MichaelHodgdon.Com
  • Home
  • About
    • Resume
    • SEO Expert Mike Hodgdon Certifications
    • Mike Hodgdon Digital Marketing and SEO Press
  • Resources
    • Digital Marketing >
      • Google Adwords Video Tutorials
      • CRM & Sales Software Tools and Overview
      • Heat mapping Tools and Overview
      • Landing Page Software Tools and Overview
      • Marketing Automation Software Tools and Overview
      • Niche Digital marketing Software Tools and Overview
      • Press and Press Releases Tools and Overview
      • Retargeting Tools and Overview
    • Publisher Services >
      • Ads, Ad Management, and Promotion
      • Blogging
      • Content Creation Tools & Tips
      • Email and Newsletter Tools and Overview
    • Reputation Management
    • Search Engine optimization (SEO) >
      • Analytics Tools and Tips
      • Auditing Software Tools
      • Competitor Analysis Tools
      • Keyword Tools
      • Link Building Tools
      • Local SEO Tools
      • Rank Tracking Tools
      • Search compliance Software Tools
      • SERP Tracking Tools
      • SEO crawler & log analyzer
      • SEO & SEM Blog
      • SEO & SEM Communities
      • SEO & SEM Conferences
      • SEO Tool Suites
    • Social Media >
      • Brand Mention Tracking Software Tools and Overview
      • Infographic's Tools & Reference
      • Outreach Tools and Overview
      • Social Media Tools and Overview
    • Website Development >
      • Code Editing Tools
      • Content Management Systems
      • Data Software Tools and Overview
      • Page Speed Tools and Overview
      • Image Tools and Overview
      • Programming Tools and Overview
      • Project Management Tools and Overview
      • Website Personalization, UX Tools and Overview
  • Blog
  • Gallery
  • Contact

seo & digital marketing blog


Google’s Specialist Challenge

8/19/2017

Comments

 
Picture
For those Digital Marketers who use Google's certification test as a way to stay on top of Google's Digital Marketing products, in 2015 many of us where happy to hear of Google's new program, then called "The 5pecialist Challenge". The reason for the name "5pecialist Challenge" was you had to complete all 5 Google qualifications (AdWords Search, AdWords Display, Video, Shopping, and Mobile Advertising) to achieve "5pecialist Challenge" status.

Google Certification vs qualification vs certificate?
Because I'll be referring to qualifications, certifications and certificates, throughout this post it will makes sense to provide a little clarity, because frankly it may be confusing if not.

Technically an individual takes a "qualification exam" to get Google Qualified in the Google Partners Certificate program. The Google Partners program is presently free and so are all exams. As of August 2017, the following partner exams are available AdWords Fundamentals, Search Advertising, Display Advertising, Video Advertising, Mobile Advertising, Shopping Advertising for what is now called the "Google Specialist Challenge", and additionally they now offer 2 other exams, the Google Analytics individual qualification, and the Mobile Sites qualification.

​Please be advised, early in 2018 Google moved certification to Academy For Ads 
and has added many new certification opportunities.​
Picture
Once an individual has passed an exam (see passing requirements below), they become "Google Qualified" in that program. If you pass 2 exams, the search fundamental exam and any additional advanced exam you become qualified to "certify" a company or agency. So when you hear people saying they are "Google Certified" they technically mean that they have passed at least the 2 exams required to meet the requirement to be a "Google Certified Partner" company.  To become a Google Certified Partner, having 2 employees that have passed the 2 minimum qualification exams is 1 of 3 requirements. The other 2 are, manage a minimum quarterly spend, and finally Google tracks performance in their client center and you must maintain a minimum quality threshold there.

So in a nutshell, an individual is "qualified" by passing the exam and is issued a certificate but it is a company who is technically "Google Certified".​

Google Specialist Challenge History
2015 Google 5pecialist Challenge- Michael Hosdgdon
Announced on August 15, 2015, thousands of SEO and digital marketing experts started the rigorous testing for the first ever "Google 5pecialist challenge". To receive certification, advertisers were required to pass comprehensive exams in AdWords, display, video, shopping, and mobile advertising by a September 31, 2015 deadline.

Having passed Google’s "5pecialist challenge" exams, Google issued a sharp looking frame and certificate which they mail off in early October. The process was a lot of fun and our team all completed the exams. If you plan on taking the exams why not add the phone of the challenge?
Picture
In 2016 Google changed the name from the "5pecialist Challenge" to the "Specialist Challenge".  It started in early August and wrapped up again by September 31st, 2016. 
2016 Google Specialist Challenge photo promotion.
They added some resources (see links below) to help study for exams and added ​some fun after the challenge events with free google swag, like the "Google Specialist Challenge" photo promotion.

