If you've searched “which agencies are Google Premier Partners,” you've probably found plenty of lists claiming to have the answer. There's just one problem: Premier Partner status can change.
Google determines Premier Partner eligibility annually, which means a static list published by a third party can become outdated. The better source is Google's own searchable Partners Directory, where marketers can look up agencies and filter by Partner status, location and certifications.
So rather than give you another list that could age out, we're breaking down where to find Google Premier Partners, what the designation actually tells you and what you should look at next when choosing an agency.
Looking for Google Premier Partner agencies? Start with the Google Partners Directory
Google's directory includes participating companies with Google Partner and Premier Partner status and allows you to filter results by Partner status, certifications and geography. Premier Partners are companies that meet Google's Partner requirements and rank among the top 3% of participating companies in a given country.
One important caveat: companies can opt out of appearing publicly in the directory, so it isn't necessarily a permanent master list of every company that has qualified. But if you're researching agencies or trying to verify a company's publicly listed Partner status, it's the best official starting point.
What Does Google Premier Partner Actually Mean?
Google's Partners program has three participation tiers: Member, Partner and Premier Partner.
To become a Google Partner, a company must meet requirements across three categories: performance, spend and certifications. Currently, that includes maintaining at least a 70% optimization score within its registered Google Ads manager account, managing at least $10,000 in Google Ads spend over a 90-day period and meeting Google's certification requirements for account strategists.
Premier Partner goes a step further.
A company must first meet the Partner requirements and then be among the top 3% of participating Google Partners in its country, with Premier eligibility determined annually.
Google says the factors used to identify that top 3% include:
- Existing client growth
- New client growth
- Client retention
- Product diversification beyond Search
- Annual ad spend
That's an important distinction. Premier Partner isn't simply another certification an individual marketer earns. It's a company-level designation based on Google's Partner requirements and how that company performs relative to other participating companies in its market.
And because that top 3% is determined annually, Premier Partner status isn't something marketers should assume stays the same indefinitely.
How to Find Google Premier Partner Agencies
Finding them is pretty straightforward:
- Go to the Google Partners Directory. This is Google's official directory for participating Partners and Premier Partners.
- Filter by Partner status. Select Premier Partner to narrow your results to companies currently displayed with that designation.
- Choose your country or region. Premier eligibility is determined within a given country, so geography matters.
- Filter by certifications. If you need specific Google Ads expertise, use the directory's certification filters to narrow your search.
- Search for an agency directly. Already evaluating a company that says it's a Google Premier Partner? Search its name in the directory and check its current public listing.
That's much more useful than relying on a “Top Google Premier Partners” article published two years ago.
Google Partner vs. Premier Partner: What's the Difference?
Both designations are part of the Google Partners program, but they aren't interchangeable.
- A Google Partner has met Google's requirements for performance, spend and certifications.
- A Google Premier Partner has met those Partner requirements and is also among the top 3% of participating companies in its country based on Google's annual evaluation.
For marketers, that's meaningful, but it shouldn't be the end of your agency search. Google explicitly notes that inclusion in its Partners Directory is not an endorsement and recommends that advertisers conduct their own due diligence when selecting a partner.
That's the right way to think about Premier Partner status: it's a meaningful credential, not a complete agency evaluation.
What Premier Partner Status Can (And Can't) Tell You
Premier status gives you useful information. It tells you that an agency has met Google's Partner requirements and qualified for the top tier of the program based on Google's evaluation criteria.
What it can't tell you is whether that agency is right for your business.
A badge can't tell you how an agency thinks about incrementality. It can't tell you whether its team understands your category, how it approaches creative testing or whether its reporting actually answers the questions your leadership team cares about.
And it definitely can't tell you whether you'll like working with them, which is why Premier Partner status should be used as a filter, not a finish line. Once you've confirmed the credential, the more interesting questions begin.
Ask how they measure success.
ROAS and CPA matter, but they don't always tell the whole story. Find out how the agency approaches incrementality, attribution and the relationship between platform-reported performance and actual business outcomes.
Look at relevant experience, not just logos.
An agency can be excellent at Google Ads and still not have deep experience with your category, business model or customer journey. Ask for examples that resemble the problems you're actually trying to solve.
Understand how they approach automation.
Google Ads is increasingly driven by automation and machine learning. The question isn't whether an agency uses automated products; it's how its team structures inputs, measurement, creative and testing around them.
Look beyond Google when your customer does.
Consumers don't experience Search, social, marketplaces and retail media as separate marketing departments. If those channels matter to your business, understand how the agency connects Google strategy to the rest of the customer journey.
Ask who will actually work on your account.
Partner status belongs to the company. Your day-to-day experience comes down to the people running your business. Understand the team structure, senior involvement and how expertise gets applied to your account.
Is Code3 a Google Premier Partner?
Yes. Code3 is a Google Premier Partner.
We're incredibly proud, and think the designation matters, but probably not for the reason you'd expect.
Premier Partner status is one indicator of Google Ads expertise and scale. For brands evaluating an agency, it should be the beginning of the conversation, not the reason to make a decision.
The harder questions are about how an agency thinks, measures, tests and connects media investment to actual growth.
Those are the questions we'd ask, whether you were evaluating us or anyone else.
Google Premier Partner FAQs
Is there a list of Google Premier Partner agencies?
Google maintains a searchable Google Partners Directory where you can filter participating companies by Premier Partner status, certifications and geography. Because Premier eligibility is determined annually and companies can opt out of appearing publicly, a static third-party list shouldn't be treated as the definitive source.
What percentage of agencies are Google Premier Partners?
Google says Premier Partners are among the top 3% of participating companies in the Google Partners program within a given country. That does not mean the top 3% of all advertising agencies.
How do I know if an agency is a Google Premier Partner?
Search the agency in the Google Partners Directory and review its current public Partner status. Google also allows qualifying Premier Partners to display an official Premier Partner badge on their websites and marketing materials.
What are the requirements to become a Google Premier Partner?
A company must first meet Google's Partner requirements for performance, spend and certifications. It must then rank among the top 3% of participating companies in its country based on factors that include existing and new client growth, client retention, product diversification and annual ad spend.
Is Google Premier Partner status permanent?
No. Google determines Premier Partner eligibility annually, and eligibility is relative to the performance of other participating companies within a given country. Companies must also continue meeting the underlying Google Partner requirements.
Does Google Premier Partner status mean Google recommends the agency?
No. Google explicitly states that listing in the Google Partners Directory is not an endorsement and advises advertisers to conduct their own due diligence when selecting a partner.
The Bottom Line
If you're looking for Google Premier Partner agencies, don't start with somebody else's “best agencies” list. Start with Google.
Use the Partners Directory to verify status, narrow the field and identify agencies with the credentials relevant to your needs. Then dig deeper. Premier Partner status can tell you that an agency has cleared a meaningful bar. Choosing the right partner is about what happens after that bar is cleared.