# How AugmentedSEO compares AI SEO courses

> AugmentedSEO compares AI SEO courses using the same structured record for every course, a verification date for the facts in that record, and a published scoring model. The AugmentedSEO AI SEO Course Finder uses this methodology to match courses to six answers.

- Canonical page: https://augmentedseo.com/methodology
- Course dataset: https://augmentedseo.com/ai-seo-courses.md
- Scoring weights last changed: 2026-09-17
- Courses tracked: 15

## What is recorded for every course

- **Experience level:** lowest and highest level taught (beginner, intermediate, advanced).
- **Topic coverage:** AI SEO, GEO, general SEO, technical SEO, link building, content SEO, programmatic SEO, local SEO, affiliate SEO and agency growth, each on a 0–5 scale.
- **Format:** self-paced, live, templates or SOPs, hands-on implementation.
- **Community:** none, limited, cohort only, forum or active community.
- **Update model:** continuous, periodic, per cohort, or static.
- **Price:** as published by the provider, in the provider's currency. Unpublished prices are recorded as unknown.
- **Operating models:** client or brand, affiliate, lead generation, local, SaaS or ecommerce, aggressive or experimental.
- **Verification:** the date a person last checked the facts, and the source type.

## The 0–5 topic coverage scale

0. Not covered.
1. Mentioned without dedicated material.
2. One module or lesson.
3. Substantial coverage across several modules.
4. A major focus of the course.
5. The core specialty of the course.

## How recommendations are scored

Every active course is scored on the server; the same answers always produce the same ranking.

| Factor | Weight | Measures |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Objective | 30 | Coverage of the chosen goal on the 0–5 scale (AI SEO / GEO needs both). |
| Experience | 20 | Whether your level is inside the course's level range. |
| Learning style | 15 | Whether the course is delivered the way you learn. |
| Freshness | 15 | How well the update model meets your need for current material. |
| Operating model | 10 | Whether the course is written for the kind of SEO you do. |
| Budget | 10 | Whether first-year cost is inside your budget band. |

1. Each factor gets a fit from 0 to 1, multiplied by its weight.
2. If continuously updated training is critical, freshness counts 1.5× and non-continuous courses lose half their freshness fit.
3. The weighted total becomes a percentage of the weight in play, so no match exceeds 100%.
4. Penalties are subtracted:
   - Experience level incompatible (two levels away): −20
   - Substantially over budget (two or more bands above): −20
   - Paid course for a free budget: −25
   - Facts last verified more than 180 days ago: −10
5. Courses scoring at least 55% are eligible; the top 3 are shown. If none qualify, no courses are shown.

Unknown prices are labelled but not penalised. Missing attributes are never assumed to be positive.

## Budget bands

Bands compare first-year cost in US dollars: monthly prices count twelve times, annual and one-off prices once. Other currencies are converted at approximate rates, reviewed by hand, for banding only. Bands: free, under $100, $100–$500, $500+.

## How often data is updated

Facts are rechecked against sources at least every 90 days. The last-verified date is never updated automatically.

- After 60 days: flagged internally for review.
- After 90 days: shown publicly as stale.
- After 180 days: also penalised in recommendations.

## Independence

AugmentedSEO takes no affiliate commission on any course it lists. Outbound links go to the provider's own page with no tracking parameters. No course can buy a listing, a position in the results or a place in the directory. If that ever changes, paid links will be labelled and this page will say so first. Overall Best 2026 is an editorial award outside the algorithm; the winning course is scored like every other course. Any future sponsored placement will be labelled and kept separate.

## What AugmentedSEO does not do

- Publish scores out of ten, star ratings, invented reviews or usage statistics.
- Require an email address for recommendations.
- Store finder answers.