Stupid Simple SEO Review + FREE Ballistic Backlinks Course

Last Updated on October 23, 2022 by Chris Panteli

Stupid Simple SEO Review

Blogging can be overwhelming, exhausting, and frustrating. I don’t say this to put you off, or to discourage you from continuing to build your online business. I say this because it’s true. And one of the best ways to filter out the noise when it comes to learning what’s needed to succeed in this competitive industry is education – and selecting a blogging course that can move the needle!

But not all education is created equally. In fact, there is a lot of crap out there that is either wrong or worst, so inaccurate it could get you into trouble! So how do you know what SEO tips and tricks are worth the money? You may have come across Stupid Simple SEO in your research for quality blogging-related education.

This review will deeply dive into what SSSEO is, how it can help you as a new or experienced blogger, and whether or not it’s worth your investment to finally see your blog traffic explode.

I will also produce an updated case study for this blog post and track its rankings within Google, the traffic it generates, affiliate conversions, and general performance over time. As this is an SEO course, I thought there could be no better proof to validate the quality of the course education than a ‘review post’ for the course itself – and to witness first-hand the implementation of the SEO basics alongside more advanced techniques.

So make sure you keep reading to see how my experiment progresses. And if you discovered this article as the number 1 result on Google (clearly an SEO success), forget reading the rest of the post, and buy Stupid Simple SEO now (just kidding, keep reading).

Full Review Outline:

This review covers some important aspects related to Mike Pearson’s Stupid Simple SEO course, including:

SSSEO Video Summary

Prefer video? Then check out the full Stupid Simple SEO review on YouTube:

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. And, contrary to what a lot of so-called ‘experts’ will tell you, it is by no means an exact science.

SEO is essentially the process of optimizing a website to perform well within any given search engine. And while there are a number of search engines available (Ask Jeeves is still around, I checked, but it goes by the name Ask now) most people will be optimizing for Google.

Incredibly, Google has 92.26% of the worldwide search engine market share.

And so if you want your blog or website to get found on the world’s largest search engine, you’ll need to make Google fall in love with you. And when it does, you can expect to receive hundreds and thousands of free visitors.

Unlike traffic from social networks or Pinterest traffic, organic search traffic is often a lot more targeted and easier to convert. After all, users are actively searching for the amazing content you produce. And when they find it, they will click your affiliate links, buy your products and share your posts.

So why is SEO not an exact science?

Well, Google keeps its algorithm pretty close to its chest. After all, that’s the secret sauce. And so learning how to optimize for it relies on experience and knowledge shared by others.

Google has gone on the record in confirming a number of important ‘ranking factors’. So learning what these are, along with key SEO standards and best practices will get you halfway there.

But to dominate the search engines and land page 1 ranking’ for your website, you’ll need a proven blueprint to implement a strategy and stay ahead of the competition.

Why Is SEO Important?

A recent study from Ahrefs found that from over 1 billion analyzed web pages, over 90% received no organic search traffic from Google.

That means an astonishing amount of content produced and published on the web is simply not found at all on Google. In fact, the vast majority of what’s published will never be discovered using the world’s most popular search engine.

The study also reveals the main reasons for this being the case, and these include:

• The page has no backlinks
• The topic of the page does not have long-term traffic potential
• The page doesn’t match with the users’ search intent
• The page is not indexed

Correctly implementing SEO aims to address these issues and boost the chances of your page not only getting onto the Google index but rising through the ranks to a meaningful position on page 1.

The study from Backlinko of 874,929 pages and over 5 million search queries found a substantial difference in the number of click-throughs a top-ranking post receives.

As you can see from the chart above, the number of clicks reduces dramatically the further away from position 1 a post ranks. The study also showed that only 0.78% of Google searchers clicked on a post from the second page!

So it’s not just important to get found by Google, you also need to ensure your SEO efforts have made your content worthy of a high position on the first page. Then, and only then, will you be able to harness the power of free organic search traffic to your blog!

And that is exactly what Mike Pearson’s flagship course, Stupid Simple SEO purposes to do.

It’s also the reason for the existence of the meme “The best place to hide a dead body is page 2 of Google search results“.

