Creating a Gmail Account

If you don’t have a Google account , you can use an existing e-mail address such as [email protected]. You can even use your work e-mail address to create a Google account. But if haven’t tried Gmail yet, I strongly, strongly, recommend it, not only for easily getting in and out of AdWords and the certification, but also for all the other integrated tools, such as blogger.com and Google Drive/Google docs, which is like a free online version of Microsoft Office. Check out http://drive.google.com .

To create a Gmail account, just open a tab or a separate window and go to http://mail.google.com . Then come back and join/sign in to Google Partners with your Gmail address.

In other words, I strongly recommend making Gmail your central e-mail address.

Here are some reasons why this is smart:

• Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, BellSouth—these can change. If your Internet provider or work e-mail changes, you will still have your permanent Gmail address.

• Gmail’s spam filtering is second to none.

• Google’s Calendar is awesome and integrated.

• The ability to search old e-mails in Gmail is great.

• Google Drive has great tools like Google Docs, which is a free online equivalent to MS Office. You can compose and then download your files into other formats, or even invite others to collaborate on a document. It includes programs that mimic functions in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Super super helpful!

• Gmail is very mobile friendly.

Okay, okay! Enough about Gmail. I’ve just found it to be really helpful and I encourage all my students create a Gmail address .

Joining Google Partners

After joining and signing in, you need to accept the Terms of Service and then click the Next Step button :

Then, when you get to the sign up screen, as you’re learning AdWords, I recommend choosing the Get Email option, and then clicking the Sign Up button:

Next, you may want to take the tour:

When you’re signed in, the central screen in Google Partners allows you to access the certifications and the study materials. You can always sign in to google.com/partners and return to this same place . If you’re following along, click the AdWords link:

Here’s what Google says:

The AdWords exams cover basic and advanced advertising concepts, including campaign set up, management, and optimization. To become AdWords certified, you’ll need to pass the AdWords Fundamentals exam and one of the other AdWords exams. You can demonstrate your expertise and help your company earn the Google Partner badge with an AdWords certification.

On the general AdWords Certification screen, the first thing you’ll see is the AdWords Fundamentals exam . This is the first thing you need to take:

Further down, there are other exams. If you want to go for it, do all of them. You only need to pass two to be officially certified. You have to pass the AdWords Fundamentals test, and I recommend the Search Advertising test as well, to make up the two exams you need for certification.

You need to pass two exams to get certified—the AdWords Fundamentals exam and one other exam.

The reason I recommend the Search Advertising exam is to keep your focus on the core of AdWords.

When you’re on the main screen, you can roll your mouse over the AdWords Fundamentals section of the screen to read more details :

Click the Exam Details button. On the next screen, you can click the Take Exam button:

Further down, you can access the study material:

Remember to click on everything . This screen is the core section where you can access different modules. Notice that you can also download a PDF for more information. Consider having the PDF printed at Staples or some other office supply store, so that you have a physical copy to read through if your eyes glaze over.

Here is an example of the kind of articles you’ll find in the Google Partners help section—see http://support.google.com/partners .

Remember, to be able to get back to any of this material , go to www.google.com/partners .

Keeping It Real

It also helps if you are working on an active ad campaign. You don’t need to have one that generates information, but it helps. You might set the budget to $5 a day for a week, and try to spend time on it each day.

Another strategy is to create the campaign and work through the features while it’s paused. Technically you don’t have to spend money to learn AdWords, but I strongly recommend creating at least one campaign where you do spend some money. Think of it as an investment in your career. You can actually try things like optimizing pages, taking suggestions from Google in the notification section, witnessing the boost in CTR you get from callouts or site links, etc.

Blogging About It

In the classes I teach about AdWords, I start by having people create a blog using www.blogger.com . Each week, students post 2-3 paragraphs, including a screenshot, about something they are learning. This technique can be a helpful way to capture and learn the information, and a side benefit is that you can also include your blog on your resume or LinkedIn page, or share it with colleagues, friends, and family.

Timeframe for Getting Certified

There’s no universal answer about how long it takes—and it depends on what exam you are talking about. The Fundamentals exam takes the least time, and the rest are more intense. Pace you; it’s doable. In the structure I teach, I typically have people work through one-two modules per week, and I think it’s realistic if you’re working. But if you can go through one or two modules a day, it’s certainly possible. I’ve had people study hard and do it in a weekend—it just depends on your other commitments.

If you fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, especially if you’re working and it’s not something you can study for at work, I recommend picking an evening, or maybe early Saturday or Sunday afternoons, and going through a module. Write a small post about what you’re up to on Facebook, or create a blog post and share that on Facebook, or message your friends on Snapchat, or whatever. Part of the point is that if you can share your progress, you’ll find some folks cheering you on. The ideal situation is to find a study partner—someone else who wants to get certified .

Testimonials

“Last Friday at CareerFest, there were some digital marketing internships, as well as marketing internships where digital marketing skills were a plus. There was one internship for social media marketing. One company I talked to was really impressed that I was going for a certification in Google AdWords.”

“Professor Kelsey, I just wanted to let you know that I had a phone interview and the recruiter was really impressed by the fact that I am certified.”

If you’re not in the job market—no problem. AdWords Certification can be just as valuable for advancement. Even if you’re not sure you would work with AdWords at that company, it might be a good thing to learn. It’s a $50 billion part of the digital marketing world, after all.

Inspiration

If you are in the job market , you might want to search for these:

• Salaries: http://www.onwardsearch.com/career-center/ppc-jobs-salary-guide/

• Specific job search: http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=adwords&l1=chicago