As a small business, it can be quite nerve-racking to hire an agency or freelancer to run ads for you on Google or Bing. As well as fees, you have ad spend to consider, so it can take up a good chunk of your budget. Understandably, you’ll want to make sure that you hire someone who’s excellent, who knows what they’re doing, and who can provide you with a good return on investment.
But how do you know if a self-declared Ads Expert fits these requirements?
Fortunately, both Bing and Google have their own certifications and partnerships. These are given to people and businesses who have qualified through training and proven their knowledge of the individual platforms.
We’ll take a look at these in a bit more detail today.
Table of Contents
Google Partners
What is Google Partners?
Google Partners is a program providing Google Ads training, support and resources to agencies and freelancers. There are a number of certifications available for different types of ads, including Search, Shopping and Video.
There are three main categories of Google Partners membership:
Member
A Member can complete certifications and receive technical support directly from Google. They can also take part in challenges and obtain rewards by proving their expertise. Anyone can join as a member.
Partner
A Partner is the next level up. As well as all the benefits of a Member, they receive additional, more advanced training and can display the Google Partners Badge on their website, proving to current and future clients that they are a true Google Ads expert. Members must meet a number of Partner Requirements to be upgraded to Partner.
Premier Partner
A Premier Partner is more exclusive and can only be claimed by the top 3% of Partners, which is determined by demonstrations of success across categories including client growth, client retention and annual ads spend. This certification is usually only viable for larger agencies.
How Do I Know If Someone is a Google Partner?
Google Partners are allowed to display the Google Partner badge on their website. Anyone who is a qualified partner should display this. You can also search the Google Partners Directory.
Be aware that some agencies may display the badge when not qualified, so make sure you always double-check the directory (you may have to adjust the automatic filters to see Partners as well as Premier Partners).
Microsoft Search Advertising Certifications
What is a Microsoft Search Advertising Certification?
Bing, though much smaller than Google, is still a big – and growing – player in the world of advertising. Owned by Microsoft, it has its own learning platform called Learning Lab. Here, you can access a range of courses on everything from the basics of Bing Ads to reporting and campaign strategy. Bing also offers certification as a way for agencies to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise.
Certifications are given to those who have passed the Certified Professional exam, which covers three main ads subjects: Search, Display & Video, and Retail.
How to Tell if Someone has a Microsoft Search Advertising Certification
Like Google, Microsoft provides a badge that can be used by those who have qualified. If a freelancer or agency is displaying the badge on their website, you should be able to verify them by searching for them on the Credly website.
Choosing a Qualified Agency
How Can a Partner or Certification Help Your Business?
Google Ads and Bing Ads are complicated platforms and you risk losing a lot of money in unnecessary ad spend if you don’t use them correctly or effectively. A Partner or Certified Ads Expert can manage your campaigns so that your budget goes as far as possible. They will have all the relevant skills and up-to-date knowledge to optimise your ads, making them as lucrative as possible.
Working with someone who has the specific qualifications means that you are less likely to waste money. You’re also more likely to see a good return on your ads investment than if you were to run campaigns yourself, or if you were to use an ad manager who isn’t as well qualified.
You may find some agencies have only one of the qualifications, while others have both. It’s worth keeping this in mind before you choose who to work with, and, if possible, having an idea of where you would like to advertise before signing a contract. There’s no point hiring someone who has just a Microsoft Ads qualification if you only want to run ads on Google
Can I Become Qualified Myself?
The short answer is yes. If you’ve got a strong interest in PPC (pay per click), have the time and motivation to do the training, and are willing to spend the minimum amount of money on your ads, then you can sign up and start earning a qualification.
However, there is a steep learning curve, and you need to spend a lot of time studying in order to get the best results. As Google and Bing are always updating their platforms, there is also an element of ongoing learning. You can’t just take a course once and leave it at that.
You also have to consider the required minimum ad spend that Google requires: $10,000 every 90 days across all your managed campaigns. While this is possible for agencies with multiple clients, it’s often not a feasible budget for a small business.
You may find that seeking your own qualification isn’t the best use of your time or budget, so working with someone who is already qualified would be a better option.
Conclusion
To be more cost effective and get top results from your ads, the best option is often to hire a freelancer or an agency that specialises in Google or Bing ads (or both). It can be difficult to know who’s good and who isn’t, so do your research beforehand. Official and current qualifications received directly from the advertising platforms are a good way of identifying effective ad managers.