Google Shopping Certification: What You Need To Know

In the past, I’ve given you the run down for how to pass the Google Adwords and Analytics certification exams, but today I wanted to you give an in-depth look into one of the Google shopping exams for the Google Adwords certification. The Google Shopping exam was the easier of the two exams I chose (the other being search), however it did present its own set of unique challenges.

As stated in my previous blog posts, before you can take the exams, you are required to sign up for Google Partners. Google Partners is Google’s free program for agencies and other digital professionals designed to give you access to special events, Adwords and Analytics updates and free certification exams. Once you have registered, you will have access to all of the study materials for the Google Shopping exam under the Google Adwords certification.

In order to become certified in Google Adwords you must pass two of the six possible exams with the Shopping exam as one of your options. The Google Shopping exam is 63 questions in 90 minutes and places heavy emphasis on the various feed specifications required to participate in Product Listing Ads (PLAs). There are plenty of supplemental materials on the web to help prepare yourself for the exam, but I found Google’s study guides to be the most helpful. Pay close attention to the specific requirements that each product must include to be approved for shopping and note that some requirements are specific to the product category. For instance, apparel and accessories may have different requirements than home goods and tools. Luckily, many of the requirements seem to be common sense, such as you can’t advertise a product through PLAs without an accurate photo and size and color information must be provided for apparel products. The majority of the exam’s questions focus on setting up the product feed and the fundamentals of the program.

Since taking my Google Shopping exam last year, I’ve had the opportunity to work on accounts with Shopping campaigns and have developed a list of key takeaways from the exam that have helped me manage my accounts:

• Products must include two of the three possible unique product identifiers in the feed: Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN), Manufacturer Parts Number (MPN) or the brand name.
• GTINs are unique to every SKU of every product. Each variation should have a unique number.
• Apparel and accessories must include the GTIN and the brand.
• For apparel products, images must be at least 250 x 250 pixels and all other products must be at least 100 x 100 pixels.

Let’s review the facts before you take the exam:

• You have 90 minutes to answer 63 questions.
• You will not be able to return to any previous question once submitted.
• Multiple choice answers, with the occasional multiple answer.
• The passing score is 80%.
• If you do not pass, you may retake the test in 7 days.
• Your passing score is good for 12 months.

Remember to study the Google-provided materials before the exam because you will run out of time if you have to look up every answer to every question. Good luck!