Despite somewhat firm beliefs that agencies encompass a special fairy dust of some sort that makes them “better” at PPC – we don’t. Certainly expertise and experience contribute to this perception and definitely set some agencies apart from one another, but there’s not a magic switch. What agencies do that individual advertisers may overlook is utilize the basic tools available to them. Do you know why? Because it’s easy to overlook the basics! One of those tools is the AdWords MCC (My Client Center).
I believe most agencies use the MCC as it is intended, but we still see client accounts come our way that actually encompass two or more individual accounts and the client logs in to each one separately. Understandably so, the few extra seconds it takes to log out of one account and back in to another could feel inconsequential in the moment, but they add up over time. At the simplest level, an AdWords MCC helps save those seconds…but it provides four other fantastic benefits that should not be forgotten:
Organization
Every Account Manager’s best friend is a solid organizational strategy, and that applies to all aspects of PPC management. Pulling all the accounts you manage in to one MCC allows you to see everything at once, in a single place, where you can then filter and apply all the benefits we’re about to discuss below. In the same way Acquisio or similar bid/budget platforms allow you to manage across multiple engines from one dashboard, the AdWords MCC provides further reach in to all your Google-based accounts in one spot.
You get two separate navigational options, where you can scroll down the page to view your accounts or employ the drop down menu along the top navigation to click in to an individual account – super handy!
Cross-Account Rule Application
There is no rule that says you can’t have multiple MCCs if you’re responsible for managing enough accounts to warrant it. One exciting way to utilize an MCC is to apply rules and/or automation that monitors and assists performance when you’re not actively logged in to the account. These automated rules function much like they do in individual accounts, except again – you’re saving time because you can apply one rule across multiple accounts rather than logging in to each one and applying them separately.
MCC-level automated rules can be applied to a variety of metrics or account segments – bids, budgets, ad statuses and more. In case you’re unfamiliar with automated rules in general, here’s a few ways you can incorporate them to manage your accounts:
- Pause poor performing ads and/or keywords
- Adjust bids/budgets based on performance, position preference, etc.
- Enable ads via scheduling (for promotions, sales, new products)
MCC-level rules can be applied across up to 1,000 accounts and each individual MCC user can implement up to 100 rule automations.
Search Engine Consideration & Assistance
Perhaps the most easily overlooked benefit of loading your accounts (whether in-house or in an agency setting) in to an MCC is that you have a higher likelihood of garnering attention and assistance from Google representatives. Now I fully realize engine reps aren’t always as helpful as we might hope, but the more spend you have under your MCC the more opportunity you have for getting accepted to beta tests that “smaller” advertisers or accounts are not given.
The MCC also allows you to effectively track and measure total spend under management and overall growth through the Google engine. Again, as your account(s) grow – they garner the attention of the search engine reps and they become slightly more inclined to assist with betas, whitelisting projects, etc. Occasionally clients are hesitant about being added to an agency MCC (as it does mean that if the agency got in any kind of trouble, the client’s account could be privy to disablement), however if they’ve selected the right agency they shouldn’t have to worry. Plus, hearing of these beta opportunities typically cures that ailment rather quickly.
Easy View of Success or Need Areas
Speaking back to my original point on the MCC being an excellent organizational tool, within the dashboard view, you have two tabs – one for performance and another for budget.
Utilizing the filters and columns in both of these tabs gives you the ability to quickly see where there are pain points that need addressing, as well as where you or your team is finding success.
What other ways do you utilize the AdWords MCC for your accounts? Share any additions or thoughts you have in the comments section below, and as always – thanks for reading!
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