This years 2017 Google Specialist Challenge just recently kicked off and the details are as follows; Every member of your team who passes the AdWords Fundamentals exam and all 5 AdWords exams by Saturday, September 30, 2017, will be eligible to receive a limited-edition framed certificate, reserved for first-rate AdWords Specialists. 

The Google Partner Exams
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
AdWords Fundamentals- The AdWords exams cover basic and advanced advertising concepts, including campaign set up, management, and optimization. To become AdWords certified, you’ll need to pass the AdWords Fundamentals exam and one of the other AdWords exams. You can demonstrate your expertise and help your company earn the Google Partner badge with an AdWords certification.
  • 120 minutes
  • 100 questions
  • 80% passing score
  • 4 lessons
Search Advertising- This exam covers basic and advanced concepts, including best practices for creating, managing, measuring, and optimizing search ad campaigns across the Search Network.
  • 120 minutes
  • 100 questions
  • 80% passing score
  • Validity period of 12 months
Display Advertising- This exam covers advanced concepts, including best practices for creating, managing and optimizing Display campaigns.
  • 120 minutes
  • 100 questions
  • 80% passing score
  • Validity period of 12 months
Video Advertising- This exam covers basic and advanced concepts, including best practices for creating, managing and optimizing video advertising campaigns across YouTube and the web.
  • 90 minutes
  • 74 questions
  • 80% passing score
  • Validity period of 12 months
Mobile Advertising- This exam covers basic and advanced concepts of mobile advertising, including ad formats, bidding and targeting, and campaign measurement and optimization.
  • 90 minutes
  • 70 questions
  • 80% passing score
  • Validity period of 12 months
Shopping Advertising- This exam covers basic and advanced concepts, including creating a Merchant Center account and product data feed and creating and managing Shopping campaigns.
  • 90 minutes
  • 63 questions
  • 80% passing score
  • Validity period of 12 months
Google Specialist Challenge Resources
  • Google Partners Sign Up
  • Google Partner Communities
  • Google Specialist Challenge
  • Specialist Challenge On Air Academy
  • Google Partners Twitter
  • Google Partners Google+
  • Google Partners YouTube​


Comments

    Subscribe:

    * indicates required


    ​Author

    Mike Hodgdon- SEO & Digital Marketing Expert Consultant

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Categories

    All
    Adwords
    Analytic's
    App SEO
    Coding
    Inbound
    Local SEO
    Reviews
    Search Engines
    SEM
    SEO
    SEO- Keywords
    SEO Tools
    Website Monetization

    Archives

    April 2018
    December 2017
    August 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016

    RSS Feed

MICHAELHODGDON.COM
FREE SEO AUDIT | SEARCH ENGINE ALGORITHM MONITORING
Michael Hodgdon - Expert SEO and Online Advertising Consultant
Colorado Springs, Colorado
​(719) 208-7985

Weather provided by MozCast

  • Home
  • About
    • Resume
    • SEO Expert Mike Hodgdon Certifications
    • Mike Hodgdon Digital Marketing and SEO Press
  • Resources
    • Digital Marketing >
      • Google Adwords Video Tutorials
      • CRM & Sales Software Tools and Overview
      • Heat mapping Tools and Overview
      • Landing Page Software Tools and Overview
      • Marketing Automation Software Tools and Overview
      • Niche Digital marketing Software Tools and Overview
      • Press and Press Releases Tools and Overview
      • Retargeting Tools and Overview
    • Publisher Services >
      • Ads, Ad Management, and Promotion
      • Blogging
      • Content Creation Tools & Tips
      • Email and Newsletter Tools and Overview
    • Reputation Management
    • Search Engine optimization (SEO) >
      • Analytics Tools and Tips
      • Auditing Software Tools
      • Competitor Analysis Tools
      • Keyword Tools
      • Link Building Tools
      • Local SEO Tools
      • Rank Tracking Tools
      • Search compliance Software Tools
      • SERP Tracking Tools
      • SEO crawler & log analyzer
      • SEO & SEM Blog
      • SEO & SEM Communities
      • SEO & SEM Conferences
      • SEO Tool Suites
    • Social Media >
      • Brand Mention Tracking Software Tools and Overview
      • Infographic's Tools & Reference
      • Outreach Tools and Overview
      • Social Media Tools and Overview
    • Website Development >
      • Code Editing Tools
      • Content Management Systems
      • Data Software Tools and Overview
      • Page Speed Tools and Overview
      • Image Tools and Overview
      • Programming Tools and Overview
      • Project Management Tools and Overview
      • Website Personalization, UX Tools and Overview
  • Blog
  • Gallery
  • Contact