6 Best Online Content Writing Courses and Certifications [Updated June 2023]
The famous quote “content is king” was published by Bill Gates in 1996. After more than two decades the quote couldn’t be more relevant. The advent of the digital age has made content reign supreme in the marketing world. Whether it about selling your product, improving brand image, convincing stakeholders, influencing opinions, gaining followers, or creating a presence online, good content is the driving force for success.
Since the internet is a vast ocean of information, it is quite easy to get lost in the crowd. A keyword-rich strong piece of writing can organically increase your visibility on the search engines and social media platforms. Also, as the digital audience is accessing content on multiple platforms, their attention span is really low; it becomes imperative that you create cross-platform and crisp content by undertaking content writing courses. Well-written content is the one that flows lucidly, is grammatically sound, engages the readers, answers the queries a reader is searching for, provides value, delivers on promises, and is visually appealing.
Now, having your way with the words is something that you are naturally blessed with, but just like any other skill, you can become a good writer by practicing, reading more content, and taking the help of content writing courses. You do not need a specialized degree to become a content writer; if you can write sentences that are grammatically correct and easy to understand, you are already one step closer to becoming a phenomenal writer. In fact, most web content writers are required to use language that is jargon-free, reader-friendly and SEO friendly. However, getting a content writing certification certainly helps in improving job prospects.
Since all the businesses are moving online, people need creative and engaging writers to sell their ideas/products. Some of the popular and well-paid types of content writers are:
- Technical writers
- Website content developers
- Blog/Article writer
- Academic writer
- Business content writer
- SEO writer
- Copywriter
If you wish to explore your creative flair and learn the trade, there are a number of content writing certification courses that you can take. We have already mentioned that nothing can replace practice and reading good content. Apart from the traditional route, you can enroll yourself for some of the best content writing courses online that can teach you how to create content that is both SEO- and reader-friendly.
TrumpLearning in consultation with 11 content experts, has filtered down for you some of the best content writing certification courses that you can take up to hone your writing skills. You can share your certificates on your social media profiles to catch more eyeballs of employees hunting for proficient writers. Read on to know what these best content writing courses online have in store for you.
6 Best Online Content Writing Courses and Certifications
- How to Write Great Web Content - Better Search Rankings! [Udemy]
- Ultimate Web Content Writing Masterclass + Power words eBook [Udemy]
- Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization By University of Michigan [Coursera]
- Complete Web Content Writing Masterclass 2019 - Part 1 of 5, Home Page Content [Skill Share]
- Learn about Content Writing [Udemy]
- Learning to Write for the Web [LinkedIn]
Google keeps on updating itself regularly to fix the blind spots exploited by certain unethical webmasters to rank poor quality content at the top of the result page. Hence, it is crucial to develop content using best practices to avoid your content being banned by Google. The sole purpose of writing SEO friendly content is to rank high in search engines. Employers seek content writers who are well versed with how the popular search engines operate and expect you to write keyword-rich content to gain these ranks organically.
If you are new to the business of content writing, or have a website of your own that you wish to optimize, or want to improve your site ranking, the first in our list of online content writing courses is this Udemy content writing certification. This introductory Udemy content writing course is apt for anyone who may or may not have an idea about SEO but wants to develop content that can rank high on Google.
This 4.5 hours-long course consists of 51 on-demand video classes that begin with a brief introduction of the history of web content creation and how the content has evolved with the launch of Google’s search filters Panda and Penguin. This Udemy content writing course also elaborates on the content guidelines created by Google.
The mentor of this content writing certification will also take you through some great ways of creating innovative and creative content online and using various mediums to publish content that will be a hit with the visitors. You will also learn about the “niche vocabulary” and its importance for achieving a high ranking in the top search results on Google. You will be made familiar with ‘link bait’ and ‘share bait’ for visitor retention and content sharing on social media platforms.
The above course content has been divided into the following modules:
- Webmaster guidelines
- Finding content ideas
- Types of web content
- Niche Vocabulary
- Practice module
This is one of the best online content writing courses as each module is full of exercises to help you put your learning to practice. By undertaking this Udemy content writing course you will be able to write your first piece of content. The mentor will hand-hold you through the entire process, beginning from the title to the very end. You will learn to integrate all the tools and skills taught in the online classes in your content and review it with the help of a checklist.