Stupid SEO Course Creator

Between his two affiliate sites alone (not including his SEO Blog) Mike consistently earns over $20,000 per month through display ads (Mediavine) and affiliate income.

Pretty impressive!

Mike Pearson maintained a full-time job whilst building his niche site empire, but did struggle with SEO and its implementation on his journey to success.

Often, SEO is branded as something akin to ‘rocket science’ in its complexity.

However, after years of following misleading information from SEO ‘experts’, Mike realized it’s actually not that hard. Following a strategic and well-executed framework of SEO, principles are really all you need!

And, the best thing is, he put everything he knows into a truly ‘actionable’ course that over 3,000 bloggers have already gone through.

I must say from a personal point of view, especially when considering the amount of utter garbage that’s out there, Mike is a genuine guy. I’ll often base my purchasing decisions on a new course on a number of factors; fellow blogger friends’ recommendations, online reviews, social proof, etc. But chief among them is the availability to communicate with the course creator.

I find if a course creator is able to answer my pre-course purchasing queries personally, it says a lot about the person and consequently the efficacy of the course itself.

Mike responded to my email a few hours after I sent it!

I purchased the course, and never looked back.

SSSEO Course Content

The Stupid Simple SEO course is thorough, to say the least. Not only does it cover on-page and off-page SEO in tremendous actionable over-the-shoulder detail, but it also comes with bonuses.

One thing I find extremely beneficial about the course is Mikes’s teaching style. He breaks down some quite complex concepts and delivers concise instructions that you can begin to act upon almost immediately.

He also sets clear and realistic expectations about the time frame in which to see SEO results take effect. This is backed up with data-driven case study examples, as well as references to his own site’s analytical data.

Take it from me, this is about as far away from ‘buying some dodgy backlinks off Fiverr’ as you can get. The practical implementation of SEO techniques requires a streamlined approach that covers a multitude of factors. And Mike has broken this down into a 4 phase attack that is easy to follow, understand, and replicate.

Dedication, commitment, and consistent application of the teachings will be required in order to realize the full potential of SEO, grow your blog, and maximize your Google referral traffic.

But trust in the principles, and one can expect to harness the power of Google search and eventually make more money with less effort.

Framework

Mike likes to work to a precise framework, and that’s exactly how he’s organized the course. It is divided into 4 main phases, which include:

• Phase 1: Build
• Phase 2: Design
• Phase 3: Create
• Phase 4: Promote

All the fundamentals of good actionable SEO practices are covered within these 4 core modules, each of which is subdivided into detailed video tutorials. I reached out to Mike and he has asked me not to publish a full lesson outline (due to copycats), but I will discuss the components of each phase, and how it will help you to succeed with your SEO efforts.

Also, to get a taste of Mikes teaching style, and the quality of his knowledge and core SEO beliefs, watch the video below:

4 Phase Strategy

The full course, which is delivered beautifully on the Kajabi platform is designed to be taken chronologically. And although there may be a temptation to skip ahead, I urge you to follow it from start to finish, as it’s designed to be implemented in order.

Once the full course has been completed, you will find yourself working on a number of different components simultaneously. This is the nature of SEO as it’s a dynamic process that will evolve alongside your growth.

You can easily dip in and out of previous modules as is needed. And with lifetime access to the course, you can continue to freshen up on areas of weakness when it’s called for.

The course is introduced with an overview of what will be taught. Mike clearly outlines how you should set your expectations based on data and experience. He also introduces the private member’s Facebook group and how you can get access (worth its weight in gold).

One of my favorite things about Stupid Simple SEO is the way in which Mike explains you should be tracking your progress with a simple spreadsheet and a few key data points. There is a spreadsheet provided within the Teachable platform that can be downloaded and edited as your results develop over time.

1. Build

The first phase of the Simple SEO framework is all about your site. Rankings are influenced by many different factors, and so getting your site optimized from the very beginning is definitely going to help improve your performance in the SERPS.

This section is extremely hands-on, and once each module is completed, you will have actionable steps you can implement immediately.

Site speed is without a doubt an important ranking factor, and this has been confirmed by Google. The course gives you the tools to ensure your site is as responsive and fast as possible.

Unfortunately, it’s going to take more than simply having a fast site to appear on the first page of Google. The way in which you approach your content and organize it within your site’s architecture is also extremely important.

