How Long Does it Take to Learn Google Ads?

Like many aspiringDigital Marketers, you might want to learn Google Ads but worry that it will take too much time. Of course, this depends on several factors. How long it takes to learn to use Google Ads depends upon factors like how much time you have for studying, how quickly you pick up new information, whether or not you take a class, and how often you practice. Keep reading to learn about how you can learn Google Ads and some resources to help speed the process along.

What is Google Ads?

Google Ads is a paid online advertising platform that lets you create ads to reach people who are interested in the products and services you offer. Launched in 2000 as Google Adwords, Google upgraded and rebranded the service as Google Ads in 2018. Companies can use Google Ads to advertise and promote a business, product, or brand by choosing specific keywords. The right combination of keywords can lead to more traffic and more revenue.

Business is moving more and more online. Now is the time to develop a digital marketing strategy and create foundations for online business, and Google Ads should be a big part of that. Using Google Ads provides a chance to create highly targeted advertisements. You can reach more members of your target audience, and you’re also able to measure your success (and where you need to improve). Since any company can create a Google Ads account, this method of digital marketing levels the playing field, allowing businesses of any size to compete.

Additionally, there is a low barrier to entry: you can start advertising for a minimum amount and build as your company grows. 

Read more about what Google Ads is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Google Ads?

Google Ads lets you generate leads and sales very quickly. This pay-per-click (PPC) platform has a low barrier to entry, and you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. Unlike organic search results earned through search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, PPC with Google Ads involves much less of a time commitment. The results are algorithm-based, and you can make real-time changes to your ads.

With billions of searches daily, using Google Ads to target your audience will drive profits. Google Ads lets you define your audience precisely, and you only pay when someone clicks your ad. You can also measure your success almost immediately and change your strategy when necessary. This levels the playing field to allow even small businesses to compete.

It doesn’t cost much to get started with Google Ads. You can set your budget as low as you need and increase the cap in time as you want. You only pay when a user clicks on your ad, and you can grow at a comfortable rate.

Average Time it Takes to Learn Google Ads

Because it can be customized in so many ways, Google Ads is complicated and takes a while to learn. Most people can get started with search advertising in three or four hours, but experts say it can take 100 hours or more to master Google Ads. It can take as little as five or six hours to complete a self-paced class, but most people report that they need to stop and start a lot to understand the information thoroughly. Getting a grasp on a tool as powerful and complicated as Google Ads can initially feel overwhelming, but practice and taking a class can help.

Other Factors

Other factors affect how long it can take to learn Google Ads. The amount of time you have to study, how easily you pick up on new information, whether you can take a class, and your persistence also impact how long it will take to learn GA.

Time to Devote to Study

The more time you can study Google Ads, the less time it will take to learn it. The more time you can devote to reading blogs, listening to podcasts, and watching YouTube videos, the less time the process will take. If you only have a few hours a week to spend, it will go more slowly, and if you can spend a couple of hours a day, you will learn Google Ads much faster.

Learning Curve

We each have our own learning curve; some of us pick things up quickly, and others need to work harder at it. This will affect how long it takes you to learn Google Ads. Signing up for a class can make the process easier and quicker.

On Your Own or Take a Class

It is possible to learn Google Ads on your own. There are plenty of free tutorials, plus the aforementioned blogs and podcasts, and some people have learned the basics of Google Ads by teaching themselves. But most people find it easier to learn new material by taking a class. You have an instructor who can steer you toward the most important information, and you can ask questions when you need to.

Practice Makes Perfect

Besides instruction, practice is another useful part of learning Google Ads. It’s one thing to read how to do it, but practicing with Google Ads will teach you much more. Google provides dummy accounts and exercises to help you practice and shave months off of the time it takes to learn Google Ads.

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost 

While Google Ads can feel like a lot to learn at first, with time, effort, and persistence, you can master this helpful tool. If you are just starting and know nothing about pay-per-click advertising, it can feel like a bit much at the beginning, especially if you are trying to learn Google Ads on your own. However, it is important to keep trying. This is where classes can be a big help. 

Some skills pave the way for a successful digital marketing career. A love of learning, curiosity, creativity, and persistence are personality traits that can make learning Google Ads easier. Some technical skills that will help you get a job in digital marketing are knowing how to set appropriate goals, choose keywords, design ads, and interpret data.

You don’t have to pay to use Google Ads. All you have to do is sign up for a Google account and get started. You can create ads to target a very specific audience and increase revenue quickly. If you decide to take a class, you could choose a free introduction or pay for a more in-depth course.

Read about how difficult it is to learn Google Ads.

Watch a Free Google Ads Online Course

Signing up for a bootcamp or certificate course is a commitment of time and money. If you want to learn more about Google Ads first, free tutorials and online courses are available to give you an overview. Once you start there, you can decide if you want to go further.

Google Academy offers a series of tutorials on Google Ads through Skillshare. Many free YouTube tutorials are available, like Santrel Media’s Google Ads Tutorial 2022, WordStream’s How to Run Google Ads Tutorial, and Simplilearn’s Google Ads full course.

Read about more free Google Ads videos and online tutorials.

Key Insights

• Google Ads is a paid search platform powered by Google.
• It can help you generate leads and increase sales more quickly than organic search.
• It doesn’t cost much to get started with Google Ads, and you can set limits to be sure you don’t spend more than you want to.
• You can learn Google Ads to increase sales for your own website or switch to a career as a Digital Marketer.
• You can learn Google Ads through in-person, live online, or on-demand classes.
• There are free Google Ads training classes available, too.
• Experts say it takes three or four hours to get started with keyword-based search advertising, but mastering Google Ads can take as much as 100 hours or more.
• You can receive comprehensive Analytics Google training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.