Google Ads is not just one of the oldest online advertising platforms, but it has also been the inspiration for many others - Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Microsoft Ads, Amazon Ads, and many more. Understanding and being able to manage the vast jungle of settings in Google Ads gives you incredible leverage in your professional life.

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. Past course attendees have highlighted the practical nature of the course and being able to complete the Google Ads Certificate.

After completing this learning experience, you'll know how to structure a Google Ads account and set up common ad campaigns. You'll understand how to use AI to support your advertising goals and which key performance indicators to monitor. You'll also learn how Google is using AI to shape the future of online advertising. Finally, you'll grasp the basics of measuring digital marketing success with Google Analytics.

Note that either individuals or groups will work with real companies to create their campaigns. This hands-on approach with actual businesses provides authentic experience and additional value for networking opportunities for the students.

After completing this course, you will be able to
1. Structure a Google Ads account
2. Set up Search, Display, YouTube, and Performance Max campaigns
3. Acquire advanced AI knowledge for keyword and audience 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, hence derive concrete insights and action steps for any company’s revenue growth and more efficient marketing budget spend.

Note that while your attendance in class doesn’t count towards participation, failing to meet the 80% attendance requirement will result in an automatic failure of the course. It is your responsibility to meet that requirement and coordinate attendance with any other courses you’re taking part in. Exact exam times will only be communicated on the exam day itself. No exceptions will be made.
If you’re unsure about any attendance-related aspect, contact the professor in due time.

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, who has helped 3,000+ companies grow their revenue with Google Ads all over the world. This course will help you approach the learning journey in a practical 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 long-term 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. Of course, you’ll get to know how to create the best ad copy with AI and which prompts to use.
3. Keywords: Learn tips & tricks to find the best keywords (while using AI) 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, Google Trends, and a few other tools which save you time & effort.
4. Assets: 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.
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? And, especially, why the Cost/Click isn’t as important as some people may think.
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. Learn how Google’s AI and machine learning elevate your data analysis and campaign strategy.
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 in today’s job market.

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%

For more details: see Course Requirements and Grading in Canvas/My Learn

Please log in with your WU account to use all functionalities of read!t. For off-campus access to our licensed electronic resources, remember to activate your VPN connection connection. In case you encounter any technical problems or have questions regarding read!t, please feel free to contact the library at readinglists@wu.ac.at.

Course Materials

Please make sure that you have access to all course materials on Canvas! If NOT, please contact me until November 30, 2025!

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 15, 2025, on Canvas. 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 online Q&A session about 1-2 weeks prior to the deadline, 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 and Canvas!

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, please reach out to pw@ajaladigital.com.

Group Project

Task: Working with real companies, groups will create a comprehensive Digital Client Onboarding Experience that combines modern portfolio skills with professional client delivery. Teams will develop a professional campaign portfolio website showcasing their Google Ads strategy as a case study, complete with visual mockups and campaign highlights. Alongside this, they'll create a downloadable client onboarding package including campaign setup guides, keyword research summaries, and a 30/60/90-day optimization roadmap. Groups will conclude with a 5 minute virtual presentation, screen-sharing their campaign setup as if delivering the final package to their client. This format develops both digital portfolio creation skills and remote client communication abilities essential in today's marketing landscape.

1. Professional Campaign Portfolio Landing Page - Create a single-page professional landing page showcasing your Google Ads strategy as a comprehensive case study. Your landing page must include:

• Company background research and client overview
• Visual campaign/account structure diagram/flowchart
• Campaign(s) strategy rationale and objectives
• Screenshots/mockups of actual campaign setups
• Team member contributions and responsibilities

2. Client Onboarding Guide - Develop a complete downloadable document/guide that includes:

• Step-by-step campaign setup guide
• Keyword research summary with rationale
• Ad copy variations and optimization suggestions
• Success metrics
• 30/60/90-day optimization roadmap
• 15 pages max! It may be a lot shorter if you feel like you’re conveying all the essential pieces of information.

3. 5-Minute Virtual Presentation - Deliver a professional client presentation via screen-sharing that walks through your campaign setup, highlighting key campaign elements and settings. Upload your presentation video to any accessible platform and submit the link.

Deadline for submission of all materials: 1 day after the last class day. You're expected to work on this assignment outside of class to meet course workload requirements, but will be given time in class depending on availability.

Post questions in the discussion board/forum. Check existing entries before submitting questions—duplicate questions will not receive answers.

• Note/Tips:
  Exceeding the page or minute length will result in an automatic 5% deduction of your group project grade.
• Use apps like Grammarly to make sure that any written content reflects proper English grammar.
• Only one person from your group needs to submit the group project, which will count for every team member.
• Make sure that the video link is accessible for the 'public' by the time you submit it. If I cannot access your video link after the submission deadline, the video will count as not submitted.
• It is your responsibility to make sure that the audio works well and the video is in a decent quality before you submit it.
• Every person is expected to do the major work of their own campaign. Other members are expected to help out, but not do the work for you!
  Deadline: December 23, 2025, 7:59pm GMT+1

Task: By completing this exam successfully, you will leave the course with a certification that is highly valuable in the professional world. Furthermore, it is an add-on to your education and a well-sought-after proof of skill in the marketing world. Make sure that you’ve got a stable internet connection as any internet interruption could mean that your exam ends early and you need to start all over.

You will receive 5% for this task if you complete the steps below before the deadline. This task is not mandatory, but represents an additional opportunity to get a valuable certificate outside of class and add a few bonus points to your grade. You will receive the right link to access the exam during class. Once you have passed, upload a full screenshot of your screen and the result (date, time, full student name must be visible on your laptop screen) on Canvas.

Deadline: January 5, 2026