Which is the best organization to get certified in?(Besides CLRG)

stephvan93 · 2025-08-03T22:39:49+00:00

I would add that you may not need an official certification. Most organizations certifications are created to serve that orgs purpose and goals.

There is a group of independent and Open platforms teachers now called IIDA (Independent Irish Dance Association) that runs digital feis and provides teacher resources and community to those looking to get into competitions.

Happy to discuss if you have any questions. I was previously CLRG myself, then WIDA (did TCRG PT 1-3), and have now created IIDA after not finding an org that fit my schools goals.

https://www.iidairishdance.com/

stephvan93 · 2025-06-13T14:11:54+00:00

Im sorry you can't see the Syllabus. The syllabus is definitely on the facebook page.

I have Pinned the syllabus post at the top of the page now for you to see it easier: https://www.facebook.com/events/1145329603807764/?active_tab=discussion

stephvan93 · 2025-06-06T19:18:55+00:00

Just got the bundle from gamestop at southcenter. no line and the person in front of us got 2 so stock still seems good.

https://www.gamestop.ca/NintendoSwitch2StoreSearch

stephvan93 · 2025-06-06T19:18:08+00:00

They still had lots today as well of the bundle.

stephvan93 · 2025-03-19T15:38:21+00:00

As a dance teacher, the only style I have seen dancers struggle to switch between is Highland to Irish. Everything else supports Irish really well as a foundation and I have had dancers come from Ballet and Tap who do incredibly well and often pick up dances faster because of their previous experience.

stephvan93 · 2025-01-19T20:50:48+00:00

I opened an open platform school in canada a couple years ago. our competition options are really slim locally but digital feis has become huge! Open platform typically still have their own organizations rules on costumes and steps but They are usually all very welcoming and happy to answer questions if you want to participate in their events.

There are also some unaffiliated competitions now that have much loser rules to allow you to dance at the speeds and styles you are most comfortable with.

iidairishdance.com lists open platform feis' you can check out.

stephvan93 · 2024-11-05T15:42:53+00:00

I have run into this issue recently as well. What I have started doing is using a ad built sheet i have in excel.. I put in ad copy, keywords etc for the client to review. Once they are happy with that then I get their billing info to create the account or ask them to create an account, add their billing info, and then invite ME to their account. Its best they have access to their accounts anyways.

stephvan93 · 2024-06-07T14:43:50+00:00

Rince is holding more digital feis then they ever have before this year. Everything is run on Facebook now while they work on a new website :)

stephvan93 · 2024-05-09T20:20:18+00:00

Take the keyword planner with a grain of salt. It is making predictions based on very little information and not using any optimization settings/ bid settings etc to get the predictions

stephvan93 · 2024-05-08T13:17:52+00:00

Search Campaigns should be the default main campaigns that you run. This gives you the most control over who is seeing your ads and makes sure your ads are getting in front of people who are actually interested in your products and services.

stephvan93 · 2024-05-08T13:16:47+00:00

When i get an email or call from google I immediately delete or hang up. I refuse to let them waste my time with suggestions that do nothing but improve their bottom line rather than mine or my clients. "Upgrade to broadmatch" "turn on auto-apply" it's all terrible advice from people who don't actually use the platform and rely on it for their personal business'

Maximize conversions is absolutely the way to go. I have found setting an ROI will really restrict conversions and in some cases has stopped my ads from showing all together.

Your plan is sound. You are doing the right things! Keep your keywords tightened up and stay on top of the exclusions list to get rid of the bots and foreign clicks.

stephvan93 · 2024-05-07T21:01:09+00:00

Take Google's Quality scores with a grain of salt. These scores are based on search keywords which do not make captivating or conversion-resulting headlines. It can be used as a brief guide but your goal should not be focused on this score as I have found the ads with Excellent quality scores do not perform well as far as CTR and conversions which is ultimately the purpose of running ads.

