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On-Page SEO and AI Search Essentials with Semrush

You've researched keywords and AI prompts—now put them to work on your website. Learn Semrush's most powerful on-page SEO and AI optimization techniques through hands-on work with meta tags, content structure, and internal linking that boosts visibility in both search engines and AI platforms.

Who is this сourse for?

Website owners and marketers who've completed keyword research and need to optimize their pages for search engines and AI. Perfect if you can edit meta titles, descriptions, and alt text. Great for both updating existing content and creating new pages.

What you’ll learn

Master meta tags, content optimization, and internal linking using Semrush's Site Audit and On-Page SEO Checker. Create pillar pages, optimize images, avoid keyword cannibalization, and structure content so AI platforms can easily process and cite it.

Earn Your Certificate from Semrush Academy

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Alex Lindley

With more than a decade of experience as a managing editor, Alex has led content and SEO teams at startups, established enterprises, digital marketing agencies, and print publications. His SEO strategy work has earned clients top rankings for competitive keywords across verticals like SaaS, programmatic advertising, legal services, ecommerce, and more. He‘s also a niche site tinkerer and AI enthusiast.

Rita Cidre

Rita Cidre is a marketing leader, instructor, and storyteller with 15 years of experience working at the intersection of marketing and content. Rita has held growth marketing leadership roles at Zillow Group, Time Inc., and National Public Radio (NPR). Currently, as the Head of Academy at Semrush, she builds innovative educational programs and courses designed to empower digital marketers around the globe.

Course Structure

Strategy: Course Intro

Meet Rita, your guide through the most powerful on-page SEO practices. Learn what to expect and download the course worksheet that will help you implement real improvements to your site as we optimize the Good Dog Shirts website together.

1 video

3 minutes

Strategy: What is On-Page SEO and Why Should You Сare?

Discover why on-page SEO is about making your website speak two languages fluently: human and algorithm. See real examples of what makes content valuable to both users and search engines, and why great user experience equals better rankings.

1 video

3 minutes

Walkthrough: On-Page SEO Tools Tour in Semrush

Get your first look at Semrush's on-page SEO tools and see how they guide you through each step of optimization. This quick tour shows you the powerful features that will help prime your pages for search success.

1 video

3 minutes

Strategy: Key Back-End Elements for On-Page SEO

Master the HTML tags that matter most to search engines without needing programming skills. Learn to optimize title tags, meta descriptions, and URL slugs—the foundation elements that help crawlers understand and index your content properly.

1 video

5 minutes

Walkthrough: Finding Pages to Update Using Semrush

Learn how to prioritize the right pages for on-page SEO updates using Semrush. This walkthrough shows you three smart ways to identify high-impact pages—starting with Site Audit insights, focusing on H1 and image issues, and then using Position Tracking to target keywords your site is already ranking for.

1 video

4 minutes

Walkthrough: Understanding Which Pages Rank for Your Target Keywords

See how to turn keyword insights into action by creating a competitive page structure. In this example, we identify “dog sweater” as a high-potential keyword cluster and build a collections page to match what’s ranking—setting the stage for stronger SEO performance.

1 video

4 minutes

Walkthrough: Writing and Implementing Meta Titles, Descriptions and H1

Put theory into practice as we create compelling title tags and meta descriptions that include target keywords. Follow along with real examples and learn to balance search optimization with user appeal.

1 video

13 minutes

Strategy: What Makes Good Content?

Understand Google's "Helpful Content Update" and discover how to create content that resonates with both humans and algorithms. Learn to match search intent, strategically place keywords naturally, and build content that establishes expertise and trust.

1 video

5 minutes

Walkthrough: Optimizing Your Content for SEO

Use Semrush's On-Page SEO Checker to identify and fix content issues holding your site back. See step-by-step how to analyze existing pages and implement recommendations that boost your search visibility.

1 video

10 minutes

Strategy: What is Google E-E-A-T?

Learn what Google’s E-E-A-T really means and how to apply it to your content strategy. This video breaks down Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, and shows how to improve each one using real-world examples and three Semrush tools you can start using right away.

1 video

10 minutes

Walkthrough: Create New Content and Briefs with the Content Toolkit

Discover how to generate fresh content ideas and create new pages using Semrush's Content Shake tool. Learn to build content that targets valuable keywords while delivering genuine value to your audience.

1 video

5 minutes

Strategy: Pillar Pages/Clustering

Transform your optimized pages into a powerful content ecosystem. Learn to build pillar pages that establish topical authority, create strategic internal linking structures, and avoid keyword cannibalization through smart content organization.

1 video

4 minutes

Expert: Pillar-Cluster Model

Learn how Semrush’s SEO expert Alex Lindley uses internal linking and topic clusters to organize massive content libraries and build topical authority. Find out why the pillar-cluster model still matters—even in the age of AI search—and how you can apply it to your own site.

1 video

7 minutes

Expert: Generative Engine Optimization

Hear how SEO expert Alex Lindley is adapting to the AI era with smarter content structure, NLP-friendly writing, and fresh editorial opportunities driven by changing search behavior. Get three practical insights you can apply to your own generative engine optimization strategy.

1 video

4 minutes

Strategy: Optimizing Images

Unlock the SEO potential of your visual content through proper image optimization. Learn to rename files strategically, write effective alt text, and help search engines understand your images to capture traffic from image search.

1 video

4 minutes

Walkthrough: Identifying and Fixing Issues with Image Alt Text

Master the art of writing descriptive, keyword-rich alt text that serves both accessibility and SEO. See real examples of effective image optimization and learn to implement changes across your site.

1 video

4 minutes

Walkthrough: How to Find Broken Internal Links with Semrush

Learn how to quickly find and fix broken internal links using Semrush’s Site Audit tool. In this short walkthrough, you'll see exactly where to spot link issues that could hurt your SEO—and how to resolve them fast.

1 video

2 minutes

Strategy: Avoiding Duplicate Content

Stop keyword cannibalization before it hurts your rankings. Understand why multiple pages targeting the same keywords work against each other, and discover strategies to consolidate content and create clear topical authority.

1 video

3 minutes

Walkthrough: On-Page SEO Checker

Wrap up your learning with a powerful shortcut: the Semrush On-Page SEO Checker. This tool scans your pages and instantly delivers optimization ideas—from content tweaks to backlink tips—so you can take action fast and improve your site’s performance with confidence.

1 video

4 minutes

Strategy: Make Your Content Easy for AI to Understand

Transform your content into LLM gold. Learn AI-preferred formats like tables, Q&As, and step-by-step guides. Master content chunking, header hierarchy, and the pillar/cluster model to maximize your chances of becoming a trusted AI source.

1 video

5 minutes

Expert: Examples of LLM Optimized Content

Leigh McKenzie showcases real examples of content that consistently appears in LLM responses, breaking down the specific elements that AI systems like.

1 video

8 minutes

Strategy: Congratulations and Next Steps

You've mastered on-page SEO essentials! Review your journey from keyword research to optimized content, discover your next steps in SEO mastery, and learn about advanced courses that will take your skills even further.

1 video

1 minute

Would You Recommend This Course?

One last thing! If you enjoyed this course (or even if you didn't, we won't take it personally), please give us some feedback so we can keep making even better free content in the future!

1 video

1 minute

Optimize your pages today

Download our course worksheet and follow along as we optimize your website for both search engines and AI platforms using real Semrush tools and tactics.