If you are relatively new to PPC marketing, it’s a good idea to consider taking an online course. There are quite a few of these courses being offered, and unlike your typical blog entry or news article, they provide a comprehensive overview of paid search advertising. Another benefit is that many of the courses offer a certification exam.
Here are 13 online PPC marketing courses worth checking out:
1. Google AdWords Certification Program
If you use AdWords for your PPC marketing efforts, consider becoming AdWords certified by participating in this program. It includes an extensive study guide covering all areas of AdWords advertising. To get your AdWords certification you must pass two tests: a fundamentals exam and one of three advanced exams. Each exam costs $50.
2. Microsoft adExcellence program
If Microsoft adCenter is your pay-per-click advertising platform of choice, it’s probably a good idea to get your adCenter accreditation by participating in the Microsoft adExcellence program. This program offers training videos on a variety of topics like keyword match options, ad copy best practices and bidding. The accreditation exam costs $50.
3. Yahoo Learn Online
Yahoo offers a variety of tutorials and free marketing training webinars. Tutorial topics include how to navigate your account, how geo-targeting works, and how ad testing works. Archived webinar topics include enhanced targeting capabilities, ad ranking, and back-to-school ads.
4. Market Motive courses
Market Motive offers two types of online PPC programs: one where you take one course a month for up to three months and another where you commit to three months of courses. The second option, which is significantly more expensive, involves faculty guidance, real-world projects and a dissertation. Classes include video lessons, quizzes, and web conferences.
5. SEMPO Institute’s search advertising classes
The SEMPO Institute offers an SEO/PPC class for beginners as well as an advanced PPC class. The former has 14 lessons and costs nearly $400 for non-members, and the latter has 13 lessons and costs nearly $1,400 for non-members. Upon successful completion of the advanced class, which includes strategies and tactics from experienced PPC professionals, you receive a certificate of completion whose logo can be displayed on your website.
6. Search Engine College Pay-Per-Click Starter Course
There are two versions of this course: one that provides guidance from industry expert Kalena Jordan and a “self-study” version that does not involve her guidance. Only students taking the first version qualify for certification. The class discusses paid advertising with Google and Yahoo, as well as a variety of other topics on PPC management. It includes 10 downloadable PDF lessons totaling 97 pages.
7. ROI Revolution’s Google AdWords Beginner Online Training
This $97 class is devoted to Google AdWords. It includes three video training sessions that last about 90 minutes apiece, and a fourth video devoted to strategies that can help you sidestep common beginner mistakes. The instructors are Timothy Seward and Mike O’Rourke, founder/CEO and PPC account manager, respectively, at ROI Revolution.
8. International Webmasters Association-HTML Writers Guild Web Site Promotion class
This six-week course covers PPC advertising in addition to other topics like SEO, link
campaigns and affiliate strategies. It costs $100 and is taught by search marketer Cindy
McMahon. McMahon posts lectures, readings, and other assignments once a week in the “online
classroom.” The class requires one textbook: 101 Ways to Promote Your Website by Susan
Sweeney.
9. Stikky Media’s Pay-Per-Click Online Certification Course
This tutor-supervised course is fairly pricy, but it includes over 300 pages of downloadable PDF lessons, 30 interactive online review quizzes, and 12 months of access to the online classroom area, among other benefits. Students who receive at least a 70% overall on their quizzes and final exam, and successfully complete all the necessary assignments, become PPC certified.
10. GutsGo’s PPC Course
If you would like to learn about paid search advertising using a variety of search engines, this may be the class for you. This class, which is a partnership with the Internet and Mobile Association of India, discusses Google, Yahoo, Bing and Ask. The website doesn’t mention the class’s cost, though more information can be obtained by contacting GutsGo.
11. Direct Marketing Association’s Search Engine Marketing Certification
Two levels of this class are offered, basic and advanced. Both levels discuss PPC as well as SEO. Specific topics addressed include powerful landing pages, misleading metrics, and good bidding strategies. A certification exam can be taken at the end of the course, though certification must be renewed every three years.
12. Marketing Experiments Landing Page Optimization Certification
This $595 course teaches you how to increase your landing page relevance, how to design your page to hold your readers’ attention, and how to motivate your visitors toward the desired action, among other landing page-related topics. It includes various case studies on how particular companies increased their number of sales conversions.
13. PPCblog PPC Training Program
Members of PPCblog have access to a handy set of PPC marketing tools and over 50 modules covering PPC marketing basics plus detailed tutorials on advertising via Google AdWords, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook, and MySpace. Have a question that isn’t covered? You also have access to an active community forum. Membership is $179 per month.
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