The Best Google Online Courses You Aren’t Taking

Did you know that Google offers a vast array of online courses? They cover everything from digital marketing to Android app development. Some even come with a certification.
Despite the impressive breadth of topics, Google doesn’t make it particularly easy to find the courses it offers. There’s no centralized dashboard or list of links. To complicate matters further, some courses are accessible through Google’s portals, whereas others require you to register with a massive open online course (MOOC) service such as Udacity.
Which are the best online Google courses? We’re going to take a closer look. This list looks at seven great options. For each one, we’ve looked at real-world benefits such as median pay and employer demand.


1. Digital Marketing

Cost: Free Timeline: Self-paced
The Digital Marketing course teaches students the concepts of clickthrough rates, landing page experience, campaign optimization, and return on investment.
They’ll also learn about the benefits of targeted advertising and understand the technical and cultural challenges that can impact on the success of an online advertising campaign.
The course came in the form of the Google Online Marketing Challenge (GOMC). Students formed teams of three to six members and devised an online advertising strategy for a client business or a non-profit organization. Google won’t host the GOMC for 2017-18 though all educational materials remain free on the site.
At the end of the course, students will need to need to pass 2 of the AdWords certification exams to become an AdWords certified professionals. The exam is optional but encouraged.
According to Glassdoor.com, the average salary for a digital marketing professional in 2018 is $67,230 per year. Better yet, according to a Left Bank report, demand for digital marketing talent is at 56 percent, but active supply is only at 24 percent.

2. Android Development for Beginners


Cost: Free Timeline: Approximately 2 weeks
The Android operating system controls around 85 percent of the global smartphone market share. Given its popularity, and given we’re increasingly moving towards an app-driven economy, knowing how to create content for the Android platform is a fantastic skill to develop.

The free Android Development for Beginners course is only available on Udacity. It’s a self-study course aimed at people with no prior experience of coding. If you have a personal blog or small online store that you’d like to make an app for, this is the course for you.
It consists of five modules: User Interface, User Input, Multi-Screen Apps, Networking, and Data Storage. Over the course of the five modules, you will build a complete and functioning Android app.
If you’re willing to pay Udacity’s $199 per month fees, you can upgrade the free course into a “nanodegree.”
Glassdoor lists the average annual salary for an Android developer as $97,986. Obviously, this course alone won’t be enough to get you a high paid job; you also need experience. It will, however, get you started on track towards a well-paid career.

3. App Monetization


Cost: Free Timeline: Approximately 1 month
Having a business idea, creating a company, and marketing your product is only half the battle. You also need to monetize your concept in a sustainable way.
In the digital world, that’s easier said than done. Traditional sources of income—such as online ad revenues—are falling for many organizations. And the lack of a successful monetization strategy continues to hamper several tech giants, with Twitter perhaps the most noteworthy.
This course, which is free on Udacity, mixes theory with real-world examples. It aims to help to develop, implement, and measure your monetization strategy.
A Senior Monetization Manager at a well-known tech company like Twitter or Facebook can expect to earn at least $120,000 per year. Some roles offer as much as $180,000.

4. Mobile Web Specialist

Cost: Free Timeline: Self-paced
The days when everyone used to access the web using a desktop monitor are long gone. Today, you can access websites using everything from your smartwatch to your television.
The vast array of devices we use to go online cause headaches for web developers. Sites and web apps need to be flexible and responsive.
If you take the Mobile Web Specialist course, you’ll learn how to write code to create offline-first experiences, audit an app’s performance, debug problems and a whole lot more.
At the end of the course, you will receive an official Google certification. The exam for the final certificate consists of coding challenges and an interview. The course and exam combined cost $99 to undertake.
Glassdoor’s research suggests you will earn an average salary of $88,488 per year if you’re a mobile web developer in 2018.

5. E-Commerce Analytics: From Data to Decisions


Cost: Free Timeline: 2 to 4 hours to complete
E-commerce Analytics introduces you to reporting and analysis techniques for online e-commerce businesses. In the business world, e-commerce analytics is a sought-after skill. Glassdoor says the average salary is $110,232 per year.
The self-study course is divided into three units and a total of 15 lessons. Unit One offers an introduction to e-commerce analytics, Unit Two looks at how to understand your customers, and Unit Three is about understanding shopping behavior.
The course assumes that students have a good understanding of Google Analytics, so it’s not for complete beginners. If you’re new to Google Analytics, you should take Google Analytics for Beginners first.
An e-commerce manager can earn about $110,000 per year.

6. Google Analytics Individual Qualification

Cost: Free Timeline: Self-paced. The exam is 90 minutes long.
It’s quite easy to learn the basics of Google Analytics, but it’s an enormously powerful tool when in the hands of a more knowledgeable user.
The Google Analytics Individual Qualification exam is part of the Academy for Ads. It covers all aspects of the Google Analytics app, including planning, implementation and data collection, configuration and administration, conversion and attribution, and reports, metrics, and dimensions.
To undertake the exam, you first need to complete Google Analytics for Beginners and Advanced Google Analytics.
The exam is free to take. When you complete it, you will get a certification that’s valid for 18 months from the date that you pass. Also, the Google Analytics certification assessments are available in 19 languages. Check out the bundle of courses from Google Analytics Academy.
A web analytics manager is a vital role within any company that has a significant web presence. Salaries are often around $110,000 per year.

7. Localization Essentials

Cost: Free Timeline: Approximately 2 weeks
It’s easy to forget that there’s a whole world of web content out there that’s not in your native language. English is responsible for about 40 percent of all web pages, but only 25 percent of web users speak English as their first language.
If you’ve successfully created an app or product, you might want to try and break into the non-English markets. And for that, you need localization skills.
Localization is about more than translating an app into another language (though that is part of it). It’s also about adapting your product to be a cultural fit for another geographic market.
Localization Essentials will teach you about the importance of intangible things such as language tone, but also about technical issues such as date and time formats, alphabetization, and the direction of reading. The course is free.
A localization specialist earns $61,263 per year, according to Glassdoor.

The Best Google Courses to Take Now

We’ve introduced you to seven of the best Google online course. But there are hundreds more out there. Some only take a few hours to complete. Check out the lists on Udacity and Class Central to get a flavor of what else is available. (Via Makeuseof)

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