Google announced updates to the Partners Program in mid-February. The updates were touted as a response to feedback from current Partners to make the program more exclusive, with better transparency and recognition. This new Partners program was originally supposed to begin in June 2020, but Google has delayed the launch until 2021. Google’s reasoning for the delay is to allow marketers and businesses to focus on what matters most during the current COVID-19 crisis.
If you are unfamiliar with the Partners program and what it means, according to Google, “Achieving Partner status means that your company has demonstrated Google Ads skill and expertise, met Google ad spend requirements, delivered company agency and client revenue growth, and sustained and grown its client base.”
Some of the changes made to the program included a new badge, new requirements to be/remain a Google Partner, and new program benefits. The new requirements for the Partners program included increased minimum budgets overall, performance gauged by “Optimization Score”, and updates to the certification requirements of eligible users on the Partners account.
With the delay of implementing new requirements, this means that current Google Partners will retain their badge and status as long as they meet current Partner requirements. Google has also said that businesses can still sign up to be a Google Partner based on current requirements.
While the Partners program will still be changing and updating eventually, postponing the updates is a good move by Google. It is important to focus on adjusting and pivoting based on the current situation that businesses are facing.
At Smarter Searches, we are proud to be a Google Partner and plan to maintain this status once the new program is in place. Our team had begun working toward ensuring we met requirements for the new badge once it was announced, and we plan to be ready and eligible when the new program is implemented. Every member of our team has multiple Google Ads certifications, and we would love to help you optimize your account for your business. Contact us to get started!
