Google reps can make changes to your account without authorization!
Source for this comes from a LinkedIn post from Thomas Eccel
As I was browsing through LinkedIn this morning, I saw a post that absolutely shocked me.
A well-known PPC expert was saying on his post that Google’s account management reps went into their account and actually made changes to their campaign without permission. This is absolutely crazy because you are in control of your own business’s account. Or, if you’re an agency or freelancer in charge of your client’s account, every single decision made in that account should be with you or your client, not with Google.
Google can advise, they can make phone calls, and try to push changes you probably don’t want, but they should never go into your account, make changes, and then tell you after the fact. So today, we’re going to look at this post, see exactly what happened, and also explore what you can do to future-proof your accounts from Google potentially getting their hands on it. More shockingly, I’m going to reveal something very underhanded that Google has done in this case.
The Incident: Unauthorized Changes by Google Reps
Let’s jump in and actually read this post. It’s coming from a well-renowned Google Ads expert named Thomas Echel. He said this:
“Attention: Google Ads rep made changes without authorization on the account and sent an email listing the changes not visible on change history.”
At the very top of the post, you can see the breakdown. A Google Ads rep went into the account, made changes, and only informed him about the changes afterward. More importantly, there is zero record of these changes in the change history.
When I told you at the beginning of this video that something shocking was coming, this is it. The rep made unauthorized changes, and those changes didn’t even appear in the change history. If Google hadn’t sent an email or if the email was missed, the account holder would have no idea what had been altered.
The Specific Changes Made
Andy Youngs, a Google Ads specialist for the UK and Ireland market (working through a third-party subcontractor), sent this email to Thomas. The changes included:
- Writing new ad copy
- Adjusting headline pinning
- Changing the bid strategy
These changes were not authorized by the account holder or the client and didn’t appear in the account’s change history. Such changes can massively impact performance, and some, like altering the bid strategy, are particularly significant.
For a Google Ads rep to unpin headlines is even worse because they don’t know the business or its unique selling points. The advertiser or business owner knows what works best for their audience. By unpinning headlines, the Google rep undermined the business in a massive way.
A Breach of Compliance
Thomas, who previously worked on Google’s Ads Support and Optimization team, noted that making unauthorized changes to a client account was considered a major compliance mistake. He asked whether other advertisers had experienced similar situations, and the comments revealed this has been happening for years.
Simon Price of GoConvert shared that this occurred with his account.
Navah Hopkins of Optimizer stated that it’s an old issue and often insidiously hidden from public view by not being documented in the change history.
While many commenters were hearing about this for the first time, it’s evident that the problem is widespread and ongoing.
Internal Insights: Google’s Compliance Policies
A current Google Ads specialist in the UK commented on the post, stating that making changes without pre-authorization is a major compliance case that should never occur. Even internally, changes are supposed to require client approval through signed documentation.
Making unauthorized changes can lead to disastrous consequences, such as:
Advertisers becoming non-compliant with industry regulations.
Legal troubles from non-compliant ads.
Wasted money on fines or legal cases due to errors caused by unauthorized changes.
The Email Sent to the Client
Here’s the email from the Google Ads rep:
“This is [Name] from Google Ads Support Team. Your account [Account Name] has been assigned to me for support. Today, I optimized your search campaign and improved the ad strength for each ad by unpinning headlines, adding more images from your asset library, correcting the business name, and adding the logo. I also added three new headlines to two of your ads. Now the ad strength for each ad is marked as good. This will help boost ad performance, making them stronger, more informative, and more competitive.”
Why This is Problematic
First, ad strength doesn’t necessarily correlate with performance. Studies from Optimizer have shown that what truly matters is the quality of the ad and its relevance to the audience, not the ad strength score.
Second, adding new content like headlines without understanding the business or its unique selling points is reckless. Reps likely don’t spend the necessary time to ensure the changes align with the client’s goals and strategy.
The Blurred Line Between Support and Sales
Google Ads Support should educate users on the platform. However, when reps proactively make changes, it crosses into sales. Their goal seems to be maximizing ad spend and adoption of new features, which often align with Google’s objectives rather than the advertiser’s.
This raises serious questions about whether Google’s support practices comply with GDPR and other privacy regulations, as unsolicited changes could be considered sales without consent.
What Can Advertisers Do?
Monitor Your Accounts: Regularly benchmark performance and note down key metrics like bid strategy, budget, and ad content.
Backup Campaign Data: Use tools like Google Sheets to maintain a consistent log of changes.
Stay Vigilant: Watch for sudden performance changes and investigate thoroughly.
Proactively Opt-Out: Unfortunately, Google doesn’t currently offer a way to opt-out of support contact. Push for such a feature if you feel it’s necessary.
Conclusion
This is a serious issue that could affect any advertiser. Google reps making unauthorized changes risks harming businesses and undermining trust in the platform. While this may be a rare occurrence, the comments on Thomas’s post indicate it’s more common than many realize.
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