But fear not, Mike explains everything in precise detail. And by the end of the 10 video modules within this first phase, your site will be ready and raring to go.

Key areas covered include:

• Site speed
• Website focus and relevance
• Navigation
• Categories
• Homepage optimization

2. Design

This phase of the course does require the use of a paid tool, namely Ahrefs.

But don’t worry, the way this section is set up means you can do everything that is needed with the ‘7 days for $7’ trial – and it works great. The tool is extremely powerful and somewhat overwhelming if you haven’t used a keyword research platform before. But Mike walks you through ‘exactly’ how to use it and get the data needed.

I’ll dig a little deeper into Ahrefs further into the Stupid Simple SEO review, so just keep reading if you want to know more.

The design stage is all about what you actually write about on your blog or website. But more importantly, it’s about how to find things to write about you actually have a chance to rank with.

I would suggest this “keyword research” section of the course is fundamental to any blog’s eventual success. As we discussed earlier, there is an alarmingly high number of pages that never see the first page of Google, and consequently will never get found. And according to the Ahrefs study, a key reason for this was the topic of the page does not have long-term traffic potential.

So how do you know the keywords to go after that have long-term traffic potential?

Well, with a competitive analysis slant to keyword research, the SSSEO method can deliver hundreds of low competition keywords that your blog has a realistic chance of ranking with. And Mike’s complete over-the-shoulder delivery of this entire process is both enlightening and fruitful.

I genuinely feel confident now with the topics I decide to write about and have a much stronger ‘data backed’ belief in my ability to appear in the top 10 results of the SERPs.

This is an unmissable section of the course and expertly delivered with breathtaking clarity and precision instruction.

Key areas covered include:

• Competitor keyword research
• Good keyword anatomy
• Keyword organization
• Keyword research process
• Google Search Console
• Internal linking

3. Create

The third phase of the Stupid Simple SEO framework is about the content you create for your blog. It is vital that you are firstly writing about what people are searching for, and secondly, satisfying that search intent.

This module dives deep into content creation and how to ensure it has the best chance of ranking. Unfortunately, you need more than just ‘all green lights’ in the Yoast plugin for your content to be deemed worthy of the first page.

I love how Mike explains this in terms of your competition. He states, “everyone else is using Yoast as well, so that is the bare minimum of your SEO efforts. If you want to beat the competition, you have to go above and beyond”.

And this module shows you exactly how to write and produce content that does exactly that. You will be outperforming your competitor’s posts with higher quality content that offers more value to users.

There is also some very insightful information on Google EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) and YMYL (Your Money, Your Life). Essentially, Google wants to trust your content in order to show it, and this is especially true of certain niches. But don’t worry, mike shows you how to show Google your EAT if your blog falls under YMYL.

Key areas covered include:

• Content purpose
• User intent
• Epic content creation
• On-page SEO
• SEO content audit
• EAT and YMYL pages

4. Promote

So now you have done all the hard work getting your site and content in tip-top shape for SEO, you actually need to get it out there. But this module isn’t about promoting your latest post on Facebook.

It’s all about what is arguably one of the single most important aspects of SEO, namely backlinks.

Backlinks are so important because they demonstrate to Google your authority and trustworthiness, based on the quality of the sites that have linked back to you. So getting places like Forbes and The New York Post to link to your site will definitely boost rankings and get you Google organic traffic.

But how do you get high-quality, niche-relevant backlinks? And are all links created equally?

I must confess, after starting my blogging journey I was most put off by the idea of building backlinks. It just seemed like so much work on top of everything else that needed to be done. But in order to truly succeed with your blogging business, building backlinks is a necessary evil. It will take time and effort, and that is usually the sign of a good quality link anyway.

Mike delves into great, actionable backlink-building techniques that you can begin to implement immediately. Having a number of different link-building strategies running simultaneously is a great way to increase your success rate.

You will know how to build links as well as the right sorts of links to build by the time you are through with this section.

Key areas covered include:

• Types of backlinks
• How to find competitors backlinks
• Creating a backlink profile
• Guest posting
• How to appear in major publications
• Linkable assets
• Roundups

Actionability

I have taken a number of blogging-related courses, and a lot of SEO-specific courses. I have to say, Mike Pearson’s Stupid Simple SEO course is hands-down the most ‘actionable’ course I have ever taken.

