I spent the day today at Google’s San Francisco offices learning more about Google’s plans to further connect with the advertising agency community.
Google From Inside A Google Voice Phone Booth
Not being from the ad agency world, I wasn’t familiar with a year old Google advertising agency outreach initiative called AgencyLand.
This video explains more about how Google plans to further connect with advertising agencies through Google AgencyLand.
The following three categories are where AdWords performance can be optimized –
Campaigns, Ad Groups and the Website advertised.
AdWords Performance Optimization
Questions for potential AdWords advertisers –
Although AdWords experiments have been live for a while, I hadn’t investigated the new AdWords testing feature until now.
AdWords Experiment Settings
Well, I didn’t investigate AdWords Experiments but I did locate it within my accounts.
AdWords Experiments are located within the Campaign settings tab in AdWords accounts.
At the risk of sounding jaded, I thought all AdWords campaigns were just that – experiments.
To renew my Google Advertising Professional designation I must pass two of four possible exams.
All applicants have to take the Advertising Fundamentals Exam and one of three other exams.
I will be taking the Search Advertising Advanced Exam to meet my second test requirement.
These two exams have some overlapping materials.
To better prepare for both tests, I have created a MindMap of the Advertising Fundamentals and Search Advertising Advanced Exams.
Between the two exams there are eleven subjects and thirty two subtopics covered.
The following Adwords Exam Mindmap is color coded to indicate which subjects are covered in both exams (red) which subjects are in just the Advertising Fundamentals exam only (orange) and which subjects are tested only in the Search Advertising Fundamentals Exam (blue).
Because so much content is covered, I had to shrink the AdWords Exam Mindmap considerably to get it fit in this post.
I also had to turn it on its side.
Google Advertising Fundamentals and Search Advertising Advanced Exam
I am preparing to take the new Google AdWords Certified Partner Exams to renew my Google Advertising Professionals certification before Google sunsets the original Qualified Individual designation.
I think I was one of the first five or ten people worldwide to receive the Qualified Individual certification.
A lot has changed since then!
To get a new Certified Google Partner badge, search marketers must past two of four possible exams.
In my case, I will be taking the Advertising Fundamentals and Search Advertising Advanced Exams.
In the previous post, I wrote about the eight topics and twenty subtopics covered in the Advertising Fundamentals Exam.
Below are the ten topics and twenty eight subtopics covered in the Search Advertising Advanced Exam.
1. Introduction to AdWords
1.1 Overview of AdWords
2. AdWords Account and Campaign Basics
2.2 Campaign Management Basics
2.3 Ad Group Management Basics
3. AdWords Ad Formats
3.1 Overview of Ad Formats
3.2 Ad Formats Guidelines & Best Practices
4. Adwords Targeting and Placements
4.1 Overview of Targeting and Placements
4.2 Keyword and Keyword Targeting
4.3 AdWords Language & Location Targeting
4.4 Placement Targeting for the Display Network
4.5 Location Extensions
5. AdWords Bidding and Budgeting
5.1 Overview of Bidding
5.2 Overview of Budgets
6. Policies and Ad Quality Topics
6.1 AdWords Policies
6.2 Ad and Site Quality
6.3 Invalid Click Issues
10. AdWords Tools
10.1 Overview of AdWords Tools
10.2 AdWords Editor
11. Performance Monitoring and Conversion Tracking
11.1 Overview of Performance Monitoring and Conversion Tracking
11.2 AdWords Reporting
11.3 Conversion Tracking Basics
13. Optimizing Performance
13.1 Overview of Optimization
13.2 Optimizing AdWords Campaigns and Ad Groups
13.3 Optimizing Websites and Landing Pages
13.6 Optimizing for Greater Conversions
14. Managing Multiple Accounts
14.1 Overview of Managing Multiple Accounts
14.2 Managing Accounts with My Client Center (MCC)
14.3 Using AdWords API
Yes, there is topic and subtopic overlap between the Advertising Fundamentals and Search Advertising Advanced Exams.
In my next post, I will clarify which topics and subtopics must be studied to prepare for and pass both the Advertising Fundamentals and Search Advertising exams in order to receive the Google Certified Partner designation.
As I have written here before, Google has expanded testing requirements for passing and obtaining its new Google AdWords Certified Partner Designation.
Google now offers four exams –
1. Google Advertising Fundamentals Exam
2. Search Advertising Advanced Exam
3. Display Advertising Advanced Exam
4. Reporting & Analysis Advanced Exam.
Would be partners must pass both the Advertising Fundamentals Exam and one of the other exams to receive the Google AdWords Certified Partner badge.
The Google Advertising Fundamentals Exam tests AdWords managers in eight of the fifteen total subject areas provided.
The eight subjects covered in the Google Advertising Fundamentals Exam are:
1. Introduction to AdWords
1.1 Overview of AdWords
1.2 Getting Started with AdWords
2. AdWords Account and Campaign Basics
2.1 Account Management Basics
2.2 Campaign Management Basics
2.3 Ad Group Management Basics
3. AdWords Ad Formats
3.1 Overview of Ad Formats
3.2 Ad Formats Guidelines & Best Practices
4. AdWords Targeting and Placements
4.1 Overview of Targeting and Placements
4.2 Keywords and Keyword Targeting
4.3 AdWords Language & Location Targeting
4.4 Placement Targeting for the Display Network
5. AdWords Bidding and Budgeting
5.1 Overview of Bidding
5.2 Overview of Budgets
6. Policies and Ad Quality Topics
6.1 AdWords Policies
6.2 Ad and Site Quality
13. Optimizing Performance
13.1 Overview of Optimization
13.2 Optimizing AdWords Campaigns and Ad Groups
13.3 Optimizing Websites and Landing Pages
15. Selling and Representing AdWords
15.1 The AdWords Value Proposition
15.2. Selling the Benefits of AdWords
15.3 Maintaining Client Relationships
Note: Sections, 4.5 Location Extensions, 6.3 Invalid Clicks Issues, 13.4 About Google Website Optimizer. 13.5 Using Google Website Optimizer and 13.6 Optimizing for Greater Conversions are not included in the Google Advertising Fundamentals Exam.
In total, the Google Advertising Fundamentals Exam is composed of 8 topics and 21 subtopics.
Google has introduced a single address to find all of their latest products and features @ http://www.google.com/newproducts
The Google New page is populated with the most recent Google news first.
Visitors can also sort and view Google news either by products or areas of interest.
Google New Products
Learn more about Google New Products in this video:
I received an email from Google regarding taking their new exams at one of four Google offices.
I just now noticed the email concludes with a request to keep the program details confidential so I guess I will.
Google really takes confidentiality seriously – so much so they issue invitations to Google partners with confidential emails addressed to: Hi,
Hi
Search Marketing Communications 
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