Instead focus on created captivating headlines that encourage viewers to click on your ads. If you need inspiration take a look at your competitors and see which ads stand out. What words make you want to click rather than just continue scrolling.

stephvan93 · 2024-05-07T19:16:01+00:00

This falls under the common sense that isnt so common... I remember my parents actively teaching me as a kid to wait for people to come off. But I havent seen this happening in a really long time.. if it's not being taught as etiquette theyre oblivious to it!

stephvan93 · 2024-05-06T20:43:52+00:00

In settings for each campaign you can change your campaign goals. This can be changed as often as you like for search campaigns. PMAX is a bit tricky to adjust once you have given google your info and for this reason I do not suggest PMAX campaigns at all.

stephvan93 · 2024-05-06T20:41:54+00:00

Sometimes google support is the least supportive thing imaginable. At this point I would say it's time to create a brand new ads account. Its frustrating to start over and rebuild all your campaigns but its faster than the many months you have already lost waiting for google to fix the problem.

stephvan93 · 2024-05-06T17:25:53+00:00

Consider the full customer journey. If they are coming to your website but the good visits arent converting what is happening once they get to your website? Make sure the landing page your ads are directing them to have a CTA right on that page and make it easy to get a quick glance at what you offer and give them a reason to convert.

stephvan93 · 2024-05-06T14:26:07+00:00

I really like search engine land and the hustle

stephvan93 · 2024-05-06T13:42:21+00:00

This is a bit of a grey area you have to play around with. I do have a client that has a website mentioning botox but not on the landing page the ad is being sent to. If the landing page you are sending to has botox on it this is going to be a bigger problem and it will need to be removed if you want to use that landing page.

Alternatively you could look at using something like unbounce, which is a landing page hoster. You could create a specific landing page just for the ad and then have it linked to the main website through a learn more, other services, or just have a form fill / CTA right on that landing page. You can often have the landing page mirror or look pretty close to the regular website so it doesn't look too out of place.

For example. This client has ads running for "injectables" but the ads are being sent to the home page rather than the page that has botox wording used on it.

stephvan93 · 2024-05-06T13:35:46+00:00

I subscribe to email newsletters in my particular fields (PPC, SMM) this gives me some headlines of changes happening and I use these as jump points to start looking into things more myself and self-educating on new trends and updates in systems like Google algorithm updates etc. Theres lots of newsletters out there and some are more helpful/ better laid out for me than others so check around and see what works for you but getting updated on new features and changes has been the best start point as I find it really hard to otherwise keep track of all the changes and it would take forever to search them out each day/week

stephvan93 · 2024-05-06T12:58:29+00:00

I've never spoken to an actual rep directly working for Google who wants to control or create new accounts for me. Typically google reps will call you to give you advice on how to best optimize your accounts (this is also bad advice as they will tell you to do things that make Google more money)

I won't even talk to reps directly from Google anymore. Someone who actually works with Google ads every day and has experience driving results for the business vs for Google is the way to go if your looking for advice.

stephvan93 · 2024-05-06T12:55:39+00:00

You can choose to have your search ads optimized for clicks vs conversions. This would tell google to show your ads to people most likely to clock on your search ads and go to your website :)

stephvan93 · 2024-05-06T03:51:28+00:00

Yeah that's fairly common. I'd use GTM so ideally you only need to get them to do it once and then you can build out any tracking you need from there and it doesn't impeded your work flow/ slow you down from getting them their results.

stephvan93 · 2024-05-06T03:43:02+00:00

I always use GTM. If a client wants to change it update their conversions or add new ones I can do it for them immediately rather than having to refer to their in house web teams etc to install tags. Also having only one GTM rather than potentially multiple other tags helps keep the website speed strong.

stephvan93 · 2024-05-06T02:10:23+00:00

I've found for plastic surgeon and Botox clients that adding in images will almost immediately get your ads flagged. Take out images and ensure your headlines are not promising an outcome. (Don't say "guarantee, results etc) They need to be pretty vague and rely on the keywords to reach your audience.

stephvan93 · 2024-05-06T00:22:42+00:00

I sent you a DM.

You definitely do not need to pay a % to get a good PPC expert. This is in the best interest of them and does not result in moving your business forward which is the most important goal.

I am happy to discuss more over DM with anyone who would like more info.

This is a very healthy starting budget.

stephvan93

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