Just like the following digital marketing courses, this article will also cut the intro short and get right down to the content that matters. Here’s an overview of the top digital marketing courses aimed at business owners or marketers with basic to more advanced knowledge of marketing. Most explore the key aspects of digital marketing, while some zoom in on specific strategies like content marketing.
13 Best Digital Marketing Courses for Beginners to Advanced:
Top
digital marketing courses
2024
Price: Free
Duration/time needed: About 6 hours
Level: Beginner to intermediate
HubSpot’s Digital Marketing Course: Get Certified is highlighted by Forbes as one of the free digital marketing courses to try in 2024. More than 250,000 students have completed their courses and can now call themselves HubSpot Academy certified professionals, evidence of the course’s popularity.
For more social proof, you can refer to G2 where HubSpot Academy has received hundreds of reviews. The lowest score it has received is 4 out of 5. The instructors’ skill set is one of the highlights, according to past students.
This course is presented by seven instructors that include some of HubSpot’s own senior team members as well as industry professionals like Matthew Howells-Barby, Vice President of Growth at Kraken Digital Asset Exchange. Plus, it’s available in a number of languages including French, Japanese, and German, making it one of the more accessible courses.
After exploring digital marketing fundamentals, it digs deeper into several other key areas. How to create blog content and develop a social media strategy in particular receive a lot of attention.
Format:
- Lessons
- Videos
- Quizzes
Topics covered:
- Video marketing
- Email marketing
- Paid search advertising
- Social media strategy
- Blogging
Price: $995
Duration/time needed: About 20 hours
Level: Beginners
For help specifically with pay-per-click (PPC) marketing for Amazon, there’s PPC University’s online course. Rated as one of the best Amazon PPC courses, it’s one of the most in-depth courses. Along with HubSpot’s course, it’s also got an honorable mention from Forbes.
Over the course of seven chapters, you’ll learn all the different aspects involved. This includes:
- Amazon PPC campaigns
- Amazon’s product ranking algorithm
- Amazon’s Demand Side Platform (DSP)
Your instructor is Mina Elias. As the founder of Trivium Group, a full-service Amazon agency, as well as the CEO of MMA Nutrition LLC, a $1 million supplement brand, he brings a combination of marketing know-how and business acumen to the classroom.
This course also offers great flexibility. Study materials are available round-the-clock and you can complete it at your own speed. There are zero deadlines and no attendance requirements.
Format:
- Videos
- Articles
- Exercises
Topics covered include:
- Keyword research
- Ad copywriting
- Campaign optimization
- Targeting options
- Reports
- Analytics and data interpretation
Price: Free
Duration/time needed: About 40 hours
Level: Beginner
This beginner course is accredited by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), a US trade group with over 700 members that include the likes of Amazon Advertising, Microsoft and TikTok for Business. All the content is created by Google trainers.
There are 24 modules that take you through the basics of digital marketing. The key areas that it explores are:
- Taking a business online
- Making a business discoverable
- Reaching targeting audiences via mobile
- Using advertising
- Tracking and measuring web traffic
- Expanding internationally
It really zooms in on how to make the most of video and take your business global. Of all the modules, these two are the longest.
The content that stands out include:
- Connecting through email
- Making search and mobile work for you
- Getting noticed on social media
- Display advertising
- Analytics
Students gave these modules full marks.
What makes it such a great course is that it has a strong focus on business. Combine this with the real-world examples and you’ll walk away with actionable insights.
All in all, it’s also very accessible. Each video has a transcript and it also gives quick summaries of what you’ll need to know, helping you to track your progress.
Upon successful completion, you’ll get an award that you can display on your public Skillshop and LinkedIn profile.
Format:
- Lessons
- Practical exercises
- Quizzes
Topics covered include:
- Search ads
- Building an online shop
- Analytics
- Display advertising
- Video marketing
- Content marketing
- Mobile and web apps
Price: About $80
Duration/time needed: About 46 hours
Level: Beginner to intermediate
Business owners and marketers who want to learn about how to use AI for marketing can check out this Udemy course. Just over 250,000 students have already completed it till date. It also boasts a rating of 4.5 out of 5 based on the 23,000+ ratings it has received.
