Free Online Digital Marketing Certificates 2025

For many years, marketing was synonymous with advertising in the form of billboards, TV commercials, and radio ads. Today, digital marketing uses email, social media, and search engine optimization to reach clients.

Veteran marketers looking to upskill and beginners entering the field can use free online marketing courses to reach their goals. These courses are often provided in certification programs to teach the basics of new concepts or take an in-depth look at a single subject in the digital marketing field.

What Is a Digital Marketing Certificate?

Digital marketing certificates are awarded to students who complete courses and either pass a final exam or complete a project, depending on the course. These online digital marketing courses help learners explore and discover the different aspects of digital marketing, like content marketing and SEO.

Digital marketing certification courses are generally for beginners or intermediate learners looking to develop new digital marketing skills. These programs are usually offered by tech companies or universities, either on a third-party or first-party learning platform.

Most digital marketing certifications are self-paced and allow students to complete multiple modules before taking an exam or completing a project to demonstrate understanding. Some programs don't charge for the courses but include an examination fee to earn a certificate. If you're interested in learning new skills but don't need a certificate, you can consider many free options.

Can You Earn an Online Digital Marketing Certificate for Free?

There are many free digital marketing certificates available online. Companies like Google, edX, HubSpot Academy, and more offer free certification programs to provide learners with the ability to learn new skills and stay up-to-date on the ever-changing world of modern marketing.

How Do I Enroll?

Enrollment varies based on the platform that offers the digital marketing course. Some sites only require making an account with a username and email address to complete courses. If your certification program is offered through a college or university, there is a chance you might have to complete a more formal application process.

Top Free Online Digital Marketing Certificates

Digital marketing is a huge segment of modern marketing. Marketing professionals must keep up-to-date on these changes, and certification programs are a great way to do that.

These are some of the best digital marketing certificate options, whether you're trying to expand your current skillset or break into digital marketing as a beginner.

Learning To Write Marketing Copy Offered by LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn is seen as the premiere social media site for working professionals. In recent years, LinkedIn Learning has begun to provide certification programs to help these professionals earn sharable certificates they can post to their LinkedIn profiles.

This program covers copywriting and general content creation. LinkedIn Learning is a free addition to a LinkedIn premium membership so this program won't be accessible to everyone. However, you can try Premium for free and take courses to see if subscribing will be worth it.

Google Ads Certifications Offered by Google

Google currently offers nine free certification courses for professionals looking to learn more about Google Ads. Courses range from about one to four hours to complete and can be done at your own pace. Additionally, Google offers courses for its Google Analytics programs, commonly used to track Google Ads performance.

Email Marketing Certification Course Offered by HubSpot Academy

HubSpot's email marketing program is designed to help business owners and marketers learn how to use emails to drive engagement and build brand awareness.

The course is divided into nine lessons and quizzes to help measure progress. Despite having nine courses, learners can complete the course in under four hours.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Fundamentals Course Offered by Semrush

This Semrush course covers the basics of PPC and only takes about five hours to complete. This program works well for marketers looking to expand their skills or small business owners who handle most of their marketing efforts. Semrush Academy offers additional PPC classes to continue learning to the next level.

Microsoft Advertising Certification Offered by Microsoft

Microsoft Ads is used by the Bing search engine, similar to Google Ads. This certification course teaches learners how to use Microsoft Ads by covering topics like ad structure, targeting demographics, and making bid adjustments.

These free online courses are specific to Microsoft Ads, so they won't be as beneficial to marketers who don't have Bing SEO as part of their larger digital marketing strategy.

Fundamentals of Digital Marketing Offered by Google

This course is designed for people with little to no experience or prior knowledge in digital marketing. The course helps build skills like understanding data analytics, developing an online marketing strategy, and establishing marketing campaigns using ads and social media marketing.

This course takes most learners around 40 hours to complete due to the depth of material covered and the quizzes and assessments used to gauge understanding.

Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate Offered by Google and Coursera

E-commerce is the term used to describe digital storefronts. Managing these online businesses involves a different approach than other forms of digital marketing.

This certification course is provided through the third-party site Coursera and teaches students the basics of lead generation, data analytics, and other key aspects of e-commerce over six months.

Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate Offered by Meta and Coursera

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is not only one of the largest social media companies in the world, but it also offers robust courses on social media strategy and marketing. This six-part course takes most students around five months to complete through Coursera.

Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate Offered by Google Digital Garage

Cybersecurity might seem unrelated to digital marketing, but with e-commerce and email marketing databases, protecting valuable client data is essential. A marketer with an understanding of cybersecurity will be in a good position to help their business or clients have a safe digital presence.

Keyword Research Course Offered by Semrush Academy

Keyword research is a specialization within SEO that can have a major impact on your larger strategy. Identifying the best words to include in content can help it get picked up by search engine algorithms and ultimately reach users.

FAQs About Free Online Digital Marketing Certificates

It's common to have questions about free digital marketing certificates, whether you're a seasoned marketer or trying to begin a new career. Many learners wonder if these programs are completely free and if they will be recognized by employers.

Is There a Cost Associated With Free Online Digital Marketing Certificates?

Many truly free programs result in a certificate of completion, but some free courses have fine print. Some programs allow students to freely take courses but charge for exams that provide access to their certificates. Students looking to learn new skills can still do so for free, but there are often costs if they want a certificate to share or put on their resume.

How Long Does a Digital Marketing Certificate Take To Finish?

It varies from program to program. Some digital marketing certificates can be completed within hours, while others can take eight months or even longer. The length varies mainly based on the subjects being covered.

Do Employers Recognize Free Online Digital Marketing Certificates?

Employers do recognize free online digital marketing certificates, provided they are earned from reputable providers. Certificates from HubSpot, Semrush, Google, and others are well respected within the digital marketing industry.