Tag Archive for: the clarity report

Business owner

Own Your Google Ads Account

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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.

Don’t Let Your Agency Hide Behind a Dashboard

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Do you hire a digital advertising agency to grow your business—or to grow their bottom line?

It sounds like a ridiculous question, but too many agencies act like you’re there to fund their retainers, not your results.

The Dashboard Dilemma

Dashboards can be a great tool… when used honestly. They can also be a convenient way to show you just enough to keep you from asking tough questions.

Too often, agencies use them to summarize performance without context. And without context, you can’t make informed decisions.

Simplicity Shouldn’t Mean Hiding the Truth

Dashboards often highlight one number: Average Cost Per Lead (CPL). Useful, sure. But it rarely tells the full story.

Here’s an example. Before we took over a client’s account, their agency showed them an average CPL of $37 – a great number for their industry. But 80% of those conversions were coming from branded searches – people already looking for the company by name.

Once we dug in, we found branded leads cost $26 each, but new customer leads (non-branded terms) were much higher. So, we restructured the account.

Within months, branded CPL dropped to $7, and non-branded leads – actual new business – came down to $75. That shift turned their ad spend from “maintenance mode” into a real growth engine.

Local Data, Informed Decisions

The same client has 37 locations across the East Coast. Their previous agency lumped everything into a handful of campaigns. It was easy… for them. But not so useful for the client.

We rebuilt it from the ground up: 147 campaigns by location and service line. That level of granularity gave them clarity they’d never had before.

Now they can see that leads in Charlotte, NC, cost twice as much as in Bow, NH, and make decisions accordingly. That’s what transparency looks like.

Demand the Data You Deserve

I hate seeing businesses spend good money on bad campaigns.

If your agency’s dashboard makes everything look “fine” but you don’t understand why it’s fine, or where your leads are really coming from, it’s time to ask for the full picture.

Simplicity should serve clarity, not hide it.

If your agency can’t (or won’t) give you that clarity, it may be time to find one that will.

Your Thoughts

What has been your experience with agency dashboards?