The Best Digital Marketing Courses in 2023

Do you know that the digital marketing field is estimated to reach more than $700 billion in 2026? So yes, now is about time you get into it!

Digital marketing has cemented its worth in all fields of business by improving revenues and increasing traffic, and it’s now considered a monumental skill to learn.

Luckily, there’s no lack of reliable digital marketing courses on the web that you can use to boost your knowledge and start your learning journey.

Online, you can take courses curated by industry experts and gurus without having to step foot outside your house!

To help you, we’ve worked hard to create a comprehensive guide that lists paid and free digital marketing courses, so you can find what caters to your needs.

The 12 Best Online Courses to Learn Digital Marketing in 2023

Let’s look at some of the best digital marketing courses available today.

1. Google Digital Marketing Course – Free With Certification

The Google Digital Marketing Course is a free certification program offered by Google through the Digital Garage platform.

The course is 100% self-paced, free, requires no prior experience, and provides you with a globally-recognized digital marketing certification upon completion.

It’s intended to turn a complete beginner job-ready by helping them build in-demand skills in 6 months.

The course covers many topics related to digital marketing.

For example, it includes search engine optimization, paid advertising, paid search, social media marketing, and marketing analytics.

It’s designed for individuals and businesses who want to improve their digital marketing skills and gain a deeper understanding of how to promote their products or services online or individuals seeking an entry-level job in the marketing field.

The course is completely free and is rated 4.8/5, making it one of the best courses available in 2023.

It consists of interactive lessons, quizzes, and hands-on exercises.

The bottom line:

Google Digital Marketing Course is the best place to start if you’re looking to learn high-value skills for free and effectively.

2. HubSpot Digital Marketing Course – Free With Certification

HubSpot offers a variety of online courses.

Their digital marketing courses cover several topics, such as inbound marketing, video marketing, and social media marketing.

The course is self-paced, free, and includes instructional videos, quizzes, and hands-on exercises.

It’s best for marketing managers looking for excellent digital marketing training for free and students seeking to acquire the fundamentals of digital marketing.

The course is short, with only 5 hours and 25 minutes of content.

It includes 9 lessons, 37 videos, and 11 quizzes.

During it, you’ll acquire social media marketing skills, improve your website performance, and learn how to build a large following through targeted advertising.

Before gaining access, you’ll need to register using an email.

You’ll also get a certification upon completion.

The bottom line:

HubSpot’s course is brief, making it an excellent starting point if you want to acquire a basic understanding of digital marketing without dedicating several months of your time.

3. SEMrush Academy – Free With Certification

SEMrush Academy is akin to a digital marketing institute.

It offers a variety of digital marketing courses taught by marketing professionals and is designed for both digital marketing beginners and experts.

The academy offers multiple courses, each focusing on a specific field of digital marketing.

Some examples include SEO marketing, content marketing, and digital marketing analytics.

The courses are led by industry leaders and experts, mostly company CEOs, aiming to help individuals and businesses enhance their online presence and acquire a specific digital marketing specialization.

The courses are completely free, and you can enroll at any time.

The content varies from one course to another, but they all include video lessons, quizzes, and hands-on examinations.

You’ll also get a certification upon completion to add to your CV.

The bottom line:

SEMrush is distinct from its competitors in that it offers courses that concentrate on specific areas of digital marketing, so you can select and learn only what you want instead of being overwhelmed by multiple subjects at once.

4. Udemy Digital Marketing Course – Paid With Certification

The Complete Digital Marketing Course offered by Udemy is a paid course created by industry professionals.

It’ll help you master digital marketing strategies, social media analytics and marketing, SEO strategy, and more.

The course costs $89.99 and includes 22.5 hours of on-demand video, 35 articles, 8 downloadable resources, and a certificate upon completion.

You can access it via your mobile, TV, and laptop, making it a perfect choice for those who learn on the go.

It’s mainly designed for individuals looking to grow a business online from scratch, work as freelance marketers, or land a job as a digital marketing expert.

However, it’s also a great place to start if you want to fill your CV with high-value skills.

The course provides step-by-step explanations and emphasizes learning by doing.

There are over 20 hours of quizzes, interactive content, and actionable interactions tailored for individuals with zero experience.

The bottom line:

Not only is it accessible from any smart device, but Udemy’s digital marketing course emphasizes learning by doing.

With over 20 hours of interactive content, you’re bound to acquire the skills you need efficiently.

5. CareerFoundry Digital Marketing Program – Paid With Certification

CareerFoundry’s digital marketing course emphasizes the reception of tailored coaching and one-on-one mentoring to get you job-ready in 7 months.

Course graduates can land jobs in globally-recognized tech firms such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook.

The course is expensive, starting at $6,210, so it may not be affordable for everyone.

However, you’re guaranteed to land a job within six months of your graduation or your money back.

