ICDL Digital Marketing (ICDL) study plan
ICDL Digital Marketing · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Search engine optimisation
Define the key on-page SEO elements (title tag, meta description, headings, URL, internal links) and explain the role of each
Distinguish between on-page, off-page and technical SEO activities
Perform keyword research for a chosen niche using free tools and group findings into head, body and long-tail terms
Explain how search engine crawlers index pages and what robots.txt and sitemaps do
Your checkpoint
A one-page keyword map listing 20 keywords for a chosen topic, sorted by intent and length, with a note on which page element each would target
Search engine optimisation
Write and optimise title tags and meta descriptions for five pages of a sample site
Identify and fix three technical SEO issues from a checklist (broken links, missing alt text, duplicate titles)
Explain how backlinks and domain authority influence ranking and describe two ethical link-building methods
Interpret a sample SEO report and state which three metrics would guide next actions
Your checkpoint
A completed SEO audit checklist for a five-page sample site showing issue found, fix applied and priority rating for each item
Analytics
Match common web metrics (sessions, users, bounce rate, conversion rate, average session duration) to the business questions they answer
Explain how tracking codes and cookies collect visitor data and what consent implications exist
Set up a simple tracking plan that names three conversion goals and the event that triggers each
Read a sample traffic-source report and describe the difference between organic, paid, referral, direct and social traffic
Your checkpoint
A one-page measurement plan naming three conversion goals, the metric that proves each, and the traffic source expected to deliver it
Online marketing and advertising
Compare the main online advertising formats (search ads, display, social ads, video, retargeting) by cost model and typical objective
Explain how the main pricing models CPM, CPC, CPA and CPL differ and when each is appropriate
Draft ad copy and select targeting criteria for one campaign brief
Calculate a basic budget split and an expected return given impressions, click-through rate and conversion rate
Your checkpoint
A one-page campaign brief with objective, audience, ad format, budget, chosen pricing model and worked CTR/conversion calculation
Social media setup & Social media management
Set up a business profile on one social platform, completing name, handle, bio, imagery and contact details to a checklist
Write a two-week content calendar for that profile with a defined posting frequency and content mix
Explain the difference between a personal profile, a business page and a group, and state which suits a described business need
Draft a short community-management policy covering response times, tone and handling of complaints
Your checkpoint
A completed profile setup checklist plus a 14-day content calendar showing date, post type, caption draft and intended goal for each post
Social media management & Marketing and promotion activities
Distinguish organic social activity from paid promotion and explain the purpose of each in a campaign
Plan a marketing and promotion campaign that combines at least three channels (email, social, search, content)
Describe how to build and segment a mailing list and outline a three-email welcome sequence
Explain the role of landing pages, calls to action and offers in converting campaign traffic
Your checkpoint
A campaign plan on one page: goal, audience, three channels, timeline, offer, call to action and the success metric for each channel
Digital marketing concepts & Web presence
Define digital marketing and explain how it differs from traditional marketing in reach, measurability and cost
Explain the customer journey stages from awareness to retention and match two digital tactics to each stage
Compare domain types, hosting options and common web presence formats (website, blog, e-commerce store, social page)
Describe the purpose of a content management system and of responsive design for mobile visitors
Your checkpoint
A customer-journey table with four stages, a stated audience question at each stage, and two digital tactics that would serve it
Digital marketing concepts & Web presence & Search engine optimisation & Social media setup & Social media management & Marketing and promotion activities & Online marketing and advertising & Analytics
Consolidate each domain into a one-page summary of its core terms and processes
Complete timed practice questions across all eight domains and log every wrong answer with the reason
Review weak areas identified in practice results and re-read only those topics
Rehearse explaining three key concepts aloud without notes to confirm understanding
Your checkpoint
An eight-section personal summary sheet plus an error log of practice answers with corrective notes for each mistake
Milestones
Week 4: Can audit a page for on-page and technical SEO issues, set three measurable conversion goals, and choose an ad format and pricing model for a given brief with a correct CTR/conversion calculation.
Week 6: Can set up a social business profile to a checklist, produce a two-week content calendar, and outline a multi-channel campaign with a stated success metric per channel.
Week 8: Score at least 80% on a timed mixed practice set covering all eight domains, with every missed question logged and explained in your own words.