How do Beginners Learn Google Ads?

Beginners to Google Ads generally begin their learning journey by starting with the fundamentals of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and search engine marketing (SEM). Once they have a basic understanding of these concepts, learners are ready to move on to understanding the Google Ads platform interface. Mastering keyword research and selection may be the next step for beginners, potentially followed by creating compelling ad copy, setting up and structuring campaigns, basic budget management, and bidding strategies. By this point in their training, Google Ads students will be ready for more advanced topics, such as audience targeting, ad extensions, and performance optimization. This article will help you navigate getting started with Google Ads, free Google Ads tools for beginners, the benefits of live Google Ads training, and your next steps to anticipate once you are an advanced user of the powerful advertising platform.

Getting Started with Google Ads

Essential Tools for Beginners

Beginners will need access to a computer with an internet connection before starting their Google Ads learning journey. They will also need a Google Ads account, which is free to create. Students may not require basic data management tools like Google Sheets or Excel before beginning to learn Google Ads, but knowledge of a spreadsheet application can be helpful by the time they are managing data and budgets for their campaigns.

Prerequisite Knowledge for Beginners

While some Google Ads courses for beginners will provide training in the basic concepts of digital marketing, like PPC advertising and SEM, others will assume you already have that understanding by the first day of class. It can be a good idea for Google Ads beginners to familiarize themselves with these concepts using free learning resources prior to their course start date, along with Google Analytics for tracking their ad performance from day one.

Learn more about the prerequisites for learning Google Ads.

The First Steps When Learning Google Ads

Whether one considers it a prerequisite or part of Google Ads training, understanding the fundamentals of PPC advertising and SEM is the very first step of the learning journey. A strong familiarity with these concepts is a must for knowing whether Google Ads is something that will serve a learners’ purposes—whether to launch a career they will enjoy or to advertise for their own business—while also arming them with knowledge to create effective ad campaigns that target the right audience.

Learning how to set up a Google Ads account, navigate its interface, and use the platform to create ad campaigns will be the next step in a beginner’s education. Creating campaigns requires mastering several skills, including selecting campaign goals, choosing the right keywords, and setting budgets. Beginners can learn how to use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find the most suitable keywords for reaching the audiences they need to target with their campaigns.

Another skill set that will benefit Google Ads beginners is learning to write compelling ad copy and design visually appealing ads that effectively communicate on-brand messages. Marketers intending to work with teams including designers and copywriters may not need to build these skills, but familiarity with what makes ad copy and design effective can significantly improve the click-through rate and engagement of a Google Ads campaign.

Free Google Ads Tools for Beginners

• Google Skillshop: Skillshop is Google’s hub for free Google Ads education, offering a range of courses to help users master various aspects of digital advertising. The platform provides comprehensive training for certification in areas like Search, Display, Video, and Shopping campaigns. Beyond certification prep, Skillshop covers additional topics, such as audience insights and privacy considerations. The platform features practical exercises and mock exams to help students prepare for their certification tests.

• Noble Desktop: Professional training school Noble Desktop provides several free resources to support beginners in getting started in their Google Ads journey. They offer a free introduction to digital marketing video course that covers Google Ads, SEO, Google Analytics, and other pillars of the field. Additionally, Noble Desktop’s Google Ads Learn Hub is a wealth of information for beginners charting their educational path and for answering many of the questions that arise throughout a learner’s training.

• YouTube: YouTube offers numerous free videos on Google Ads, catering to beginners and advanced marketers alike. Surfside PPC is a channel featuring tutorials on the basics geared toward beginners, while Guaranteed PPC’s videos focus on strategy for users of all levels. Davie Fogarty provides a complete Google Ads guide to the process of building an ad campaign, in addition to strategy advice. Meanwhile, ZoCo Marketing’s channel offers tutorials on the Google Universal App Campaign, useful for those wishing to use Google Ads on mobile apps.

• Podcasts: Various podcasts are available for Google Ads learners, offering insights and tips for users at all experience levels. While many podcasts cater to those with some background in Google Ads, shows like the Google Ads Fundamentals Podcast provide beginner-friendly content. The Paid Search Podcast, Rothman PPC, and Google Ads Strategy with Kyle Sulerud are some of the top Google Ads podcasts available today for an immersive learning experience that can be enjoyed while commuting, doing housework, or even out for a jog.

Learn more about the best free Google Ads resources and tutorials.

Live Google Ads Training for Beginners

Live Google classes offer several benefits for beginners:

• Hands-on instruction with immediate guidance: Live online and in-person Google Ads classes often prioritize practical exercises and hands-on campaign creation. The guidance of a live instructor through these projects streamlines beginners’ path to becoming skilled Google Ads users.

