FREE COURSE, CERTIFICATE INCLUDED

Free Yoast SEO plugin course for beginners

Learn how to set up and use the Yoast SEO plugin, in short video lessons made by the people who built it. The whole course is free, the videos run to under 3 hours in total, and you get a certificate and badge when you finish.

Start the free course →

No payment details needed.

Under 3 hours of video

Split into short clips

Certificate included

And a badge for your site

No experience needed

Start from zero

Why learn the Yoast SEO plugin yourself

Yoast SEO does a lot for you automatically, but knowing what it’s doing, and why, is what turns “I installed a plugin” into “I actually understand my site’s SEO.” This course walks through the plugin end to end: the sidebar, the settings, the tools, the workouts, all of it. Once you get it, you’ll know exactly where to look when something needs fixing, instead of guessing.

The sidebar and metabox give you feedback on your content as you write.

Who teaches this course

Every lesson is made by the SEO and structured data specialists at Yoast. They haven’t just read about schema markup, they help build the tools that generate it.

They’re the creators of the #1 SEO plugin for WordPress worldwide.
Combined, they have more than 100 years of WordPress experience.
The team contributes to WordPress core and supports the open-source community.

Go at your own pace

No deadlines, and your access doesn’t expire.

Pick up where you left off

Your progress is saved automatically.

Start before you buy anything

No plugin purchase needed to complete the course. Works with both the free and Premium plugin.

After this course

You’ll know how to set up and configure the Yoast SEO plugin
You’ll understand how to use keyphrases, snippets, and the SEO and readability analysis
You’ll be able to use redirects, workouts, and bulk editing tools to save time
You’ll know how to fix common SEO issues without technical help

What topics are covered in the course

Introduction to Yoast SEO

How search engines work, holistic SEO, and what Yoast SEO does for your site.

Getting started with Yoast SEO

The sidebar, metabox, and first-time configuration.

Your content and Yoast SEO

Keyphrases, snippets, SEO and readability analysis, structured data blocks, and internal linking.

Settings and integrations

All the Yoast SEO settings, plus Yoast-approved integrations like WooCommerce and Semrush.

Tools and workouts

Bulk editing, import/export, and the internal linking and orphaned content workouts.

Guiding the search engines

Redirects, XML sitemaps, robots meta tags, canonical links, and structured data.

Did you know?

Part of Yoast SEO Academy

This is one of five free courses in Yoast SEO Academy, alongside SEO for beginners, WordPress for beginners, Structured data for beginners, and Block editor training. Premium members get access to all courses in the Academy.

Explore the Yoast SEO Academy →

See an example of the course

What you get

44 short video lessons

Under 3 hours in total, in short clips

10 quizzes

Check what you've learned and find the gaps before they matter

21 PDF files

For reference, dig deeper into any topic

A certificate and badge

Awarded when you complete the course.

Yoast SEO Premium

Keep going after this course

You’ve learned to run the plugin. The Yoast SEO Premium plan opens every course in Yoast SEO Academy, from keyword research through to technical SEO, and gives you the tools to apply them.

Every course in the Academy, each with its own certificate
New courses added to your plan as they launch Yoast SEO Premium plugin, with additional schema and structured data built into Yoast SEO as you write
Local SEO, News SEO, and Video SEO plugins
One seat for the Yoast SEO Google Docs add-on, check drafts before they reach WordPress
24/7 support from real people

Only $118.80 / year (ex VAT)Get Yoast SEO Premium

Is this course really free?

Yes. You get the full course, not a sample, and you don’t need to enter payment details. You need a free MyYoast account so we can save your progress and issue your certificate.

Do I get a certificate?

Yes. You get a Yoast certificate and a badge when you complete the course. The badge only appears once you’ve actually finished, so it means something.

How long does it take?

The videos run to around 3 hours in total, split into short clips. If you want to work through everything, videos, reading materials, and quizzes, expect 16 to 20 hours. There’s no deadline, and your access doesn’t expire.

Do I need Yoast SEO Premium to take this course?

No. This course is free and works whether you’re using the free or Premium version of the plugin. Premium gives you access to the rest of the Academy afterward.

Do I need to know how to code?

No. This course explains any technical concepts in plain language before you need them.

Want to spend an hour learning live?

We run two regular webinars. SEO for beginners covers the fundamentals: keyword research, content optimization, and site structure. Introduction to Yoast SEO shows you how to put that into practice with the plugin itself. Pick whichever fits where you are right now.