"We do nothing. We let Google do everything."
That's what a freelancer told my client after taking over their Google Ads.
3 months later:
- €2,000 in ad spend
- €0 profit
- Zero knowledge gained
- Tracking was broken the entire time
The worst part?
The search themes were copy-pasted from another client.
A scooter parts shop was bidding on "refrigerators."
I wish I was joking.
This isn't rare. It's disturbingly common.
And the agencies doing this hide behind one phrase:
"It's complicated."
No. It's not.
If they can't explain what they're doing in plain language, they either don't understand it or don't want you asking questions.
5 signs your agency might be a black box
1. They can't explain their strategy in simple terms
If you ask "why are we running this campaign?" and the answer is jargon soup, that's a red flag.
2. You've never seen inside the account
Your account. Your data. Your money. You should have access.
3. Reports show metrics, not insights
"Here's your CTR" is not a strategy. "Here's why CTR dropped and what we're doing about it" is.
4. They get defensive when you ask questions
Good partners welcome questions. Bad partners deflect them.
5. You haven't learned anything in 3 months
Good partners build your capability. Bad partners build your dependency.
The bottom line
If you're 3 months in and haven't learned anything, you're being managed, not helped.
The best agencies I know actively try to make themselves less necessary - by teaching you to understand what's happening.
That's how you know they're confident in their value.