From Google’s perspective, Google Ads generated close to 100 billion dollars in the year 2017 alone and is, in effect, Google’s main source of revenue. It is no surprise. Google owns a whopping 81.62% search network market share leaving the remaining 18.38% to Bing, Yahoo Global, Baidu, AOL, Ask, and the like. This makes it the most popular search engine on the web and the best online advertising platform for big and small brands alike. Any individual or agency hoping to penetrate this market needs to invest seriously on Pay-Per-Click (PPC) training, and the best one at that.
Google AdWords
Figure this out. You just launched your online business, and even though it is rather new, you want to try to have it appear at the top of Google’s search result pages. Well, it takes some effort to get it there since you will technically be competing against online giants like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.
Fact is you never get there without some form of advertising. To advertise on Google, you will need to use Google’s advertising service known as Google AdWords. This service lets business display their ads on search pages using the PPC model. In this model, businesses bid for keywords related to their business. They then use these keywords to create ads. A search on Google with the keywords in their ads will trigger their ads to appear on search engine result pages (SERPs). When people click on the ads, they are directed to the advertiser’s website. Google then bills the advertiser based on the position/rank of their ad using pay per click (PPC) price model.
Top 7 Reasons to Get a Google AdWords Certification
- Google holds the largest market share in digital advertising. Owing to this, brands are now focusing on Google as their primary platform for digital advertising. However, there are also too many PPC agencies offering online advertising services. The Google Adwords Certification gives you a competitive edge to stand out from the crowd as an expert in the field.
- For newbies venturing into digital marketing, getting the certification means you will first need to advance your knowledge to pass the exam and get certified. There is no faster way of launching a career than pursuing the certification.
- Why do companies, businesses, and start-ups hire digital advertisers? Because online advertising on Google is not an easy thing to do. Getting a certification from Google is the way to go if you want to perfect your knowledge around online advertising for yourself, your business, or your career.
- The Google AdWords Certification is valid through 12 months after which a renewal is needed. For this reason, you will need to polish your skills constantly to pass the certification exam. This means investing in continuous learning, which will not only help you with maintaining your status but will also help you to advance, update, and perfect your skills.
- A certification increases an individual’s stakes of joining a certified agency because such agencies are always on the lookout for individuals who know their stuff. Ultimately, individual certification plus agency certification equals even better visibility.
- Getting a certification is a good way of getting noticed with or without experience if you are considering a take-off for your new business or career.
- An individual certification from one of its members is among the requirements for companies to get listed as partners. It could be you putting your company on the limelight, which is a good thing for your career.
How to Prepare for the Google AdWords Certification
Getting a Google Ads certification is not difficult considering that since the year 2013, the $50 for the examination was dropped. Here is a step by step guide to getting certified.
- Create an account in the Google academy for ads site.
- Prepare for and take the Google Fundamentals exam to get an orientation into the world of AdWords. This exam must be taken to qualify for any other Google Ads certification.
It will test your knowledge in the following areas:
- Introduction
- Account Management
- Campaign and ad group management
- Keyword targeting
- Language and location targeting
- Ad Formats
- Budgets and Bidding
- Measurement and optimization
- Performance
- Profitability and growth
- After passing the Fundamentals exam, you qualify to take the other Google Ads exams. These include,
- Google Search
- Google Display
- Google Video
- Google Shopping
- Google Ads Mobile
The Google Search Certification happens to be the most popular and the highest income earner for Google compared to the other Ads certifications. It covers Ad formats, site quality, tools, performance, profitability, and API.
- The Google Certification Program (GCP) Learning Center is a valuable learning resource when preparing for your Google Ads Certification exam. There are also plenty of tutorials online that you can make use of as you prepare for your exams.
- In addition to studying the reading materials, you can take practice tests or quizzes available online. Test your knowledge and identify areas that you need to polish and while also building the confidence that you need to face the exams.
- Forums are a great place to get some insight into the exams from people who have already taken and passed them as well as from experts.
- Digital marketing is in itself a very practical career, and relying on theory to pass your exams may not be the best idea. Along with your studies, practice extensively to get the concept. After all, the certification is meant to give credibility to your proficiency, which can only come through practice.
- Exam questions are presented in the multiple-choice form with a time limit of 120 minutes for each of the Google Adwords exams. A required pass mark for the Ads certification is 80%. The exams are pretty flexible; they are taken online and can be done anytime at your convenience. Google allows you to retake the exams in case you do not attain the pass mark, but only after seven days after the first exam. Besides, Google has substantial study guides on the same.
Conclusion
Nothing beats the fulfillment of getting certification after passing an exam. However, the certification is valid for 12 months. You will need to maintain your status by taking the exam on a yearly basis.
This aside, the success or failure thereof, in exams is determined by how well you prepare for your exams. You may opt to take an online PPC course in addition to or as an alternative to using Google’s Learning Center. Whatever the reason, you need a credible training provider like Simplilearn to make it past the pass mark on your first trial.