SEO for Beginners

SEO for Beginners is a Breni path on search engine optimisation alone, going deeper than the broader digital marketing path. Its 8 courses cover how search engines work, keyword research, on-page SEO, content, technical SEO, link building, local SEO and measurement. Learners finish able to research keywords, optimise a page, run a basic audit and read Search Console data. Keyword research is required before any page work, since the courses unlock one by one.

8 courses
15 learning objectives
Level: beginner
Language: English
Price: Subscription, free trial

What you will be able to do

Find keywords for a site by search intent, volume and difficulty
Write title tags, meta descriptions and headings for a target query
Fix crawl, speed and mobile issues found in an SEO audit
Add structured data to a page and test that it is valid
Set up a Google Business Profile for a local business
Track clicks and rankings in Google Search Console

Full curriculum

Part 1 · How search works

1. How Search Engines Work: The Complete Guide

Explain how search engines crawl, index and rank pages. Units, in order: Crawling, indexing and ranking; What Google tries to reward; Organic and paid results; Search features such as snippets and maps; AI answers and how they cite sources.

— Crawling, Indexing, and Ranking
Learn the three main steps Google uses to find and sort web pages.
- How Crawlers Find Pages
- Storing Pages in Index
- Ranking the Best Results
— What Google Tries to Reward
Discover the qualities Google looks for to reward high value content.
- Matching Search Intent
- Helpful and Original Content
- Trust and Experience Signals
— Organic and Paid Results
Understand the difference between free organic listings and paid ads.
- Understanding Organic Results
- How Paid Ads Work
- Separating Ads from Content
— Snippets and Maps Features
Explore special search features like featured snippets and local maps.
- Featured Snippets Overview
- Local Maps Results
- Visual Rich Results
— AI Answers and Citations
Learn how modern AI search features generate answers and cite sources.
- AI Generated Answers
- How AI Cites Sources
- Impact on Website Traffic

2. Keyword Research

Find the searches your audience makes and choose which to target. Units, in order: Search intent; Search volume and difficulty; Long-tail keywords; Keyword research tools; Mapping keywords to pages.

Part 2 · On the page

3. On-Page SEO

Optimise a page's title, headings and content for a target search. Units, in order: Title tags and meta descriptions; Headings and page structure; Writing content that answers the query; Internal links; Image alt text and file names.

4. Content for SEO

Plan and write content that earns search traffic over time. Units, in order: Topic clusters; Content briefs; E-E-A-T and showing expertise; Updating old content; Avoiding thin and duplicate content.

5. Technical SEO

Fix the technical issues that stop pages being found or ranked. Units, in order: Site structure and URLs; Sitemaps and robots.txt; Page speed and Core Web Vitals; Mobile-friendly pages; Structured data.

Part 3 · Beyond the page

6. Link Building and Authority

Earn links from other sites without breaking search guidelines. Units, in order: Why links matter; Earning links with useful content; Digital PR basics; Links to avoid; Checking a site's backlinks.

7. Local SEO

Help a local business show up in map and nearby searches. Units, in order: Google Business Profile; Reviews and ratings; Local citations; Location pages; Local keyword research.

8. Measuring SEO

Track rankings and traffic and report what changed. Units, in order: Google Search Console; Google Analytics for organic traffic; Tracking keyword positions; Running an SEO audit; Reporting results to a client or manager.

Sample: How Search Engines Work: The Complete Guide

The opening tier, (Crawling, Indexing, and Ranking). Learn the three main steps Google uses to find and sort web pages.

How Crawlers Find Pages

Bots follow links across the web to discover new pages.

Storing Pages in Index

Google saves useful pages into a huge database called an index.

Ranking the Best Results

Algorithms pick the most helpful pages to show users first.

Questions about SEO for Beginners

Can I learn SEO on my own?

Yes. SEO for Beginners on Breni starts with how search engines work and builds up to audits and reporting.

How long does SEO take to work?

Changes often take weeks or months to show in rankings, depending on the site and the competition. The last course shows how to measure progress in the meantime.

Do I need coding skills for SEO?

No. Basic HTML helps with technical SEO, and the path explains the parts you need as they come up.

Does this course cover SEO for AI search?

Yes. The first course explains how AI answers pick and cite sources, and the content course covers writing pages that can be quoted.