The digital department received notification (finally!) that Lessing-Flynn has become a Google Partner. The entire process took over a year, so we are pretty pumped up about it.

What’s a Google Partner? Glad you asked. Agencies that want this certification must first join Google Partners then meet a series of requirements before obtaining partner status. Think of it like trying to make partner at a law firm, you need to show up, pay your dues and prove your expertise before you become a partner.

What are the requirements? This is where the pros get separated from the amateurs. Google defines the three program requirements as Certifications, Performance and Spend. Here’s a quick overview of each in order of difficulty to fulfill.

  • Spend: This one is simple. Google requires a minimum spend of $10,000 per 90 days. In today’s digital advertising environment that can easily be done with one or two clients.
  • Certifications: These are time consuming but valuable for sharpening your skills. Through the Partners program, Google offers certifications for the AdWords and Analytics platforms. AdWords features six certifications in total covering AdWords Fundamentals, Search Advertising, Display Advertising, Video Advertising, Shopping Advertising and Mobile Advertising. Analytics is just one single certification. Each certification features video lessons and a final exam that requires a score of 80% to pass. Certifications expire annually requiring recipients to stay up-to-date on new capabilities.
  • Performance: To fulfill performance requirements, an AdWords account must maximize the success of the campaigns within it through regular optimization. Other factors like client retention, account growth and age of account are included. This is the most difficult requirement to fulfill because it requires a mix of AdWords expertise and proper account management.

Why invest in becoming a Google Partner? You mean other than the awesome badge for your website?! Seriously though, potential clients recognize the Google brand and the power of its products, so being able to say, “Yeah, LF and Google? We have a close relationship — we go way back.” That’s powerful. Another major benefit is your agency will receive a dedicated account manager / Google products expert at your beckon call for help with client pitches, resolving account issues and providing optimization ideas. Your company will also be listed in Google Partners search results.

Impressed? Want to get started? Click here and sign-up for Google Partners. If you already have an AdWords and/or Analytics account you will be able to sync it. Once your account is linked, start selling AdWords, studying for certifications and optimizing current campaigns. Before long, you’ll be writing a blog post just like this one.

Oh, your ad agency isn’t a Google Partner? Well that’s unfortunate for them, but we’d love to chat with you!