15 Marketing Certifications to Build Must-Have 2025 Skills

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5. Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing

The Fundamentals of Digital Marketing certification is offered by Google and accredited by Interactive Advertising Bureau. It’s ideal for those looking to learn foundational skills in digital marketing that will help you achieve long-term career growth.

The course consists of 24 modules that cover topics like:

• Building your web presence
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Social media marketing strategy
• Content marketing
• Display advertising
• Getting started with digital analytics
• Building your ecommerce shop

This free course takes approximately 14 hours to complete, though there is no time limit. Learners can access the content at any time and everything is self-paced.

Once you complete all the modules — including a final assessment —  Google will provide you with what it calls an “award,” which you can showcase on LinkedIn.

6. Content Marketing Institute’s Master Class Certification

This Content Marketing Master Class from Content Marketing Institute covers 11 core modules, along with additional content on the latest trends and strategies from top industry leaders. Each module includes a video that learners can watch at their own pace, followed by a short quiz.

This master class covers key skills and topic areas like:

• Building audience trust
• The three pillars of content marketing strategy
• The primary charters of a content team
• Developing customer-centric content marketing standards
• Developing audience personas
• The four archetypes of content
• How to measure content marketing efforts

This course is ideal for the digital marketing specialist looking to grow in the area of content marketing, or content marketers who want to expand their skill set. It’s self-paced and costs $1,395 (or $1,295 for AMA members). Once you sign up, you’ll have access to the course and training materials for 12 months.

7. The SMEI Certified Professional Marketer Course

Sales & Marketing Executives International, known as SMEI, offers the SMEI Certified Professional Marketer (SCPM) Exam Preparatory Course.

This course includes four parts and 18 total modules, with topics covered including:

• Creating customer relationships
• Understanding consumer behavior
• Reaching global customers and markets
• Managing successful products, services and brands
• Market segmentation and targeting
• Implementing interactive and multichannel marketing
• Using social media marketing and mobile marketing to connect with customers

The price of this marketing certificate course is $989 and includes access for six months. Those who get a grade of 75% or higher on the certification exam will receive the SCPM credential as well as a verifiable digital badge that you can share on LinkedIn or in your email signature.

The SMEI certifications may be of interest to individuals who are looking to move into senior management roles. Managers need an understanding of all marketing channels, PR and market research. The SMEI course covers these topics better than vendor-specific digital marketing courses would.

8. UC Berkeley Extension Certificate Program in Marketing

The UC Berkeley Extension Certificate Program in Marketing is a college-level certification program. It promises to teach students everything they need to know to become a digital marketing expert.

The program, which costs an estimated $4,700, includes 150 hours of instruction and is typically completed within two years. There is no prerequisite for this certification program, though a bachelor’s degree is recommended.

Skills that are taught include:

• Marketing management
• Social media marketing strategy
• Managing product and go-to-market strategies
• Marketing data visualization
• Strategic brand management
• Paid digital advertising

The courses within this marketing certificate are available online and in the classroom. All coursework must be completed within five years with a completed grade of C or better to earn certification.

9. Google Ads Measurement Certification

A number of Google Ads certification programs exist that you can add to your to-do list. One excellent option for marketers is the free Google Ads Measurement Certification, which teaches learners the skills required to measure and optimize digital ad performance.

Skills covered include:

• Turning marketing objectives into measurable actions
• Setting up tracking for measuring sales, app downloads, app installs and more
• How to analyze and act on insights from tracking data
• Choosing the right attribution model for your business goals

The course includes four sections and 14 activities, and takes just over three hours to complete. To pass, you’ll need to achieve a score of 80% or higher on the certification assessment. If you don’t pass the assessment, you have the opportunity to retake it a day later.

Other Google Ads certifications offered include:

• Google Ads Apps Certification
• Google Ads Search Certification
• Google Ads Display Certification
• AI-Powered Shopping Ads Certification
• Google Ads Video Certification

Related Article: Google Search Is Dying: How AI and Influencers Are Eating Google’s Lunch

10. HubSpot Content Marketing Certification

HubSpot’s Content Marketing Certification course is popular for many reasons, chief among them being that it’s free, well-recognized and comprehensive. HubSpot’s tools are used by many marketing agencies. Marketing specialists should find the skills they learn while studying are highly transferable.

The 12 lessons in this marketing certificate cover topics like:

• The power of storytelling
• Building a content creation framework
• Generating content ideas
• Planning a long-term content strategy
• How to create a successful video marketing strategy
• Creating topic clusters and pillar pages
• How to measure and analyze content

The course consists of 14 lessons, 54 videos and 11 quizzes. It takes approximately 8.5 hours to complete. Once you complete the course, you’ll earn a certification that you can add to your LinkedIn profile. HubSpot’s marketing certificates are valid for two years.

11. Google Analytics Certification

This free Google Analytics Certification is ideal for the digital marketing expert who wants to become a pro at Google Analytics 4. Those who complete the certification will understand how to set up and structure a property, as well as how to use the various reporting tools and features within the platform.

By passing the course, you’ll be able to demonstrate that you can:

• Set up a GA4 property for a website or app
• Collect the data you need for your business
• Use the various reporting tools and features
• Demonstrate the effectiveness of your marketing efforts

This certificate program includes two sections and six activities. It will take around five hours to complete, though you have unlimited access and can work through modules at your own pace.

