Why Google Ads
Certifications Don't Matter
& Premier Partners
are a scam
Google Ads certifications and Google Premier Partner status say nothing about the quality of an agency's work. Premier Partner status rests on three criteria, none of them based on quality: an optimisation score above 70%, over $10k spend across the agency's manager account in 90 days, and at least 50% of its users holding a certification. The certification tests push Google's own features, like Broad Match and Performance Max, as the correct answers, when no two accounts are the same.
Does Google Premier Partner status mean an agency is any good?
Google Premier Partner status does not mean an agency is any good, because none of the three criteria for earning it are based on the quality of its work.
This is a status Agencies can claim to be. A badge of honour amongst digital advertisers with unique privileged access to Google & its services.
Better support. Earlier access to Betas. Growth strategists from Google.
All sounds great, until you realise the catch.
You have to hit 3 criteria - none of them are based on the quality of your work.
Optimisation score above 70%
For the accounts in your MCC, you need to ensure the optimisation score stays above 70%.
The optimisation scores literally don't mean anything anyway and are designed to get you to spend more even when the recommendations actively harm your business.
By rejecting the recommendations, you can stay above 70% and hit the first criteria.
Spend above $10k over 90 day period in the MCC for your accounts
That means you're literally incentivized to spend even if it's not in your clients best interests to.
Certifications
That's right. Google will only give you "Premier Partner" status if 50% of users in the MCC have at least one of the certifications.
So marketeers are incentivized to just pass the test to get the Premier Partner badge, not for the sake of the test itself.
In short - being a Premier Partner tells you nothing of the quality of work the agency is producing. In fact, it paints them negatively. This is why you'll never see me, an independent Paid Search consultant, bragging about this fake status.
What do Google Ads certifications actually test?
Google Ads certifications test whether you know Google's preferred answers, not whether you can grow a business profitably - the correct answers favour Google's own features, like Broad Match and full-asset Performance Max.
These annual certifications Google wants you to keep re-taking are indoctrination material. The 50 question tests are designed to promote Google's core money making systems in the platform that not necessarily going to help you grow your business profitably.
Questions and framing make it seem like Broad Match, AI max, Auto Apply recommendations, Full-asset Performance max are no-brainers and should be used (Hence they are the correct answers).
When in reality nuance and personalised account structures & tactics are needed for every account as no two accounts are the same.
Partnering with me for your ads account management means I ignore the advice of these "certificates" & translate your goals into account tactics - the right way.
Further reading
Kiezo Growth's Google Ads Approach & Services
The 3-step approach to account management that makes the P&L the priority - not what looks good in the dashboard.
5 signs it's time to fire your Google Ads agency
If growth has slowed, new customers are drying up and the strategy is unclear, these are the warning signs worth taking seriously.
Why I only work on a flat fee
No percentage of ad spend, no markup on budget, no revenue share - why pricing is an incentive structure, not a billing detail.