If you want your website, business, and brand to maximize success, you’ll need to have some strong marketing skills. Among the most effective ways to grow a business is to improve your marketing techniques, which should increase site visibility, bring more visitors to your website, and boost customer conversion rates for higher sales and better profits. One type of marketing that you may want to focus on is Google Ads, which is a robust advertising platform by Google that allows brands and businesses to purchase ads for target keywords.

Because of how widely used Google is, the Google Ads platform is among the most beneficial for any type of business. When you purchase an ad based on a specific keyword, the ad will appear whenever users search for that exact keyword. Google Ads uses the pay-per-click method with their advertisements, which means that you’ll get paid as users click on your ads. It’s also important to understand that anyone who clicks on your ads will be taken to a landing page on your website, which allows you to bring in high-quality leads.

If you’re interested in becoming an expert on Google Ads and want to learn how to use it to further your company’s growth, you should consider becoming a Google Ads Specialist, which is possible with the right certification. Due to the increasing importance of the Google Ads platform, being a Google Ads Specialist is now considered to be a profession. Once you take the necessary courses for becoming a Google Ads Specialist, you should know how to create digital marketing for your brand while also planning, tracking, setting up, and reporting any ads you make. This knowledge can prove invaluable in helping you grow your brand.

There are several reasons to take the courses necessary to gain a certification, the primary of which is that you will be viewed as an online marketing expert, which can pave the way for additional opportunities in your career. If you would like to become a Google Ads Specialist, you can expect to earn your certificate in around seven days. You can take the Google Ads courses and assessments for free. This article tells you how to become a Google Ads Specialist and what this type of certification can do for your career.

Step 1: Create Your Google Account

The first step in the process of becoming a certified Google Ads Specialist is to create a Google account, which should take only a few minutes of your time. This account is necessary because your certification will be tied to it. In the event that you work for a company or agency, you may need to use your work email address when making an account. If, on the other hand, you’re earning this certification on your own, make sure that you select a Google account that you’re fine with being tied personally and publicly to your certificate.

Your Google account can be attached to a preexisting Gmail account or another personal email account. When you want to get started with creating a Google account, head over to this link. From here, you’ll be tasked with entering your first and last name, a username, and a password. The password must be at least eight characters long. Once you’ve created your username and password, you will have the main thing you need to go forward with the rest of the process for becoming a Google Ads Specialist.

Step 2: Use Skillshop

The next thing you should do is start using Skillshop, which is a platform that offers free online training for Google workplace tools. If you have any additional Google accounts that you’re logged into, make sure that you log out before you start using Skillshop. You should only remain logged into your recently made Google account. When you want to begin taking a class, navigate to this link.

You’ll be presented with a series of different certifications that you can work towards, which include everything from a Google Ads search certification to a Google Ads video certification. Keep in mind that these certifications can be filtered by duration and difficulty. Additional certifications are available for Google Ads measurement, display, shopping ads, and apps.

While each one of these certifications can be beneficial towards improving your marketing skills, you might want to start with the Google Ads search certification, which allows you to master Google Ads search campaigns. These courses can take anywhere from 2.5-4.5 hours to complete. Once you’ve chosen the program that you’re interested in, click on the certification, which will take you to an overview of the program that you should read.

From here, select the “Get Started” button, which can be found around halfway down the page. You might be required to authenticate that you’re logged into the Google account you would like to use for the program in question. The Skillshop terms of service will also be presented to you and must be accepted if you would like to continue with the program.

Once you have authenticated your account, you can choose to share the certification status with the company you work for as well as your Google Partners account. If you aren’t affiliated with a company and don’t want your certification to be linked to a Google Partners account, you can select “no” and move to the next steps in the process.

Step 3: Prepare for Exams

Now that you have created your Skillshop account and have selected the program you’re interested in, it’s time to prepare for your exams. As mentioned previously, there are six distinct programs that you can become certified in, which include:

• Search
• Measurement
• Display
• Apps
• Video
• Shopping ads

Because search advertisements are the most common types of ads that are run through Google, the Google Ads search certification program is a great starting point. However, other programs may be more useful to you if you have another type of marketing that’s more important to your business or brand. For instance, if you run an eCommerce website, the shopping ads certificate may be more valuable.

Keep in mind that a set amount of content is directly tied to each of these programs, which you must read through if you want to pass the exams. When you click on the program you’re interested in, you’ll be provided with resources pertaining to the program as well as a short knowledge assessment that allows Google to better understand what you already know about the subject in question.

Even if you’ve worked with Google Ads before, any of these certification programs can help you improve your skills and become a more effective marketer. The sample questions you’re given during the coursework are in the same format as the questions on the official exam. Once you’ve read all of the training content and have answered any sample questions that have been presented to you, it’s time to take the assessment.

Step 4: Pass the Assessment

If you want to become a certified Google Ads Specialist, you must first pass the assessment that’s tied to the program you’re taking. Since all of the courses available for Google Ads are set at “beginner” difficulty, the assessments shouldn’t be too difficult. It’s important to understand that you can obtain more than one certification. If you would like to take all of the six certification courses available through Google, you can do so without issue. In the event that you fail the exam, you can retake it after a short waiting period of seven days.

As touched upon earlier, you might want to connect your main Google account with Google Partners, which is a program that’s available to individuals that have already connected their Google account to the business they work for. When you’re logged into Skillshop, select your user icon, which is located at the uppermost right portion of the page. From here, select “My Profile”. You can then choose to edit your profile and share your Skillshop account with your company if you have yet to do so. The other side of the Google Partners account must then verify that your account is legitimate before you can start earning the benefits of this connection.

When you have made a Google Partners account, you and your company will then have access to extensive benefits involving technical support, training, and resources. Some of these resources come in the form of promotional offers and rewards. The Google Ads certifications you obtain will allow your company to benefit from comprehensive Google Ads expertise. With this knowledge, you can create robust Google Ads marketing campaigns and will be able to track and measure the performance of these campaigns.

Why Should You Get Ads Certified?

There are plenty of reasons why earning a Google Ads certification can be beneficial to you and your company. Having this certification will look good for your company because it allows you to earn an endorsement from Google in the form of the Google Partners program, which is mainly available to individuals who have earned a Google Ads certification.

This type of certification also helps your credibility with clients. Your certification shows clients that you have knowledge, skills, and credibility in a marketing niche. Google is an extremely popular business and platform, which means that a Google certification will look good to practically anyone.

The certification that you earn can help you create a strong value proposition. It’s oftentimes not enough to say that you have a certain set of skills. With a certification, you can back up these claims with proof that you have knowledge about Google Ads and how to use it to the benefit of your company.

Keep in mind that earning this type of certification is also a great way to enhance your resume. Even if you currently work at a business and aren’t actively looking for a job, your situation could eventually change. Placing proof of Google Ads certification on your resume will look great to prospective employers. Becoming a Google Ads Specialist offers tangible benefits if you’re looking to grow your brand or business.