Top Free SEO Courses with Certificates (Google-Focused Options)

While Google does not offer an official standalone "Google SEO Certificate," they provide excellent free resources like the SEO Starter Guide and courses on Skillshop (formerly Google Digital Garage) that cover SEO fundamentals. For certified courses, third-party platforms offer high-quality, Google-aligned free options with shareable certificates. Below, I recommend the best completely free ones (no payment for course or cert), prioritized by relevance to Google SEO.

1. Google Fundamentals of Digital Marketing (via Skillshop)

• Platform: Google Skillshop
• Duration: 40 hours (self-paced, 17 modules)
• Certificate: Free shareable award/badge for Skillshop/LinkedIn profiles
• SEO Coverage: Includes modules on search optimization, getting discovered via Google Search, keyword basics, and online visibility.
• Pros:
  • Directly from Google – most authoritative for Google best practices.
  • Comprehensive intro to digital marketing (SEO + AI tools, video, analytics).
  • Beginner-friendly with real-world examples.
• Cons:
  • SEO is one part of broader digital marketing (not SEO-exclusive).
  • Longer commitment.
• Best for: Beginners wanting Google's official stamp.

2. HubSpot Academy SEO Certification

• Platform: HubSpot Academy
• Duration: 3.5 hours (8 lessons, videos, quizzes)
• Certificate: Free, shareable, industry-recognized
• SEO Coverage: Full Google SEO strategy – keyword research, backlinks, SERPs, crawling/indexing, Google Analytics integration.
• Pros:
  • Concise, practical, and highly rated (focuses on actionable Google tactics).
  • No prior knowledge needed; includes reporting tools.
• Cons:
  • Shorter depth on advanced technical SEO.
• Best for: Quick certification with strong Google alignment.

3. Semrush Academy SEO Courses (Multiple Options)

• Platform: Semrush Academy
• Duration: 55 mins–1 hour each (e.g., SEO Essentials: 20 lessons; Technical SEO: 21 lessons)
• Certificate: Free upon quiz completion (Semrush-endorsed, shareable)
• SEO Coverage: Google-specific – keywords, technical/on-page/off-page SEO, AI Overviews, link building with Semrush tools (free tier available).
• Pros:
  • Tool-integrated (hands-on with Semrush for Google rankings).
  • Multiple short courses for targeted learning; expert-led.
  • Updated for 2026 trends like AI search.
• Cons:
  • Assumes basic familiarity; tool-heavy (but free tools suffice).
• Best for: Practical, tool-based Google SEO skills.

Comparison Table

Other Notable Mentions (Free Audit, Paid Cert)

• Google SEO Fundamentals (UC Davis on Coursera): Free to audit (full content), but certificate ~$19. Excellent on Google algorithms, on/off-page SEO.
• Great Learning SEO for Beginners: Free short course + cert, basic Google terms/optimization.

Start with Google's Fundamentals if you want official branding, or HubSpot/Semrush for pure SEO depth. All are accessible worldwide, no prerequisites.

What’s your experience level with SEO (beginner, intermediate)? Are you focusing on technical SEO, content, or e-commerce? Do you prefer short courses or comprehensive ones? Let me know for more tailored recs!

To find a free Google SEO course with a certificate, you generally have two paths: courses directly created by Google and courses from industry leaders that focus specifically on ranking in Google.

While Google itself offers foundational training, many professionals prefer "Industry Leader" certificates (like HubSpot or Semrush) because they provide more practical, hands-on strategies.

1. Official Google SEO Courses (Direct from Google)

These are the best for understanding the theory and "official" rules of search.

• Google Digital Garage: Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
  • Certificate: Free (upon completion of the final exam).
  • Focus: This is a broad 40-hour course. It includes specific modules on SEO ("Help customers find you through search") that explain how Google crawls, indexes, and ranks pages.
  • Pros: Recognized worldwide; completely free; badge for your LinkedIn.
  • Best for: Absolute beginners who want a foundational understanding.
• Google Search Central (Learning Center)
  • Certificate: No formal certificate.
  • Focus: This is the "source of truth." It contains videos and documentation directly from Google's search team.
  • Best for: Staying updated on algorithm changes and technical requirements.

2. Industry Leader Courses (Highly Recommended)

These courses focus specifically on the Google SEO "ecosystem" and are often more practical for day-to-day SEO work.

• HubSpot Academy: Excellent for content-driven SEO. The certificate is widely recognized in the marketing industry.
• Semrush Academy: Best for learning technical SEO and keyword research using professional tools. Led by industry experts like Greg Gifford and Brian Dean.
• Coursera (UC Davis): This is a high-quality academic course. You can Audit the course for free to access all materials, but you must pay for the certificate (or apply for Coursera Financial Aid, which is usually granted).

Which one should you choose?

• If you want a resume builder: Start with Google Digital Garage. The "Google" name on a certificate carries significant weight for entry-level roles.
• If you want to actually "do" SEO: Take the HubSpot SEO Certification. It is more updated and covers modern tactics like topic clusters and mobile optimization.
• If you want to master technical tools: Choose Semrush Academy. It teaches you how to use professional software to find "low-hanging fruit" keywords and fix site errors.

Next Steps & Follow-up

To give you a better recommendation, I have a couple of questions:

1. Are you looking for a certificate to put on your resume, or are you trying to rank your own website?
2. Do you have a basic understanding of HTML/Websites, or are you starting from zero?