If you’re completely new to Google Ads, there are some key concepts you’ll want to grasp before you even start touring the platform—like how Google Ads should fit into your overall marketing plan, how to build a strategy and measure success, and best practices to avoid common mistakes. Local PPC Lab is perfect for this, managing to turn the complexities of Google Ads into a simple (and very visually appealing!) course.
If this feels arbitrary, hear me out. Performance Max campaigns have only just become widely available as of November 2021, so there isn’t a whole lot out there on it. And yet, given the ongoing shift to automation—and the fact that Smart Shopping and Local campaigns will fold into this campaign type in 2022—learning the ropes is important for any level advertiser.
Free Google Ads Performance Grader—an account audit and optimization tool that gets run 10,000 times a month!
PPC University is a series of 5-10-minute articles designed to answer both the questions you have and the ones you didn’t even know to ask. The course is divided into three sections:
- PPC 101: how Google Ads works, account set up and structure, key metrics, anatomy of an ad.
- PPC102: keywords, match types, ad copy, extensions, bidding, ad scheduling, budgeting, and auditing.
- Advanced PPC: remarketing, mobile-optimization, lead qualification, dynamic formats.
The articles are written by top PPC influencers and experts, so you won’t just get what you need to advertise on Google, but rather, to stay competitive, save time, and save money in Google Ads. Plus, our benchmark data is an annual favorite.
2. Google’s Performance Max guide and tutorial
- Type: written, interactive content with visuals and screenshots
- Good for: any level, especially those using Local and Smart Shopping campaigns
- Length: 15 minutes
- Highlight: always-updated information, key takeaways, quizzes
And I never thought I’d link to a help article in a course roundup, but here we are. Google’s Performance Max Best practices guide is also super solid. This 10-minute guide walks you through setting up your campaign, with tips throughout every step and a video tutorial. Between these two resources, you’ll be well on your way to maximizing your performance with Performance Max.
Google’s Performance Max campaign tutorial shows how to use this automated campaign type to advertise across all of Google’s channels with just one campaign. All you need is a free Skillshop account to get access. Through its interactive content, you’ll learn
- How Performance Max campaigns work
- How to set them up
- Best practices
- Tips for post-launch
Got any good recommendations for the list? Let me know in the comments!
The Best Google Ads training for beginners
-How to do the moonwalk.
-How to win friends and influence people.
-How to ride a bike.
3. LOCALiQ’s Local PPC Lab
- Type: written content with visuals and screenshots
- Good for: beginners and local businesses considering Google Ads
- Length: 25 minutes
- Highlight: Google Local Service Ads, holistic strategy tips
Things that are easy to learn:
Santrel Media’s Complete Google Ads Tutorial comes from co-founder Nate O’Brien. It’s the perfect way to tour the Google Ads platform once you have the prerequisite knowledge from Local PPC Lab. Yes, the course is helpful, but I also emphatically chose it for three reasons:
- He doesn’t spend the first 10 minutes telling you how to earn three figures with online advertising.
- He’s not so intense that you find yourself either holding your breath or sweating.
- He says right off the bat that he used tutorials like this when he was first starting out.
Simplilearn’s full Google Ads Course is five hours, but there’s a table of contents with timestamps so you can skip to the sections you want. Plus yo
Metics Media Google Ads course was created by Simon Gorges, a full-time airline pilot (!) who has a YouTube channel with over 76,000 subscribers.
Jason Whaling’s Google Ads training course is designed to take you from beginner to advanced in one hour. He educates you on the conceptual level while at the same time moving through tactical steps. You’ll learn how to run a successful campaign for just $5 a day, as well as how to incorporate keyword intent into your targeting strategy.
Google Ads bidding strategies tutorial, you’ll get a much-needed no-nonsense training on Google Ads bidding strategies, including:
- All of the bidding strategies for Search, Display, and Video
- Automatic vs manual
- Which bidding strategies to use for which goals
- Portfolio bidding strategies
- How to set and change your bid strategy
Google Ads crash course to get the quick and dirty, Google Ads tutorials to get the step-by-step setup, or advanced strategies to save time and money, there’s something in here for everyone. Let’s finish off with the complete list.
- WordStream’s PPC University
- Google Ads’ Performance Max campaign training
- LOCALiQ’s Local PPC Lab
- Santrel Media’s Google Ads step-by-step tutorial
- Simplilearn’s Google Ads full course
- Metics Media’s Google Ads step-by-step tutorial
- Jason Whaling’s Google Ads course
- Paid Media Pros’ conversion tracking tutorial
- Surfside PPC’s bidding strategies walk-through
The following two training courses are good for dipping your toes into the Google Ads waters. Between the two of them, you’ll get the key information needed to help you understand the basics of not just creating an account but also forming a strategy.
