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Do you still find it worth the effort to be Google Premier Partner?
Considering how much you need to automate simply to meet the requirements in 2021. It feels irresponsible to me. My job is to optimise client accounts and invest their money well, and slapping a smart strategy on there just to benefit myself doesn’t feel right.
What’s your take?
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10 Replies
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Maintaining “optiscores” isn’t evil and to get above 70% isn’t hard at all, just follow the sensible recommendations. The tool actually helps you with optimization if you use it right.
You can still avoid things like dynamic ads, smart shopping, etc. if that’s your preference.
My concern is more about the diminished service and support we’ve been getting as an agency. Part of this is no doubt due to COVID, but not all of it.
On the flip side, as many agencies are likely to drop out under the new “system” that will make being a Premier Partner a pretty good differentiator.
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In total agreement. I happen to be a partner because I’m linked to another agency mcc that *is* qualified, so it works out nicely for now. If that ever goes then I’m going to calmly explain to prospective clients why I’m not a partner, and how it’s a deliberate strategy on my part.
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The one exception was an auto client who wants to work with an agency that has status with both Google and Facebook. Otherwise, never had a client ask or mention about our status as a reason to go with our agency. It’s a nice shiny button to put on your site at best these days.
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[deleted]
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* Expand your reach with Google search partners
* Create Dynamic Search Ads
* Optimize for your ads’ visibility with a fully automated bid strategy
* Raise your budgets
* Add [irrelevant] audiences
* Use targeting expansion [on a remarketing campaign?!]No thanks. We’ll manage the account ourselves, partner, or not.
Best of luck to all the agencies who charge their clients to turn on an automated strategy and export an automatic report each month, but we prefer to be more hand on.
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Do people realise that if you dismiss the recommendations it still increases the optimisation score?
Every single one of my clients has a 100% optimisation score and I rarely if ever implement any of the recommendations.
EDIT: After writing this I realised that Google say ‘Dismissing recommendations will not count towards the account optimisation requirement’ but it doesn’t look like they’ve put that in place yet unless I’m lucky enough that all of my clients are over 70% anyway.
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As a freelancer I used to be partner with a former agency I was working with. Not a single client ever asked me for my certifications. I have 70 reviews + and I am top rated so clients couldn’t care less. Probably different with agencies?
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Much more important on the Google Marketing Platform / Google Cloud Platform side imo. At least in terms of actual benefits to the vendor / brands.
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Partner status in 2020 and beyond is more about SLA tiers and how much support your account receives.
One of my accounts was with an agency that waited and waited and waited on a problem resolution for weeks without being able to get the right level of support.
My current agency resolved the issue in less than a week, flies me out to Google partner submits (pre covid) and according to their Google rep one of their people actually sits in the agency HQ (again pre covid).
There used to be volume rebates in my understanding for premier partners but nowadays it’s all service.
People hand waving the requirements are ridiculous amateurs trying to gas light us into how you don’t need it but when the going gets tough and you need support you’ll be stuck with an overseas up sell call center instead of a domestic agency rep/manager/support.
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Here’s my take on it:
– the additional support I got rarely made any _real_ difference with respect to the clients’ goals
– if you need the partner badge to convince new clients either you or the client is not fit for the marriage
