Google And Their ‘New’ AdWords Program

Published on May 4th, 2010.

Last week our company received an email from Google about the AdWords Professional exam. The email stated that Google was ‘retiring’ the GAP exams and has launched the AdWords certification program. Reading through the links within the email and some research made gave little information why they thought of stylizing the AdWords exams. The new certification program promises to provide “agencies with comprehensive, strategy-focused training and certification on the latest tools and best practices for managing AdWords accounts”. As a past GAP examinee, wasn’t this what the GAP was all about? In the email sent to us, Google further mentioned improving what was once the GAP now renamed AdWords Certification Program. No problem there, replacing the old with a new one which is an improvement of the old one- not totally new in my book.  What I appreciate with the email though was Google’s realization of the following:

Online materials are not up-to-date
The online training materials and tutorials didn’t keep up with the GAP interface changes and the introduction of new tools. We had a colleague who was studying for the GAP and handled a campaign using the Beta interface but was studying the old tutorials. He had a difficult and placed way lower than the first examinees who averaged 87%. There were several tutorials that didn’t have any tests for examinees to try to further understand the concept.

Curriculum interrupted strategy the company wanted to go with
Instead of managing the company AdWords account for the company, examinees were managing the account to be able to test the tools and suggestions from Google. It was unlikely for low budget companies to be able to keep up with the ones with cash to allocate and spend on online ads.

Member eligibility and program benefits benefited companies more than the exam takers/passers
The difference of taking a test for the company and for individual wasn’t much. You got the badge that linked to the professional page. What IF an examinee took the exam to get hired for their expertise? There was no proof of their being eligible except the former employers’ GAP Badge.

Exam Segments
With the new and improved formula AdWords Certification Programme, Google has pledged to provide curricula that enhances strategy and tactical know-how. The Certification process is not an all-in-one exam, each examinee starts off with the Fundamentals Exam which tests the basic knowledge about the AdWords program. After which, according to readiness and competency, the examinee can study and prepare for the next level of exams: Search Advertising Advanced Exam, Display Advertising Advanced Exam and the Reporting  & Analysis Advanced Exam. The good thing about this new and improved certification is that the learning and preference testing comes in stages. A company that leans more to Search Ads rather than Display could opt to not take the exam they do not find useful. As a new rule of thumb though, the individual qualification calls for the Fundamental Exam and one advanced exam. Individuals are now given a free pass for minimum spend requirement while company spend requirements shot down 10 times from the original l figure. Companies are now given a minimum spending requirement of $10,000 from a whopping $100,000.

Despite the confusing retirement of the GAP which is now the new (and improved) AdWords Certification Programme, the opportunity for individual examinees and company certification examinees to better use Google AdWords and tools to their advantage.

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