Google Skillshop Review: Are the Certifications Worth It?

What Is Google Skillshop?

Google Skillshop is Google’s official training and certification platform for professionals who use Google’s marketing tools and other products.

You can take free courses and earn certifications that show your proficiency in Google Ads, Google Analytics, and other Google products. Each certification has a set of lessons that prepare you for a final assessment. Once you pass it, you are awarded a certification.

Since May 31, 2024, Skillshop has been split across two platforms:

• Google Ads, Google Analytics, Google Marketing Platform, and Google Ad Manager: hosted at skillshop.docebosaas.com. This is where the Google Ads and Analytics certifications are.
• Other topics: Google Business Profile, YouTube, Grow with Google, and the Fundamentals of Digital Marketing course, hosted at skillshop.exceedlms.com.

You use the same Google account on both, but you sign in to each one separately.

Google Skillshop courses are free, online, and self-paced.

Is Google Skillshop Legit?

Yes. Skillshop is Google’s own training platform, and its certifications are the official Google Ads and Google Analytics certifications.

The unfamiliar web addresses are the reason many people ask. Google runs Skillshop on third-party learning platforms (Docebo and Intellum), so the courses load on docebosaas.com and exceedlms.com domains rather than google.com. The main entry point, skillshop.withgoogle.com, links to both.

Are Google Skillshop Certificates Worth It?

Yes, for most people starting out. Google Skillshop certifications are a free, recognized credential that shows employers and clients you know the basics of Google’s platforms. They don’t replace hands-on experience, though, and experienced marketers gain little from them.

Google Skillshop certifications are recognized as official Google certifications.

When you pass a certification exam, your account receives a link to a digital copy of the certification.

The digital certification contains a completion ID, issue date, and expiry date.

You can use the link to the digital certification on your resume or LinkedIn profile.

You can also share your profile link, which will display a single page with all the different certifications you have earned.

Pros and Cons of Google Skillshop Certifications

Pros

• Free and flexible. The courses and the exams cost nothing, and you study at your own pace.
• Recognized by employers. A Google Ads or Analytics certification is a common baseline in digital marketing job ads, and it helps your CV get past the first screening.
• Required by agencies. To earn Google Partner status, an agency needs at least 50% of its account strategists certified in Google Ads, so certified staff have real value to agencies.
• Good basic literacy. You learn the platform’s terminology, campaign types, and measurement concepts in a structured way.

Cons

• No hands-on practice. The exams are multiple-choice and test theory, not your ability to run a profitable campaign.
• Easy to pass without learning. The standard exams are taken online without a proctor, and answers circulate online, so employers know a certificate alone proves little.
• Google’s point of view. The material promotes Google’s automated features and recommendations, which aren’t always in a client’s best interest, and some content lags behind the platforms.

Who Should Get a Google Skillshop Certification?

• Beginners and job seekers: Yes. It’s a free, recognizable credential for your CV and LinkedIn profile when you’re breaking into digital marketing. Start with the certification for the area you want to work in, usually Google Ads Search or Google Analytics.
• Freelancers and agency staff: Yes. Certifications build trust with clients, and agencies need them for Google Partner status.
• Experienced marketers: Only if your employer or agency requires it. You won’t learn much new.

Whichever group you’re in, pair the certificate with real practice. Run a small campaign of your own, or follow a practical course such as our Google Ads Course, which shows how campaigns are set up and optimized in real accounts.

Is Google Skillshop Free?

Google Skillshop courses and certifications are free. To access the material, you need to create a Skillshop account.

The program used to have a cost for taking the exams. However, since Google Academy for Ads has rebranded to Skillshop, the program is free for all users.

How to Get a Google Skillshop Certification?

Getting started with Skillshop and earning your certifications is a straightforward process.

Let’s go through the steps you need to take:

Step 1: Register for Skillshop

The first step is to sign up for Skillshop using your Google account.

Go to Google Skillshop, navigate to the course you're interested in, and click the Enroll button.

If you’re not logged in, you’ll be asked to sign in to your Google account and agree to the terms of service.

