Free Youtube Seo course

Finding the “best” YouTube SEO course depends on your learning style, budget, and current skill level. The YouTube algorithm is constantly evolving, so the best courses are from creators who are actively succeeding on the platform and updating their content.

Here is a breakdown of the best YouTube SEO courses, categorized for your convenience.

Table of Contents

🥇 Top Tier: The Gold Standard (Paid & Highly Respected)

These are comprehensive, in-depth, and often updated. They are considered the industry standard for a serious commitment to YouTube.

1. Video Ranking Academy (VRA) by TubeBuddy

Who it’s for: Serious creators, small businesses, and anyone who wants a data-driven, tool-based approach.
Why it’s great: TubeBuddy is one of the top YouTube management browser extensions. Their course is built on a massive amount of data and real-world testing. It covers the entire lifecycle of a video, from idea generation to promoting a published video. It’s structured, methodical, and highly practical.
Key Focus: Keyword research, Thumbnail & Title A/B testing, data analysis, and the “Video SEO Score” framework.

2. YouTube Masterclass by Ali Abdaal

Who it’s for: Aspiring educational creators, YouTubers who want to build a personal brand, and those who appreciate a “productivity” focused approach.
Why it’s great: Ali is a former doctor who grew a massive channel by being systematic. His course is less about “hacks” and more about building a sustainable, efficient system for creating high-ranking content. He focuses heavily on the philosophy of providing value and the practicalities of his workflow.
Key Focus: Idea generation, scripting, batching, editing workflows, and his famous “How to Script a Video in 1 Hour” framework.

3. The Part-Time YouTuber Academy by Noah Kagan

Who it’s for: Entrepreneurs, freelancers, and people who want to use YouTube to grow a business, not just a channel.
Why it’s great: Noah Kagan (AppSumo) brings a strong business and marketing angle. The course is about leveraging YouTube as a powerful marketing channel. It’s less about the minute details of the algorithm and more about creating content that drives business results.
Key Focus: Business case for YouTube, launching a channel, content strategy for lead generation, and repurposing content.

🥈 Excellent & Free Resources (Start Here!)

You do not need to pay for a course to get started. The best free information is often scattered, but these sources are incredibly valuable.

1. YouTube Creator Academy (by YouTube Itself)

The Source: This is the official, straight-from-the-horse’s-mouth resource. It’s 100% free and hosted on the YouTube platform.
Why it’s essential: While it can be a bit “corporate,” it defines the core principles that the algorithm is built on: Audience Satisfaction. It covers the fundamentals of discoverability, channel growth, and community building. You should complete this before paying for any course.
Find it: Go to your YouTube Studio > click “Learn” in the left-hand menu.

2. Free Content from Successful Creators

Many top creators give away their best strategies for free on their own channels. Watch their content extensively before considering their paid courses.

Channel: Think Media
- Focus: Practical, fast-paced advice on gear, editing, and SEO. They are masters at creating clickable thumbnails and titles.
- Search for: “YouTube SEO 2024”, “How to Get More Views”, “Thumbnail Design Tutorial”.
Channel: Video Influencers
- Focus: Strategy, mindset, and deep-dives into the algorithm. Sean Cannell and his guests provide excellent, holistic advice.
- Search for: “YouTube Algorithm Explained”, “How the YouTube Algorithm Works in 2024”.
Channel: Nick Nimmin
- Focus: Short, specific, and highly actionable tips. He’s excellent at breaking down complex YouTube concepts into simple steps.
- Search for: “YouTube Tips”, “How to [specific task] in YouTube Studio”.
Channel: MrBeast (and his team)
- Focus: While he doesn’t have a “course,” his interviews on podcasts and his own videos are a masterclass in understanding modern YouTube. Listen to his philosophy on thumbnails, ideas, and going viral.

🤔 What to Look For in ANY YouTube SEO Course

No matter which path you choose, a quality course should cover these core pillars of YouTube SEO:

Keyword & Topic Research: How to find what your audience is actually searching for. (e.g., using Google Trends, YouTube Search Suggest, TubeBuddy, vidIQ).
The Click-Through Rate (CTR) Engine:
- Thumbnail Psychology: How to design thumbnails that stop the scroll.
- Title Crafting: How to write compelling titles that work with your thumbnail.
The Audience Retention Engine:
- Hook & Scripting: How to structure your video to keep people watching.
- Editing Pace: Techniques to maintain viewer interest.
YouTube’s “BEST” Framework: How to create content that is…
- Believable (Trustworthy)
- Entertaining (Engaging)
- Surveyable (Easy to watch)
- Targeted (Meets a specific viewer’s need)
Post-Upload Optimization: How to write descriptions, use tags effectively, create end screens, and use playlists.
Analytics (YouTube Studio): How to read your data to understand what’s working and what isn’t (especially Audience Retention and Traffic Source reports).

⚠️ Final Recommendation & Warning

Start Free: Begin with the YouTube Creator Academy and binge-watch the free content from Think Media and Video Influencers. This will give you a solid 80% of the knowledge you need.
Invest When Stuck: If you’ve implemented the free advice for 3-6 months and hit a plateau, then consider a paid course like Video Ranking Academy or Ali Abdaal’s Masterclass to get that expert-level, structured push.
Avoid “Get Rich Quick” Schemes: Any course that promises “1,000,000 views overnight” or a “secret algorithm loophole” is a scam. YouTube success is a marathon, built on providing genuine value to a specific audience.