• Real-time feedback and answers to questions: Live expert instructors can provide immediate feedback to beginners, helping them develop good habits from day one while also avoiding common pitfalls. These instructors can also answer any questions that arise during the learning journey in real-time, allowing students to quickly navigate through potential roadblocks.

• Practical insights of an experienced professional: The typical live Google Ads instructor is a highly experienced digital marketing professional whose teaching brings practical, actionable insights developed through time spent creating successful ad campaigns. Beginners can benefit from the tips, tricks, and advice informed by the instructor’s experience, applying what they learn from day one.

• Personalized attention and tailored instruction: Live Google classes are often deliberately capped at a small size, allowing instructors to offer personalized attention to every student. As instructors lead real-time lectures, discussions, and hands-on exercises, they can adjust their approach to meet the specific needs of their current cohort of students.

• Other benefits of an interactive classroom: Learning in an interactive classroom with a live instructor and classmates allows students to participate in and learn from lively discussions. Additionally, an experienced live instructor, classmates, and sometimes other industry professionals visiting the classroom can form a valuable professional network that can lead to job and collaboration opportunities.

The Next Step

Once students feel confident in their knowledge of the essentials of Google Ads and are capable of confidently running simple, low-budget ad campaigns, they will be ready to move on to intermediate and advanced classes. Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool can help you find beginner, intermediate, advanced, and even comprehensive Google Ads classes near you or live online. An all-in-one bootcamp like Noble Desktop’s Google Ads Bootcamp can help beginners seamlessly integrate their beginner-level education with intermediate and advanced training, allowing Google Ads learners to focus exclusively on learning the platform rather than guessing what skills they need to master next. However, the Classes Near Me tool can help intermediate and advanced Google Ads students discover more targeted classes for their skill levels and specific goals. Advanced Google Ads classes often feature a focus on optimization, as well as analytics, conversion tracking, advanced bidding strategies, and other tools and techniques for building a complete PPC advertising skill set.

Depending on their career path and specific aspirations, advanced Google Ads learners may wish to pursue Google Skillshop certifications to feature in their resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and freelance portfolios. Pursuing training in the areas of these certifications can help learners develop an area of specialization, such as using Google Ads in apps, utilizing Google measurement apps, video ad campaigns, and AI-powered performance ads. Skillshop offers some training to help learners prepare for these certifications, but enrolling in a live online or in-person class led by a live instructor will be the fastest and most effective way to learn the skills required to pass the certification exams.

Mastering advanced and specialized Google Ads skills will allow learners to take on more complex campaigns, optimize ad spend, achieve better ROI, and manage higher budgets with confidence. This level of expertise in Google Ads can also unlock new job opportunities in digital marketing, as businesses are always looking for individuals who can maximize their advertising efforts. For those learning Google Ads to launch a new career, Noble Desktop’s Digital Marketing Certificate is a comprehensive career-focused bootcamp that provides all the Google Ads training a beginner needs, plus all of the following steps required to land a first job in the field. This includes hands-on training in other tools, techniques, concepts, and best practices of digital marketing, building a professional portfolio, networking opportunities, and one-on-one career support with an expert instructor.

Learn about complementary skills and advanced topics to learn after Google Ads.

Learn Design Skills with Noble Desktop

Professional training school Noble Desktop offers a 12-hour Google Ads Bootcamp live online or in-person at their campus in Midtown Manhattan. Flexible scheduling options allow you to complete the class in two full-time sessions or about two weeks of part-time evening sessions so you can continue working through your studies. Ideal for business owners, entrepreneurs, and current or aspiring marketers, Noble’s Google Ads Bootcamp provides the theoretical and practical training you need to help you manage your campaigns effectively. Your live instructor will lead you through topics such as setting up and managing a Google Ads account, keyword strategies and match types, bidding strategies, the Google Ads auction process, creating effective ads, optimizing campaigns for maximum results, and best practices for landing pages and conversion tracking. Students receive a verified digital certificate of completion and the option to retake the course for free if desired.

Noble Desktop’s Google Ads Bootcamp can be taken on its own or as a part of their Digital Marketing Certificate. This certificate program is a perfect fit for you if you aspire to launch a new career in marketing or add extensive digital marketing skills to your current professional tool kit, including Google Ads expertise, SEO, social media marketing, and analytics tracking. This flexible career-focused bootcamp is available as a live online or in-person class in Manhattan and on a full-time or part-time schedule. With hands-on projects and personalized guidance by live expert instructors, you’ll discover how to develop and manage multi-tiered campaigns, optimize your marketing for search engines, and utilize Google Analytics to track performance and conversions. Perks of this Digital Marketing Certificate program include a bonus AI for Marketing class, a free retake option, six one-on-one mentorship sessions for career support, guided portfolio development, and a verified digital certificate of completion, all setting you up for success in your future marketing career.

Noble Desktop also offers a free tool that makes it easy to find live Google Ads classes near you.