Google AdWords Professional Status Not Good Enough For Google

[Mikkel deMib Svendsen]

Moderator Note: Thread split from Black Hat PPC Management

There's definitely opportunity out there for vendors who position themselves as Black Hat PPC consultants.

Actually this is for all SEMs without ANY hats.
In fact, I think the program is only good, so far, for the ones weearing a "Google hat" and I really don't see how that can benifit any client (except if Google is your client, but I guess they manage their own PPC )

But this is not all. As far as I can see, right now, it might be very dangerous to joing that program. Let me tell you a little story ...


One of my good colleagues and close friends here in Europe recently got his accreditation from Google and was proud to put the logo on his site. He is one of the bigger buyers of AdWords here and have a very experienced and professional team, so he felt it was natural to join the program (something we have had big discussions about ever since – up until today )

However, some days ago he signed a new very large corporate client, so he contacted his partner rep at Google to set it up but was basically told: “No, that client we want! It is too big for you and we don’t think you can handle it.” Natural to say, he was shocked! How can they say he cannot handle the account after he just passed the test? (Not to talk about the fact that he, like many SEMs I know of, optimize AdWords campaigns much better than any Google editor will ever learn!)

Furthermore the rep made it very clear that Google consider his client to be theirs – not his! So, Google think they know better than the client that chose the media agency and the media agency that picked my friend to manage the campaign. In fact, Google did not even ask the client in question about this. Google just knows better, right?. Or maybe, they are just greedy…?

Now, let’s compare this situation with me – I am not in the partner program. When I sign a large client (and yes, I do now and then ) I just go online, as usual, and set up my AdWords account. I don’t ask anyone for permission and there is only very little risk of Google stealing the client from me. They don’t even know my contact name at the company and the account email goes to me. Also the team behind online sales seems to have plenty of better things to do than stealing my clients.

So, please tell me, why should I join? Why on earth should I risk loosing my clients to a team at Google that I know for sure won’t be able to optimize any campaign to the same level I can? Why should a pass a test if it only makes Google more of an enemy to me instead of a partner? (Naïve as I am I though that was the purpose of the whole deal …).

Don’t get me wrong, I think good partnerships can be very important. Just not like this. I think it would be good for the entire industry if we had more good relationships and formalized partnerships but it has to be fair – fair to the SEMs and fair to our clients. It has to provide an added value to all. I simply refuse to play that cat and mouse game (especially if I have to play the role of the mouse).

Am I the only one seeing these actions from Google as being highly unethical from a strict business point of view?

[Nacho]

Originally Posted by andrewgoodman

Whoa dude, I'm just too busy to take the exam. I'll get to it. Taking it benefits me how? And proves what?

This has got to be my first *me too* post at SEW, but very well placed here.

Me too!

[cline]

Originally Posted by Mikkel deMib Svendsen

...he signed a new very large corporate client, so he contacted his partner rep at Google to set it up but was basically told: “No, that client we want! It is too big for you and we don’t think you can handle it.” ...

...Am I the only one seeing these actions from Google as being highly unethical from a strict business point of view?

This seems rather odd.

A. What was the purpose of contacting the Google rept to set up the account? This doesn't seem normal.

B. To the best of my knowledge Adwords is not in the business of managing Adwords accounts. Yes, they have Jumpstart , but that's a $299 product. The only motivation I can think of for wanting to put a huge new advertiser into Jumpstart is to cause them to bid excessively.

Of course, if things actually happened as you described them, this would be highly unethical.

[rankforsales]

If all of this is true, and I assume it could be, then it's really upsetting and certainly has no place in a supposedly "partner-friendly" SEM /SEO community.

Did anybody at Google respond to this as of yet?

[andrewgoodman]

Originally Posted by Mikkel deMib Svendsen

Furthermore the rep made it very clear that Google consider his client to be theirs – not his! So, Google think they know better than the client that chose the media agency and the media agency that picked my friend to manage the campaign. In fact, Google did not even ask the client in question about this. Google just knows better, right?. Or maybe, they are just greedy…?

My question is (and I have noticed these kinds of actions as well)... greedy for what?

Is it so sales reps can get "credit" for "having landed" certain accounts? After all, the money's going to Google anyway. Google as a whole is neither helped nor harmed by the fact that their people, rather than an agency, manages the campaign (though of course they are biased which is why you should hire an agency or consultant).

My question then is -- is the tail wagging the dog? Do salespeople hungry for bonuses begin to create havoc with what should be cordial and professional interactions with both advertisers and agencies?

It's a strange convoluted incentive structure that probably isn't getting much pondering amidst the engineers who run Google, right up to Eric Schmidt.

[Mikkel deMib Svendsen]

I think this picture, by seomike, says it all:

http://www.threadwatch.org/node/2208

My question then is -- is the tail wagging the dog? Do salespeople hungry for bonuses begin to create havoc with what should be cordial and professional interactions with both advertisers and agencies?

Yes, I would say yes. In my experience there is a huge difference between how different people and departments at Google treat you. There definately seems to be a few loos guns around Google playing a game of the Wild West - with US in the role of the red indians. To me, it looks like some of them are becomming a major liability for Google and I urge them to clean up. Don't let the bad seeds mess with your company, Google!