Google AdWords is a powerful online advertising platform that specializes in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Over time, this platform has become the go-to destination for websites and businesses that want to use PPC advertising in their marketing campaign. In recent years, many people have turned to PPC advertising management as an occupation due to the rising popularity of this platform. PPC advertising managers have become an invaluable resource to businesses that are looking to advertise online.
The reason that PPC ads make up a sizable portion of marketing campaigns for most companies is because of the benefits that these ads provide:
- Businesses aren’t required to spend a high sum of money on a marketing campaign that might not bear fruit
- The business is only charged when users click on the ad, which help ensure a profitable ROI
- PPC campaigns are flexible and the user is not locked into a long-term commitment
- Since these campaigns are data-driven, there is an abundant source of information to learn about your customer’s needs and interests
- Microtargeting of customer segments leveraging search data
Since PPC ads have become increasingly popular with Google AdWords being the primary platform, the potential that people have when entering this type of career is high. Whether you work within an advertising agency or as a freelancer, specializing in Google AdWords can provide you with ample opportunity for growth.
At the moment, AdWords specialists are in high demand and are paid very well. The average salary for a specialist in Google AdWords is just over $71,000 (with plenty of room to grow). This article provides you with some fantastic resources that can help you become a Google AdWords Pro.
Demystifying Google AdWords and PPC Advertising
As touched upon earlier, Google AdWords is a powerful advertising platform that’s hosted directly by Google. The ads that you create on this platform can be displayed in search results, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Play, and many other websites across the internet. When you develop clickable ads, you will need to pair these ads with keywords that you bid on. With the right approach, ads will be displayed within relevant search results, which sends more traffic to a website and further increases brand popularity.
When a PPC ad shows up in a search engine or on a website (in Google’s search network), any user who clicks on the ad will be taken to a landing page, which is where they will learn more about an item or brand while also being provided with an opportunity to take some kind of action. This action could be anything from creating a membership to purchasing a product. While Google AdWords is the most popular PPC ad platform, other popular ad platforms like Instagram and Facebook are also centered around PPC advertising.
Learn Google AdWords with Google Skillshop
If you want to start learning more about Google AdWords and all that it entails, you can do so with Google Skillshop. This resource provides users with many different e-learning courses pertaining to various Google products. Whether you want to learn how to use Google AdWords or Google Ad Manager, the necessary courses can be accessed on the Google Skillshop platform.
The various courses available for Google AdWords can take anywhere from 2.8-4.6 hours to complete. These courses will help you learn about everything from shopping ads to display ads, which should assist you in honing your skills. There are also some shorter courses at around 5-20 minutes that can teach you about the Google AdWords platform and how to use it, which can prove useful before you start making large marketing campaigns.
Once you’ve taken the beginner lessons, you can move on to more advanced lessons that can provide you with certifications and help you advance your career. Google offers these free courses and resources as a way of helping professionals gain a better understanding of Google products. You can get started with Google Skillshop at this link. Keep in mind that all of the courses are free!
Other Google Adwords Learning Resources
Along with Google Skillshop, there are some other learning resources that can help you improve your advertising skills and enhance your career.
Udemy
Udemy is a popular online marketplace that offers over 183,000 courses on all different types of subjects. When you browse this marketplace, you’ll find that there are hundreds of online courses that are centered around Google AdWords. These courses can range in length from 30 minutes to 25 hours. Keep in mind that each course comes with a rating, a description, and a price.
Learn more about Google Adwords programs at Udemy
SEMrush PPC Courses
SEMrush is a comprehensive SaaS platform that offers numerous courses on PPC advertising, which can help you improve your skills and knowledge of this form of advertising. With this knowledge, you should be able to use other PPC advertising platforms like Facebook and Instagram without issue. The main course available at the SEMrush academy is a PPC fundamentals course, which is free to use and comes with 36 lessons. The entire course can be completed in around five hours.
Learn more about Google Adwords programs at SEMrush PPC courses
Coursera
Coursera is another popular online marketplace that offers a vast selection of online courses. When you search through this marketplace, you’ll be presented with numerous courses on every facet of marketing, which includes PPC advertising, Google Ads, and search engine optimization. These courses can vary significantly in both price and overall length. However, you can study at your own pace and will earn a certificate upon completion.
