Google Ads is not just one of the oldest online advertising platforms, but it has also been the inspiration for many others - Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Bing Ads, Amazon Ads, and many more. Understanding and being able to manage the vast jungle of settings in Google Ads gives you an incredible leverage. You will not just be able to handle advertising budgets efficiently, but turn them into a sustainable source of long-term revenue.
By creating your own ad account and campaigns during the course, you will not just put theory into practice, but also get a closer understanding of the application of the herein taught principles and strategies.
Once you’re done with the course, you’re all set to take the Google Ads certification. Past students have often highlighted that this particular aspect of the course adds important value to their skills in the marketing industry.
Upon completing this learning experience, you’re able to structure an Ads account, set up the most common ad campaigns in Google Ads, know the KPIs you should look out for, and the basics of how to measure digital success with Google Analytics.

After completing this course, you will be able to
1. Structure an Ads account
2. Set up Search, Display, App, YouTube, and Shopping campaigns
3. Acquire advanced knowledge for keyword research & campaign strategy
4. Know which KPIs matter most in digital campaigns & how to track them
5. Use the basics of Google Analytics to measure landing page performance & user behaviour on your website

80% attendance is required.

Group Project:

Task: When working in an agency or a big company, it is absolutely common to work as a team on a bigger account. Together, you will utilize the skills of each person to succeed with this project. As a result, you will get a glimpse of the different elements it takes to create an efficient account structure. Your task is to do research, prepare an account structure, and create campaigns with Ads as well as Extensions, the right settings, Keywords, and Audiences. Your group needs to create at least 1 campaign/person except for App and Smart campaigns which count as half a campaign. If a person chooses to do an App or Smart campaign, they are expected to create a second campaign to fulfil the requirements. You will not just submit a 2-page strategy playbook outlining your rough strategy and eventual additional campaigns, but also present it in a 5-min* video, which you record at your own convenience!

2-Page Strategy Playbook
In this 2-page document, you need to:
• Showcase that you've done some background research about your company (max. 5-6 sentences)
• Outline the general account structure
• Highlight why you chose to create the campaigns you are creating
• Mention the goal for the campaigns
• Highlight which person has created which campaign.

5-min Video
You can choose whether every person records their own campaign and explains it, or if one person speaks about all campaigns. Your task is to take me through each of the campaigns your group has created and highlight the settings, Keywords, Ads, (Extensions), Audiences, and any other aspect that is relevant and key for a campaign to be set up well. Since you only have 5 minutes, there is no need to repeat any information that you put in the strategy playbook.
You can upload the video on any platform and will post the link to it in the text entry box as part of your submission. You have to make sure that the video is accessible to me before the deadline. If the video is not accessible after the deadline, it counts as not submitted. Therefore, it is your own responsibility to doublecheck and make sure that it works. Any content that exceeds the 5-minute mark will count as not submitted.

Weights for each grading component used to compute your final grade:
• 30% of the final grade is based on in-class participation, which is split up into the following parts:
o YouTube Ads Discussion Board entry (5%): since its acquisition in 2006, YouTube has been a steady part of Google and its revenue. Covering
this important platform for our everyday lives, you’re expected to research about and post the best YouTube Ad according to your assessment. You will find further instructions for this task in the forum for the discussion board.
o In-class participation (15%): actively participating in the learning process is not just key to efficient skill acquisition. It is also a major attitude
that helps you progress and succeed in the professional world.
o In/Post-Class Reflections (5%): At the end of Day 1 and 3, you’ll be given around 10 minutes to contribute an individual reflection which you
will post on the respective discussion board/forum. Taking a few minutes to write down what you have learned and reflect on the new knowledge helps you retain it better. You will find further instructions for this task in the forum for the discussion board.
o In-class pop quizzes (10%): on Day 2, 5, and 6, after reviewing the material from the prior class day, you’ll do a short, 4-5 questions quizz.
This is not graded and solely there for you to have another option to practice and reflect on your knowledge. Submitting it will count as completed.
• 15% of the final grade is based on your pre-class assignment, which is due on November 26, 2022. Make sure to have an eye on the assignments as well as the respective deadlines. You will receive a reminder and see more instructions on MyLearn latest by November 12, 2022. Make sure your email is up-to-date! If you cannot find the instructions or haven’t received an email, you’re expected to reach out to the professor. Late submissions will automatically count as a 0. The past has shown that this can be a key differentiator in receiving the better grade at the end of the course!
• 25% of the final grade is based on 2 in-class exams, whereas there will be a mid-course exam (10%) on Day 4 and the final exam (15%) on Day 7, which will simulate parts of the Google Ads Certification exam. The exam on Day 3 will be about knowledge you have acquired on Day 1 and 2. The final exam on Day 6 will cover knowledge from Day 3-5. Both exams are weighed equally to reflect rather the significance of knowledge of the respective parts than the amount covered. Quality over quantity!
• 25% of the final grade is based on the group project. Please see more details about that below.

