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Google AdWords Qualified Individual

ON July 3, 2013

When I was picked up from the free agency waiver wire by The Ohlmann Group, I like to think they got an experienced strategic thinking member of the digital media team.  What they also inherited is a Google AdWords Qualified Individual in the areas of Search and Display.  I originally achieved this status back in 2009 (it was called “Google Authorized Reseller” back then) and the training I received directly from Google is what really sparked my transition to the digital space.  Since that time, the industry has come a long way and Google has restructured their products and thus their exams a few times.  Each time they change the exam, any previously qualified individuals must take the latest version of the qualification exam in order to maintain their status.  With the latest round of qualification exams, Google really raised the bar. Originally, one was required merely to pass the “Google AdWords Fundamentals Exams.”  However, now we must pass that fundamentals exam along with at least one of the “Advanced Exams,” which are offered for either Search or Display Advertising.  While I wouldn’t call myself an overachiever or teacher’s pet, I have a great deal of experience in both search and display advertising, so I decided to take both advanced exams.  I passed them both and am now re-qualified as a Google AdWords Qualified Individual… again.  The unique thing about this is that most AdWords professionals will seek either search OR display qualifications, so Ohlmann is in a unique group of local agencies that have a team member that is a Google AdWords Qualified Individual in the areas of both Search and Display.  Yay me!

Google Adwords Certificate of AchievementGoogle Adwords Certificate

 
 

What does this mean for clients of Ohlmann?  When you have an experienced search marketer that has kept their finger on the pulse of what Google is doing with paid search, you end up with an intelligently managed campaign with a far greater chance of success.  It means you can trust that advertising dollars are being managed with utmost efficiency.  Knowing how to properly apply campaign vs. ad group negative keywords, using broad match modifiers and mobile bid adjustments are some of the things that one must prove in order to achieve Google AdWords Individual Qualification.  If those terms are foreign to you, don’t worry, I got you.  That’s our job, to know the latest in the digital marketing space and how to use those latest trends and tools to earn a higher return on our clients’ investment.  Also, with qualification in search and display, we understand that search marketing is not the answer for every client, and that’s O.K.  Whether you need to reach customers early in the buying process or capture them at the moment right before they make a purchase, you can trust that The Ohlmann Group is knows how to do that.


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