Ever play a complicated board game? Not Monopoly or Scrabble, but more like the historic battle games from Avalon Hill or 3M. The ones that came with 1000 little cardboard tiles and a ton of other pieces, charts, and books.
If you haven’t, imagine a Mensa version of Risk.
There are many facets to these types of games that must be considered and managed to be successful. They’re not terribly difficult to learn, but they can take years to master.
Google AdWords is a lot like that.
Google AdWords: Not Just a Game
Much like those games, Google AdWords is about strategy. The more strategy you use, the less each click will cost.
Unlike those games, we’re playing with real resources.
The beauty in AdWords is that it’s very customizable and highly measurable. Skilled users put those customizations and measurements to work targeting high-converting searchers. They make sure that your ad appears where it’s likely to convert.
Very skilled users also ensure the ad doesn’t show up when it won’t convert. This saves your advertising dollars for more qualified queries.
Google AdWords Certified Partners are those very skilled users.
7 Reasons to Work With a Google AdWords Certified Partner
That’s not all an AdWords Certified Partner can do. Investing your budget in AdWords and pay-per-click advertising is a solid plan. Before choosing a Google AdWords service, consider these points.
1. Google AdWords Certified Partners are… Certified
Google doesn’t let you use their certified partner badge for nothing. Partners must successfully complete a thorough qualification process, including:
Completing Google’s AdWords certification through the Academy of Ads
Spending at least $10,000 through managed accounts during the previous 90 days
Showing overall customer growth while maintaining and growing their client base
That’s right. It’s not enough to know how to use AdWords. They have to prove that they’re good at it, too.
2. Certified Partners are Proven Repeatedly
When you earn a degree, you get to keep the degree. This isn’t so for partners.
AdWords partners must continue to show client and revenue growth to keep their certification.
They must recertify every year by testing. Technology changes constantly, and Google requires partners to keep up. With a certified partner, you’ll be up-to-date with current features and best practices.
Google is doing you a favor. They’re showing you exactly which services consistently demonstrate expertise and success with AdWords. The AdWords Certified Partner badge might as well be a giant, flashing neon sign. It takes a lot of work to earn.
3. They’re Sharpshooters
Partners know how to target your buyers. They’ll maximize your ROI by effectively using important keywords and keyword groups.
They’re also efficient and thorough with negative keywords. This helps to reduce or eliminate ad impressions if the search is unlikely to provide a solid lead.
In a nutshell, they know how to qualify a search term.
Let’s say that you own an air conditioning repair company. You’ve decided that you want people to call you directly when their AC is out. Your service offers a free over-the-phone diagnostic check for simple fixes. You work Monday through Friday, no longer offering service on the weekends or after hours.
Your AdWords Certified Partner targets queries only within your service area. They can also ensure ads appear only on weekdays or during business hours.
They use negative keywords. These are extra terms within the full search query that could disqualify the lead.
Partners can exclude ads from searches that are less likely to provide a quality lead. You might decide to exclude your ad if the AC repair search contains words like:
24-hour AC repair
AC repair car
AC repair video
AC repair jobs
Cheap AC repair
Every bad lead eliminated reduces the risk that you’re wasting your advertising dollars. Partners must prove that they can effectively use this skill. They do it by providing overall growth for their clients.
AdWords partners use specific inclusion and careful exclusion tactics to deliver qualified clicks. Your conversion rate will climb and you’ll save money with fewer less-qualified clicks.
A talented AdWords partner uses a wide range of options. They filter through millions of searches and identify which ones need your service. They can also deploy different ads based on the search terms entered.
They’ll help you develop an ideal candidate and determine their most likely demographics. They’ll adjust parameters such as location, age, gender and device type to target your perfect customer.
4. Certified Partners Provider Analysis
You can determine pay-per-click costs by multiplying your maximum bid by your site’s quality score, then comparing that number to your competitors. The difference between those numbers determines your cost and ad ranking on the SERP.
Quality scores are determined by several factors that your AdWords Partner should discuss with you.
Anytime your ad is clicked, it’s going to cost you, whether the individual clicking through makes a purchase or not.
If AdWords doesn’t have enough information to determine your ad’s relevance to the query, you could end up with a low conversion rate and high ad cost.
AdWords partners frequently check performance by using sortable data that shows which searches are converting and which are lagging, or costing you money.
With this information, you’re able to further adjust targeting to improve your conversions.
5. More Skills and Better Tools
Partners are not only skilled, they also have the latest tools. When AdWords has new features in beta testing, certified partners have access. You get the latest and greatest before everyone else. That just might give you an advantage over your competition.
Having a dedicated support team doesn’t hurt either. Partners have access to their own support team so that your issues take priority.
6. Your Competitors Might Be Using a Certified Partner
When a business has comparable competitors, the best strategy often takes the lion’s share of the online market. If your competitors use Google AdWords and Analytics, it may come down to the better targeting plan, the higher quality site, and the more responsive, adaptable marketing team.
Partners are able to identify your competitors and show you what they’re doing. They can even show you which keywords are working for them. That’s business you could be getting.
7. They’ve Got a Team
AdWords Certified Partners tend to be part of highly-skilled marketing teams. As your business grows, you’ll have the full force of a talented digital marketing agency at your disposal.
Playing to Win
Are you struggling to get your site to rank near the top of the SERPs? AdWords may provide a quick and powerful solution, especially for local businesses.
Before you take the plunge, talk to a Google AdWords Certified Partner about your strategies.
Lead to Conversion offers brand management, digital marketing, and web design solutions including pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. We’re a Google-certified Expert Partner. To discuss your digital market options or for questions on AdWords, contact us today.
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