SEO Visibility, Keyword Research, and Auditing
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SEO Visibility, Keyword Research, and Auditing
This course is part of AI SEO & GEO: Boost Your Brand's AI Visibility Professional Certificate
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What you'll learn
Measure SEO visibility using core metrics and performance indicators
Conduct keyword research to identify high-value and competitive opportunities.
Audit technical and competitive SEO gaps using industry tools.
Track brand mentions and visibility trends over time.
Skills you'll gain
Tools you'll learn
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February 2026
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There are 9 modules in this course
By completing this course, you will be able to measure SEO visibility, identify high-value keyword opportunities, audit technical and competitive gaps, and track brand visibility across search and AI-driven discovery channels.
SEO Visibility, Keyword Research, and Auditing introduces the foundational concepts, metrics, and tools used to understand how brands are discovered online. You’ll learn how SEO visibility is defined and measured, how keywords are evaluated for volume and competition, and how audits reveal issues that limit search performance. The course emphasizes practical application. You’ll use keyword research and planning tools to forecast traffic and cost, analyze competitor keyword data to uncover content gaps, and apply SEO auditing techniques to identify technical issues affecting crawlability and rankings. You’ll also explore brand monitoring methods to track mentions and visibility trends over time. What makes this course unique is its role as the foundation for AI-driven SEO and marketing work. The skills you build here support later courses focused on generative AI content, campaign optimization, analytics, and performance measurement. This course is ideal for learners who want a clear, structured starting point for modern SEO.
You will explore the core SEO metrics that determine how visibility is measured across search engines. You’ll examine impressions, clicks, CTR, and bounce rate to understand how each metric reflects performance and audience engagement.
What's included
3 videos1 reading2 assignments
3 videos•Total 11 minutes
- Welcome to Boost Your Brand’s SEO Visibility•3 minutes
- Overview of SEO Concepts - Refresh Your Knowledge•6 minutes
- Key SEO Metrics Explained•2 minutes
1 reading•Total 8 minutes
- SEO Metrics Glossary with Examples•8 minutes
2 assignments•Total 17 minutes
- Hands on Activity: Build Your SEO Metrics Glossary•12 minutes
- Match SEO Metrics to Definitions•5 minutes
You will apply keyword research tools to identify high-value keywords based on search volume and competition. You’ll organize findings into structured formats to support product page and campaign planning decisions.
What's included
4 videos1 reading2 assignments
4 videos•Total 15 minutes
- Introduction to Keyword Research Tools•2 minutes
- Using Google Keyword Planner to Find New Keywords•7 minutes
- Deep Dive on Keyword Research•3 minutes
- Example of the Power of Keyword Planning•3 minutes
1 reading•Total 7 minutes
- How to Evaluate Keywords: Volume, Competition, and Relevance•7 minutes
2 assignments•Total 25 minutes
- Hands on Activity: How to research and create KW Lists Using Google Keyword Planner•15 minutes
- Identifying High-Value Keywords•10 minutes
You will analyze competitor keyword data to uncover content gaps and opportunity areas. You’ll interpret Keyword Gap results to identify keywords your competitors rank for that your brand does not.
What's included
3 videos1 reading2 assignments
3 videos•Total 8 minutes
- Turning Competitor Insights into SEO Strategy•2 minutes
- How to Use Keyword Gap Analysis for Competitive Opportunities•2 minutes
- Analyzing Competitor Keywords•4 minutes
1 reading•Total 6 minutes
- Interpreting Keyword Gap Reports: A Beginner’s Guide•6 minutes
2 assignments•Total 40 minutes
- Final Quiz: Plan, Evaluate, and Learn in Practice•20 minutes
- Hands on Activity: Creating a Competitive Keyword Gap Analysis•20 minutes
You will explore the process of discovering relevant keywords using filters such as location and language. You’ll examine how search intent types—informational, navigational, and transactional—connect to campaign objectives.
