There are hundreds of different Google Search certifications out there. Many career influencers and advisors are preaching the importance of getting directly applicable industry certifications for marketers to differentiate themselves. Google Search certifications are available from Google directly, from prestigious universities, and hundreds more are available from massively open online course providers, and as you research more, it can become overwhelming. Are these Google Search certifications actually helpful? And if so, which ones are worth doing? In this post, I’ll outline some popular ones and give an assessment of their value.
Who Should Get a Google Certification?
Anyone working in digital marketing should have some Google certifications. I agree with the mainstream career advisors and influencers that they are helpful for your career. It is a standard way to communicate that you have a basic understanding of the most important marketing platform on the internet. I also think anyone managing employees directly interacting with Google Ads would benefit from having some Google certification. It is helpful when managing these employees that you can have a high-level conversation about Google Ads or search in general. The final group is job seekers; even if your desired job isn’t focused on digital marketing or Google Ads, it is a good way to get screened into a job contest. I will outline a few popular Google Search certifications in this post to get your research started if you are looking to formalize your Google expertise or build up expertise in this critical marketing area.
What Are Some Popular Google Search Certifications?
As the introduction outlines, thousands of groups offer Google Certifications in categories like search, YouTube, shopping, display, cloud, and many more. I will outline some of the most popular certifications and assess them and their relevance in your quest to learn and understand Google Ads and other Google products. Some common ones are:
- Google Ads Certified on Skillshop
- Digital AdsCertification through Hubspot Academy
- Google Ads Essentials Training through LinkedIn Learning
- Online Search Marketing Course through Digital Marketing Institute
- Google Ads for Beginners 2023 through Udemy
- Search and Display Advertising through Coursera
Google Ads Certified on Skillshop
Google has transitioned its learning curriculum for Ads and its basic certification to the Skillshop platform. This is a huge improvement versus the old learning platform and makes it easier to share your certifications with clients, employers, or colleagues. Google Ads Certified from Google is the must-have Google Ads Certification for showing a basic understanding of Google Ads and how to solve common problems. The course is updated often with new feature rollouts and connects with your Google Ads Account to highlight your skill. Even if you choose to do a more in-depth training program to learn about Google Ads, you pretty well have to go and do this one after for a few reasons.
First, this is the needed course if your agency wishes to be a Google Partner or Google Premier Partner. The Google Partner program is great for conveying trust to clients and allows you access to new features and more support. The program has been controversial with respect to how it values optimization scores and spending increases. Nevertheless, I have seen requests for proposals include it as an evaluation criterion, and thus, it can be good to have.
Next, the test and curriculum are generally well-rounded; it talks about core Google Ads fundamentals, client management, and problem-solving and is just a good assessment of whether somebody understands Google. This Google Search certification is absolutely helpful and should be your first stop as you beef up your portfolio, resume, or online profile.
Digital Ads Certification through HubSpot
This is a little cheating as this certification isn’t focused just on Google Search. However, it does have a course in it that is all about Google Ads titled “Learn How to Create an Advanced Google Ads Strategy Using Ad Extensions and Google Auction.” That course is well done; as the title suggests, it is slightly more advanced. I like how the course discusses the Google auction and takes a more strategic approach. Many Google Search certifications take a very tactical approach and explain how to turn the knobs, but this course explains why you should or shouldn’t turn the knobs.
I think HubSpot Academy is the best free online learning repository for marketers looking to increase their skills. Their software for marketing automation, customer relationship management, and marketing in general is best in class. Thus, completing this certification will help increase your knowledge of digital marketing. Additionally, many of their other programs are excellent.
Google Ads Certification on LinkedIn Learning
This certification is great because it is taught by an excellent instructor. In some of these other certification courses, you have industry experts showing you the ropes; however in this case, it’s an experienced teacher teaching. The common saying in sports is not all great players make great coaches, and I think this is worth considering when you’re looking for courses to increase your Google Ads knowledge. This course is also free, which is a great way to get a certification without paying money. Finally, this certification connects with your LinkedIn profile seamlessly, where it’s from LinkedIn’s own learning platform. If you are an employee looking to beef up your appearance in LinkedIn searches or trying to increase your profile’s attractiveness, I think this is one of the best Google Ads certifications to have.
Online Search Marketing Course through the Digital Marketing Institute
This is the most expensive Google Search certification on my list and one of the most expensive Google Search certifications available anywhere. I think this one has the most credibility if you are trying to get your employer to pay for a course for you. I also think this one is great if you work in a large organization or Government department and are looking to beef up your resume. I don’t think freelancers or entry-level employees of smaller organizations should gravitate to this one. It is incredibly expensive relative to other options. Additionally, the industry generally doesn’t seem to respect the Digital Marketing Institute relative to the cost of this course. Nevertheless, the content in the course is excellent, the instructors are great, and it is certainly a slick and well-done course. However, if you are paying for this with your own money, I think you’ll be better served by a cheaper course from a university offered on Coursera or Udemy.
Google Ads for Beginners through Udemy
Udemy is a leader in massively open online courses (MOOCs) and has many Google Search certifications available. They are taught by different teachers and industry experts. I selected this one as it is taught to beginners. So this one isn’t great for showcasing your skills or standing out in a job contest, but if you are starting from zero Google Ads experience, this is a great option. At the end of this course, you can confidently open Google Ads, set up a campaign, and go from there. It gives you a strong foundation to build upon and prepare for the other courses I discussed previously in this post.
Search and Display Advertising through Coursera
This course is part of the larger Concepts, Strategies, and Analytics in Performance Marketing and Digital Advertising Specialization. I think the usefulness of this course depends on your goals. If you are looking for a resume differentiator or something on your LinkedIn profile, just the course likely isn’t enough and you should do the complete specialization. However, if you are just looking for knowledge and skill in Google Ads, this course is excellent. It features lots of content from industry blogs and really delves into the nuts and bolts of Google Ads. It is from a legitimate American University, The University of Colorado, Boulder, so a certain level of quality comes with that. I think that the full specialization is a cost-effective alternative to the Digital Marketing Institute course mentioned above.
What Certifications Does Rock Bound Marketing Maintain?
At Rock Bound Marketing, we maintain a few Google Search certifications, including the Google Search Certification from Skillshop, a variety of HubSpot Academy certifications, and some specializations from Coursera. That mix works for us in keeping our knowledge up-to-date, and they are recognized by the industry as being worthwhile. We have done a few on LinkedIn Learning but that was more to rank in their search as a lead generation tool. Additionally, in our Google Ads Coaching service, we will adapt some of the teaching topics and styles to increase the value of that service. We dedicate time each month to learning and upskilling to ensure we keep up-to-date with best practices.
Need Google Ads Help Now?
If you are struggling with Google Ads and need to learn and understand Google Ads immediately, consider hiring a Google Ads Coach. A Google Ads Coach can teach you Google Ads in a way that is directly relevant to your role and the challenges you are facing today. Rock Bound Marketing tailors every Google Ads Coaching curriculum to your needs and if necessary, can incorporate a Google Search certification into the deliverables. If you are curious about Google Ads Coaching, contact Rock Bound Marketing today.
