--- title: "Off-Page SEO & Link Building — free course with certificate" description: "Earn links and mentions that last: spam policies, digital PR, outreach, AI-assisted workflows and honest measurement" url: https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building updated: 2026-10-05 --- SEO · Intermediate · 406 minutes · free · updated Sep 2026 # Off-Page SEO & Link Building Earn links and mentions that last: spam policies, digital PR, outreach, AI-assisted workflows and honest measurement - **Lessons:** 17 in 7 modules - **Video lectures:** 17 lectures, 146 minutes - **Updated:** Sep 2026 ## Tools you'll use - Google Search Console - Search Console API - Ahrefs - Semrush - Moz - Majestic - Screaming Frog - Google Sheets - Python - pandas - GA4 - Wayback Machine - Google Alerts - Claude API [Start the course](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/how-links-and-authority-work) ## About this course Links still help search engines discover, understand and trust websites — and in 2026 earned references also shape how AI Overviews, AI Mode and answer engines describe brands. The shortcuts that once worked now waste budgets and put clients at risk. This course teaches link building the professional way. You will learn how links and authority work (without made-up metrics), how links and mentions feed AI search, and exactly what Google's spam policies say about link spam, site reputation abuse, expired domain abuse and manipulating AI answers. You will build a link audit sheet with formulas and Python, decide when disavow is appropriate and write a credible reconsideration request. Then you get practical: linkable assets and original research, broken-link building, resource pages, unlinked mentions, expert commentary, digital PR campaigns, compliant personalised outreach, AI-assisted prospecting with human QA, relationship systems, measurement with the Search Console API, competitor link gaps and a 90-day plan. Examples span the UK, US, UAE, KSA and Pakistan. ## What you will learn - Explain how links and earned mentions influence classic rankings and AI search visibility without relying on vendor metrics - Apply Google's link spam, site reputation, expired domain and AI-manipulation policies to real scenarios - Audit a backlink profile with spreadsheets and Python, and decide when disavow and reconsideration are warranted - Plan and run white-hat tactics: linkable assets, broken links, resource pages, mentions, expert commentary and digital PR - Write compliant, personalised outreach and use AI tools for research and drafting with human quality control - Measure campaigns by quality and business outcomes using Search Console, GA4 and control groups - Turn competitor link gaps into a prioritised 90-day plan with owners and directional KPIs ## Course content ### How links and authority work A clear, hype-free model of why links matter, what makes one link worth more than another, and how to judge opportunities. - [How links and authority work](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/how-links-and-authority-work): 13 min - [Evaluating link opportunities: a quality checklist](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/evaluating-link-opportunities): 12 min - [Links, mentions and AI search visibility](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/links-mentions-and-ai-search): 12 min ### Spam policies, penalties and disavow Know exactly what Google treats as link spam, how link attributes work, and when (rarely) to disavow. - [Google's link spam policies and link attributes](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/google-link-spam-policies-and-attributes): 14 min - [Manual actions, disavow and recovery](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/manual-actions-disavow-and-recovery): 12 min - [Hands-on: link audit spreadsheets, formulas and Python](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/link-audit-spreadsheets-and-formulas): 14 min ### White-hat link-earning tactics Practical, policy-compliant ways to earn links: linkable assets, broken-link building, resource pages, unlinked mentions, expert commentary, partnerships and podcasts. - [Linkable assets and data-driven content](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/linkable-assets-and-data-driven-content): 13 min - [Broken-link building, resource pages and unlinked mentions](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/broken-links-resource-pages-unlinked-mentions): 13 min - [Expert commentary, partnerships and podcasts](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/expert-commentary-partnerships-podcasts): 12 min ### Prospecting and outreach that earns replies Build qualified prospect lists, write personalised outreach that respects recipients and the law, and follow up without being a nuisance. - [Prospecting and qualifying at scale](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/prospecting-and-qualifying): 12 min - [Outreach emails that get replies](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/outreach-emails-that-get-replies): 13 min ### Digital PR and AI-assisted link workflows Run newsworthy digital PR that earns links and mentions, and use AI tools to speed up research and personalisation without losing quality or breaking rules. - [Digital PR campaigns that earn links and mentions](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/digital-pr-campaigns-for-links): 13 min - [AI-assisted link-building workflows with human QA](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/ai-assisted-link-building-workflows): 14 min ### Relationships and measuring link campaigns Turn one-off wins into lasting relationships and measure link building by business outcomes, not vanity metrics. - [Building relationships that compound](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/building-relationships-that-compound): 11 min - [Measuring link campaigns](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/measuring-link-campaigns): 12 min ### Competitor backlink analysis and planning Reverse-engineer how competitors earned their links and turn gaps into a realistic 90-day plan. - [Competitor backlink analysis](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/competitor-backlink-analysis): 13 min - [Building a 90-day link plan](https://optimizeall.com/learn/off-page-seo-and-link-building/building-a-90-day-link-plan): 12 min ## Certificate: Certified Link Building Strategist The holder can evaluate link and mention quality, apply Google's link spam, site reputation and AI-manipulation policies, audit backlink profiles with spreadsheets and Python, decide when disavow is appropriate, run digital PR and compliant outreach with AI-assisted research under human QA, and measure campaigns by business outcomes. - **Final assessment:** 30 questions, 45 minutes - **Passing score:** 80%