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Off-Page SEO and AI Search Essentials with Semrush

Build your website's credibility and climb search rankings by mastering the art of earning quality links from other sites. Learn to strengthen your online presence, expand your reach, and establish your brand as an authority in your industry.

Who is this сourse for?

This course is for digital marketers, SEO professionals, business owners, and content creators who want to build their website's authority through link-building.

What you’ll learn

Learn to analyze backlink profiles, identify link-building opportunities, manage toxic links, and create linkable content that attracts high-quality links, all while using Semrush's toolkit.

Earn Your Certificate from Semrush Academy

Semrush has been recognized by the search community across the globe, winning several accolades as the best SEO software suite. Learn more

Brian Dean

Brian Dean is an SEO expert and founder of Backlinko, one of the most popular digital marketing resources online (5M+ readers). Brian’s work has been featured in Inc, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, U.S. News & World Report, Success Magazine, Vox, Forbes, Fox News, The Next Web, HuffPost, TechCrunch, and dozens more major media outlets.

Rita Cidre

Rita Cidre is a marketing leader, instructor, and storyteller with 15 years of experience working at the intersection of marketing and content. Rita has held growth marketing leadership roles at Zillow Group, Time Inc., and National Public Radio (NPR). Currently, as the Head of Academy at Semrush, she builds innovative educational programs and courses designed to empower digital marketers around the globe.

Course Structure

Strategy: Course Intro

Ready to unlock the magic of off-page SEO? Join Rita as she reveals how to build website authority through smart backlink strategies—no insider connections required! Dive into competitor research, master Semrush tools, tackle toxic links, and earn your certificate. Let's transform your rankings!

1 video

3 minutes

Strategy: Quick AI SEO Intro

The search landscape is evolving! This intro explains why AI platforms like ChatGPT and Google's AI Mode are reshaping search marketing—and why we've updated this course to include AI SEO essentials.

1 video

2 minutes

Strategy: What Are Backlinks and Why Do They Matter?

Discover why backlinks are SEO's secret weapon! Learn what they are, how Google uses them to measure authority, and why quality beats quantity. Explore their evolution, benefits beyond rankings, and the golden rule: earn links, don't just build them.

1 video

4 minutes

Strategy: Types of Links

Not all links are created equal! Learn the difference between natural and outreach links, follow vs. nofollow attributes, and why anchor text variety matters. Discover which link-building shortcuts to avoid and why a diverse, earned link profile beats manipulation every time.

1 video

8 minutes

Walkthrough: Compare Your Backlink Profile with a Competitor’s

Time to spy on the competition! Follow along as we explore Semrush's Backlink Analytics tool. Track your authority score, monitor new and lost links, and compare your backlink profile directly against competitors. Let the benchmarking begin!

1 video

3 minutes

Strategy: Competitor Backlink Analysis

Why reinvent the wheel? Learn to analyze competitors' backlink strategies to fast-track your own success. Discover which links to pursue based on quality, diversity, and relevance. Break out of the competitive bubble to find unique opportunities!

1 video

5 minutes

Walkthrough: Find Opportunities with the Backlink Gap Tool

Unlock hidden opportunities with Semrush's Backlink Gap tool. Add your domain and competitors to reveal where they're getting links that you're missing. Dig into the exact content earning those backlinks and start closing that gap with your competitors.

1 video

3 minutes

Walkthrough: Reach out to Your Prospects with Semrush

Ready to launch your outreach campaign? Learn how to use Semrush's Link Building tool to organize prospects, streamline outreach efforts, and launch campaigns that connect with the right sites. Manage your link-building pipeline efficiently from research to first contact.

1 video

3 minutes

Walkthrough: Identifying Opportunities for Third-Party Brand Mentions

Turn third-party sites into brand amplifiers! Discover where LLMs pull information about your brand, identify untapped citation sources, and learn strategic approaches to earning mentions on the platforms AI systems trust most.

1 video

5 minutes

Strategy: Content-First Link Building

Stop creating content for customers who can't link back! Discover Brian Dean's game-changing strategy: create "Power Pages" for "Linkreators"—the bloggers and publishers who actually run websites. Learn to identify them, research their interests, and craft content they'll naturally want to share!

1 video

6 minutes

Strategy: The E-E-A-T Framework

Learn what Google’s E-E-A-T really means and how to apply it to your content strategy. This video breaks down Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, and shows how to improve each one using real-world examples and three Semrush tools you can start using right away.

1 video

8 minutes

Strategy: Choose a Medium Tail Keyword

Rethink your keyword strategy! Learn Brian Dean's approach to choosing the right keywords that attract both rankings AND backlinks. Discover why targeting the sweet spot between overly competitive and too narrow pays off, and how strategic keyword selection amplifies your entire site's authority.

1 video

11 minutes

Strategy: Share Triggers

Discover what makes content irresistible! Learn the psychological principles behind why people share and link to certain content. Master proven frameworks that naturally trigger engagement and earn backlinks. Transform your content from forgettable to magnetic with research-backed strategies!

1 video

7 minutes

Strategy: Toxic Links and Why They Matter

Not all backlinks help your rankings—some can hurt! Discover what toxic links are, why they're dangerous (especially for smaller sites), and how to protect your site. Learn when to request removal, when to use Google's disavow tool, and why regular monitoring matters.

1 video

5 minutes

Walkthrough: Monitoring Toxic Links with Backlink Audit

Protect your site's reputation with Semrush's Backlink Audit tool! Learn to assess your backlink profile's health, identify toxic links threatening your rankings, and get your domain's toxicity score.

1 video

3 minutes

Strategy: AI SEO: Backlinks and Mentions

Backlinks still matter—but AI search has changed the rules! Discover why quality trumps quantity, why nofollow links suddenly matter, and how "query fan-out" expands opportunities. Learn why off-page SEO now includes brand mentions everywhere, not just links to your site.

1 video

6 minutes

Strategy: Congratulations!

You've completed your link-building journey! You now know how to spot valuable backlinks, analyze competitors, avoid toxic links, and create content that earns real authority. Take your final assessment to earn your certificate and showcase your off-page SEO expertise!

1 video

2 minutes

Would You Recommend this Course?

One last thing! If you enjoyed this course (or even if you didn't, we won't take it personally), please give us some feedback so we can keep making even better free content in the future!

1 video

1 minute

Enroll for free

Learn how to earn high-quality backlinks that increase your authority, improve your rankings, and grow your online presence. Start building a stronger, more trusted brand today.