Getting a Google Adwords Certification
In the midst of a pandemic, everyone is spending more time online. It’s not a stretch,then, to imagine that you might’ve noticed that it’s now free to start listing on Google Shopping. At a time when attention is being drawn to new and evolving work-from-home and remote working environments, it’s important that you feel supported if you want to try your hand at your own ecommerce store. Maybe you’re just bored at home and want to learn more about online marketing? Well, we think Google Ads and Google Shopping are one pair of powerful network partners that you might want to focus your attention on. This is because they have the potential to draw in literally millions of potential buyers! After all, there’s a reason that most businesses favour the platform, as it boasts an average ROI of 200% on Google Ad spend.
One of the ways you might want to approach this is by improving your skills with regards to using Google Ads effectively. There are many ways you could do this – including watching videos, online tutorials or many articles and written resources that provide instructions on what to do. If you want recognition after you’ve spent some time playing around, there is an official Google Adwords Certification that you can look forward to.
What is the Google Adwords Certification?
This certification is a recognised professional accreditation that is offered to people who have shown their proficiency in both basic and advanced elements of using Google Ads. This certification can be used to establish yourself as an expert in online/digital marketing.
Google has partnered with Skillshop in order to offer this accreditation – which is Google’s online training platform. You can think of it as a digital learning academy for all things Google – including marketing, analytics, YouTube, Ad Manager and more. You can click here to read more about Skillshop and the courses that are on offer.
If you decide to create a Skillshop account in pursuit of an official accreditation, take note that you’ll be faced with various assessments that will test your skills in your chosen category.
In addition, if you want to read more about Google Ads and accompanying certifications, we love HubSpot’s comprehensive guide.
Why should you get certified?
Please take note that Google certifications are tailored for individuals who have professional working experience in using Google Ads. However, there’s no reason why you can’t start out small and use the certification as a major goal to strive towards later on in your ecommerce career!
You might be wondering what the benefits to being certified actually are, or why should I bother building up experience with Google Ads in order to become certified?
Firstly, a Google Adwords certification is an official recognition of your knowledge and expertise – it’s not something that you can accomplish in one day, so you should only attempt this after really spending some time using Google Ads in a productive way. This certification can be used to gain new clients and retain older clients, because it shows off your professional capability and mastery of the platform.
Secondly, getting a Google Certification can help your company earn the Google Partner or Premier Google Partner Badge. To do this ,a company needs an affiliate to be certified with Google Ads. In a nutshell, what this means is that your company has become a Google Partner because it has displayed expertise and proficiency in Google Ads, has met specific ad spend requirements on Google Ads and has seen sustained growth in its number of clients. One of the incentives for doing this is so that your company can access a host of benefits, including the Google Partner badge, which can be used for marketing purposes. Click here to read more about the requirements for becoming a Google Partner, and you can also check your current status on this page.
Thirdly, getting a Google certification can help your business stay competitive in a world where there are literally thousands of other businesses that are offering the same service as you. Google is one of the most popular places for keyword bidding and online advertising, so it’s an important space to master if you want to gain more PPC-oriented clients. We also think that getting this specific certification can help you become more popular and credible with your prospective clients, too. All of this doesn’t even include the fact that a Google Ads certification is coveted social proof and adds a value proposition to your business offering, regardless of if you have done well without it up ‘til now.
Finally, Google Ads certifications make an amazing addition to your CV. It communicates validated claims of your knowledge, as well as the initiative you have taken in order to better your skills. It could even help you stand out during your interview, as not everyone realises the weight that this certification actually holds! Need we say more, considering the increasingly competitive pool of employees that is bound to start growing in the next couple of months?
Currently available certifications
Google expects test-takers to be familiar with many different online advertising concepts and best practices (which your business should be following, anyway). You should ideally also be experienced in managing a variety of Google campaigns – this means that you’ve worked different types of Google ads.
At present, Google Ads certifications are offered in a number of different categories. These have been split up instead of being one big qualification in order to offer greater specialisation for advertisers. There’s bound to be one kind of certification that piques your interest! Currently on offer are:
- Google Ads Search Certification – this is earned by demonstrating your know-how in how to build and optimise Google Search campaigns. Certified users should be able to show their ability in using automated solutions such as Smart Bidding, as well as Audience Solutions which can boost the performance of your marketing campaign to reach specific campaigns goals.
- Google Ads Display Certification – this is gained by showing off your adept proficiency with using Google Display to drive real results that utilise your investment into display advertising. Certified users should be able to demonstrate their skills in creating display strategies and campaigns that are effective towards their objectives, as well as achieving unique marketing goals.
- Google Ads Video Certification – this can be achieved by showcasing your ability to gain results from video advertising solutions, which includes YouTube and Google Video as key platforms. Certified users should be able to show a developed understanding of how to create a narrative that can reach potential customers during the customer journey – especially at the purchase phase – to ensure sales can be scaled up through the medium of video ads.
- Google Shopping Ads Certification – this can be accomplished by showcasing your ability to optimise and utilise Google Shopping ads. Certified users should be able to show their knowledge in how to create and tweak Shopping Ads that can maximise reach and conversions during the length of the campaign.
In addition, the Google Ads Certifications are available in English, Chinese, French, Spanish and about 18 other languages to boot – so global advertisers will be able to comfortably take the certification test.
Passing the assessment
In order to pass the assessment, you have to achieve a score of 80% as a minimum. Obviously, a score higher than this is very much welcomed! You will have between 60 and 200 minutes to complete the test from the moment you start the test.
If you fail this test, you will have to wait 1 day before you can have another stab at it. This also applies to any accidental browser refreshes or internet disconnections you may face, so make sure you’re in a well-connected area if you want to get it done right the first time.
Once you’ve been successfully verified, your certification will remain valid until they reach their expiry date, which is after one full year. In order to renew your certification, you’ll need to retake the assessment and gain the minimum passing grade of 80% all over again – but the benefits gained after the assessment are really worth the effort!
Conclusion
In conclusion, we think it’s overwhelmingly clear that the amount of time spent studying and preparing for the assessment is well worth the pay-off of promoting a more competitive, credible and valuable offering to your prospective clients. As Google contains to reign supreme in the digital marketing world, more and more businesses are looking to create campaigns on its network. We reckon that once you’ve spent some time playing around with Google Ads, you might be able to offer your services to smaller businesses in order to build up your working experience with the platform.
Do you need help getting started with different types of Google Ads for your own business? You should contact ShoppingFeeder, an all-in-one multichannel marketing solution that offers tailored solutions for ecommerce stores. ShoppingFeeder combines integrated analyses with multiple marketing platforms to make sure you’re getting the most out of your ecommerce marketing strategy. We know how to make your strategy even better.
