What's your lead nurturing health score?

Written by: Tony Diallo, Digital Marketing Intern at Qincade

Read time: 8–10 minutes

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“There is no experience from which you can’t learn something.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

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My digital marketing journey

When I first decided to pursue a career in digital marketing, I felt overwhelmed. Should I focus on SEO? Social media? Paid ads? Content creation? Every path seemed important, but without structure, I risked learning everything halfway and mastering nothing.

That’s when I realized that the best approach was to focus on digital marketing tools for beginners that offered not only certifications but also the opportunity to develop practical skills every digital marketer needs.

Using this approach, I obtained the following certifications:

•  Fundamentals of Digital Marketing – Google Certification
•  Google Analytics 4 Certification
•  SEO Certification – HubSpot Academy

I also joined the University of Nottingham’s Digital Marketing Academy, where I combined my certifications with webinars, networking, and real-world experience at TANK PR, exploring SEO, Digital PR, and content creation.

These opportunities gave me the perfect mix of theory, tools, and practical experience. Along the way, I discovered five key tools that have influenced my career to date: Google Analytics, HubSpot Academy, Google Skillshop, WordPress, and Canva.

Let’s examine what each platform taught me, and how you can use them to jumpstart your own career.

1. Google Analytics – Turning Numbers Into Stories

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) was my introduction to the power of data-driven marketing. At first, the dashboards felt intimidating: charts, metrics, bounce rates, sessions, page views. But through the Google Analytics 4 Certification, I learned how to translate those numbers into insights.

For example, when I noticed through GA4 that website visits were primarily through referrals rather than organic search, I presented my findings to discuss a strategy designed to push more referrals for search rather than organic search. I suggested focusing on building and nurturing high-quality referral partnerships, particularly direct contact and established connections, rather than relying primarily on organic search. 

The aim of this approach was to leverage existing connections to increase qualified traffic and improve use engagement.  

Key takeaways from Google Analytics:

1. Measure what matters: Don’t drown in vanity metrics. Focus on KPIs like conversions, session duration, and user flow. Understanding user flow is important for providing customers with a seamless user experience. By looking at touchpoints you can decipher where you are either losing or gaining customers in the buying journey and make adjustments to how your content or products are presented. 
2. Audience segmentation: This marketing practice allows brands to understand and target specific groups. Break down demographics and user behaviour through the use of surveys and questionnaires to identify which audiences deliver the most ROI. Audience segmentation is important for marketers when it comes to quality A/B testing as and can help eliminate guesswork in content creation and campaign design. 
3. Data storytelling: Data means nothing if you can’t explain it. Learning to craft a story from insights makes you stand out as a marketer. 
4. Looking for more insight? Read Qincade’s blog focused on leadership support and how it help craft stories.
5. Bonus insight: Most beginners use GA4 passively, just to “check numbers.” The real growth happens when you use it actively, asking why numbers look the way they do, and then testing solutions. The more you explore the tool, the more you learn.  
6. Marketing takeaway: Google Analytics aids in developing analytical skills necessary for a marketer. With experience you go from opinion based insights to strategic insights. 

2. HubSpot Academy: Mastering SEO and inbound strategy

SEO was a mystery to me until I discovered HubSpot Academy. Their SEO Certification didn’t just define EEAT, crawling, or the importance of HTML, it gave me a framework for creating content that ranks.

I learned to conduct keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner, create topic clusters that strengthen authority, and write content aligned with search intent.

During my internship with Qincade, these skills truly came to life. I was tasked with developing a blog series optimized for SEO, ensuring posts have strong internal links, clear, relevant headings, and metadata aligned with Google’s SERP requirements.

Key takeaways from HubSpot Academy:

1. SEO is about users, not algorithms: The goal is to answer their questions and build trust.
2. Practical frameworks matter: Topic clusters and pillar pages make content scalable.
3. Continuous learning: SEO evolves, so certifications are a starting point, not an endpoint. A new topic known as Generative Search Optimization has emerged as the next big shift in marketing. GSO is about optimizing content for AI-driven generative search engines such as ChatGPT. Marketers are now focusing on how to optimise their content best for AI driven search results. 
4. Bonus insight: HubSpot’s free resources also taught me about inbound marketing, where content can be built to attract customers organically, rather than you having to chase them. This mindset shift was huge; this is why today I focus on creating blogs that incorporate insights and solve problems, not just sell.
5. Marketing takeaway: SEO is the backbone of digital marketing. HubSpot Academy helps you master it at your own pace.

