Whether you’re looking to level up your paid search expertise or earn a certification to boost your industry credibility, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising courses are a great way to learn and to grow your career.
Even if you aren’t a PPC specialist or you’re new to digital marketing, well-rounded marketers should at least know the fundamentals of paid search marketing.
Let’s go over the best online PPC courses every marketer should know about to improve your paid advertising knowledge and gain hands-on experience.
Table of Contents:
What is a PPC course?
A PPC course is a course that teaches marketers and advertisers about pay-per-click marketing. These courses usually take place online and are offered by platforms like Google and Microsoft as a way to increase marketers’ and PPC specialists’ knowledge about search marketing.
PPC course content can range from teaching the fundamentals to advanced strategies, and some even offer certifications for additional industry credibility.
The 10 Best PPC Courses for Marketers
Whether you want to boost your PPC knowledge or earn a certification, there are several PPC courses out there for marketers.
Here are 10 of the best PPC courses to add to your continuing education toolkit.
1. Google Ads Certification
If you’re looking for the most comprehensive and credible way to learn PPC, you’ll want to get a Google Ads Certification.
Google processes 8.5 billion searches per day, so it makes sense to get direct insight from the platform as you’re learning how to get in front of those billions of searchers. Plus, many PPC specialist or digital marketing roles require you to have a Google Ads Certification.
Google Ads currently offers several certifications for everything from Search to Display to Video. Each module offers training questions to help you prepare for the certification exam.
Pricing: Free
Best For: If you’re a beginner marketer or are new to paid advertising, a Google Ads Certification is the most credible and comprehensive resource to learn the ins and outs of running ads on Google.
2. Semrush PPC Fundamentals Course
Semrush is a widely recognized search platform trusted by marketers around the world
In addition to its extensive lineup of SEO and digital management tools, the platform also offers a PPC course for marketers who want to hone their skills as PPC specialists or business owners who are looking to run PPC campaigns on their own.
Taught by PPC expert Joel Bondorowsky, the PPC Fundamentals course from Semrush offers a comprehensive breakdown of the PPC basics. After you’ve learned the essentials, you’ll gain knowledge on creating effective and profitable PPC campaigns.
If you’re interested in furthering your digital marketing knowledge, Semrush offers a range of courses and certifications in Semrush Academy. Get certified in everything from SEO essentials to GA4 to social media marketing.
Pricing: Free
What we like: The self-paced course is only five hours in total which makes it easy to learn the basics of PPC over the course of a weekend.
3. Microsoft Advertising Certification
Microsoft’s Advertising Learning Lab offers several certifications designed around the Microsoft Ads (Formerly Bing Ads) platform, from native and display ads to shopping ads.
If you want to hone in on PPC ads for search, consider taking the Search Advertising Learning Path.
The certification course focuses specifically on the Microsoft Ads platform, walking users through ad structure, targeting, and bid adjustments. The course is self-guided and takes about five hours to complete.
After you’ve completed all 21 modules within the learning path, you can take the certification exam and earn your certification badge. If you’re already confident with the platform, you can skip straight to the exam.
Pricing: The courses and exams are free to complete.
Best For: Anyone who plans to or is already active on Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads).
4. Wordstream’s PPC University
PPC University is a free PPC training course from Wordstream, a PPC platform. The course is broken down into individual guides for each level:
- PPC 101: An intro to the fundamentals of PPC and all of the basic terms to know.
- PPC 102: This section will go over identifying target keywords, writing ad copy, and understanding bidding strategies.
- Advanced PPC: Once you have the basics down, level up to learn how to optimize and improve your ads.
- Social Ads 101: This guide goes over the different ways to advertise on social media.
Pricing: Free
What we like: For anyone who’s looking to learn and grow in the PPC industry, Wordstream offers countless resources in addition to its courses.
5. Meta Blueprint Courses
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, offers a range of free digital marketing courses.
If you’re interested in expanding your PPC skill set to include social media advertising, consider taking one of Meta’s Blueprint Courses.
