Announcement
April 20, 2005

Google Advertising Professionals: credits, company-level qualification and status page

Today, Google announced three new features for the Google Advertising Professionals Program. The features include:

1. Promotional Credits – Google Advertising Professionals in the U.S. will receive Google AdWords credits to provide to their new advertising clients. Google Advertising Professionals will receive three initial $50 credits while Qualified Google Advertising Professionals will receive five initial $100 credits. Additional promotional credits will be available to Google Advertising Professionals after these new client accounts meet performance targets, up to a total of 60 per year.
   
   Promotional credits were one of the major marketing support requests in recent survey and focus groups and provide Google Advertising Professionals with the opportunity to attract new customers. The credits can be applied directly into a client's account through the My Client Center interface.
   
   
2. Company-level Qualification – Third parties who have committed to training their staff to manage AdWords for clients can qualify for "Qualified Company" status. Companies in the U.S. that have 5 or more qualified individuals and $100,000 aggregate managed AdWords spend over 90 days qualify for "Qualified Company" status. This new level of qualification provides another way for Google Advertising Professionals to distinguish themselves from their peers.
   
   
3. Professional Status Page – Available worldwide, all qualified professionals will receive a unique URL (hosted by Google) as their own Professional Status page. This URL helps potential clients verify the qualifications of qualified professionals and gives them additional information regarding the company.

Google Advertising Professionals was launched in November 2004. The program includes tools, training, and marketing resources designed for anyone who manages Google AdWords accounts on behalf of advertisers, including webmasters, search engine marketers (SEMs) and agencies. Google Advertising Professionals provides participants with the opportunity to enhance their AdWords expertise, use a new account management tool, and earn a qualified logo for themselves or their companies to display to existing and prospective clients.

Google Advertising Professionals is the first Google program of its kind, and it reflects Google's commitment to providing resources and tools that further enhance the value of Google AdWords. For current advertisers seeking assistance with their accounts Google Advertising Professionals will help them identify the expertise they need.