Own Your Google Ads Account
Do you actually own your Google Ads account? Not just access but real ownership.
If you decided to part ways with your agency tomorrow, could you take the account with you and hand it to a new team, or bring it in-house?
If you’re not sure, that’s a problem.
When the Agency Owns the Account
Last January, we started working with a company spending about $1.5 million per year on Google Ads. At the time, they had 33 locations (and have grown since). They were frustrated with performance and ready for a change.
There was just one issue: Their agency owned the Google Ads account and refused to transfer it.
Despite paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in management fees over several years, the agency claimed the account was their intellectual property.
In my experience, that rarely has anything to do with protecting great work and everything to do with avoiding accountability.
The Hidden Cost of Not Owning Your Data
Because we couldn’t access the historical account, we had to rebuild everything from scratch. We couldn’t see what had worked, what hadn’t, or what lessons had already been learned.
That slows momentum and means the client ends up paying, again, to rediscover insights they already funded.
That’s not a partnership. That’s a lock-in strategy.
What You Should Check… Now
If you’re currently working with an agency:
- Do you have your own login to the Google Ads account?
- Is the account owned by your business, not the agency’s email address?
If you don’t own the account, you’re more tied to that agency than you may realize, especially if performance slips.
To be clear: a strong agency can still drive solid results within 30–90 days, even without historical data. But you shouldn’t have to give up your past learnings just to move on.
Set the Expectation Up Front
If you’re evaluating a new agency, ask this question early:
“Will we own the Google Ads account… unequivocally?”
If the answer isn’t a clear “yes,” keep looking.
Ownership gives you leverage, flexibility, and confidence that your agency is earning your business, not protecting theirs.
Transparency Changes Behavior
I believe agencies should earn trust every month. That doesn’t mean every month is perfect, but it should always be clear that your results come first.
And when agencies know you can log in, see the data, and ask real questions – they’re far less likely to hide behind dashboards or massage the numbers.
If you want more transparency, clearer accountability, and an agency that believes you should own what you pay to build, feel free to message us. I’m always happy to have a conversation and see if it makes sense to work together.