3. Google Skillshop: great for building strong fundamentals

Google Skillshop was like my digital marketing 101 bootcamp. The Fundamentals of Digital Marketing Certification walked me through all the essentials, including search ads, display ads, SEO, content marketing, and analytics.

It helped me connect the dots. For example, I learned how SEO (organic reach) and PPC (paid reach) complement each other in the same funnel. Without that perspective, I might have treated them as separate strategies or, more importantly, not understood the impact that they have on digital marketing.

Key takeaways from Google Skillshop:

1. Holistic view: Skillshop explains how all marketing channels interconnect.
2. Hands-on tasks: Interactive modules such as the SEO Certification through HubSpot and the Fundamentals of Digital Marketing through Google Skillshop gave me practical exercises that felt closely aligned with real-world work.
3. Industry credibility: A Google-backed certification instantly makes your CV stronger.
4. Bonus insight: The fundamentals also taught me to think from the perspective of a consumer. Digital marketing isn’t about what we want to push; it’s about what people want to find. Placing yourself in the shoes of your customer can enable a more empathetic and insight-driven approach to strategy development. 
5. Marketing takeaway: Skillshop gives you a foundation that makes advanced learning less overwhelming.

4. WordPress: Building professional websites

Unlike platforms designed for simple drag-and-drop use, WordPress provided me with the flexibility to develop into a professional marketer. Although I’ve only started using this  marketing tool recently, I can already apply advanced SEO plugins like Yoast to structure content properly. With help and practice, I’m learning the basics of hosting and website management.

Key takeaways from WordPress:

1. Content management: WordPress taught me how to edit, make, and organize blogs, understand subject categories, optimize content for visibility online and to use internal links effectively.
2. Professional credibility: As a digital marketer, employers will often ask if you’ve worked with WordPress; it’s the industry standard and according to a recent report WordPress powers 43.4% of all websites globally. [1]
3. Marketing takeaway: WordPress isn’t just a platform – it’s a proving ground for real-world digital marketing skills.

5. Canva: Creativity that converts

In digital marketing, visual content is king. Canva allowed me to create professional-quality designs without needing Photoshop expertise.

From social media graphics to event posters, Canva helped me turn strategy into visuals. For Pixal Fest, a DMV short film festival, I designed event and director biography graphics that not only looked good but also drove engagement on social platforms. After using Canva to create social media posts for the inaugural film festival, we noticed a 30% increase in shares particularly on Instagram. 

Key takeaways from Canva:

1. Accessible design: Canva makes high-quality visuals possible for non-designers.
2. Consistency is key: Templates can help ensure every post and graphic aligns with your brand identity.
3. Bonus insight: Canva also gave me confidence to experiment with design trends, gradients, bold typography, and minimalist layouts without a steep learning curve.
4. Marketing takeaway: Content that informs and engages is unforgettable. Canva helps you create such content with immersive and easy-to-use software. 

Beyond certifications: Practice makes the difference

While these tools and certifications laid my foundation, practical experience is what brought it all together.

The University of Nottingham’s Digital Marketing Academy gave me:

1. A chance to gain certifications in leading platforms
2. Live webinars with industry experts
3. Networking opportunities with peers and professionals
4. A week at TANK PR, where I explored SEO, Digital PR, and content creation in a real-world setting

Final takeaway: Certifications are the launchpad. Practice is the rocket fuel.

Taking advantage of opportunities

My digital marketing career didn’t just happen it was built step by step through certifications, practice, and opportunities. Tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot Academy, Google Skillshop, WordPress, and Canva were essential in shaping my skills.

Here’s what I learned: tools and certifications only matter if you put them into practice. Designing for Pixal Fest, optimising blogs for SEO, and testing content strategies on Instagram gave me results that a certificate alone could never provide. 

As the industry evolves, I will need to update and expand my qualifications, always looking at ways to further develop my skills. One thing is for certain in the field of digital marketing- there is always something new to learn. 

If you’re wondering how to start a career in digital marketing, my advice is:

1. Earn certifications to prove your knowledge.

2. Practice daily or often with tools like WordPress and Canva.

3. Take opportunities such as internships, freelance projects, and community work that let you apply skills in real campaigns.

That’s how you turn learning into expertise. The best part is that there are websites with free digital marketing certifications. A few sites with free courses are HubSpot Academy, Google SkillsShop, Coursera, and Udemy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

References

1. Ciorici, P. (2025). How many websites use WordPress? WordPress statistics – November 2025. WPZOOM.