Google has reportedly contacted clients and told them they should use Google Ads instead.
There are more and more reports of Google Ads account managers threatening their clients directly, despite not being allowed to do so.
For agencies without email responses, Google Ads account managers will reach out to people and study their clients including physical assets, telephone numbers, and favorite websites.
It’s not unheard of for Google Ads account managers to call customers and tell them to switch away from their current marketing provider.
There are two things to remember about this sentence:
- There are two things to make clear here.
- The first thing is that there are still two things to remember about this sentence.
Agencies typically don’t need to speak with Google
At no point should a Google Ads account manager call an agency’s client.
A Google Ads rep telling a client to fire their agency is crossing the line.
What’s worse is that this type of reporting is becoming more frequent.
Matt Janaway, CEO of Marketing Labs, recently shared his experience on LinkedIn.
Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin recently noticed that Janaway’s post was flagged for its excessive use of punctuation, as it appeared to be spam. The issue will be addressed “immediately,” according to Marvin.
Marvin said that the action was “not in line with how our team expects to work with our advertisers and agency partners.”
Janaway isn’t alone in the experience he’s going through.
Incidents involving Google employees engaging in similar practices are reported throughout October.
A Reddit user posted a recent email they received from a Google Ads Account Strategist, which reads:
One last time, I’m contacting you as a courtesy because my goal is to help you maximize your revenue. If I don’t reach you, it will be assumed that I haven’t received your emails, and we’ll move on to the clients that have already contacted us directly.
Another Reddit user claims that they’ve been “harassed” by a Google Ads rep, who keeps texting them daily to get in touch about implementing campaign changes.
Agencies aren’t obligated to speak with Google reps, or implement changes that clients might not ask for.
If you ever notice an email like this, the best thing to do is fill out the user’s official form with a clear summary of what happened.
Avoid aggressive sales tactics. You should know that Google only has a policy against promoting dangerous products and services on their platform.