Over the course of 439 lectures (yes, that’s not a typo), you’ll learn how to:
- Implement dozens of digital marketing strategies
- Market a business on the most popular social media platforms and grow your social media following
- Improve a brand identity
- Grow email lists
- Attract more website traffic
- Boost conversions and sales
The bulk of the focus is on WordPress website design as well as ChatGPT and other AI marketing tools. Over 3 hours are dedicated to each of these areas respectively.
It’s also a great course if you want to learn the nuances of copywriting. After website design and AI tools, this is the other key focus area. There are 19 lectures exploring copywriting best practices and tips, along with how to adjust your copy to specific platforms, and case studies to illustrate it.
Upon completion, you’ll receive a Udemy certificate of completion.
Format:
- On-demand videos
- Downloadable resources
- Assignments
- Articles
Topics covered include:
- Email marketing
- Content marketing
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Paid search and social ads
- Video marketing and production
- Chatbots
- Podcasting
Price: About $30
Duration/time needed: About 4 hours and 40 minutes
Level: Beginner to intermediate
This is one of the highest rated Udemy online courses in the digital marketing category, boasting a 5-star rating at the time of writing this article. It’s a great resource for marketing teams working with fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands specifically.
It essentially covers the 4 Ws — why, who, what, and where. Most of the attention is devoted to the content of digital communication (aka the what). Different types of ads (including their formats), influencer marketing, and video marketing are discussed in detail.
The instructor, Massimiliano La Franca, brings 20 years of experience in communication and marketing. When he’s not teaching, he’s offering consultancy services. As he explains, his approach is to teach students how to think about marketing in a digital world.
Format:
- On-demand videos
- Downloadable resources
- Assignments
- Articles
Topics covered include:
- Social media platforms
- Digital personas
- The digital journey
- The marketing funnel
- Digital media planning
Price: Free
Duration/time needed: 20 hours (or six hours per week for three weeks)
Level: Intermediate
This course is one of the most reviewed courses on Coursera that’s aimed at individuals with intermediate knowledge. It’s brought to you in partnership between Copyblogger, described by VentureBeat as the “bible of content marketing”, and UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education.
It explores the core content marketing strategies. All in all, it offers a great balance between marketing and copywriting, making it valuable to both marketers as well as content writers.
The bulk of the course focuses on the strategic types of content, namely:
- Attraction content
- Affinity content
- Action content
- Authority content
It also explores the 7A Framework that looks at:
- Agility
- Authenticity
- Attention
- Audience
- Authority
- Action
- Acceleration
Your instructor is Sonia Simone. She’s the founding partner and Chief Content Officer at Copyblogger. As she also works as a freelance email marketing and lead maturation copywriter, her teachings are founded upon recent practical experience.
It’s the practical ideas that get shared that past students have highlighted as one of the big benefits of this course.
Upon successful completion, you’ll earn a career certificate that you can add to your LinkedIn profile, share on social media, or include on your CV.
Format:
Topics covered include:
- Content management
- Ethics
- The buyer journey
- Buyer personas
- Branding
Price: Subscription required (pricing available upon request)
Duration/time needed: About 10 hours
Level: Intermediate to advanced
LinkedIn Learning has a learning path that explores the best practices for digital marketing strategies. Along with HubSpot’s course and PPC University Program, this course also made the Forbes Top 5 listicle.
It kicks off with an exploration of digital marketing foundations. The next five courses focus on social media. This includes:
- Social media marketing foundations
- Strategy and optimization
- TikTok and Instagram Reels
After social media, there’s also a strong focus on SEO. Over 90 minutes are dedicated just to keyword strategy.
Each course is also presented by different marketing experts. Included in the list of course instructors are the likes of Brad Batesole, an internationally recognized speaker, and Cathy Hackl, a tech futurist.
Format:
Topics covered include:
- Paid media
- Email marketing
- Marketing analytics
- Content marketing
- Social media marketing
- Augmented reality (AR) marketing
Price: Free
Duration/time needed: About 2 hours
Level: Beginners
Semrush is rated as one of the best SEO tools, making them one of the best places to learn about all things related to this challenging strategy. Neil Patel, one of the leading voices in eCommerce and digital marketing, also recommends this course as one of the best SEO courses to brush up on the basics.
