We are a digital marketing company based in Pune, we have expertise in bringing unique strategies based on data-driven experiments to help businesses disrupt markets. Last year we were able to achieve overall business growth of 20% through Google Ads for our client Lendingkart. Our holistic approach to the ad strategy paid rich dividends and Lendingkart’s qualified leads started increasing exponentially. In fact, we observed an increase of +54% total conversions!
In 2018, upGrowth earned the Google Partner Badge – recognized as an elite business partner by Google. The companies who have proven expertise and the ability to help businesses to succeed online.
Google Partner
The badge also shows that upGrowth has met Google Ads spend requirements and delivered client revenue growth. It also states that our Google Ads experts team has passed Google Ads product certification exams, and they stay up -to -date with the latest product information.
The milestone doesn’t end there, in 2019 we were proud to be a part of the Google Elevator Program.
We were selected by Google as one of the top 20 (out of 5000) partner agencies around the Globe for the year.
Elevator Program
Google Elevator is a digital agency program that works with the leadership of selected digital agencies that demonstrate high performance for their clients and show the capabilities of rapid growth and an expanding client base. It is a special opportunity to accelerate our growth, upskill our team and gain extra support from Google.
The journey gets even more interesting as we enter 2020!
We were nominated to Digital Guru 2020 — and we attended a comprehensive, multi-step training program designed to help Google’s most valued agency partners build expertise across Google’s suite of advertising solutions.
Google Green Belt Certification
The Google Green Belt Certification is a first step towards achieving a bigger mileston. It introduces advanced SEO & advanced Google Analytics techniques into your data-driven optimization tool-kit.
An overview of the content that was covered in Digital Guru 2020, it is a year-long program and the candidates have to successfully pass to qualify for the next belt.
Green Belt: Explore how Google can help with media planning tools; engage in decision-making workshops for lead generation and brand awareness
Blue Belt: Discuss strategies for seasonal activation; engage in decision-making workshops for app engagement and driving online retail sales
Black Belt: Get comfortable with sales presentations and objection handling
Our agency’s Google Relationship Manager had nominated 4 digital marketing specialists from our team, who were informed about it. The real excitement started when we received the invitation mail with the context – Google Digital Guru Green Belt 2020 | Register Now!
This was a virtual meet to be held for the first time! For the past years, Google had conducted events in metro cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi.
What was expected from our team upGrowth?
Show up. Participate. Engage.
Here are the series of events that started falling in place before D-Day!
They sent us details to join the virtual event a week before the main event – including a unique token code to log in to the web app.
Engage
As the next steps, we had to take a pre-Green Belt quiz and create our profile on the Digital Guru web app by 20th July 2020.
In order to unlock the Digital Guru Green Belt, we had to score at least 5 points in the quiz with just 2 attempts.
Here is an example of my scoreboard
This was a one-day virtual training on Google ad products covering Performance (Search & Display), YouTube, and GMP.
The excitement had reached its peak and the day started at 10:00 AM, we logged in to our web app and went directly to the live stream.
Here is a sneak peek of our virtual edition of Google Green Belt.
Our host Ms. Manisha Gandas is an amazing person who made this virtual learning journey really commendable. She guided us throughout the sessions, cleared our doubts on live chat and helped to keep the schedule on time.
Agenda
They divided our virtual green belt training into 5 main parts –
Learning And Sessions
Speakers took us through the main topics with case studies and presented unique tools and tricks we can make use of for clients.
Upon completion of each session agenda, we had mini-quizzes known as Schwags and the winners received vouchers!
We were divided into a group of 20 to 25 participants with a mentor to attend two major workshops. ( Work together on a fictional client case, answering multiple-choice questions about what marketing campaign steps to take for the client.)
Workshop: Driving Lead
Workshop: Driving Brand Awareness
Tambola
We had to gear up for an exciting and fun game, winners received exciting gift vouchers and it lasted for around 15 mins.
Tambola
Virtual Cafe
In the break, we were able to interact with fellow participants and got an opportunity to get social as if we would have been present at the venue physically!
Photo Opportunity
A brilliant way to capture the good times here indeed!
I’m sharing a few mind-blowing statistics I learned in my sessions.
A ] The Google Display Network is the oxygen of online advertising – It helps you find users, connect with them, and ensures that you are always top of mind!
B ] Responsive display ads also support video assets.
Engage customers with sight, sound and motion
Drive improved performance results with video:
C ] 85% of online consumers will take a product-related action within 24 hours of discovering a product that meets their needs.
D ] Globally, the video will be 82% of all consumer Internet traffic by 2021
E ] YouTube continues its explosive growth. Impressions across YouTube home have grown 5X over the last three years.
F ] YouTube home has increasingly become a destination, driven by better recommendations, experiences, and content. Over the last three years, watch time from content discovered on home has grown 10x.
