Practice & capstones
Free content has no feedback loop. This course does. Each level ends with one honest, one-line gate and a capstone that makes you prove it on a real site — not a toy exercise.
The four gates
Section titled “The four gates”| Level | Gate | Capstone |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Beginner | Rank a page for a real long-tail keyword | Pick a winnable long-tail keyword, optimize one page, get it indexed, track it into the top 20 in Search Console |
| 2 — Intermediate | Run a full audit + a plan that moves a KPI | Audit a real site end-to-end, deliver a prioritized fix list + a topic-cluster content plan + a link plan, then move one KPI |
| 3 — Expert (AEO/GEO) | Make a brand cited by AI answer engines and prove it | Run the 5-part AI-visibility audit, ship the fixes, and demonstrate a new citation in at least one engine with before/after evidence |
| 4 — Commercial | Scope, price and pitch a productized SEO retainer | Build a complete offer: fixed-scope tiers, real pricing, itemized deliverables, a discovery/audit foot-in-the-door, a proposal, and a 90-day onboarding plan |
How the capstones are graded
Section titled “How the capstones are graded”Each capstone workbook (downloaded inside the level) carries a Not-yet / Passing / Strong rubric and a sign-off line. You don’t need “Strong” to move on — Passing the one-line gate is the bar. Strong is what you come back for.
External checkpoints (all free)
Section titled “External checkpoints (all free)”Wired in as milestones, not credentials — there is no respected free vendor-neutral SEO cert, so treat these as motivation:
- After Level 1 — HubSpot SEO Certification (free)
- After Level 2 — Semrush SEO Fundamentals exam + Google Analytics (GA4) certification via Google Skillshop (both free)
Capstone briefs and rubrics are released with each level. Start at Level 0.