Google Ads for education

Run Google Ads campaigns that bring in new students, not just clicks.

“[Guus] makes it possible for us to understand all the ins and outs of Google Ads so that we can engage an agency effectively.”

Howie Chang, Founder & CEO, Forward College, Malaysia

Search advertising for education is wildly different from running “any old” Google Ads campaign.

Many campaigns consume precious budget without any notable impact on enrollments. And recruiting internationally adds yet another layer of complication.

Based on my book “Successful student recruitment with Google Ads” this course is designed to help you get the most out of your advertising budget on Google – whether you run your ads in-house or in collaboration with an agency.

The course is designed to help you and your team:

Raise conversion rates and return on ad spend
Use Google Ads strategically in a way that directly impacts course enrollments
Maximise recruitment results from Google Ads by tightly aligning it with your student journey

Already enrolled in the online course? Access the lessons in your dashboard.

This course is designed for...

Education marketers who (intend to) recruit students with Google Ads
Experienced digital marketers who are new to the education sector and student recruitment
Marketing and recruitment teams that want to tightly align Google Ads campaigns with their student journey
Advertising agencies keen to raise their search marketing game in the education sector.
Education marketing managers responsible for external marketing agencies, who are keen to deepen their agency relationships and ask the right questions

What you'll learn in this course

The course gives you a structured path through all important aspects of running effective Google Ads campaigns for student recruitment.

Account strategy for study-related searches. Should we even be running Google Ads campaigns for this programme / in this geography?
The student journey after the click – What’s needed to turn a qualified click into a lead, and beyond? This involves landing page optimisation.
Writing ads that speak to prospective students and parents, not just algorithms.
Conversion tracking that reflects real outcomes (enquiries, applications, bookings).
Reading the data: which metrics matter, which ones to ignore and how to spot and fix problems early.
Google Ads campaign hygiene: maintaining and improving performance consistently
Collaborating effectively with agencies and internal stakeholders.

Throughout the course, you’ll apply the concepts to your own campaigns, so you’ll come out of the course with at least one optimised Google Ads campaign!

Choose the format that fits you

You can follow this course as an individual, or use it to upskill your whole team. Pick the format that matches your needs and budget.

Self-study online course

€ 200 / person

Full, life-time access to the “Google Ads for education” video course.
Step-by-step walkthrough of strategy, structure, keywords, ads, tracking and optimisation.
Worksheets to apply each lesson to your own campaigns and accounts.
Certificate upon completion
Ideal budget option for individual marketers or new team members who need a solid foundation.

Self-study + 1-on-1 strategy session

€ 1,000 / person

Everything in the self-study course.
Two dedicated 60-minute 1-on-1 sessions with Guus.
“Quick Check” audit of your current Google Ads account, with concrete recommendations.
Final 30-minute 1-on-1 post-course session, 3 months after course completion
Ideal for educational entrepreneurs and small teams eager to level up their Google Ads game.

Full-day Online team workshop

€ 2,500 / team (max 10)

Live online workshop for your team in MS Teams or Zoom (1 full day or 2 half days).
Full focus on your own Google Ads accounts, markets and programmes.
Includes access to the self-study course for all participants.
Includes a “Quick Check” audit of your main account or priority campaigns.
Ideal for building a shared, cross-functional education-specific Google Ads strategy with your broader team, or together with your marketing agency.

Full-day in-person team workshop

€ Price on request

Full-day workshop at your campus or staff event.
Tailored agenda built around your goals and current Google Ads setup.
Space for hands-on exercises using your own campaigns and data.
Full access to all online resources
Suitable for Erasmus+ staff weeks and marketing away days and leadership retreats, or simply if you prefer to learn in-person.

What past participants say

Philipp Dietrich

Team Leader Performance Marketing – SRH University, Germany

“[Guus] provided excellent value with a targeted Google Ads training session for our SEA [Search Engine Advertising] team.”

Howie Chang

Co-Founder & CEO – Forward College, Malaysia

“I’m very happy that we got Guus to help us with Google Ads training from the perspective of student recruitment. He makes it possible for us to understand all the ins and outs of Google Ads so that we can engage an agency effectively. I highly recommend working with Guus if you need Google Ads training either one-on-one, or for your team.”

Is this course right for you?

This course is right for you, if:

You work in the education sector and want to use Google Ads more effectively for student recruitment
You need a big picture understanding of what Google Ads can do for you, even if you’re not the one logging into Google Ads to make changes
Your feel you’re too dependent and rely mostly on Google’s or your agency’s recommendations
You want to become more data-driven in managing your Google Ads performance and communicating results internally.

It’s probably not the best fit if:

You do not work in the education sector.
You’re planning a team training, but only one or two team members touch Google Ads. If that’s the case, the course “effective online marketing for education” is usually a better fit.
You want a short one-off keynote, or prefer to dive deep into another aspect of education marketing.

Guus Goorts delivering an online workshop on his laptop

Practical questions (FAQ)

How much time should I plan for the self-study course?

Most participants spread the course over several weeks and combine watching the lessons with filling in the worksheets. You can go faster or slower depending on your schedule and how deep you want to go with the exercises.

What level of experience do I need?

You do not need to be a hardcore PPC specialist. The course is suitable for marketers, recruiters and managers who already work in student recruitment and want to understand Google Ads well enough to brief, assess and improve campaigns. If you are an experienced Google Ads user new to education, you will benefit from the sector-specific focus.

Can several people from my institution join?

Yes. For teams, it often works well when colleagues each follow the self-study course, then come together for a workshop to build a shared action plan for your Google Ads account. Get in touch if you want to discuss a package for your team.

How does the 1-on-1 session work?

After you enrol in the course that includes the 1-on-1 session, I will contact you for a short intake to understand your goals and current setup. During this conversation, we will schedule the 1-on-1 sessions, so that we can focus on what matters most to you.

How do the team workshops work?

Prior to the team workshop, we schedule a short call to discuss your goals, audience and current Google Ads setup. Based on that, we design a workshop agenda and exercises that fit your team. On the day itself, bring your laptops! Where possible, we will work with your real campaigns so you can directly put the output into practice.

Can we pay by invoice rather than paying online?

Yes, in two ways: If you’re using the online check-out, you can choose to pay by bank transfer. Fill out the details and you will receive an invoice in the mail instantly. For the team programmes, simply contact me. I’ll prepare a full invoice for you once we confirm the requirements.

Section

Ready to strengthen your online student recruitment?

Whether you want to upskill yourself or align your whole team, this course gives you a clear, practical framework for online student recruitment in higher education.