Updated in 2023
Hi, I’m Polina! Formerly, I worked as a senior digital marketing manager and now I am the marketing mentor at Pathrise. I help job-seekers prepare for their future in digital marketing. Check out my review of SEMrush Academy.
- What does SEMrush Academy do?
- Who is SEMrush Academy for?
- What does SEMrush Academy cost?
- Ratings and reviews of SEMrush Academy
- Alternatives to SEMrush Academy
- How does SEMrush Academy compare to Pathrise?
What does SEMrush Academy do?
From the creators of the well known marketing tool, SEMrush Academy offers free online digital marketing courses and certifications. Their courses take 1-5 hours to complete. Users can learn about topics such as search engine optimization (SEO) fundamentals, mobile SEO, keyword search, backlink management, the SEMrush SEO toolkit, and more.
Courses are divided into small, easy-to-digest modules so that students can focus on one skill at a time. Plus, students can pick and choose which courses to take, so they can develop the skills that are necessary to their work. They participate in video lessons, readings, and quizzes to learn the material. Then, after completing a course, students can take a multiple-choice certification exam. Upon passing, they earn a certificate, which they can add to their LinkedIn profile and marketing portfolio. However, if they have previous knowledge in a topic, students can skip the course and take the exam to prove their mastery.
Who is SEMrush Academy for?
People who are new to digital marketing would benefit from the fundamentals courses offered by SEMrush Academy. In addition, if you are currently in the industry already, the more specific and advanced courses can help you keep up with the latest trends and tools.
What does SEMrush Academy cost? How much work is involved?
The courses are free. To register, students must create an online profile with their email address.
Ratings and reviews
While there are not too many reviews online, people generally praise SEMrush Academy as a resource for advancing SEO skills. Mobidea Academy included them in their list of best SEO training courses for 2020.
A G2 reviewer reported that it is “a great help” for those learning “how to use SEMrush to conduct keyword searches, competitor analysis, domain analytics, and more”. A manager at the digital marketing agency Exposure Ninja said that she uses the program to train her new employees. She noted, “SEMrush Academy is one of the best courses available. At a minimum, I put all of my new Content Marketing Ninjas through the SEO fundamentals courses with Greg Gifford.”
However, another reviewer was disappointed with the quality of the videos and the structure of the curriculum. They noted, “I honestly think the videos are a bit boring and mostly just a person sitting talking. There are once in a while a few examples showed in the videos, but I personally found it a better and faster way to learn to just read the text instead.” The reviewer felt that it was a useful tool for “keeping my knowledge updated”. But, they were disappointed that “the courses are not hands-on at all.”
Alternatives to SEMrush Academy
If you decide not to enroll in SEMrush Academy, there are a fair number of alternative bootcamps and online resources that teach digital marketing.
- Like SEMrush Academy, Skillshare, Facebook Blueprint, and QuickSprout offer free digital marketing courses in similar topics.
- A paid resource, ClickMinded is another option for someone looking to advance their digital marketing skills.
- Similarly, NJIT Digital Skills Bootcamp, Kellogg Executive Education, SDSU Bootcamp, Highway Education, and DeltaV Code School have online courses in digital marketing and other topics.
- Likewise, Loyola University Digital Skills Bootcamp, Jelly Academy, and Copyblogger have marketing courses.
- If you are interested in taking classes through an online learning platform, check out Springboard or Udacity. Both offer courses in marketing and a variety of other topics. Read more about Springboard and Udacity in our reviews.
- edX is one of the largest online learning platforms. They have courses from top universities like Harvard and MIT as well as big tech companies like Microsoft. Learn more about edX in our review.
- Coursera and Simplilearn are additional options to further your knowledge in digital marketing and other topics.
More alternatives
- GrowthX Academy is an online bootcamp with courses in growth marketing, UX design, and sales and business development.
- Similarly, Pluralsight, Pepperdine Graziadio Bootcamps, Bootcamp Digital, Digital Creative Institute, Somerville Academy, and InternStreet offer tracks in digital marketing.
- One of the most well known bootcamps is General Assembly. They offer full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on a variety of topics like software engineering, data science, UX design, digital marketing, product management, and more. Read more about General Assembly in our review.
- You can also check out Noble Desktop, which offers in-person, as well as online, courses in digital marketing.
- Students located in the Bay Area or looking to work in Silicon Valley can check out Tradecraft. This program has tracks in product design, growth marketing, engineering, and sales.
- Likewise, School16 and GreenFig teach marketing, sales, and product management.
How does SEMrush Academy compare to Pathrise?
SEMrush Academy is an online digital marketing resource for aspiring and current digital marketers who are looking to learn the basics and/or further their knowledge on specific topics, such as SEO and SEM. However, students do not receive career coaching or mentorship of any kind.
Pathrise is a full service organization that helps fellows with every component of the job search. Our mentors have years of experience on both sides of the hiring table, which makes them suited to guide job-seekers in workshops and 1-on-1 sessions that focus on resume and LinkedIn optimization, portfolio building, technical and behavioral interviewing, and more.
Keeping up with the latest trends and tools is a crucial component of landing a job as a digital marketer, so fellows in our program can use SEMrush Academy, in addition to our technical workshops, to advance their marketing knowledge.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that works with students and professionals 1-on-1 so they can land their dream job in tech. If you are interested in optimizing your job search by working with a mentor, become a Pathrise fellow.
Apply today.