G ] Reach the audience most likely to do business with you starting with those who just searched for you on Google – 86% of people turn to Google for ideas about what product to buy.
H ] Google has the richest collection of audience data in the world to fuel your planning, buying and measurement.
After the session, we had to pass and complete the assessment by Friday 24th July at 9pm. This assessment had 17 questions spanning all the content that was covered. The passing rate is 70% i.e 12 correct questions out of 17.
Here is how much I was able to score and that also qualifies me to pass my Google Green Belt Certification!
We will be getting our e-certificates soon on our email id! Stay tuned to our social channels for more updates regarding the same.
Next, we will be completing our Blue Belt followed by Black Belt Certification by this year-end!
I’m glad to be a part of team upGrowth and looking forward to scaling my client’s business performance with the knowledge I’ve learned so far.
What are the types of youtube ads?
YouTube is one of the most popular social media platforms there is, and as a brand, it would serve you well to advertise on it. There are several different types of YouTube ads you can opt for.
Skippable in-stream ads: These ads play either before or during a video, and the defining feature is that viewers can choose to skip them after the first 5 seconds. As an advertiser, you pay only when viewers watch past those first 5 seconds. The ad must be minimum 12 seconds long. You pay when a person has watched the first 30 seconds, or the whole thing, or if they interact with your ad by clicking: whichever comes first.
Non-skippable in-stream videos ads: These are pre-roll or mid-roll ads that don’t have a skip button. With these ads, advertisers pay per impression.
Discovery ads: These are the ads that show up alongside organic search results. If the advertiser’s video looks more relevant and appealing than the search results, users can click and watch it instead. These ads usually include 3 lines of text along with a thumbnail. On clicking, users are sent to the advertiser’s page or YouTube channel.
Non-video ads: For brands and advertisers that cannot afford video ads, YouTube has the option of non-video ads. These appear as display ads on the right hand sidebar with image, text and a CTA leading them to your site or landing page. There are also in-video overlay ads, which appear floating on top of videos on monetized YouTube channels.
What are discovery google ads?
Discovery Google is a new ad format from Google that allows advertisers to deliver rich, personalized adexperiences to people who are ready to discover and engage with their brands via a a single Google Ads campaign.
Discovery campaigns must adhere to Google Ads Policy guidelines and Personalized advertising guidelines.These are immersive, interactive ads with the option to showcase a single image of a product or service, or multiple images in carousel format. Discovery ads are different because of the algorithms.
It evolves along with the consumer, showing relevant content that matches what they are interested in – and possibly what they will be interested in next.
Where to find google certifications list (kw: google certifications list)
According to Google, certifications are granted when a user passes certification assessments and meets the qualifications of the certification. A certification is a professional accreditation that Google offers to individuals who demonstrate proficiency in basic and advanced aspects of Google products and solutions like Google Ads and Google Marketing Platform.
You need to go to Skillshop and choose your learning path first, and then complete your course/assessment. To print the certification, sign into Skillshop. Then click the icon on the upper right hand side, followed by clicking My Profile.
Scroll down to Achievements/Certifications. This is where you will see the certifications you have earned. Click your name, then print or download your certification.
What are discovery ads?
Discovery ads are the format from Google that allows advertisers to deliver rich, personalized ad experiences to people who are ready to discover and engage with their brands via a single Google Ads campaign.
These are immersive, interactive ads with the option to showcase a single image of a product or service, or multiple images in carousel format. Discovery ads appear in the Google Discover feed (iOS, Android Google app and mobile Google.com) on the mobile YouTube feed and in Gmail (under the social and promotions tabs).
Discovery ads are native ads that appear in multiple Google feed environments. The ads displayed are derived from consumers’ past site visitation, app downloads, videos watched and map searches. These are essentially the same signals Google uses for its In-Market audience targeting.
How to use google ads?
You may be wondering how to use Google ads. It is actually not that difficult – here are the steps that show you how to use Google ads.
Sign up: Go to the Google AdWords website and sign up with your Google account.
Set your budget: Figure out your daily budget and set it so that you don’t go over your limit.
Select your target audience: Specify the geographical location of your audience.
Select a network: Choose between Google Search and Google Display network.
Choose keywords: Keywords are the search terms or phrases a user enters into Google’s search box when they are conducting a search. Google lets you choose about 15-20 keywords that may trigger your ad to appear on the SERP. You can always edit these later on.
Set your bid: Adwords works on a bidding model, and you have to define the amount of money you are willing to pay for every person that clicks on one of your ads.
Write the ad: Create a compelling ad that convinces a user to click and visit your website.
Create your ad: Once you have written your ad, click “save” and continue to the last step. This is where Google Google will ask you about your business and payment info. You will be charged when you have exhausted your set budget, or 30 days later, whichever comes first.