But what do I mean by ‘actionable’?

It’s all well and good to pay hundreds of dollars for an educational course that is intended to benefit your business. In fact, it’s highly recommended in order to remain relevant and up to date with the latest techniques and strategies that are working.

But unless the courses you take deliver exact and precise steps that can be immediately implemented for your own blog or website, you will never see the benefits of the information. Simply delivering high-quality information, unfortunately for most of us, is simply not good enough.

And that is where the SSSEO course differs from many other courses. Everything Mike teaches is presented in such a way that it can be acted upon. And not only that, he actually shows you how to do it. The steps he outlines are clear and easy to understand. And this means you can begin to implement ‘actionable’ SEO that will definitely ‘move the needle’ and get you ranked.

And that is exactly what you want and need from an SEO course!

Ahrefs Free Trial

Do not let the requirement to use Ahrefs during the course put you off buying it. You only need a 1-week trial which costs $7 – and that is all you need. Just don’t forget to cancel it.

The keyword research technique that Mike meticulously explains will generate plenty of low competition keywords for you that will have a realistic chance of ranking. And Ahrefs is a totally legitimate website where your trial payment will be secure.

Mike explains as and when to sign up for the trial during the course. This is to maximize your 7 days with the tool as you hit the appropriate and relevant modules. If for any reason you do require extended use, you can simply get a further 7-day trial (I’ve done it with no problems).

Finally, all of the data you source from Ahrefs is fully exportable with the trial account, and Mike includes custom Google sheets templates that the data can be organized within. This is another incredible asset of the course and will leave you with enough ‘winnable’ content ideas for months, maybe years to come.

Keysearch: The Best Ahrefs Alternative

As I mentioned earlier, Ahrefs is an incredibly powerful tool, albeit somewhat overwhelming for the new SEO’ amongst us. And although having continued access to Ahrefs is in no way required, it is nice to be able to access a quality research tool when required.

In fact, Keysearch is an unbelievably affordable tool considering the features it provides and the data you have access to. That is why Mike also has an entire bonus section dedicated to Keysearch.

I have been using Keysearch for a while now, and honestly would feel totally lost without it. Once you get to grips with the core concepts behind the keyword research techniques taught in the course, you’ll truly be able to harness its power.

You can get an incredible 20% discount which applies every month for the full length of your subscription, just use my code: KSDISC

Mikes ‘White Hat’

Now then, you may have been enticed into some of the promises made by ‘Fiverr’ sellers offering hundreds of backlinks for very little money. These links are garbage, and will actually be extremely detrimental to your website.

I’m all for saving money, but not when it comes to risking your business!

Mike’s approach to link building is ‘as white hat’ as it comes, and will never get you into trouble with Google. The last thing you want on your site is a manual action causing significant reductions in your rankings and indexing capabilities.

Although there are respected SEOs (Matt Diggity) teaching safe ‘grey hat’ methods of PBN link building, these are probably best avoided as well. Mike goes into more detail in the course on what makes good links and ones you want to avoid.

Let’s be honest, why take the risk when you can create white hat backlinks like Mike did for one of his niche sites:

And since taking the course, I have managed to bag these beauties myself:

The backlink-building strategies taught are another thing I love about the SSSEO course. And definitely, something that should be covered in any SEO course is worth its weight.

SSSEO Extras

First and foremost Mike has gone above and beyond to make the fairly arduous process of keyword research as painless as possible. He includes within the price of the course:

• Custom Google spreadsheets
• Custom spreadsheet merging tool (a massive timesaver)
• Trello course roadmap
• Custom blog analytics dashboard (Pinterest and Google SEO data in one place)

Any great educational course wouldn’t be complete without a few bonuses. After all, it’s a great marketing ploy to drive sales. And I really don’t mind it being done, as long as the bonuses add value and are not just thrown in to beef up the content.

True to Mikes’s style, the bonuses in Stupid Simple SEO are tremendous. They include:

• Affiliate marketing module
• Mediavine ads module
• Keysearch module
• Full case study of his own niche site module
• Scaling content creation module

I cannot emphasize enough how awesome these extras are.

