of training videos I had created on how to conduct a link-building campaign. I also purchased him a CXL pass so he could study a multitude of SEO topics.
After he completed his course I let him run his own link building campaign and encouraged him to produce content. We experienced a 300% increase in traffic YoY after his campaigns and I am confident that this was largely due to his efforts that he’d learned from his training.
SEO & Marketing Manager at MeasureMinds
Based on the feedback, it’s clear that SEO training helped some experts fill crucial gaps in their skills, while others saw real results — higher traffic, better rankings, and even new clients. Sounds like a win all around!
Now that you’ve got the scoop on link-building courses, how to find the right ones, and whether they actually deliver, it all comes down to your learning needs and budget. There are plenty of free options worth exploring, but sometimes it pays to invest in courses from seasoned experts.
If you're still feeling a bit lost, Editorial.Link will help you find the perfect course that would cover your current pain points. If not, we’ve got plenty of expertise to offer you solid link-building advice ourselves!
