Description

Launch price: R1,150 until 30 November 2026. From 1 December 2026 the price is R1,350.

Search is how most South African customers find a plumber, a school, a skincare brand or a B2B supplier. It is also changing fast: Google now shows AI Overviews and AI Mode in South Africa, FAQ rich results disappeared in May 2026, and spam policies now cover mass-produced AI pages. This course teaches SEO as it works in 2026, using Google’s and Bing’s own documentation, and drops the myths.

Across 8 modules and 47 practical lessons you will learn how search engines crawl, index and rank pages, and how to:

• research keywords South Africans actually use, including local and multilingual searches;
• fix on-page and technical problems on WordPress, Shopify and Wix sites;
• plan content that earns rankings and AI citations;
• earn links without breaking Google’s rules;
• get local businesses into Google Maps;
• measure everything in Search Console, GA4, Bing Webmaster Tools and Data Studio.

Every lesson has a South African worked example in Rand and an exercise using free tools. Each module ends with a portfolio assignment, and the capstone is a full SEO audit and 6-month plan for a real South African website. Expect about 70–90 hours of work in total, or roughly 12 weeks at 6–8 hours a week.

What we will not do: promise rankings (nobody honestly can), sell you ‘AI SEO hacks’, or teach tactics that get sites penalised. You will finish able to do the work, explain it to clients and price it.

How this course works

8 modules and 47 written lessons. Every lesson has a worked South African example, common mistakes to avoid and a practical exercise. Each module ends with a quiz, a quiz review and a practical assignment that becomes part of your portfolio, and the course finishes with a capstone project.

Recognised certifications to take next

This course prepares you for these official certifications and courses from the platform providers. They are issued by those providers, not by Digital Marketing Guide. Check the current cost and requirements on each provider’s page.

• SEO Essentials with Semrush (Semrush Academy) – Free (certificate on completion)
• Local SEO Essentials with Semrush (Semrush Academy) – Free (certificate on completion)
• AEO Fundamentals (HubSpot Academy) – Free (certification course)
• Google Analytics Certification (Google (Skillshop)) – Free
• Free SEO course for beginners (Yoast SEO academy) – Free (a free MyYoast account is needed; the paid Yoast SEO Premium plan, US$118.80 a year excluding VAT, unlocks all Academy courses)
• SEO Course for Beginners (Ahrefs Academy) – Free (course only; no certificate stated)