If you have been involved with Google Adwords for a while, you have probably heard of Google’s Adwords certification. Google has come up with this certification program for folks who want to prove to their customers and employers that they are qualified and they know what they are talking about.

The exam is not that challenging. It is 100+ questions about the ins and outs of Adwords. So if you are hoping to pass the exam without knowing the details, you may be wasting your time. But the funny thing is the videos and text training provided by Adwords covers most of the questions on the exam. What I found challenging about the exam were errors in questions. For instance, there were a couple of questions that were asking me to look at a graph but there was no link to the graph anywhere on the page. But if you score 75%, you pass the exam, and that is certainly not hard to do. Which brings me to the next point:

Just like any exam, you can study and cram for Google Adwords exam and pass it in the first try. The exam is open book and cheap, so you can take it a couple of times if you don’t pass it in your first try. Passing the exam does not mean that you are a master in Adwords. It just shows that you know your way around Adwords.

Google Certification is great for folks who are very experienced in the PPC field, but do not expect for a second that it can help you actually become a better marketer. The certification tests you on Adwords details, but it doesn’t test you on your marketing abilities. You may be able to get a job with the certification in your hands, but if you are not a good marketer, it will show eventually. So should you trust a Google certified professional? Not really! I trust the track-record and experience of marketers that work for me not the awards and certifications that they have.

Google has a certification program, you might say. Yes! They do. Certifications are the best ways to get some quick cash in the computer industry. We have Microsoft, Sun, Adobe, and Cisco all offering certifications to those who are simple enough to think they can get jobs by only having those certificates. Google’s Adwords Professional is a little bit different than those other ones. For one, you don’t have to be a genius to pass the written test. But you will have to spend money (yours or your clients’) to prove to Google that Adwords is something you want to do (you will have to spend $1000 in 90 days).

Google’s certification really doesn’t tell anything about your ability as a marketer. Sure. You know the basics. You know how to create a local ad or a mobile ad but you don’t learn how to write a good copy just from the certificate program. In essence, it’s the opposite of what other certifications are all about. You see with MCSE, you get the certification you to prove you are an IT expert (you may or may not be). With Google Adwords Professional, you get the certification because you know the marketing science inside and out and just want to prove you have mastered Adwords and are ready to manage clients. In both cases, we are going to have people who have the certification but have no idea what they are talking about but at least Google Adwords you know what to expect.

Is it worth it? I would say yes. If you are a PPC marketer, it wouldn’t hurt to try the Adwords Professional Program. It’s only $50 for the exam, so it’s not that expensive. And if you are an experienced PPC, you are probably spending thousands of dollars a month on Adwords already, so the second requirement should be a piece of cake (if you are not a PPC marketer, the costs are significantly higher as you WILL have to spend $1000 in 90 days to get certified). Overall, it’s a good certification to show you are serious about pay per click marketing. But that’s about it.