Beware PPC Management Firms Who Want To Own Your Data

When you hire a pay-per-click management firm, we believe you have some specific rights as a client:

1. You have the right to understand the managed account structure and layout, keyword strategy, and so on.
2. You have a right to access the account at any time to review data.
3. You have a right to manage access to your account, meaning that you can block your management company from your account as you see fit.
4. You have a right to work on a month-to-month contract.

While there is room for debate on item #2 (access isn’t always granted; account managers don’t want you to accidentally mess something up) and item #4 (some firms don’t want to work on a monthly basis), there should never, ever, ever be a debate on items #1 and #3.

The Argument For Owning Your Google Ads Data

First of all, you’re entitled to understand a firm’s Google Ads account management strategy. Some firms believe strategies are proprietary, but we think that’s bogus. There are numerous free resources that lay out successful PPC strategies…it’s not a secret.

Second, you have a right to know what ads and keywords are being shown on all your accounts. This is for your protection – you’re ultimately responsible for what your account manager does in your name.

Three, one of the most valuable assets you have in a Google Ads account is your click history and every ad and keyword that’s ever been tried. It’s hugely valuable in aggregate as it guides your ongoing PPC and SEO optimization efforts. (Learn more about the differences between SEO and PPC in this blog post on SporkMarketing.com.)

All this data is a big part of what Google uses to determine your quality score on new keywords. If you were to lose access to this data, you will need to reinvent the wheel by trying ads, keywords, and calls to action you’ve already tested and paid for.

To Sum Up

Your auto parts e-commerce company should own your data and your account. If a PPC manager at the agency you hire isn’t willing to let you retain your data, find a new PPC management company. or learn to manage it in-house. (For more information on that check out this other blog post from Spork Marketing.)