As digital marketing continues to evolve and grow, it’s increasingly important that your digital strategies do the same. To put this rapid evolution in perspective, 2018 marked the first time that digital outpaced TV in total U.S. advertising dollars.

Thoughtful Paid Search executions are undoubtedly fueling the majority of this growth, as brands are quickly identifying the correlation between search intent and actual store purchases. Instead of relying on outbound marketing tactics and trying to convince consumers to think about your product or service, Paid Search attracts consumers already actively searching for you – and you need to be front and center when they do.

Whether you’re brand new to Paid Search or have done it for years, you need to make sure the team handling these efforts is highly qualified and experienced, as spending can be wasted if implemented incorrectly. To mitigate errors and remove inexperienced agencies at the start of your Paid Search journey, ask to see their Google Partner badge and ask how long they’ve had it.

Google Partner status isn’t awarded to just anyone, it’s a badge that Google only gives to experienced partners who have achieved actual client performance. We’ve been a Google Partner since 2016. 

To become a certified Google Partner, agencies must meet three pieces of criteria:

  • Certification: Must be certified in Google AdWords to demonstrate advanced AdWords knowledge.
  • Spend: Meet a 90-day ad spend requirement of $10,000 USD across managed accounts to showcase a healthy amount of activity.
  • Performance: Deliver solid overall ad revenue and growth, while maintaining and growing existing customer base.

Google Partner agencies have access to a range of benefits, including:

  • New Google Beta Features: Google Partners are granted first access to new Google features before anyone else, an advantage over your competition.
  • Quality Customer Service: Google Partners are assigned a dedicated Google account manager to regularly monitor and review their account to ensure performance, efficiency, and quality for each campaign.
  • Certified Analysts: Google Partners are guaranteed to have certified employees dedicated to overseeing your AdWords accounts and ensuring they are in line with Google’s requirements.
  • Quick Response: With easy access to Google reps, Google Partners can get questions answered and resolved quicker than non-partner agencies. Stone Ward has been a Google Partner for the past four years and our client performance certainly reflects its value.

If you have any questions on Google Partner status, how to get started or what you might ask a prospective agency, we’d love to hear from you!