Google Ads Agency Red Flags: 10 Warning Signs
Before you sign (or renew) with a Google Ads agency, run through these red flags. Any one is worth a hard question; several together are worth an independent audit.
10 red flags
- You can’t access your own account.
- No search-terms report shared, ever.
- Conversions wildly outpace real sales.
- They bid on your brand and call it performance.
- Long lock-in contract, vague scope.
- “Management” is manual work Google automates.
- Reports are all green, all the time.
- Money up front to “analyse” your account.
- Constant account-manager turnover.
- They resist an independent audit.
Run your free Google Ads audit
Connect your account and Kestrel runs all 40 checks in plain English — your health score, wasted spend, and the fixes that matter. It’s read-only, free forever, and needs no credit card.
Tick a few? Find out where you stand with a free audit, then read what to do if your agency won’t give you access.