Earlier this week, I blogged about the trouble that many small business owners have when it comes to figuring out which search marketing companies to hire. It's hard to know who is experienced and who isn't and unless you know someone that has had great luck with a vendor, you're taking a risk no matter who you hire. While there are several sites out there that aim to provide a list of search marketing vendors, most of them cover the issue somewhat broadly. To that end, the folks at Neutralize (*\*) have introduced a new specialized database.

The new database, dubbed whoisaGAP aims to index all of the companies that have become certified as AdWords Qualified Professionals.

From the site:

Given that the new Google third party policy and best practice funding has a specific requirement for two Google Advertising Professionals (GAPs) within a company to run campaigns, which is actually a good thing in terms of recognition of the effort individuals and companies invest in getting qualified; wouldn't it be worth knowing just who is a Google Advertising Professional (GAP)?

Right now, the index features 211 different individuals and firms. Companies that are not listed, but would like to be are encouraged to email the site with their information.