Why You Must Ignore Free Advice From Google Ads 'Account Specialists'

I’ve noticed a significant uptick recently in calls from business owners who have set up their own Google Ads and then been reeled in - hook, line, and sinker - by the ‘free advice’ from Google’s own account specialists.

As such, I’d like to repeat (loudly, for those in the back) that the advice dished out by these Google reps will always benefit Google but will only sometimes benefit your business.

The primary objective of these specialists when they get you on a call is to get you to spend more money (upping your budget will always fix the problem, apparently) and/or get you to try new features (ideally ones that make it easy to paint a very positive picture of performance that the average DIY advertiser is never going to look past).

There is a strong element of boiler room pressure selling to how this whole enterprise operates - the rep will keep ringing and emailing until they can get you locked down into a call, where the aim of the game is to get you making changes there and then.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen a POSITIVE impact from one of these recommended changes, I’d probably be able to buy a can of drink from the nearest vending machine (a small can at that).

From a business owner/DIY advertiser perspective it can be hard to say ‘no’, because Google is a big, powerful, trusted brand and their positioning is to try and frame the service as genuinely free advice and insights (rather than being straight up and calling it what it is - selling you more advertising).

Most disconcertingly, there is also a strong element of making advertisers feel like if they don’t take up this amazing ‘opportunity’ they will suffer some kind of negative consequence.