This content writing certification has been created and mentored by Andrew Williams, who is a WordPress, SEO & self-publishing expert. The course has a rating of 4.5 and has been enrolled by 4840 students. You can purchase this course with a one-time fee that also comes with 30-days money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the content. You will get full lifetime access to the content of the course and will also earn a certificate on completion.
Reviews by Amruta Deshmukh
“
This course is great for beginners as well as marketing professionals dealing with agencies that manage their web content (website/ blogs). The course is designed well for easy understanding and clears your basic concepts. Andy has also shared tools that will help build good content.
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Champions are not made overnight! Not are prolific writers. Content writing like any other discipline requires a mix of theory and practice to excel at it. If you are an entrepreneur, a website owner, a marketing student, or a freelance content writer, eager to learn content writing or understand the nuances of web content development, this is the Udemy content writing masterclass to go for.
This content writing certification covers the A to Z of content development including blogging, content/copywriting, editing, the key to digital marketing, marketing and strategy, and SEO keyword research. All you need is a willingness to learn and take the suggestions to begin this Udemy content writing course.
Ranked amongst the best content writing courses online for beginners, this masterclass consists of 4.5 hours of on-demand video lectures to learn the fundaments of content creation. The 45 lectures in this course have been divided into nine broad sections.
The key takeaways of this course are:
- Difference between content writing, copywriting, and content marketing
- Writing content for the home page of a website
- How to outsource content writing – step by step
- Writing content on the About Us page
- Writing a blog post step by step and the best practices
- Writing product and category pages for e-commerce and other businesses
- Types of offers to increase sales/conversions
- Keyword research techniques
The mentor of this content writing certification is Sivakumar Kannan, a marketing consultant and coach. The course has been tagged as a bestseller in content writing courses with a rating of 4.5 and 5281 students on board. You can avail of this course with a one-time payment which is secured with a money-back guarantee. Apart from the video lectures, the course also as an eBook of 3000 power words created by the instructor that you can use in your content writing. The course also has 10 downloadable resources and a hand-full of assignments for your practice. You will be awarded a certificate of completion on completing all the video lectures and assignments.
Reviews by Sejal Bansal
“
The topics covered were extremely relevant and in a very good detailed manner. Also the instructor used a friendly conversational tone and made the leaning fun and interesting.
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Professionals, irrespective of their industry, need to know how to communicate efficiently both in writing and verbally to be able to succeed at their workplace. Words hold the power to persuade and this Coursera content writing specialization aims to improve your persuasive technique by teaching you how to write effectively.
The Coursera content writing certification, offered by the University of Michigan, consists of four courses that can be taken up together or selectively. These are few of the best content writing courses online that will teach you the skills to arrange a complex set of information in a reader-friendly way, to give and receive high-quality feedback, and to meet deadlines.
This is a beginners’ content writing courses series that will take approx. four months to complete by investing four hours of effort per week. The online content writing courses under this specialization are:
Course 1 – Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order
Under this course of the Coursera content writing specialization you will learn:
- The use of written words to be more persuasive
- Creative ways to use the syntax
- Effective techniques for storytelling
- Methods to arrange a complex series of information
Course 2 – Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization
This Coursera content writing course will teach you:
- How to effectively provide information using sentences and paragraphs.
- Why the traditional advice to “Show, don’t tell” is redundant as skilled writers juggle between show and tell.
- Time management techniques including ‘deep work,’ ‘studio time,’ and ‘the Animal Farm Principle.’
Course 3 – Writing and Editing: Drafting
The third Coursera writing course in the four content writing courses specialization will help you cope with being scared while writing. You will learn:
- What are “planning fallacy” and “temptation bundling”
- Experimenting with “freewriting” and “writing before you are ready”
Course 4 – Writing and Editing: Revising
In the last Coursera content writing course, you will learn:
- The difference between editing and proofreading
- Practicing ‘un-numbing the numbers’ so that data and statistics are clear and compelling
- The framework for giving and receiving feedback to systematises what should be cut and what should be kept from each draft
Apart from the topics mentioned above under the Coursera content writing courses, will also gain access to:
- Books and resources used by students who have taken the same course in-person at the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago
- Two digital libraries with a diverse collection of writings of journalists, scientists, novelists, poets, historians, and entrepreneurs
- A monthly “Good Sentences” email
The above four Coursera content writing courses though are a part of the specialization, they can be opted for separately. However, subscribing to any one of the content writing courses will automatically subscribe you to all the online content writing courses in this series. The mentor of these content writing courses is Patrick Barry, Clinical Assistant Professor of Law at Michigan Law School. The Coursera content writing courses series has been rated a 4.8, the highest in our list of best content writing courses online. You will be awarded a certificate after completing all the online content writing courses and the hands-on project.
