September 19, 2006 Comments
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Uh oh...this just seems a little looney to me. Jennifer Slegg reports that Google is apparently refusing allow Canadian (and Mexico and South American) companies to become "Qualified Google AdWords Professionals." They can qualify on an individual level, but not as a company. This, despite the fact that Google is happy to certify companies in places as remote as Azerbaijan, Chad, Kyrgyzstan and Tunisia.
Slegg points to a thread over at the Search Engine Watch forums that originally pointed out the issue.
We recently tried to apply to be a Qualified Company in the Google Advertising Professionals program. According to their site, and the rep who emailed us, you have to be in the U.S. or in a EMEA country. We were informed, very politely, that we can't qualify because we are located in Canada.
Yes, despite the fact that I could literally leave my desk right now and walk to Google's Toronto sales office, we don't really exist in Google's eyes.
Perhaps we should consider relocating to Azerbaijan, Botswana, Eritrea, Bosnia, Kazakhstan, or Iran, where Google would be happy to have us as a Qualified Company.
Not sure what's going on here as Canada is well known for being home to some excellent search marketers. In fact, it's home to Andrew Goodman, who literally wrote the book on Google AdWords advertising.
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