What's included
3 videos1 reading1 assignment
3 videos•Total 8 minutes
- Welcome to Discovering Keywords•2 minutes
- Keyword Discovery Steps•4 minutes
- Case Example — Using Filters to Refine Keyword Lists•3 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Filters That Shape Results•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 20 minutes
- Hands on Activity: Annotate Keyword Discovery•20 minutes
You will apply keyword planning tools to forecast impressions, CTR, CPC, and cost estimates. You’ll compare forecasting outputs to evaluate potential return on investment and campaign feasibility.
What's included
3 videos1 reading2 assignments
3 videos•Total 11 minutes
- Forecasting Traffic & Costs •3 minutes
- Create a Campaign Forecast•4 minutes
- From FAQs to Forecasts•4 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Forecasts and Budgeting Essentials in 2025•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 50 minutes
- Final Quiz: Plan, Evaluate, and Learn in Practice•25 minutes
- Hands on Activity: Creating a Keyword Forecast Plan•25 minutes
You will explore how SEMrush’s Keyword Gap and Backlink Gap reports provide different competitive insights. You’ll interpret the data from each report to determine when and how they should be used.
What's included
3 videos1 reading1 assignment
3 videos•Total 7 minutes
- Meet Your Course Guide•2 minutes
- Walkthrough of SEMrush Keyword Gap & Backlink Gap tools•3 minutes
- Case Example — Choosing the Right Report for a Scenario•1 minute
1 reading•Total 8 minutes
- Keyword Gaps vs. Backlink Gaps — Definitions and Use Cases•8 minutes
1 assignment•Total 25 minutes
- Hands on Activity: Run and Interpret Keyword vs. Backlink Gap Reports•25 minutes
You will use a site audit tool to detect technical SEO issues that impact crawlability, visibility, and user experience. You’ll document findings and connect technical fixes to performance improvement.
What's included
3 videos1 reading2 assignments
3 videos•Total 7 minutes
- Running and Interpreting a Site Audit•2 minutes
- How a Site Audit Works — Crawl, Errors, and Warnings•2 minutes
- Case Example - Logging Audit Issues for Developer Follow-Up •3 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Common SEO Technical Issues Explained•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 50 minutes
- Audit SEO Gaps with SEMrush Reports•20 minutes
- Hands on Activity: Run a Site Audit and Log Critical Issues•30 minutes
You will examine key metrics such as impressions, mentions, and share of voice to understand how brand awareness grows over time. You’ll interpret how these metrics connect to marketing performance.
What's included
3 videos2 readings2 assignments
3 videos•Total 6 minutes
- Introduction and Welcome•2 minutes
- Key Brand Awareness Metrics Explained•3 minutes
- Case Example — Turning Metrics into a Training Slide•1 minute
2 readings•Total 14 minutes
- Understanding Brand Awareness Metrics•4 minutes
- Key Brand Awareness Metrics You Need to Measure•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 22 minutes
- Hands on Activity: Create an Onboarding Slide for Brand Awareness Metrics•15 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Brand Awareness Metrics•7 minutes
You will apply web monitoring tools to track brand mentions and organize insights into clear reports. You’ll set up alerts and evaluate monitoring data to support awareness and campaign decisions.
What's included
2 videos1 reading3 assignments
2 videos•Total 10 minutes
- How Web Monitoring Tools Track Mentions•4 minutes
- Case Example — Setting Up a Google Alert and Organizing Results•6 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Web Monitoring Tools Compared (Google Alerts, Mention, Brandwatch)•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 50 minutes
- Test Your Understanding•20 minutes
- Hands on Activity: Setup and Organize Google Alerts•20 minutes
- Tracking Brand Mentions •10 minutes
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Frequently asked questions
Yes. This course is designed for beginners and starts with foundational concepts. No prior SEO or analytics experience is required.
You’ll work with keyword research, planning, auditing, and monitoring tools, including platforms used for keyword forecasting, site audits, and brand mention tracking.
This course is the foundation for the entire program. It introduces the core SEO concepts and metrics needed for AI-driven content creation, strategy, analytics, and performance measurement in later courses.
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Financial aid available,
¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.
