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Microcredential:Paid Search Advertising

Paid Search Advertising Course: Upskill in 7 Weeks

Paid search is a series of trade-offs. This microcredential shows how budget, bidding and optimisation decisions work together and shape performance over time.

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  • Wednesdays 6:30–8:30pm
  • 7 weeks
  • $980
  • Next Intakes: 03 February 2027 | 05 May 2027

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Course content

What you'll learn

Paid Search Mechanics

Understand how auctions, bidding, targeting, and ad delivery interact in practice. This gives you a realistic view of what you can and cannot control, so decisions are grounded in how platforms actually behave.

Account + Campaign Structure

Learn how campaign and account structure affects visibility, optimisation, and reporting. You’ll develop an eye for setups that support clear decision-making, rather than structures that hide performance issues.

Budget + Bidding Choices

Understand how budget allocation and bidding choices influence reach, efficiency, and outcomes over time. You’ll learn how to think through trade-offs, rather than chasing isolated improvements.

Optimisation Trade-Offs

Learn how common optimisation actions affect performance elsewhere in the account. This builds judgement around when changes are genuinely improving results and when they are simply shifting costs.

Reading Performance Signals

Learn how to interpret key performance signals in context, rather than reacting to single metrics. You’ll develop confidence in distinguishing normal fluctuation from meaningful change.

Explaining Decisions

Learn how to articulate paid search decisions clearly to stakeholders, clients, or managers. This focuses on reasoning and trade-offs, not just reporting results.

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Meet your tutor

Our expert tutors bring real-world experience to help you master the skills that drive results. Meet the mentors behind your success.

Course Overview

How it works

Availability & Fees

Fees

$980 NZD

Payment Options

Credit and debit card accepted
Zip Pay in 4 available

Schedule

7 weeks
Wednesdays 6:30pm to 8:30pm
2026 intakes: 06 May, 05 August, 28 October

Availability

Class sizes are capped to support live discussion and feedback. If an intake is full, you can join the waitlist for the next available start date.

What you’ll graduate with

NZQA-approved Certificate in Paid Search Advertising you can list on you CV and Linkedin

A complete paid search campaign plan aligned to business goals
Clear objectives and performance KPIs
Two mock-up ad creatives (video, image, or text)
A structured approach to bidding, budgeting and optimisation decisions

You leave with documented thinking you can explain in-role, in interviews, or to clients.

Who This Course Is Designed For

In-house marketers
Build confidence managing paid search activity and performance decisions.

Business owners
Develop the capability to run or oversee paid search advertising with clarity.

Freelancers and consultants
Add a structured paid search offering you can explain and defend.

Marketing students and recent graduates
Translate advertising theory into applied campaign planning and optimisation.

Delivery + Assessment

Weekly live online video classes with tutor-led guidance
Applied work completed progressively across seven weeks
No exams

Assessment is practical and cumulative.
Completion requires submission of a structured paid search campaign plan.

This is not self-paced content. You receive live feedback and structured accountability.

Accreditation & entry requirements

This programme leads to the Certificate in Paid Search Advertising Micro-credential. It is NZQA-approved and recorded on your NZQA Record of Learning. It can be listed on your CV and LinkedIn.

Entry Requirements
Completion of secondary or tertiary study in English in approved countries
NZQA Level 3 or equivalent
IELTS 5.5 overall with no band below 5, or equivalent

What you’ll need

Laptop or desktop computer
Reliable internet connection
Standard word processing or presentation software
Access to Google Ads and related platforms.

You will apply learning to a real or simulated business environment.

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