Although the course is self-paced, it’s also a mentor program headed by leading marketing scholars.

You’ll be assigned a tutor and a mentor as part of the program.

The tutor, who’s an experienced digital marketer, will provide evaluations of your exercises within 24 hours of submission.

The mentor, on the other hand, will provide detailed feedback on your portfolio pieces through written, video, and on-call feedback.

You’ll also be able to build an impressive portfolio from the projects you work on, which are based on real-world examples.

This course will help you develop all the digital tools and skills you need to excel in this field and build an impressive professional network.

The bottom line:

Although expensive, CareerFoundry’s course will guarantee you a job in six months, and you’ll get one-on-one mentoring to help you find your feet in the field.

6. Reliablesoft Academy – Paid With Certification

Reliablesoft is a digital marketing agency that offers paid training to individuals looking to further their digital marketing skills and accelerate their website traffic.

It’s a haven for developing the specific skills that characterize the new digital marketing environment.

These skills include YouTube marketing, mobile marketing, Facebook marketing, and such.

The three available course bundles vary in content and price.

The cheapest course, concerned with search engine optimization, costs $89 and includes 4 courses with 34 lessons and an SEO certification upon completion.

The most expensive, the Ultimate Digital Marketing Bundle, includes 13 courses with 92 lessons and a digital marketing certification and costs $149.

You can review the contents of each bundle and pick what suits you better.

The complete SEO bundle may be appropriate for you if you’re looking to attract more customers to your business through effective content marketing.

However, if landing a job in real life is your goal, consider the Ultimate Digital Marketing Bundle.

The bottom line:

Reliablesoft academy provides its users with digital marketing course bundles.

It’s a great choice if you want to acquire a specific skill set without investing in extraneous courses.

7. ClickMinded Digital Marketing Course – Paid With Free Trial and Certification

ClickMinded is a digital marketing agency that offers a series of digital marketing courses to teach you how to increase sales and website traffic as quickly as possible.

The course is spread into 6 modules, with a certification exam at the end of each.

They’re content marketing, email marketing, sales funnel, SEO, and social media marketing.

Upon completion of all courses, you earn a digital marketing certificate.

An expert leads each course in the field.

For example, paid advertising is taught by Lucas Lee-Tyson.

He founded GrowthCave and has successfully overseen the management of over $3.2 million in digital ad spending for various clients of different sizes.

As such, the course is expensive, starting at $1,997, so it may not be affordable for everyone.

However, the certification is trusted by 50,000+ marketers, including Microsoft and Grammarly.

There’s also an option for a free trial, and you’re guaranteed your money if you’re not satisfied with the product, so long as you email them within 14 days.

The bottom line:

Although it’s expensive, ClickMinded’s courses are taught by marketing professionals who typically are company CEOs.

So, you’re guaranteed top-notch digital marketing training.

8. LinkedIn Learning: Become a Digital Marketing Specialist – Paid With Free Trial and Certification

LinkedIn Learning is an online platform that provides courses on various subjects, one of them being “Become a Digital Marketing Specialist,” which is tailored for beginners who wish to develop digital marketing expertise, starting from the basics.

The course includes 11 modules spread over 19 hours of content that demand the use of your analytical and tactical skills to master the best digital marketing practices.

You receive a badge once you complete the 11 modules.

It starts with the fundamentals of digital marketing and touches on topics such as social media marketing analytics, email marketing, and graphic design.

LinkedIn offers you a 1-month free trial with the option for a monthly or annual subscription.

Subscription costs vary depending on your country, but it’s cheaper to buy an annual subscription, as it comes at $17.50 per month.

We recommend this LinkedIn Learning course to small business owners looking to learn internet marketing to boost their social media platform reach.

The bottom line:

LinkedIn Learning is unique in that it’s one of the few high-quality courses that offer a free trial.

It covers many aspects of digital marketing, so upon completion, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of the field.

9. Coursera Digital Marketing Courses – Free and Paid Courses

Coursera is a hub that allows you to explore the best available online digital marketing courses.

Its selection of 600+ courses covers all digital marketing channels, so you can pick what you need the most.

Available courses can be either free or paid, depending on their distributor.

Some courses are provided by leaders in this field.

For example, Meta has a course about Facebook and Instagram marketing.

There’s everything from E-Commerce and online advertising courses to Google analytics and search engine optimization.

However, not all courses are equal.

Some are less in-depth and more difficult to get into, while others don’t offer digital marketing certifications upon completion.

So, it’s best to carefully read reviews and course contents to understand what to expect.

The bottom line:

Coursera has a myriad of courses to teach you all the digital marketing skills you need to learn.

It’s an excellent option if you want to become an expert in the field in a short time and with minimum costs.

10. Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate – Free with Certification, Paid for Extras

Meta’s course is aimed at individuals looking to turn their social media passion into a career.