Mike delves deeper into the whole SEO growth philosophy and gives real examples and tactical strategies to continue on your journey. The core SEO content of the course is worth the money on its own, but these bonuses truly add value to the educational experience Mike provides.

There is also a private Facebook group, where Mike actively engages with his students. This is one of the best things about the course because you can get feedback from other students, as well as Mark Wilcox; an SEO expert who helps Mike run the group.

And Mike also runs Facebook live Q&As, which are wicked! And if you don’t want to ask a question directly, there is always something to learn from watching the replay.

SSSEO Free Starter Pack Training

If you are unsure about the course of Mike’s style, you can access his free SEO training to get a taster. This isn’t your typical ‘YouTube fluff’ that anyone can throw together in 5 minutes. There is real value in the free training, and it will give you an insight into what the SSSEO course is all about. The free training covers:

• How niching down can skyrocket your growth with Google
• The importance of domain authority for SEO
• What you need to know before looking for a keyword
• The best way to find keywords that you have a chance to rank with
• How to ensure your content is perfect for ranking
• On-page SEO checklist

Results

SEO growth takes time, dedication, application, and patience. This is by no means a ‘get quick traffic’ course because, with SEO, such a thing does not exist. It is also important to note that SEO results will vary widely depending on a myriad of factors.

This might include niche selection, domain age, content quantity, backlinks, and more. But it’s fair to say you would be hard pushed to find someone on the internet who doesn’t speak highly of the SSSEO course.

I am a member of a number of blog-focused Facebook groups (some of which Mike is also a member) and there are some extremely high profile (high earning) bloggers that sing Mike’s praises.

And for good reason.

His techniques simply work, you just need to trust the process and apply.

Your own personal results will vary depending on how much of the course you implement and stick with. To see my personal SEO results as per the teachings of the SSSEO framework, keep reading. I will be continuously updating my results over time as well, so you can really get a detailed insight into a real-world application of the methods taught.

Price

The total price for the Stupid Simple SEO framework (including all bonuses) is $497. There is also an option to pay over a 4 month period at $147/month.

You really need to view any expenses on courses as investments. Admittedly, it’s somewhat difficult to justify a large outgoing when you are just starting out. Especially considering SEO is a long-term play, and it can be frustrating to wait for the results to kick in.

But when they do, a consistent amount of highly targeted Google traffic will result in more conversions, more subscribers, and more ad revenue.

Who’s It For

The SSSEO course is for anyone looking to scale their blog or website traffic through search engine optimization. If you benefit from actionable teaching methodologies and are willing to put in the work, this course is most definitely for you.

The course is a little on the expensive side, and this can be off-putting, especially if you’ve just started and already feel overwhelmed with the workload. But if you are in this business to make money, then you must invest in your education and play the long game.

This course provides a fantastically workable framework that will guarantee you are on the right path for success.

Who’s It Not For

The course is not for people who aren’t prepared to take the steps outlined and systematically implement the strategies. It is not a course that teaches shortcuts or grey/black hat link building in order to progress in the SERPs.

How Long Does It Take?

This is a question that does not really have a definitive answer. The only consensus amongst SEO experts and seasoned professionals is that SEO takes time. How much time is down to a number of factors!

Firstly, you will need to get out of the ‘never confirmed by Google’ sandbox. This is believed to be a period of time when a new site’s rankings are suppressed while your site builds authority and trust.

The important thing to remember is Mike teaches how to build these things, as well as the other core elements of a good SEO strategy. If you trust in the process, you should see traction within the SERPS anywhere from 6 months to a year. And then it should grow like ‘compound interest’ for months and years thereafter.

The guys from Authority Hacker do a good job of unraveling the SEO growth time frame with first-hand data:

Downsides

The biggest downside to the course is understandably the cost. Nearly $500 is a lot of money for most people. But if you have already invested in your hosting and are committing considerable amounts of time and energy to your online business, then it’s essential you learn how to grow the right way.

I would also point out that some people learn better with ‘written down’ instructional type courses. There are no PDF explainers or handbooks. This is an almost entirely visual learning course. As the content and methods require such precise methodologies I would suggest that this is the only way Mike could have effectively taught the course.

