Let’s be real, being an online entrepreneur is hard. Whether you’re blogging or building a business website, you’re not just a creator anymore. You’re also your own tech support, content manager, SEO specialist, social media manager… 😩
And if you’re doing it solo? Even harder. It can feel really lonely.
There’s so much to learn, and most of us don’t have a team or a bottomless budget. Unless you’re one of those lucky bastards who can invest thousands right out of the gate (no shade, but wow, must be nice), chances are you’re piecing it all together between YouTube videos and Google searches.
It’s a bit of a catch-22. Your budget is tight, and you need to start making money, but without learning the essentials – like SEO, digital marketing, and how to actually reach people – you won’t get very far. The problem is, gaining those skills often feels overwhelming, time-consuming, and expensive.
But here’s the good news – There are amazing free online courses out there (yes, actually free 😊) that can teach you the foundations without the overwhelm (or the price tag).
Here are my favorite free online courses that every website owner and digital creator should take 👇
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Get Found: Free SEO Courses for Beginners
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, but don’t let that intimidate you. It’s just about getting your blog posts and pages found by the right people on Google.
Here are my favorite free courses that explain SEO in a way that actually makes sense, especially if you’re starting from scratch:
Ahrefs – SEO for Beginners
A concise, video-based course (just under 2 hours total) created by one of the leading SEO software companies.
This course breaks down core concepts like keyword research, on-page SEO, link building, and technical SEO.
It’s great if you prefer learning visually and want to understand how each piece of SEO fits together. Each video is short and straight to the point.
Moz – Beginner’s Guide to SEO
More of an in-depth tutorial than a traditional course, Moz’s guide is structured as a 7-chapter manual covering the entire SEO landscape.
It’s ideal if you like to read and revisit sections at your own pace.
You’ll learn about how search engines work, keyword targeting, site structure, link building, and measuring success. It also includes helpful diagrams and real-world examples.
HubSpot Academy – SEO Training Course: Building Sustainable Traffic for Business Growth
HubSpot’s free SEO course focuses on the essentials: how search engines work, how to find keywords, optimizing your site for search, and measuring your results.
The course is video-based, beginner-friendly, and full of practical takeaways you can use right away.
👉 Start the HubSpot SEO Training
Neil Patel – SEO Unlocked
This is a full 7-week video course that dives deep into different aspects of SEO – keyword research, content creation, link building, and analytics.
What makes it stand out is the added templates and worksheets you can download and use for your own blog.
It’s structured and practical, especially if you want to apply what you’re learning right away.
SIDE NOTE: The New Era of SEO
One more thing I want to touch on – the search landscape is changing fast, thanks to AI and those “zero-click” answers Google now shows right on the results page.
Strategies that worked for years just don’t work the same way anymore.
For example, “can puppies eat tomatoes” used to be a nice long-tail low-competition keyword that could bring steady traffic to your website. But today, even if your blog post is still ranking number one for that phrase, your traffic is virtually non-existent. Why? Because people get the answer instantly from AI, so they never even click through to your site.
That doesn’t mean SEO is dead. It just means SEO is evolving in the age of AI.
If you want a real-world look at what’s happening, I highly recommend this YouTube video from Ryan, the founder of RightBlogger. He explains what’s changing and how bloggers can adapt:
👉 Watch it here
Make Your Website Work for You: Digital Marketing Basics
If you’ve ever felt lost hearing phrases like funnels, conversion rates, or content strategy, you’re definitely not alone.
What it really comes down to is this: how do you get your website and your message in front of the right people, and convince them to stick around and buy your offer?
Good digital marketing includes everything from content planning, social media, and email campaigns, to understanding how people actually find and interact with your website.
Learning even the basics will help you attract more visitors, keep them engaged, and eventually turn them into subscribers or customers.
Here are two free courses that will give you a solid foundation:
Google Digital Garage – Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
This Digital Marketing course is a fantastic “big picture” intro to all things digital marketing. It covers 26 bite-sized modules, including how to build a web presence, improve search rankings, use social media effectively, create better content, measure results, and even dip your toes into Google Ads.
You’ll see practical examples for small businesses, bloggers, and solopreneurs. It’s perfect for mapping out what matters most at the beginning and figuring out where to focus first.
Note – It’s a larger and more comprehensive course than most on this list, so you might want to pace yourself and plan your time accordingly. But you can take it one module at a time and come back whenever you need.
HubSpot Academy – Content Marketing & Inbound Marketing
HubSpot’s free courses are ideal if you want to understand how content can turn casual visitors into loyal fans (and eventually customers).
HubSpot’s Digital Marketing course is specifically designed for beginners. It walks you through the key pillars of digital marketing: building an online presence, getting found in search, social media basics, creating content that resonates, and analyzing your results.
The lessons are short, practical, and packed with examples you can apply to your own site right away, whether you’re a blogger or a small business owner.
The Content Marketing course covers how to brainstorm, plan, and publish content that’s useful and engaging. And how to distribute it across channels like your blog, email, and social media.
The Inbound Marketing course explains how to attract people to your site, build trust, and nurture those relationships over time, using strategies that feel natural (not pushy or salesy). Each lesson is video-based, well-produced, and easy to pause or revisit.
HubSpot Academy – Email Marketing Course
Your email list is your secret weapon. It’s the one thing you own, and no algorithm can take it away. This is an amazing course if you want to start collecting emails and using them like a professional marketer 🙂
👉 Try it here
Master Your Data: Analytics, Site Speed & Search Console
If you want your website to grow, you can’t afford to guess what’s working. Learning to track your analytics shows you exactly where your traffic is coming from, which pages are making an impact, and what’s falling flat.
Understanding site speed is just as important. A slow website can hurt your rankings and drive visitors away before they even see your content.
And if you don’t know how Google sees your site, you’re missing out on easy wins (and missing hidden problems that could be holding you back).
These aren’t just “nice to know” skills, they’re essential if you want real results from your blog or website.
Here are some of the best beginner-friendly courses and tools to help you get clear, actionable insights:
Google – Mastering Google Analytics
These courses show you how to navigate your Google Analytics dashboard like a pro. You’ll learn to set it up correctly, spot which pages are bringing in traffic, understand where visitors come from, and find patterns that help you make better content decisions.
If you’ve linked GA4 to your website but are still staring at the charts, wondering what the hell it all means, this is for you 😊
HubSpot Academy – Page Experience & Core Web Vitals Lesson
This short lesson zeroes in on a newer (and very important) part of SEO: page experience and Core Web Vitals. You’ll learn what Core Web Vitals are, why they matter for Google rankings, and what simple steps you can take to improve your site speed and user experience—even if you’re not techy.
Google Search Console Training (Free Video Series)
Search Console is your behind-the-scenes dashboard for how Google views your site. It lets you spot indexing problems, monitor search performance, fix sitemap issues, and discover keywords you’re already ranking for.
Google’s own Search Console Training playlist on YouTube walks you through each report—what it does, why it matters, and how you can take action.
If you want a more structured walkthrough, here’s a beginner‑to‑advanced short course by Umar Tazkeer that covers setups, inspections, performance tracking, indexing reports, and more—all in under two hours.
Google Search Console Training (YouTube playlist)
If you want your website to actually grow (and not just sit there), learning these digital skills isn’t just helpful, it’s necessary.
Luckily, you don’t need a big budget or years of experience to get started. With the right free resources, you can learn everything from SEO to analytics, one small step at a time.
Remember, you don’t have to master everything overnight! Pick one course, focus on what matters most right now, and keep moving forward 😊
Every new skill you learn is one less thing to worry about and one more way to build the online business or blog you actually want.
You’ve got this! ☺️