Class structure: You will receive the slides for each day in advance of the class and are expected to read them prior to each day. This flipped classroom principle allows you to discover the new knowledge through hands-on learning and get a very practical experience.

Bonus Task (not mandatory):
In addition, you will receive a maximum of 5% bonus points to your grade by successfully passing the official Google Ads Certification exam within 2 weeks after the last class. This gives you an extra chance to improve your grade. See more details below.

The transformation of your grade on the 100% scale looks like this:
• 1: 100% - 91%
• 2: 90% - 81%
• 3: 80% - 71%
• 4: 70% - 61%
• 5: Below 60%

Course Materials

Please make sure that you have access to all course materials on MyLearn! If NOT, please contact me until November 20, 2022! (before class)
Since most digital marketing books are outdated by the time they get published, we’ll be using a mix of case studies and online articles as well as YouTube videos in class.

Pre-Class Assignment:
• You will receive the instructions of the pre-class assignment latest by November 12, 2022. Make sure to start early.
• As part of the instructions, you’ll also be asked to create a practice Google Ads account. There will be a voluntary Q&A Zoom session in the 1-2 weeks prior to class in order to help you with any questions that may arise while creating your ad account. The date will be announced as soon as possible, so make sure to keep an eye on your email!

I am happy to answer your questions during class. I will also try to be available in the classroom after each class or during the breaks of each class. It is usually much more productive to discuss your questions in person.
If you have any questions before class, you can reach me at pw@ajaladigital.com.

Overview

Google Ads is an incredibly complex platform with many opportunities when mastered successfully. However, to get there it takes quite some practice. Learn directly from a former Google employee and global digital agency owner what it takes to master Google Ads and Analytics better than anybody else. This course will help you approach the learning journey in a structured way and teach you according to the 80/20 rule the most important aspects:
1. Account structure: What makes an efficient account? What campaign types help you drive which business goal? This is a big part of the 90% of an iceberg that you don’t see, but a crucial factor in creating a sustainable basis for longterm growth.
2. Targeted Ads: Learn and test techniques to create compelling ads through organized ad groups and campaigns. Discover what makes an efficient Call-To-Action and various advanced tips and tricks to help you convert more people.
3. Keywords: Learn tips & tricks to find the best keywords that will drive the most traffic to your website while also keeping cost per click down to maximize your profit. We will use the Google Keyword Planner and a few other tools which save you time & effort.
4. Ad Extensions: Discover the easiest way to outperform your competitors and get even better leads to your homepage. Add phone numbers, locations, prices, simple snippets of information, or much more to your ad to make it bigger, stand out more, and increase the Click-Through-Rate. IMPORTANT NOTE: at the time of writing this syllabus, they are still active in ad accounts. However, Google has announced that they will be deprecating this option in summer 2022. We will cover ad extensions ONLY if something changes and they are still available at the time of taking the class.
5. Metrics/KPIs: When do you actually know that a campaign is working? What are some competitive metrics that you can use to compare your company with others in the industry?
6. Basics of Google Analytics & The First-Party Tracking World: Get to know the basics behind data analysis with one of the most powerful and free tools out there. Get prepared for only working with Google Analytics 4 as Universal Analytics (the current version) is set to go away by mid 2023.
At the end of this course, you’ll be well prepared to take the Google Ads Certificate. With that, you receive a worldwide recognized certification that is a valuable addition to your degree.