Ahrefs Academy
Ahrefs' free official SEO training — keyword research, on-page SEO, link building and technical SEO, plus a course on Answer Engine Optimization for AI search.
Overview
Ahrefs built its reputation as an SEO data and tooling company before building Academy — the free courses reflect the same crawling and ranking-factor research the company sells access to in its paid tool, which gives the training an unusually direct line to current, real search data rather than recycled SEO folklore. The course library spans beginner fundamentals (keyword research, on-page SEO, link building basics) through more advanced material on technical SEO and Answer Engine Optimization — the newer discipline of optimizing content to be cited by AI-powered search and chat answers, a genuinely current addition most competing free SEO courses haven't caught up to yet. Because the whole library is free, including a certification exam for anyone who wants a credential, it functions as the natural first stop before considering either of the two paid SEO options also in this batch — Moz Academy's paid certifications or specialized paid training elsewhere.
What's included
- 9+ structured video courses
- Keyword research and on-page SEO fundamentals
- Link building and technical SEO training
- Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) course
- Optional certification exam
Pros
- Completely free, including the certification option
- Built by Ahrefs' own team using the same data behind their paid SEO tool
- Covers current topics like AEO/AI search optimization, not just legacy SEO tactics
- No sales funnel or upsell pressure — it exists to support the broader Ahrefs product ecosystem
Cons
- Naturally leans toward demonstrating Ahrefs' own tool within lessons, less platform-agnostic than some paid alternatives
- No live coaching, cohort structure, or peer community
- Beginner-to-intermediate depth overall; less exhaustive than a $500+ paid certification track
- Self-paced with no accountability structure
Frequently asked questions
Quick info
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