It’s presented by Greg Gifford, a self-professed local SEO nerd. He’s also the Chief Operating Officer of SearchLab Digital which is listed on our Agency Hub that accepts only agencies that meet our standards of legitimacy and professionalism, another kudos to him.
While he’s an expert in local SEO, he also briefly explores international SEO in this course.
The content is delivered via bite-sized videos. The longest video is merely 6 minutes long, making this course ideal for short attention spans or those who can only devote a couple of minutes at a time.
If you complete and pass the certification exam, you’ll earn a personalized, digital marketing certification with Semrush Academy that you can download and share on LinkedIn.
Format:
Topics covered include:
- Site speed
- Responsive websites
- Ranking signals
- Keyword research
- On-page elements
- Link building and analysis
Price: Free
Duration/time needed: About 29 hours
Level: Intermediate
For marketers and marketing agencies that want to gain a deep understanding of SEO, Neil Patel recommends this online course available via Coursera. You don’t need to look further than the course page on Coursera for more social proof. Over 3,400 learners have reviewed it, with more than 80% giving it full marks. What’s arguably more impressive is that only about 3% gave it a rating of below 4 stars.
As it’s part of Cousera’s SEO specialization, you’ll also gain access to the other courses that make up this 5-course series. That said, you’re also welcome just to complete this particular course that covers the following 4 modules:
- On-page SEO
- Off-page SEO
- Technical SEO
- Keyword theory and research
It’s presented by Rebekah May who has been working in SEO roles for over 15 years. In addition to SEO, her specialties also include app store optimization, user experience (UX) strategies, and conversion optimization, among other things.
Format:
- Videos
- Readings
- Quizzes
- Peer reviews
- Discussion prompts
Topics covered include:
- Competitive analysis
- Link building and analysis
- Sitemaps
- SEO tools
Price: About $50
Duration/time needed: About 10 hours
Level: Intermediate
More experienced marketers with aspirations of starting a digital marketing agency can enroll for this course. On Udemy, it’s listed as one of the most popular digital marketing courses aimed at intermediates.
What makes it such a great course is that most attention is paid to landing clients, probably the hardest part of running a marketing agency. It will teach you multiple ways to win clients including:
- The Ultimate Agency Funnel
- The Cold Outreach Formula
- The Client Attraction Method
The course is presented by Josh Nelson, a digital marketing agency mentor and CEO of Plumbing & HVAC SEO, an SEO agency working with home service companies. According to his LinkedIn profile, he grew a 2-person online marketing agency into a 30-employee agency that generates $4 million per year. This means that his teachings are based on first-hand experience.
Format:
- On-demand videos
- Downloadable resources
- Case studies
Topics covered include:
Price: $99 per year gives you access to all Yoast SEO academy courses
Duration/time needed: About 8 hours
Level: Beginner to intermediate
Along with HubSpot and Semrush, Yoast is another one of the most popular digital marketing tools, making them an authoritative voice to learn more about the field. More than 350,000 students have already completed one of their courses.
This specific course has received the thumbs up from Outbrain, a leading tech platform. It takes a step-by-step approach to the copywriting process. It will teach you how to:
- Reach your target audience
- Boost search traffic
- Rank for top keywords
It’s divided into 6 modules. It takes you through everything from the importance of website copywriting to how and where to get published. As a bonus, it also includes a step-by-step template for writing a blog post.
After completing the course, you’ll receive a personalized certificate and badge that can be displayed on your website.
Format:
Topics covered include:
- Keyword research
- The planning process
- Storytelling
- Tone of voice
- Editing
- Publishing
Price: $5,310
Duration/time needed: About 11 months
Level: Advanced
Aimed at marketers in senior positions, this is one of the most comprehensive (and expensive) courses.
There are about 40 modules and 3 assignments that you need to complete within 44 weeks. These modules are divided into different stages that concentrate on:
- Strategy
- Leadership
- Social media
- Search marketing
- Advanced expertise development
It’s the strong focus on leadership that makes it such a relevant course for marketing managers. From how to build an effective digital team to managing them to driving business performance, it walks you through what it takes to grow a team and ultimately your business.