Reviews by Praveen K.S.
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My courses taught me to pick up new ideas quickly and apply them to real-world problems. Today, my certificates make me stand out from the crowd.
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Entrepreneurs and content writers looking for online content writing courses for creating website content can take this beginners’ course to learn the strategies and tools of web content writing. This course is the first course in the series of five online content writing courses on web content development.
This 1.5 hour-long content writing course consists of 17 video lessons that will teach you step-by-step on how to create content for a website. During the course you will learn:
- Writing user-and search engine-friendly content.
- Creating content for different pages of a typical website such as Home page, About Us page, pages for different categories, and so on.
- Writing content that not only engages your target audience but also the employees to grow your business.
- The difference between content writing and copywriting
The instructor of this course is Sivakumar Kannan, a digital marketing consultant and coach. In addition to the great content, the enrollees of this course will also get an eBook compiled by the instructor with 3000+ power words to use in their website content. This is a subscription-based course that offers a 14-days free trial. The course has been subscribed to by 781 students already. However, this course does not provide any certificate of completion.
Reviews by Ngonzi Kabiito
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This is awesome. If you can illustrate more on how to use the keyword tools and content curating tools with an actual example or exercise, it would be more awesome. otherwise, this was great. Thank you so much.
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This is another option for short online content writing courses to learn the basics of content writing. While the previous course did not provide a certificate, this one gives a content writing certification. The Udemy content writing course is fit for people who have a flair for writing and wish to improve their skills to pursue a career in content development. The course is also helpful for start-up founders who want to develop an engaging website for their business.
The 40-minutes long course consists of 18 on-demand video lectures that can be accessed on mobile or TV. Some of the topics covered in this content writing certification are:
- Content writing for mobile devices
- Content designing
- Content adaptation
- Content writing as a career
- Tips and pointers to improve upon content writing
The instructor of this course is Tushar Mangl, an author and communications specialist. This Udemy content writing course has a rating of 3.8 and has been enrolled by 25,317 students. The course can be bought with a single-payment fee that also comes with a money-back guarantee. You will be granted a content writing certification after attending all the video lessons and undertaking the assignments included in the course curriculum.
Reviews by Daniel Samuel
“
It was really helpful. Most of my fears as a beginner were handled in those 40 mins. It's really amazing and informative.
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The last one in our list of best content writing courses online is this LinkedIn course that will assist you in writing effectively for a website. Since users online generally skim through the content, it is essential to write content that is crisp, easy to understand, and delivers all the details in lesser words. By taking this course, you will understand the key differences in online and offline reading and take this aspect into consideration while planning the online content for your audience.
This beginner’s course through 32 online video lessons will teach you the following techniques for writing successfully:
- Writing for fast reading
- Reading age and tone
- Creating information-rich signposts
- Front-loading content
- Removing the sales pitch (marketing jargons)
- Providing detailed information and useful images
- Managing the information you publish (keeping it up-to-date)
The instructor of this course is Chris Nodder, a LinkedIn Learning Instructor and User Experience Consultant. You can either subscribe to this course or purchase it with a one-time-fee. The course has already been viewed by 28,056 people that include authors, students, software developers, and journalists. This course does not provide any content writing certification.
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Conclusion
The field of online content is ever-evolving and the demand for good content writers will continue to grow exponentially. As all businesses are investing to build their online presence, having good content on their websites will be crucial for improving search engine rankings, retaining visitors, and escalating sales. Hence it is important for new entrepreneurs and content developers to undertake content writing courses online to drive their business better.
The content writing jobs for both online and offline content also pay well. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual pay of a writer was $63,200 in May 2019, while the median annual wage for all workers was $39,810. College pass-outs, journalists, content writers, and freelancers can take the help of online content writing courses to be ready for the increasing demand.
We hope that with our list of online content writing courses we were able to provide you all the information you may need to select the best content writing courses online. Keep learning and stay tuned to explore more of such interesting online courses on TrumpLearning.
Best Online Content Writing Courses and Certifications
Reviewed by 11 Content Experts
4.6