Once you do, you are taken to a page where you can create your profile. You cannot change your name or email, but add a company, company email, and recovery email.

Step 2: Prepare for the exam

Each certification includes a list of courses to prepare for the exam.

The lessons are easy to follow and designed with the assessment in mind. They are composed primarily of text, but there are some interactive elements, like flash cards.

Quick review questions are throughout each lesson, and a knowledge check is at the end. Passing the knowledge check signifies that you have completed the lesson.

You can track which lessons you’ve completed on the certification’s main page.

When you have reviewed all the material and passed all the knowledge checks, a checkmark will appear next to that lesson on the main page for the certification.

After you have completed all the lessons, you should review the material to prepare for the exam.

You can also take the Knowledge Check Assessment. This a practice test with around a dozen multiple-choice questions.

When you complete the practice assessment, you’ll receive a score and a list of questions you answered incorrectly.

This doesn’t include the correct answers to the questions, so you’ll have to go back to the appropriate lessons to review the topics.

Step 3: Take the exam

The assessment for each certification is available online directly through the Skillshop platform.

The exams follow a traditional multiple-choice format and have a time limit.

Once you answer a question, you cannot edit your answers.

You need to score 80% or better to pass.

You can take each exam as many times as you need; however, you must wait one day before retaking it after you’ve failed.

When you are ready, open the Pass the Assessment and Earn a Certification section at the end of the course.

The next page displays a disclaimer you’ll have to read before you can launch the exam.

Once you click the Launch button, the exam will open with the first question.

The top right corner of your browser shows you which question number you are on and the time remaining.

If you close the exam without completing all the questions, it is an automatic failure. You’ll then need to wait one day before you can retake it.

After you finish the exam, you are taken to a page where you can see whether you passed or failed. You will also receive an email notifying you of the results.

If you pass the exam, your certification is immediately available to view and download from the My Activities page in the user menu, under the courses tab.

All certifications are valid for one year. This ensures that certificate holders are always up to date with the latest changes to Google marketing best practices. You can renew the certification by passing the assessment again.

Courses and Certifications Offered by Google Skillshop

These are the certifications you can earn on Skillshop, grouped by product. The full list is in the Skillshop certification catalog.

Product	Certifications
Google Ads	Search, Display, Video, AI-Powered Shopping Ads, AI-Powered Performance Ads, Measurement, Apps, Creative, and Grow Offline Sales
Google Ads (Professional)	Google Ads Search Professional and Google Ads Video Professional, a newer, more advanced tier
Google Analytics	Google Analytics Certification
Google Marketing Platform	Display & Video 360, Search Ads 360, Campaign Manager 360, and Conversion Optimization (available through December 2026)
Digital marketing basics	Fundamentals of Digital Marketing (an award, not a certification)

Google Ads Certifications

The Google Ads certifications are the most popular on Skillshop. Each one covers a campaign type:

• Search: building and optimizing Search campaigns, including automated bidding.
• Display: reaching audiences across the Google Display Network.
• Video: planning and running YouTube and video campaigns.
• AI-Powered Shopping Ads: promoting products from a Merchant Center feed.
• AI-Powered Performance Ads: Performance Max, the campaign type that uses Google AI to run ads across Search, YouTube, Display, and Google’s other channels.
• Measurement: conversion tracking, attribution, and acting on the data.
• Apps: App campaigns for installs and in-app actions.
• Creative: producing effective assets for Google Ads.
• Grow Offline Sales: using Google Ads to drive store visits and offline sales.

If you’re new to Google Ads, start with the Search certification. The Professional certifications are aimed at practitioners who already manage campaigns.

Fundamentals of Digital Marketing

Google’s free Fundamentals of Digital Marketing course moved to Skillshop when Google closed Digital Garage. It works differently from the certifications:

• There is no final exam. Completing every module and activity finishes the course.
• You receive an award (a digital badge) instead of a certificate, and the award carries no Google logo.
• Certificates issued under Digital Garage in previous years are no longer supported.