For Curious Minds
Earning the Google Partner Badge signifies that an agency has met rigorous standards for expertise, client growth, and ad spend management set by Google itself. This is not just a title but a verification of an agency’s proven ability to help businesses succeed online through effective advertising strategies. The badge confirms that specialists at upGrowth are certified in Google Ads and stay current with the latest product information, ensuring your campaigns are always managed with cutting-edge knowledge. For clients, this provides confidence that their marketing partner has a verified track record. It demonstrates a history of:
Meeting Google Ads spend requirements.
Delivering consistent client revenue growth.
Maintaining a team of certified experts who have passed product certification exams.
This distinction separates proficient agencies from the rest, offering a clear signal of quality and performance, much like their work with Lendingkart which saw an overall business growth of 20%. To see how this level of expertise translates into measurable results, explore the full story.
The success with Lendingkart showcases how a meticulously executed, data-driven approach moves beyond generic ad campaigns to produce substantial business outcomes. upGrowth's strategy resulted in a significant +54% increase in total conversions and a 20% overall business growth, demonstrating a direct link between experimental ad strategies and bottom-line impact. This was not achieved by simply increasing spend, but through a holistic approach that focused on optimizing for qualified leads. This case highlights the power of partnering with an agency that prioritizes empirical evidence over assumptions. A data-first methodology ensures that every aspect of the campaign, from keyword selection to ad creative, is continuously tested and refined to maximize performance and deliver exponential lead growth. The results with Lendingkart are a testament to how this philosophy creates a repeatable formula for success. For a deeper look at the specific tactics used, consider the full campaign breakdown.
The Google Digital Guru program is an exclusive, year-long training initiative designed for Google’s most valued agency partners to build deep expertise across its entire advertising ecosystem. upGrowth's nomination and participation confirm their status as a high-performing agency dedicated to continuous learning and advanced skill development. The program is structured into progressive levels, or “belts,” each focusing on a different strategic area.
Green Belt: Focuses on media planning tools and decision-making for lead generation and brand awareness.
Blue Belt: Covers seasonal activation strategies and workshops for app engagement and online retail.
Black Belt: Hones advanced skills like sales presentations and objection handling.
By engaging in this training, upGrowth ensures its team masters not just campaign execution but also high-level strategy for diverse business goals. This commitment goes far beyond basic certification, showing they are equipped to handle complex marketing challenges. Learn more about how this advanced training benefits clients.
While the Google Partner Badge is a mark of proven expertise, selection for the Google Elevator Program places an agency in a far more elite category. The Elevator Program is an accelerator specifically for high-performance agencies demonstrating rapid growth and an expanding client base, with upGrowth being chosen as one of the top 20 globally. This invitation-only program provides direct support from Google to further scale the agency's operations and upskill its leadership. Think of the Partner Badge as verification of competence, while the Elevator Program is recognition of market leadership and high-growth potential. It signals that Google not only trusts the agency's current capabilities but is also investing in its future as a key partner. For clients, this means working with a company that is on a trajectory of excellence, backed by Google itself. Explore how this elite partnership translates to superior client strategies.
This rapid progression from earning the Google Partner Badge to being selected for the elite Google Elevator Program in just one year is powerful evidence of upGrowth's consistent high performance. It demonstrates an ability not just to meet Google's standards but to significantly exceed them, reflecting a pattern of delivering exceptional client revenue growth and innovative strategies. Being recognized as one of the top 20 partner agencies globally (out of 5000) is a direct result of achieving tangible outcomes, such as the 20% overall business growth for Lendingkart. This timeline proves that upGrowth's success is not a one-off achievement but a sustained trajectory of excellence. For businesses seeking a partner, this history provides strong assurance that the agency has a reliable, repeatable model for disrupting markets and driving growth. Discover more about the milestones that define their approach.
To achieve a significant increase in qualified leads like the +54% conversion lift seen with Lendingkart, a specialized agency such as upGrowth would implement a structured, data-centric plan. This approach moves beyond basic campaign setup to a cycle of continuous experimentation and optimization, ensuring marketing spend is directed toward high-intent prospects. The key steps typically include:
Deep Audience Analysis: Identifying and segmenting the most valuable customer profiles based on historical data and market research.
Strategic Campaign Structuring: Building separate campaigns for different stages of the customer journey, from awareness to high-intent conversion.
Rigorous A/B Testing: Continuously experimenting with ad copy, landing pages, and bidding strategies to identify what drives the highest quality leads.
Conversion Tracking and Attribution: Implementing advanced tracking to accurately measure which channels and campaigns are generating qualified leads.
This systematic process ensures that every decision is informed by performance data, turning ad spend into a predictable engine for growth. Learn more about how this methodology is applied in practice.
