Try this scenario; I think a lot of you know this one. An SEM gets laid off or fed up with their current employer and decides to try go it on their own. They secure a few clients but then realize that taking care of their paid accounts would be easier with a My Client Center in AdWords.
Imagine it: your own login with the ability to see all your new clients, schedule client-wide reports, and (if you pass the test) a cool new designation as an AdWords Professional.
So how do you get that done? As with most things Google AdWords, it’s pretty easy.
- Sign up for the Google Advertising Professionals Program
- Use the Google Account you want to be your login.
I’m not done though … it is easy to do, but there are other things you might want to know.
Email address – Be sure to use the one you want. I use my Gmail address because I stay logged in all day. It helps when I don’t have to log in and out all day. But remember that if that email address is associated with any other AdWords account, you have to disassociate it (remove it temporarily). You’ll be able to add that client into your new MCC soon, promise.
If you opened an account with that address and the client isn’t an administrator, there is an easy fix. Create another Google login with a free email account (pick one), assign that as an administrator to the account and remove yourself. This will free up your favorite Google login.
Taking the Test – It is NOT required to take the AdWords Professional exam to have a My Client Center. I think it’s a good thing to do and relatively easy if you have been doing this for a while. If you’re new, do the training. It’s the best I’ve seen so far. The training is free. The test is $50. Cheap.
Other Perks – As you grow your business and add more accounts, you’ll most likely be assigned a team at Google. They have the inside track to all the Beta tests and research you might need. Want a new feature? Just ask, they are probably already testing it and can give you access to it. Some I’ve tried in the past are the Access Levels for accounts and Monthly Budgets/Invoicing. Pretty. Sweet. Stuff.
Got more questions? Google covers most of them in their FAQs.
Kate Morris is the Director of Client Strategies at New Edge Media. You can find her on her blog or on twitter @katemorris.
