BIG THINK LABS / GOOGLE ADS
Before taking over a Google Ads account: access, measurement and campaign checks
Changing who manages an advertising account involves more than granting a new agency access. You need to understand campaign objectives, the source of conversion data and who manages the connected systems. The initial review should produce a handover plan that identifies what to preserve, what needs attention and the order of changes.
1. Establish access and account responsibilities
The Google Ads account, manager account, Analytics property and tag management system may have different permissions. Record who owns each account, who has administrator access and how the agency is connected. Use the platform’s account linking and user permission workflows rather than sharing passwords. Clarify billing responsibility separately from campaign management.
2. Define what a conversion means to the business
A page view, a click on a contact link and a successful form submission represent different actions. Treating them as equally valuable can distort campaign interpretation. Review where existing conversion actions come from, which campaigns use them and whether they reflect the business objective.
3. Test for missing and duplicate measurement
A single action may be recorded by multiple tags or data sources. If the same form action is tracked through both a Google tag and an Analytics import, review which actions are used for bidding. Document the existing setup and test for duplication or gaps before replacing it. A controlled test should distinguish a button click from a successful server-side form record.
4. Evaluate campaigns while preserving their history
Review change history, campaign goals, budget allocation, search terms and negative keywords together. Comparisons between periods need the context of what changed and when. Record the impact and priority of each issue rather than turning every finding into a simultaneous account change.
5. Review the ad and landing page in the same scenario
The page visitors reach should support the message in the ad. A clear service description, mobile usability, working forms and user consent are all part of the campaign experience. Checking the destination and validating the intended action is a broader task than rewriting the ad copy alone.
6. Plan any change to the conversion tracking account
Check whether conversions are managed by the client account or a linked manager account. Review how a manager change would affect conversion goals. Consult Google’s transition documentation before removing existing conversion actions or tags.
Google documentation: Cross-account conversion tracking setup ↗
What should the handover record contain?
An account and access inventory; conversion definitions and sources; test results; campaigns to preserve; priority issues; changes requiring approval; and the first review date. This record also establishes the baseline for subsequent reports.