This program is part of Google’s Skillshop, where they offer a number of certification and e-learning programs for digital marketers. Other certifications available for GA4 include:

• Get Started Using Google Analytics (GA4)
• Manage GA4 Data and Learn to Read Reports
• Dive Deeper Into GA4 Data and Reports
• Use GA4 With Other Tools and Data Sources

12. SEMRush SEO Toolkit Course

If you’re a marketer who wants to become an SEO pro, the SEO Toolkit Course through SEMRush Academy might be the option for you. This course is completely free and is ideal for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of their competitors’ online presence, including paid search and organic strategies.

In this course, you’ll take a deep dive on the search engine optimization tools offered by SEMRush, including the:

• Doman Overview tool
• Traffic Analytics
• Organic Research
• Keyword Gap tool
• Backlink Gap tool

This certification program includes nine videos and will take around 45 minutes to complete. Once complete, you’ll have the skills you need to thrive in a position that requires essential SEO knowledge and tool use.

13. HubSpot Social Media Marketing Certification Course

Another option from HubSpot, the free Social Media Marketing Certification course will cover all the fundamentals of building a successful social media strategy. It’s ideal for social media marketers who want to broaden their skillset and marketing managers who want to up-level their digital marketing expertise.

The course covers a variety of skills, including:

• Developing a social media strategy
• Social media listening and monitoring
• Extending your reach on social media platforms
• Using social media profiles to build one-on-one relationships
• Social media advertising
• How to measure your social return on investment

The course includes 10 lessons, 38 videos and 29 videos. On average, it takes users around five hours to complete. Once finished, you’ll earn a certificate that you can share on your LinkedIn profile.

14. Google Think Outside the Box: Email Marketing Course

This Think Outside the Box: Email Marketing Course is part of the Google Digital Marketing & Ecommerce Professional Certificate. However, it can be taken as a standalone course for those who specifically want to brush up on their email skills.

This course covers topics like:

• The types of email marketing
• Useful marketing tools for email
• Collecting and analyzing email campaign data
• How to run your own email marketing campaign

This email marketing course includes five modules, 38 videos, 37 readings, 25 quizzes and six discussion prompts. According to Google, it takes learners approximately 25 hours to complete. Once complete you’ll earn a shareable certificate you can share on your LinkedIn profile. You can also choose to go on and progress towards a full professional certificate.

Related Article: 4 Hallmarks of Today’s Best Email Marketing Strategies

15. DMI Certified Digital Marketing Professional + (CDMP)

The DMI Certified Digital Marketing Professionals + program combines the core Certified Digital Marketing Professional course with a specialist track in the student’s choice of Search Marketing, Social Media Marketing, or Strategy and Planning. The combined approach provides students with a solid foundation in digital marketing, along with skills in a specific marketing-related discipline.

The CDMP+ program includes 10 core modules covering:

• Introduction to Digital Marketing
• Content Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization
• Paid Search (PPC) with Google Ads
• YouTube and Display Advertising
• Email Marketing
• Website Optimization
• Analytics Using Google Analytics
• Digital Marketing Strategy

In addition, participants choose one of three specialist streams:

• Search Marketing – Covers SEO content, workshops, PPC, display and video advertising, applied analytics, and search strategy.
• Social Media Marketing – Covers social research, content creation, outreach, platform-specific marketing (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), social apps, video, and marketing automation.
• Strategy and Planning – Covers traditional and digital communications, channel management, customer service, budgeting, big data, analytics, and leadership in digital strategy.

The course includes approximately 30 hours of lecture content per stream plus a two- to three-hour certification exam (depending on the track), and costs $1,500.

What’s the Difference Between Academic Courses and Marketing Certifications?

Kyle Shea, EVP of partnership development at All Campus, told CMSWire that academic courses are often aimed at newcomers to the field and can help those looking to start a career in digital marketing. These courses provide a broad, basic understanding of each discipline.

With digital marketing certificates, however, course content is more focused on one or two areas “in order to provide students with a deeper understanding of each.”

Digital marketing certification programs often concentrate on specific marketing tools or platforms, and some are considered prerequisites for employment in certain roles. Although it’s rare to see a job posting that requires a credential from a university program like the Kellogg School of Management, job listings that require or strongly prefer Google Ads certification are common.

A candidate seeking a marketing role at a small business may find free Google marketing certifications put them in good standing. Those pursuing work at a marketing agency may benefit from credentials tied to widely used tools — for example, HubSpot, Meta Blueprint, or even platform-specific AI marketing certifications that have emerged in recent years.

Are Marketing Certifications Worth It? Final Insights

Marketing certifications can help make a marketer more valuable and more knowledgeable for a reasonable cost and effort. Usually self-paced, there are quite a few marketing courses that culminate in certification. Some, such as Google’s and HubSpot’s certifications, are free of charge. Starting with basics, such as the free Google marketing certifications, is a good option for those considering a career change.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Aug. 18, 2025 to include new data and information. The original content was authored by Scott Clark.

Core Questions About Marketing Certifications in 2025

Editor’s note: Key questions surrounding marketing certifications and their role in skills, credibility, and career advancement in 2025.