Please be upstanding for the new partners, Vital Hike and Google!

Vital Hike is very proud to announce that we are now a Certified Google Adwords Partner.

What is that?

What is that, I hear you ask? Well, it basically means that Google are officially recognising that what we do and what we've BEEN doing... is great.

Explain...

We are a web development and online marketing business. So not only do we MAKE websites, but we then OPTIMISE them using our online marketing skills, so that they perform brilliantly. If you've been in to visit, we've already talked to you about SEO, but for everyone else, SEO means Search Engine Optimisation. That all-encompassing phrase refers to the many things that can be done to make your website more visible online and more effective with visitors. This can range from altering the HTML code, to rewording your introduction page.

What we're focussing on today however, is Google Adwords, an important tool in the quest for optimisation.

When you search for something on Google, you don't only get organic search results; chances are you'll also get some targeted ads. People have paid specifically for those ads to appear as a result of your search.

Below, I searched for "mastercard", and you can see that I got multiple targeted ads in my search.

This isn't something to worry about; it just means that those businesses are using Google Adwords to promote their business.

And now we return to how we got our Google Adword Partner status!

We regularly use Google Adwords with clients, if it's suitable to their business, in order to get the best results from their websites. So you might see an ad for Humble Pie Catering appear on your search if you've been looking for something related to Edinburgh catering!

It is a tool in our SEO toolkit which we are very experienced with and skilled at employing.

In order to progress from being any old online marketing business who can offer Adword services however, we decided to attempt to become Google Partners. And as you're reading this now, we've succeeded.

What did you have to do to become Google Partners? It sounds very formal...

There were no creepy rituals to perform for starters. Let's break it down;


1. Exams...

We had to have at least one employee sit the multiple and rigorous exams that Google has written, based around Google Adwords.

We have two employees who passed the exams and are now Certified in Adwords. This means we have a formal recognition of their top-notch abilities with Adwords Marketing, so you know you are working with the best. They specialised in search marketing, which relates specifically to keyword searches in Google.

Having two experts has gotta be better than one, right?



2. Customer Service.

We had to demonstrate that our clients were receiving the most up-to-date and comprehensive service we could provide.

Google reviewed our accounts to ensure we were providing great customer service, regularly changing and updating campaigns, making the most of client's budgets, and that our clients were sticking with us.

In order to hold onto our Partner status, we have to maintain our high standard. Google continually monitors us to make sure we're still operating within the Google Partner guidelines.

3. Run Successful Adwords Campaigns.

We had to prove that we had a certain number of successful Adwords campaigns currently running - Google don't just take your word for it! Furthermore, the campaigns all had to be operating above minimum levels of spend, as set by Google.

And just like that - we're a Google Partner!

Is every techy-online-marketing-business a Google Adwords Partner then?

Actually, no.

The reason why we started using Google Adwords all those years ago, is because we are always researching the most up-to-date and optimum ways of marketing a business online. Becoming Certified by Google seemed like a great option - we knew we had the ability, but this is a way of proving it to our customers.

If a business is claiming to provide Google Adwords management services, but isn't certified by Google, I would assume they didn't meet the required minimum spend, or that they don't currently have a lot of active Adword campaigns. Or, they may have failed the exam.

There are currently around 8 Google Partners across Scotland.

Vital Hike is the only Google Partner in and around the Dundee area.

Is Vital Hike working on commission for Google now then?

Not at all. Don't worry, helping our clients to achieve their online marketing goals is still our main focus!

All it means is, Google gets good publicity by supporting online marketers who qualify, and Vital Hike gets to stay ahead of the game. We have access to beta services up to a year before they reach the market, we attend regular conferences with other Google Partners, we know the best ways to utilise Google Adwords to help your business, and our skill is recognised officially by Google.

Google Adwords can be straightforward to set up, but the devil is in the detail when it comes to designing effective ads and implementing a successful marketing strategy. When you want a tailor-made service from a Certified Google Partner, get in touch with Vital Hike.

We have a dedicated research team, to thoroughly look into your target audience and come up with an online business strategy.

We have vast experience in online marketing, so we know what works; we can craft ads that get results.

We can advise you on network choice, targeting your ads, keyword and negative keyword use based on Analytics, and much more...

Google is far and away the most popular search engine

Why not go fishing where the fish are, 
with Vital Hike.

Head on over to our next blog to learn more about making a customer-friendly website with the Awareness Ladder!

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