It teaches how to effectively advertise your content on social media platforms to grow a large following or land a job as a professional social media marketer.

The course is free and developed in partnership with Coursera.

Upon completion, you’ll receive a certificate for free.

But, if you pay $49 per month, you’ll gain access to a consortium of employers looking for new talent, expert-grading, and help in portfolio development, so you can quickly land a job after you develop your skills.

The course is tailored for beginners with no prior experience.

It includes 6 modules and touches on key skills in social media marketing, including brand management, advertising management, and social media strategy.

You can learn at your own pace, too.

For example, if you study 2 hours per week, you can finish the course in about 7 months.

The bottom line:

Meta is a leading social media company in the market.

As such, their course on social media will provide you with all the necessary skills to expand your online presence.

11. OptinMonster University – Free

OptinMonster is a widely used software that helps website owners create efficient opt-in forms and campaigns to convert website visitors into email subscribers and clients.

As such, their digital marketing course focuses on email marketing.

It’s aimed at small business owners looking to scale their businesses and grow their email lists.

But for people looking for other digital marketing disciplines, this course might not be the best option.

The free course will help you acquire the most critical tenets of email marketing through simple, step-by-step actionable guides.

You’ll learn how to create your list from scratch, convince website visitors to sign up for your newsletter, and effectively turn them into loyal, paying customers.

The company and its course contents are trusted by many leading brands, including Patreon, Tripadvisor, and Pinterest.

The bottom line:

OptinMonster University’s main focus is teaching digital marketing beginners how to create attractive emails and build a list of loyal customers.

So, give it a go if you’re looking for the best newsletter and email marketing tips.

12. Copyblogger Content Marketing Tools and Training – Free

Copyblogger aims to help novice freelance writers achieve success in the content creation industry by familiarizing themselves with current digital marketing trends.

Instead of a digital marketing course, the website provides free training resources via email.

So, you’ll have to input your email to access their “The Killer” and “The Poet” series.

You can also unsubscribe at any time.

It focuses heavily on two digital marketing elements: SEO and content marketing.

This website also contains several success stories riddled with tips from corporate employees turned successful, self-employed individuals.

As such, they’re a great place to start if you’re looking for proven tips or step-by-step guides to launch successful digital marketing campaigns.

The bottom line:

Copyblogger is for content writers looking to improve their skills and drive website traffic.

We like it because it offers success stories and guides from people who started from scratch.

Are Free or Paid Courses Better?

The cost of digital marketing courses can vary.

While there are many free options available online, some created by digital marketing professionals can be quite expensive, reaching thousands of dollars.

Generally, paid courses are considered to be of higher quality, providing more detailed and effective instruction, as well as being more reliable.

However, this isn’t to say that free courses are a scam.

Google, for instance, excels in offering beginner-friendly programs that ensure the acquisition of in-demand, high-value skills.

Thanks to the top instructors, interactive quizzes, and in-depth explanations, beginners with zero experience in the field are guaranteed to become job-ready in 6 months.

However, it’s best to do your research, especially when it comes to paid courses.

Some of them are so exhaustive that they might be of no use to you if you’re still a beginner.

What Are the Benefits of a Digital Marketing Certificate?

The benefits of your certification will depend on the quality of the program, the level of the certifying organization, and the practicality of the studied content.

For example, a digital marketing certificate backed by Google and recognized by leading tech companies will fare better than a free certificate earned through an obscure online course.

Generally, having a digital certificate has countless benefits.

Here’s a quick list of them:

• Job opportunities: certifications will help you advance your career and make you more attractive to employers, as you’ll stand out more than an individual without a certification. It’ll also open up many new job opportunities for you.
• Credibility: having a certificate will also prove your credibility. It’ll show your employers and clients that you have a certain degree of knowledge in this field. This goes a long way towards attracting more customers to your business.
• Higher salaries: many agencies offer higher salaries to people who are experienced in the field with certifications as proof.

That being said, to get the most out of your certification, you should do your research and choose a reputable certification program that aligns with your current goals.

For example, learning analytics and social media marketing is much more useful than developing an email marketing strategy if you’re a social media influencer.

But if you want to work in a company that prioritizes email marketing, you should familiarize yourself with its strategies.

So choose wisely!

Wrapping Up

The shift to a digital world has led to the popularization and accessibility of digital marketing courses.

Some of these courses offer individuals a flexible, affordable, and reliable way to develop the digital skills necessary to launch a successful business or grow a wide following on social media platforms.

Whether you want paid or free courses, you’ll get taught by industry leaders and marketing experts.

They’ll cater to your needs, even if you have years of experience in the field up your sleeve.

So, rest assured if you’re looking to stay ahead of the curve because investing in a reliable digital marketing course is a smart and safe move!