Free SEO course
First 1K: your new site’s first 1,000 visitors.
Short video lessons on what to do first with a new site, from Search Console to your first AI mention. Each one shows how to do it yourself, with free tools where they help.
12 lessons85 minutesFree, no account
Lesson 1 of 12
Connect Search Console, Bing and analytics
Your progress0 of 12 done
The plan, in 4 parts.
Set up in the first week, publish over the next three, get known a little every week, then keep going.
Part 1
Set up
Week 1
1.Connect Search Console, Bing and analyticsDone · 6 min
So Google and Bing know every page exists, and you can count your way to 1,000.
2.Fix the basics, and check Google can read youDone · 8 min
Titles, descriptions, headings and schema on every page, and proof that the pages are indexed.
Free tool: On-page SEO audit3.Check whether AI can find youDone · 7 min
Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini the questions your buyers ask, and make sure they describe you correctly.
CitedSEO does this for youFree tool: AI visibility audit
Part 2
Publish
Weeks 2 to 4
4.Find the keywords a new site can winDone · 8 min
Questions with real searches and weak results, instead of terms the big sites own.
CitedSEO does this for youFree tool: Question keywords5.Write your first five articlesDone · 9 min
Answer first, then the detail. The shape that ranks and gets quoted by AI.
CitedSEO does this for you6.Write the pages buyers search forDone · 7 min
“Alternatives”, “vs” and “best for” pages. Fewer searches, but from people ready to choose.
CitedSEO does this for you7.Link your pages togetherDone · 5 min
Every new article linked from older ones, so nothing is left orphaned.
CitedSEO does this for you
Part 3
Get known
Every week
8.List your site where buyers lookDone · 6 min
Directories and marketplaces that suit your product, the ones with followed links first, so a new domain starts building authority.
RankPlan: a free directory plan for your site9.Answer where people already askDone · 7 min
Reddit and forum threads already rank for your searches, and AI assistants quote them. A useful answer there works from day one.
10.Earn your first links and mentionsDone · 8 min
The “best of” lists that name your competitors but not you, and the writers looking for someone to quote.
Part 4
Keep going
Month 2 onwards
11.Read your Search Console, then act on itDone · 8 min
The searches you almost rank for, and the pages people see but don’t click. The quickest wins you have.
CitedSEO does this for youFree tool: Meta title generator12.Keep a rhythmDone · 6 min
Five articles is a start. A steady pace, and looking after what you’ve published, is what gets you to 1,000.
CitedSEO does this for youFree tool: Keyword clusters
Optional
Go further
When you have time
Build a free tool
A small calculator or checker gets shared and linked to far more than an article.
Publish your own numbers
One page of original data is what writers and AI assistants cite, often for years.
Plan a launch day
Product Hunt, Show HN, Indie Hackers or BetaList: a burst of visitors, and links that stay.
Borrow bigger sites
Repost articles on LinkedIn or Medium with a link back, and record a short video for YouTube.
Use other people’s audiences
Small podcasts and newsletters say yes more easily than you’d think.
The milestones along the way.
1,000 visitors takes a while. These come first, and each one means the plan is working.
First page indexed
Google has found you.
First 100 impressions
You’re showing up in results.
First click
Someone chose you.
First AI mention
An assistant named your site.
1,000 visitors
The milestone the course is named for.
FAQ
Course questions
What it covers, and what it doesn’t. Anything else, just ask.
Still have a question?
Email us or book a quick call. Most replies land within a few hours.
Get in touchIs it really free?
Yes. Every lesson is free to watch, with no account and no card.
Do I need CitedSEO to follow it?
No. Every lesson shows how to do the step yourself, and the free tools cover a lot of it. CitedSEO can do the writing, publishing and tracking steps for you if you’d rather not, and each of those lessons says so.
Will I get 1,000 visitors?
It’s a plan, not a promise. How fast you get there depends on your niche, your competition and how much you publish. The smaller milestones, like your first AI mention, often come much sooner.
Who is it for?
Anyone with a new or quiet site: founders, bloggers, small stores and freelancers. No SEO background needed.
How long does it take?
About 85 minutes of video across 12 lessons. The work itself is spread over the first month, then a little every week.
How do I keep track?
Mark each lesson as done when you’ve finished it. Your progress is saved in this browser, so there’s nothing to sign up for.
Your next page-one ranking is already in your data.
Connect Search Console, pick your first fixes, and watch the first one ship tonight.
Sign-ups open soon. You’ll get an email when your spot opens.