Introduction of Google Ads Certification
For marketers, Google Ads accreditation is a valuable credential.
It’s one of the few standardized techniques to demonstrate a certain level of knowledge or connection to a particular issue.
While it isn’t an exclusive badge, it does necessitate some effort in terms of understanding the ideas or practical expertise with Google Ads.
What is Google Ads Certification and How Does It Work?
Google Ads certification is a program that certifies marketers as online advertising specialists.
Individuals who complete Ads certification examinations receive a personalized certificate and can contribute to a company’s Google Partner credentials if they are linked with one.
The program, like many other Google products, domains, and projects, has developed over time.
Previously, the certification program was a stand-alone program with a fee for taking exams.
That changed with the launch of the Google Partners program, and it has continued to evolve with the relocation to the Google Academy for Ads in 2018, and a redesign to Skill shop more recently.
Individual certification still works with training content and tests in the same way it did a few years ago (before Google AdWords was rebranded as Google Ads).
Having that basic degree of subject matter exposure from Google is far more specific than learning about Google Ads from a school textbook.
Furthermore, being able to associate that person who is already credentialed with my company’s Google Partner account has value.
This step-by-step guide will help you through the process of becoming Ads certified, which can be a complex procedure the first time you do it or when you return and encounter the new system and structure in Skill shop.
Step 1: Make or choose a Google account.
Begin by selecting the appropriate Google account for your certification.
If you work for a firm or an agency, you will almost certainly be forced to use your work email address.
If you’re doing the certification on your own, you’ll want to choose a Google account to which your certification will be linked both personally and publicly.
This might be a Google account or a Gmail account linked to any personal email account.
Step 2: Begin Using Skill shop
Make sure you’re signed out of any other Google accounts once you’ve figured out your Google account.
When you’re connected to numerous Google accounts, you could get confused or have login issues, much like with other Google products. Go to https://skillshop.exceedlms.com/student/catalog/list?category ids=53-google-ads while you’re only logged into the account you want to utilize for certification.
Step 3: Exam Preparation
Google offers both basic educational information and more in-depth training materials.
The following are the Google Ads certifications:
Search
Display
Measurement
Video
Advertisements for shopping
Apps
Step 4: Pass the Examination
To become certified, you must first pass an assessment in one of the certification specializations.
Your accreditation for that specific product focus area will subsequently be issued.
You can either stop with one specialization or keep continuing until you’ve mastered and obtained all of the relevant specialties for your desired qualifications.
Nothing says you can’t take all of them if you’re an overachiever or enjoy standardized tests.
Step 5: Connect with Google Partners (optional)
Disclaimer: In 2021, the Google Partners Program standards will change. They were supposed to upgrade in mid-2020, but that was pushed back. This data is for the present procedure, which will be updated in 2021.
You must have shared your account with your company if you want to connect your account with your company for credit toward Partners and other relevant benefits.
You can complete this step if you skipped it or say no.
Click on your user icon in the top right corner, then My profile, while still logged into Skill shop.
This process necessitates the completion of your profile information, which validates and ties you to your organization.
To validate from the Google Partners site, the administrator of your Google Partners profile must guarantee that they have created a user account for you in Google Ads and that they can see it connected in Google Ads’ Partners tab.
That account must be linked to the firm master account, which must be a Partner because Google will use it to match your Skill shop account.
Note that this method, as well as some of the requirements for partner status, will change in 2021.
Conclusion
You should be proud of yourself once you’ve achieved your certification.
While many recruiting managers and firms require certification, passing requires effort to go through the study materials and/or experience working in advertising for some time.
These can be useful supplementary qualifications and specializations to obtain depending on your work and career path.