It also recently added new modules to keep up with the changes and trends in marketing. This includes a module on search analytics and GA4.
Upon successful completion, you’ll receive an internationally recognized DMI Expert Certificate which has helped graduates to land jobs at leading marketing tools like HubSpot and global brands such as Disney. In fact, according to the course’s landing page, 79% of graduates credit the course to helping them land a promotion.
Format:
- Live webinars
- Community forums
- Tutor support
- Assignments
Topics covered include:
- SEO
- Email marketing
- eCommerce solutions
- Social research
- Digital channels
- Customer experience (CX)
- Analytics, data, and ethics
- Social commerce
- Affiliate marketing
Price: $1,549
Duration/time needed: 8 months
Level: Advanced
For serious students who already have a bachelor’s degree and ideally two years of experience, there’s this top digital marketing course available on Simplilearn. It also calls for more resources, both in terms of time and money.
On the flipside, the course has a strong practical component. You’ll learn how to create your own website and manage an ad budget for a paid marketing campaign, for example.
Another advantage is that it offers various electives. These include:
- Blogging
- Affiliate marketing
- B2B marketing
- eCommerce listing
- ChatGPT and other generative AI tools
Even if you don’t sign up for the elective about AI tools, it covers dozens of other leading digital marketing tools that include:
- Hootsuite
- Ahrefs
- GetResponse
- Mailchimp
- Canva
Format:
- Online bootcamp
- Harvard case studies
- Capstone projects
- Live interactive learning
- Stukent Simulation
Topics covered include:
- SEO
- Search engine marketing (SEM)
- Mobile marketing
- Content strategy
- Behavioral marketing
- Social media marketing
- Email marketing
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the key components of digital marketing to learn?
The following are the fundamentals of digital marketing that marketers and business owners should be familiar with:
- Social media marketing (SMM)
- Email marketing
- Content marketing
- Search engine marketing (SEM)
- Affiliate marketing
- Paid advertising
Are there any good affiliate marketing courses?
If you want to learn more about affiliate marketing specifically instead of digital marketing in general, you can check out the following courses:
- Voluum’s Affiliate Academy
- Authority Hacker’s The Authority Site System
- Matt Diggity’s The Affiliate Lab
- Franklin Hatchett’s Savage Affiliate
- Udemy’s Learn How to Build High-quality Affiliate Websites
What does a digital marketing course cost on average?
You can expect to pay anything between $0 to over $5,000 for an online digital marketing course. That being said, you’ll be able to find a decent digital marketing course for below $1,000. Some courses are also available as part of a yearly subscription to the platform which can work out cheaper in the long run if you plan to complete multiple courses. If you’re interested in one of the more advanced and expensive programs, keep your eyes open as these institutions often run generous discounts or offer payment plans.
Are there any digital marketing events where you can learn more about the trade?
Each year, there are numerous digital marketing events held all over the world. While some of the events are one-off, some events return to the stage every year. You can, for example, check out the following events that are usually held annually:
- The Global Virtual MarTech Summit
- Adobe Summit
- Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo
- DigiMarCon
- MozCon
- Digital Marketing World Forum Global (DMWF)
Are there any free digital marketing courses?
Yes, you can check out:
- HubSpot’s Digital Marketing Course: Get Certified in Digital Marketing
- Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
- Semrush’s SEO Fundamentals with Greg Gifford
Coursera also offers options where you can take a course in audit mode and receive the material for free. You’ll only need to pay if you want to access your marked assignments and receive your certificate.
About the Author
Writer
Djanan Kasumovic, a dynamic force in digital marketing, leads as the Head of Growth at Influencer Marketing Hub. His distinguished career includes roles at high-profile companies like SnappCar, a leader in European car sharing, Travelbird, Kids Luxury Group and B&S. Djanan has been at the forefront of innovative digital marketing processes, mastering areas such as AI content production, AI marketing, and AI influencer marketing, establishing himself as a pioneer in these fields.