As the digital landscape and Google's platforms rapidly evolve, businesses must shift their agency selection criteria from static credentials to dynamic capabilities. The existence of programs like Google Digital Guru highlights that expertise is not a one-time achievement but a continuous pursuit. Therefore, you should prioritize agencies that demonstrate an active commitment to ongoing education and adaptation. Instead of just asking if an agency is certified, ask how they stay ahead of platform changes. Key evaluation criteria should now include:
Participation in Advanced Programs: Is the agency involved in elite, invitation-only programs like the Google Elevator or Digital Guru?
Culture of Experimentation: Does the agency have a documented process for testing new features and strategies, like upGrowth does?
Transparent Learning: Does the team openly share insights from recent trainings and how they apply them to client accounts?
Choosing a partner like upGrowth, which is consistently recognized by Google, ensures your strategy remains effective tomorrow, not just today. The full article provides more context on what to look for in a future-proof agency partner.
Stagnant Google Ads performance often stems from a generic, “set it and forget it” approach that fails to adapt to market changes or uncover new opportunities. An agency with elite credentials like upGrowth solves this problem by introducing a disciplined, data-driven experimental methodology. This replaces guesswork with a systematic process for growth, directly addressing the root causes of poor ROI. Their success with Lendingkart, achieving +54% total conversions, exemplifies this. The solution involves several key shifts:
From broad targeting to precise audience segmentation.
From static ad copy to continuous A/B testing of messaging and creative.
From focusing on clicks to optimizing for high-quality, qualified leads.
By leveraging their advanced training from programs like Google Digital Guru and their status as a Google Partner, they bring a level of strategic depth that turns underperforming campaigns into powerful growth engines. Find out more about how this approach can revitalize your ad strategy.
Selection for the Google Elevator Program is a direct endorsement from Google, identifying upGrowth as an agency with exceptional growth potential and client performance. This partnership provides upGrowth with privileged access to Google's resources, including strategic business consulting, advanced training, and dedicated support that is not available to other agencies. This translates into direct benefits for their clients. It means client strategies are often informed by emerging trends and beta features before they are widely known. This inside track allows upGrowth to build more sophisticated and forward-thinking campaigns, ensuring their clients maintain a competitive edge in the market. It is an investment by Google into the agency’s future, which in turn becomes an investment in their clients' success. Explore the full implications of partnering with such an agency.
The multi-step qualification for the Google Digital Guru Green Belt, including a mandatory pre-event quiz with a minimum score requirement, underscores the program's rigor and exclusivity. It is not a simple attendance-based certification; it is a merit-based system designed to ensure only knowledgeable and engaged specialists from top-tier agencies like upGrowth participate. This process acts as a filter, confirming that attendees already possess a strong foundational knowledge of Google ad products before receiving advanced training. For a business, this is a crucial detail. It means the experts managing your account, who have earned this certification, have been pre-vetted for their competence. This structured qualification is evidence that the agency's team is held to a higher standard, ensuring your campaigns are in capable hands. Discover more about the standards these programs set for agency excellence.
Verifiable, third-party accolades from an authority like Google provide a clear, objective measure of an agency's competence and reliability, cutting through subjective marketing claims. The Google Partner badge and, even more so, selection for the exclusive Elevator Program act as powerful trust signals, solving the critical problem of agency differentiation for businesses. These are not awards that can be bought; they are earned through sustained performance, such as delivering the 20% business growth for Lendingkart. An agency like upGrowth can point to these achievements as proof of:
Proven Expertise: Certified specialists and a history of successful campaign management.
Client Growth: A documented track record of delivering tangible revenue and lead growth.
Elite Status: Recognition from Google as one of the top-performing partners globally.
These credentials offer a reliable shortcut for decision-making, allowing you to select a partner based on proven merit rather than promises. Learn how to use these signals to find the right agency.
The transition of the Google Digital Guru program to a virtual format signals a permanent shift toward more accessible, continuous, and technology-driven professional development in the marketing industry. This change means that geographical barriers are no longer an obstacle to accessing elite training, allowing agencies like upGrowth to keep their entire team at the forefront of digital advertising from anywhere. For businesses, this implies that you should expect your agency partner to be fully proficient in remote collaboration and digital learning environments. The new standard is an agency culture that embraces virtual tools not just for client meetings but for its own internal upskilling. This adaptability ensures that your team is constantly absorbing the latest strategies from platforms like Google, keeping your campaigns innovative and effective. Explore how this evolution in training impacts client outcomes.
Chandala Takalkar is a young content marketer and creative with experience in content, copy, corporate communications, and design. A digital native, she has the ability to craft content and copy that suits the medium and connects. Prior to Team upGrowth, she worked as an English trainer. Her experience includes all forms of copy and content writing, from Social Media communication to email marketing.
Growth Strategy and Planning