If you want a Google credential in digital marketing with more weight, look at the paid Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate on Coursera.

Google Skillshop Alternatives

Google Skillshop is not the only online training option for marketers looking to boost their knowledge and skills.

Other online courses can help you learn about Google and other marketing platforms while earning a certification.

Here are some of the best alternatives to Google Skillshop.

Digital Marketing Courses

Digital marketing training courses allow you to quickly build the skills required for a successful digital marketing career.

They cover all major aspects of digital marketing, including:

• Content marketing
• SEO and keyword research
• Email marketing
• Social media marketing
• Paid advertisements
• Analytics

A structured education program lets you learn essential topics without wondering what to study next.

There is no shortage of free and paid digital marketing courses available. If you want to learn more, we’ve compiled a guide to the best digital marketing courses.

Digital Marketing Certifications

Upon completing the course requirements, certain online marketing courses award participants a digital marketing certificate.

Like the Skillshop certifications, digital marketing certifications can help boost your career. They validate your proficiency and help you stand out from competitors when looking for jobs or clients.

Digital marketing certificate programs are taught by experienced digital marketers and professional organizations. The more reputable the certification provider, the more valuable the certification.

Check out our guide to digital marketing certifications. It details the 10 best digital marketing certifications, including what the course entails and how much it costs.

Google Analytics Certifications

Google Analytics certifications show that you know how to use Google Analytics to analyze and act on data to improve your business’ performance.

The Google Analytics Certification is on Skillshop, alongside the Google Ads certifications, and covers data collection, reports, conversions, and attribution in Google Analytics 4. Our guide covers the exam and whether it’s worth taking.

Google Ads Courses

Google Ads is a robust advertising platform, and separate courses provide more detail on the subjects covered in the Skillshop courses.

Good Google Ads courses will typically cover the following:

• How to set up and manage your account
• How to target the right keywords
• Bidding strategies
• Budget optimization
• How to create effective ad creatives
• Real-world examples of Google Ads campaigns

Here are some places you can find high-quality Google Ads courses:

• Udemy
• Alison
• Chartered Institute of Marketing

Meta Blueprint Certifications

Meta certifications are the equivalent for advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Unlike Skillshop, the exams are proctored and paid. The Digital Marketing Associate exam, for example, has 60 questions in 90 minutes, and you need 700 out of 1,000 to pass.

That makes a Meta certification harder to earn, and for the same reason, more respected by some employers.

Google Career Certificates

Google offers paid Google Career Certificates for in-demand career fields.

Enrolling requires no experience, and you can learn the material at your own pace.

Career certificates are available in fields including:

• Digital Marketing & E-commerce
• Data Analytics
• Cybersecurity
• IT Support
• Project Management
• UX Design
• AI

The courses for each certification are run through Coursera. They contain a mix of readings, videos, assessments, and hands-on activities.

To sign up for a certification program, you’ll need to enroll on the appropriate Coursera page.

All certifications offer a full seven-day free trial. After that, you pay a $49 monthly fee to access the courses.

Each certificate takes around six months to complete if you spend 10 hours a week learning. Because you are paying a recurring fee to access the courses, the quicker you complete the certification, the less it will cost.

Once you finish the course, you will receive an online certificate with a shareable link.

Google Career Certificates can be a valuable investment. Coursera reports that 75% of Google Career Certificate graduates have a positive career outcome, such as a new job, a promotion, or a raise, within six months.

Conclusion

Google Skillshop is a worthwhile platform for digital marketers at the start of their careers, and a requirement for anyone working at a Google Partner agency.

The courses are easy to follow and teach you how Google’s tools work, from Google’s own point of view.

You can earn certifications in different areas of Google marketing, allowing you to validate your skills to employers or clients.

Plus, Skillshop is completely free. You can study the courses whenever you like, and there is no fee to take the certification exam.

You only need to sign up with your Google account and review the courses. Just remember that a certificate shows what you know, not what you can do, so pair it with hands-on practice.

Whether you get Skillshop certified or not, there are plenty of online training tools for digital marketers to grow their knowledge.