Start with the Business Advertising on Facebook course. The free, self-guided course walks you through how to reach your customers through Facebook by creating ads on your business page.
You’ll learn how to determine which ad objective is best for your business goals and how to create a budget using Meta’s ad tools. Meta also offers a full certification if you’re interested in expanding your knowledge on the full platform experience.
Pricing: Free
Best For: Marketers who want to increase their expertise on social ads, specifically for Meta which includes Facebook and Instagram.
6. Amazon Ads Certification
While search engines like Google are usually the first thing that comes to mind when we think about PPC advertising, we can’t forget about Amazon.
If you have an ecommerce business and sell products on Amazon, consider taking one of Amazon’s Ads Certifications.
Amazon is a massive search engine for online retail, so it makes sense to learn directly from the source how you can get your products to reach more people on the platform.
The certifications Amazon offers cover topics like retail ads strategy, sponsored ads, and campaign optimization.
Pricing: Free
Best For: Marketers and advertisers in the ecommerce industry.
7. Coursera Google Ads Beginner Course
The online learning platform, Coursera, offers several courses around digital marketing topics taught by experts from top universities and major companies.
One of the courses offered by Coursera Project Network is Google Ads for Beginners.
In the course, an instructor walks you through how to set up your first Google ad campaign and concludes with a practice assessment.
If you’re a visual or hands-on learner, this course makes it easy to get experience as you learn by setting up your ad alongside the instructor.
Pricing: Free to enroll with a 7-day trial. After the trial, Coursera monthly packages start at $49 per month.
What we like: As a course within the Coursera network, this two-hour course is a convenient way to learn more about Google Ads if you’re already actively expanding your knowledge on the platform.
8. University of Colorado Boulder Social Media Advertising Course
Another course on Coursera, this one focuses on social media advertising. As a marketer or advertiser, you may have experience with search ads, but social ads are a separate skill set.
In this Social Media Advertising Course, taught by an instructor from the University of Colorado Boulder, you’ll learn the ins and outs of Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) advertising.
Each module takes about two hours to complete, with the final module diving into custom audiences and retargeting.
Pricing: Free to enroll with a 7-day trial. After the trial, Coursera monthly packages start at $49 per month.
What we like: The course is taught by a university professor which can provide a different perspective than other digital marketing online courses.
9. The Complete Google Ads Masterclass
If you’re a member of Skillshare, another online learning platform, check out The Complete Google Ads Masterclass.
Taught by two digital marketing experts, this class is an actionable course that teaches you how to set up a Google Ad Words strategy and create effective ads.
Over 6,400 students have taken the course and the ratings are high, with 74% of students saying the course exceeded their expectations.
Pricing: Skillshare is free to try for one month. After your trial, monthly membership is $32 per month and includes access to thousands of courses.
Best For: This specific and actionable course is best for anyone who wants to focus on Google Ads whether as part of their marketing role or as a consultant or freelancer.
10. Digital Marketing Institute Paid Search Marketing Course
The Digital Marketing Institute is a recognized industry resource for earning certifications and career advancement through upskilling.
The DMI’s Paid Search Marketing (PPC) Course is a self-paced course with four interactive modules that break down PPC fundamentals, keywords and landing page best practices, and reporting and optimization.
The course takes about 10 hours to complete, includes actionable templates, and offers an associate-level certification.
One of the few paid courses on this list, Digital Marketing Institute’s PPC course isn’t cheap but it could be worth the investment as it comes with a free Digital Marketing Institute Membership.
Pricing: $445
Best For: DMI partners with the American Marketing Association (AMA) which makes it easy to fulfill continuing education requirements or just keep your skills fresh.
Start Learning Today
PPC courses are a great way to learn how to be a PPC specialist or keep your marketing skills fresh.
Whether you want to earn a certification to land a new role or want to expand your knowledge with continuing education, keep these PPC courses in mind as you hone your paid search marketing expertise.
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