And for this, I am thankful.

Pre Course Buying Ritual & Alternatives

My journey into SEO began with the wonderful Debbie Gartner aka The Flooring Girl. She is an extremely active member of a number of blogging Facebook groups. Her blog makes well over 6 figures and she is a wonderful person.

I have always been the sort of person that likes to get a good vibe from the course creator I am going to purchase from. This is one of my best tips for buying online courses and I always follow a simple process before parting with my hard-earned cash:

• Check to see if the course creator has a YouTube channel or Podcast – this way you can scope out their persona and get a feel for them as a person.
• Check if they are active in niche-related Facebook groups. Then see what sort of advice they offer fellow members to see if it resonates with you.
• Finally, make a personal connection with the course seller either via Facebook or email. Ask a couple of questions regarding the course.

Debbie Gartner responded in a way that led me to her SEO product and Mike’s SSSEO – which are both awesome. She suggested that her SEO eBooks would be a great ‘actionable’ entry into the world of SEO at a very affordable price. And that once completed, Mike Pearsons course would be an incredibly valuable complementary addition to my SEO education (delving deep into Keyword research which her eBooks do not cover).

Well, I completed both Debbies SEO eBooks, and after contacting Mike and watching a few of his Facebook videos, decided to buy his course as well.

I think this is an excellent (affordable) route into any beginner’s SEO education, and Debbies eBooks give you time to save for Mike’s pricier course whilst still being able to optimize your site for Google!

Free Resources

Before parting with your cash for Stupid Simple SEO, there are definitely some free (trustworthy) resources you can utilize to kick off your education. Although these recommendations are no substitute for SSSEO, they do offer tremendous value.

Remember, Mike’s course is 100% actionable advice. He walks you through every step you need to take in order to achieve maximum SEO growth. You will be able to glean some excellent information from these sources, but Mikes’s course is what you need for real strategic and implementable education.

• Ahrefs Blogging Academy – Blogging For Business
• Backlinko – The Definitive Guide To SEO
• Moz – SEO Learning Center
• SEMRUSH – On-Page and Technical SEO Course

Updated ‘Ongoing’ Case Study

In order to give a more accurate reflection of Stupid Simple SEO’s quality, I have decided to feature my very own site as an ongoing case study example. I believe the ‘proof is in the pudding’ and hope to give some real insight for potential buyers.

Please note, with any course, the results will depend on the effort and commitment you give. I am working really hard on my online business and applying Mike’s methods strategically on a daily basis!

I started my site in February 2020 and purchased SSSEO in September 2020.

I will be using a few key metrics to show the development of my site, including Domain Authority (Moz), Google Search Console Impressions and clicks, and Backlinks (Referring Domains as per Ahrefs and notable sites).

I will also be tracking this very post (Stupid Simple SEO: The Ultimate Review) for it’s specific Google ranking position.

October 2020

• The number of posts published: 39
• DA score: 13
• GSC Impressions (month): 17.9K
• GSC Clicks (month): 138
• Backlinks (Referring domains): 73
• Backlinks; recent noteworthy domains: Dollar Sprout, The Savvy Couple

• Stupid Simple SEO: The Ultimate Review (this post)
  • Average Position: n/a
  • Current Position: n/a

February 2021

• The number of posts published: 63
• DA score: 19
• GSC Impressions (month): 110K
• GSC Clicks (month): 2.83K
• Backlinks (Referring domains): 187
• Backlinks; recent noteworthy domains: New York Times, Forbes, GoBankingRates, CreditCards

• Stupid Simple SEO: The Ultimate Review (this post last 28 days)
• Keyword: Stupid Simple SEO
  • Average Position: 2.8
  • Current Position: 3

Stay tuned for more updates…

Verdict

Stupid Simple SEO is an incredibly valuable course that is expertly delivered by Mike Pearson. The teachings are hands-on and actionable, which means you can begin to implement proven SEO strategies immediately.

I have personally thoroughly enjoyed taking SSSEO and have already begun to witness increased exposure on Google. I believe it is just a matter of time for me to be able to monetize with a premium ad network and massively increase my income.

Game changer!

FAQs

Stupid Simple SEO Review