Learn more about Google Adwords programs at Coursera
YouTube Videos from Industry Experts
YouTube has also proven to be a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to learn more about PPC ads, Google AdWords, and all other forms of marketing. You’ll discover that many professionals within the industry create long-form videos to help educate people who want to get into the industry themselves. A few of the top YouTube channels that focus on Google Ads tutorials and other forms of marketing include Santrel Media, the official Google Ads channel, and Metics Media.
Make it Official with Google Ads Certifications
As mentioned previously, Google offers some programs that will provide you with certifications once you’ve completed them. These courses are focused on the many different types of PPC ads that you can create on the Google AdWords platform. Each course lasts for anywhere from 2.6-4.7 hours. You can take these courses for free and will earn a certification once you’ve done so. Each Google Ads certification program is rated for beginners, which means that they shouldn’t be too difficult to complete.
Google Ads Search Certification
This program will help you learn how to build and further optimize Google Search campaigns. Throughout the program, you will learn how to use features like Audience Solutions and Smart Bidding to improve campaign performance. This program takes 3.7 hours to complete on average.
Get started with the Google Ads Search Certification.
Google Ads Display Certification
This course will teach you what display ads are and how to use them in a marketing campaign. Along with developing strong and effective display strategies, you will also be tasked with building display campaigns that reach set marketing goals. The program can be completed in 2.6 hours.
Get started with the Google Ads Display Certification.
Google Ads Video Certification
This particular Google Ads course centers around video ads and is designed to help you understand how to properly implement Google Video and YouTube advertising. Throughout this course, you will learn how to tell stories that are effective at engaging users during every phase of the purchase journey. The course can be completed in around four hours.
Get started with the Google Ads Video Certification.
Google Ads Shopping Certification
During the Google Ads Shopping Certification course, you will learn how to use and optimize shopping ads. You will also be given the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and skills on how to create and implement shopping ad campaigns that are effective at increasing conversion rates. This course takes roughly 3.1 hours to finish.
Get started with the Google Ads Shopping Certification.
Google Ads Apps Certification
This course is focused entirely on teaching you how to use Google Ads within apps. You will learn how to create Google app marketing campaigns and how to properly optimize these campaigns. This certification can be earned in 2.8 hours.
Get started with the Google Ads Apps Certification.
Google Ads Measurement Certification
At 4.7 hours, this is the lengthiest Google Ads course that Google provides. It’s designed to educate users on how to measure and fully optimize the performance of digital ads, which is key to the success of any digital marketing campaign. You will learn which metrics matter the most and what steps you should take to improve these metrics.
Get started with the Google Ads Measurement Certification.
Round Out Your Skill-set with Google Digital Garage
Once you’ve obtained one or more Google Ads certifications, you could consider rounding out your skill-set with the Google Digital Garage tool, which offers some additional courses. These courses are also completely free to take and will help prepare you for a career as a Google AdWords specialist. This resource is designed to provide you with additional skills that are related to Google AdWords. Once you’ve learned these skills, you may be able to land a better job or a higher salary.
Each course available through the Google Digital Garage is separated into modules. You can take the entire course or individual modules on subjects that you might want to brush up on. The courses on this platform range from 1-50 hours in length. While many programs are designed to be used by beginners, some of these courses are rated with an intermediate or advanced difficulty. For instance, you can take an advanced course on data science with Python. The subject matter ranges from machine learning and artificial intelligence to strategic innovation and big data fundamentals.
Google AdWords and Beyond
If you’ve been thinking about entering a career in advertising, becoming a Google AdWords pro can be highly beneficial to your career. Because of the immense popularity of the Google AdWords platform, Google AdWords specialists are in high demand. Once you’ve essentially mastered Google AdWords and understand how to get the most out of the platform, you could gain access to more opportunities as well as jobs with higher pay.
By working as a freelancer, you could be your own boss. Even if you work with a marketing agency, you may be able to work remotely. With all of the resources and courses mentioned above, you should have access to the tools you need to begin a career as a Google AdWords specialist.
