Originally known as the Google AdWords Certification, Google Partners is a program established to certify companies that are recognised as legitimate partners. It also allows clients to determine the specific skills of those companies.
These skills are as follows:
- Search – A company with this specialisation can help you create and optimise ads that show up on Google Search. They can also advise on keyword strategy and budget planning.
- Display – A company with this specialisation can help you create compelling visual ads that reach potential customers on over two million websites and 650,000 apps.
- Mobile – A company with this specialisation is skilled in mobile advertising and can help you connect with potential customers on mobile devices through text, image, video, and HTML5 ads.
- Video – Need assistance with implementing and optimising your video ad campaigns on YouTube? A company with this specialisation can help.
- Shopping – A company with this specialisation will help you place your products on Google Search, set up your inventory on Merchant Centre, and create Google Shopping campaigns.
Along with passing a selection of fundamental and advanced Google certifications, partners must also meet spend requirements and uphold best practices by engaging with ongoing professional development.
There are two levels of Google Partners in the program; Standard and Premier. The Premier Google Partners have met higher spend and performance requirements to achieve this level.
What are the benefits of working with a Google Partner?
Working with a Google Partner means you’ll be working with certified specialists of particular Google Ads products and are up-to-date with the latest product developments. Continually learning advanced concepts for creating, managing, measuring, and optimising specific Google Ads products.
Additionally they will have access to a dedicated Google agency team who can be contacted directly when required, as opposed to the standard contact methods which can take a substantial amount of time before your enquiry is dealt with.
How can you determine who is a genuine Google Partner?
Once a company becomes a certified Google Partner, they are eligible to showcase a badge on their website, email signatures, business cards, etc. to recognise this. The Google Partner badge shows that specific Partners have passed Google Ads product exams and are up to date with the latest product knowledge. In other words, they’ve earnt it.
I know what you’re thinking though – what’s to stop some companies falsely displaying the badge or making a claim when they aren’t actually a Google Partner? Well, to verify the credibility of the badge, it should ideally link through to the company’s Google Partners page. The page on the Google.com domain will showcase the overall company specialisations and the number of individual certifications.
If the badge isn’t linking through to the company’s Google Partners page, and if the company isn’t able to deliver said link upon request, then it’s likely that the claim is fraudulent.
What should I do if a company’s Google Partner claim is fraudulent?
If you are confident that a particular company is not a certified Google Partner – despite claiming to be – then you can report a violation of the Google third-party policy.
In your complaint, Google allows you to specify exactly what the violation is from a list. Try and provide as much evidence as possible, such as screen shots of the offending website and a note of the URL(s).
The Google Partner program is becoming more widely recognised in association with experienced marketing agencies. However, as recognition increases, so too does the misuse of the program.
Why should I choose to work with a Google Partner?
Ultimately, if the company you’re working with doesn’t continue to maintain Google’s high standards for being a Google Partner, they will have their partnership revoked. This means you can rest assured that you will continue to receive a high level of service and expertise.
Coast Digital is a Google Premier Partner and has been a member of the Google Partner program since its conception. Why not take a look at some of our services?
