It is usually placed after be, after the first auxiliary in a compound verb
(a) He is certainly intelligent
(b) They have certainly finished his work
(c) They certainly work hard every day
Certainly can be placed at the beginning or at the end of a sentence or clause;
(a) Certainly he know then town well
(b) He knew the town well certainly
Note. Though the adjective certain and sure mean more or less the same, the adverbs certainly and surely differ in meaning:
He was certainly there; there is no doubt about it
But surely indicates that the speaker is not quite sure that the statement
which follows is true. He thinks it is, But wants reassurance: Surely he was there. (I feel almost sure that he was)