Google is closing its Google Advertising Professionals (GAP) program and replacing it with a new Google AdWords Certification program for those managing AdWords accounts on behalf of advertisers.

The new program will involve more rigorous training and require ad agencies and individuals to meet higher standards to be certified.

Google will also let Google Certified Partners to opt in to Google Partner Search, an online, searchable directory to help advertisers find Certified Partners that meet their criteria.

According to Penny Price, Google’s Vice President, Global Agency Development, the new program will give ad agencies and their employees:

“more up-to-date, comprehensive, strategy-focused training and certification on the latest tools and best practices for managing AdWords accounts.”

This will include new training materials, more difficult certification exams, advanced-level exams and a new Certified Partner badge. The badge will include a ‘Click to Verify’ element so advertisers can view the partner’s profile page for more information.

Current Google Advertising Professionals will have 6 months to meet the new criteria in order to keep their Google Adwords Certified status.

For more information go here.

Source: Penny Price, “A new approach to how we work with advertising agencies,” Official Google Blog, April 26, 2010

Related Articles:

• Google Introduces Preferred Adwords API Pricing For Ad Agencies
• Google Reveals Google Adsense Ad Revenue Split: 68% For Content Publishers, 51% For Search Partners
• idealab Launches TweetUp as The ‘Adwords / Adsense For Twitter’
• Auto Repair is Fastest Growing Category on Google Adwords
• 7 Top Keyword Research Tools for SEO and SEM

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 at 12:35 am and is filed under News and Comment, Online Advertising, Search Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.