It feels like Google is always changing something. With the sheer scope of what they do — all the different apps, programs, and tools — it makes sense that they’re never standing still.

One of these aspects of Google that they update on occasion is their requirements for earning a Google Partner and Premier Google Partner badge. The next update is coming in 2021. Originally, this was planned for July 2020, but it ended up being pushed back due to COVID-19.

So what does that mean? And, while we’re at it, what does the Google Partner badge even do?

What is the Partner badge and why is it important?

To answer the second question first, simply: Google provides additional resources and support to those who have the Partner badge.

But back to “Well what the heck is it?” — the Partner badge is a signal for internet users that an advertiser has passed Google Ads’ product certification exams. This is meant to ensure that, as a Google Partner, you’re certifiably trustworthy, reliable, and active.

The first step to earning your Partner badge is signing up for the Google Partner program. Don’t worry, to do so is free! Once you have the badge itself, you get benefits from the Google Ads team like client event support, Partners badge assets, and more. And if you advance further to become a Premier Google Partner, there’s even more.

So you’ve signed up for the Google Partner program… then what?

About Partner badge requirements…

There are three categories of Partner badge requirements whose thresholds you have to meet: company performance, spend requirements, and certification requirements.

The last one is the most simple, since it’s just based on a black and white question: are you or one of your account admin certified by Google Ads? If yes, then congratulations! You’ve just satisfied the third requirement. For 2021, this requirement is changing slightly; as of the new year, you’ll need 50% of “eligible users” — that is, those who have standard or admin access to your Ads Manager account — to be certified. But even with this change, it’s still super straightforward.

As for the second requirement, to qualify for the Partner badge you currently have to spend at least $10,000 over 90 days. In 2021, they’re increasing this requirement; starting in January you must spend $20,000 over 90 days.

The last (or first, depending on how you’re looking at it) requirement is basic company performance on Google Ads. This means, across all client accounts tied to your manager account, you must have an optimization score of at least 70%. The 2021 changes to Google Partner requirements don’t affect the 70% threshold, but it’s in your best interest to always be working to increase your optimization score anyway; per Google, improving your optimization score by 10% is associated with an equal percentage increase in conversions.

But what if you want to take it a step further?

If you’re even keener on the process and want to take the next step, Google also has their Premier Partner badge. The first thing you have to do to work towards Premier Partner is have the Partner badge.

Now, we should preface this that earning the Premier Partner badge is kind of a big deal. Unlike the Partner badge, which is relatively simple, the Premier Partner badge is only granted to the top 3% of participating companies. Google determines who qualifies under that 3% based on annual spend, client growth and retention, and other internal requirements. This evaluation of companies happens annually.

You might read that and get discouraged or feel like it’s out of your scale which, granted, it might be if you’re just running a really small account that just barely reaches the Partner threshold. But in some ways the best way to think of the Premier Partner badge is simply as a byproduct of doing a superb job on your Google advertising — which you want to be doing anyway for its own sake.

By putting in the effort to create the most high-performing Google Ads accounts, you could very well end up earning yourself the Premier Partner badge in the process. And in doing so, you’ll unlock even more benefits on top of the ones available to those with normal Partner badges. For example, Premier Partners can get access to executive business training, extra account support, new business strategy consulting, and an annual Partners summit.

Checking your status

To see your Partner status and to make sure you’re meeting the 2021 requirements is easy. Just log into your Google Ads account and on the left of your screen there will be an option for “Partner Program.” From there is the option for “Badge Status,” which shows both if you’re currently a Partner and if you’re in line for that status to be retained in 2021.

The benefits to obtaining a Partner badge mean that, if you’re running a committed Google Ads account with enough or close to enough spend, it’s very much worth looking into. After all, if you’re already doing the work, shouldn’t you get all the perks?

As always, we at Fujisan are happy to help advise you on the way but, in the meantime, taking the steps to optimize your Google Ads performances through the Partner badge is a good step to take.