Does Google compensate Marketing Companies if they spend more in Adwords???

[Ryan Everson]

Yes, it doesn't mean very much to say you're a "Premier Partner" or the like. You pretty much buy into it. They used to force you to go through a "partnership" in order to be "AdWords Certified" which really doesn't mean much either. I remember taking it and finding the answers online, while I was doing it. Pfffttt...

Facebook's Blueprint certification is definitely a lot more intense as they have Pearson proctor their tests. They watch you on webcam while taking the test and ensure that the room you're taking the test in is completely empty.

 

[Trisha C]

From my previous experience on the advertising side. Google offers more valuable education and training opportunities for partners and their dealers to provide value vs a media partner that offers an agency free tickets. I've known vendors that push media outlets solely for the kickbacks of say Super Bowl tickets or concert tickets. Most agency vendor partners are offered these perks as a whole, it's the nature of the industry. Google, in my opinion, provides more value in the right way to its partners and paid advertisers.

 

[hondadealer]

What I find concerning about the relationship between Google, vendors, and dealers is that vendors are relying upon Google to train them on Google "best practices" on SEM. I'm sure that these "best practices" just coincidentally happen to also optimize Google's revenue model and drive click prices up. Some of these practices defy logic and I have had numerous debates with vendors about why they do little more than burn through my ad budget quickly.
Their defence is always that they were Google best practices and they could not conceive that the all mighty Google might have an ulterior motive in advocating some of these strategies? Wake up everyone.

 

[GerryFoster]

The threshold for becoming a Google Partner or Google Premier Partner is so low it's laughable. Agencies hide behind these labels to justify how "amazing" they must be if Google partnered with them.

I wish Google would use some sort of other data metric to gauge an agency's competency outside of simply maintaining / growing ad spend.

Eventually advertisers will get so burned by "Google Premier Partners" they will no longer trust Google. The thing Google has going for them though is paid search is almost a necessary evil nowadays.

I come from the agency world. Many of the agencies I worked for were "Premier Partners." Every. Single. One. Was knowingly and purposefully screwing their customers over. It's why I left agency work. Sure, I made considerably more money doing less work, but I didn't/couldn't feel good about myself or my professional development.