In marketing, there’s a saying: “People don’t buy products, they buy trust.” And yet, that trust often feels missing when dealing with Google. Whether you’re agency-side or client-side, the pattern is familiar: Google reps push products without fully understanding the business they’re advising. Their focus tends to be on hitting internal targets, rather than helping clients achieve theirs.
For agencies and marketers who prioritise delivering results, this can be frustrating. You’re left trying to make a platform’s recommendations fit a business strategy they don’t fully appreciate, often after resources have already been spent.
The problem with prioritising products
Time and again, we’ve seen examples of advice that misses the mark. A lead gen business we work with was advised to adopt Performance Max with full automation, without a clear assessment of whether it aligned with their business objectives. Had we not advised them otherwise, the campaign would have run following Google’s suggested settings, optimising for metrics that were irrelevant to the client’s bottom line. Performance would have definitely suffered.
This isn’t about blame. Most reps are well-intentioned, but many operate within a framework that prioritises product adoption over business outcomes. The result is a mismatch – campaigns get optimised for platform-level metrics rather than for the specific goals of the business they’re meant to support.
For agencies like ours, understanding the client is non-negotiable. We need to know the products, the customer behaviour, the profit drivers, and even the operational quirks that affect performance. Without that understanding, even the most sophisticated tools are limited in what they can deliver.
Why marketers need to stay in control
Google’s tools are powerful, but they are not designed to replace human oversight or deep business knowledge. Automation and new features – Performance Max, smart bidding, auto-applied recommendations – can be useful, but only when applied with context.
Platforms don’t know your margins, your ideal customer profile, your promotional calendars, or which products truly drive profit versus those that barely break even. They also don’t know your long-term goals or the subtleties of your market. Relying solely on platform recommendations risks optimising for outcomes that don’t actually matter.
Agencies and marketers must remain in the driver’s seat. That means:
- Questioning recommendations: New tools are tempting, but they aren’t inherently right for every business. Evaluate their relevance against real objectives, not just platform performance metrics.
- Understanding the client: Know the levers that genuinely drive profit. This includes product performance, seasonality, geographic differences, and any operational constraints that affect outcomes.
- Using automation as a tool, not a replacement: Features like smart bidding or Performance Max can support campaigns, but they should supplement informed strategy, not replace it.
- Measuring what matters: Clicks, impressions, and internal platform scores look good on reports, but they don’t always correlate with meaningful business outcomes. Focus on profit, ROI, and metrics that reflect the client’s real priorities.
Building a better approach
This isn’t about dismissing Google’s products – they are powerful and can drive performance when used intelligently. The key is context. Tools need to be guided by insight, not applied blindly. For high-inventory businesses, this might mean segmenting campaigns by product type, margin, or geographic region rather than relying solely on automated optimisation. For lead generation, it could involve prioritising high-value leads rather than chasing volume.
Automation should be viewed as a supporting tool, not a shortcut. With the right structure, it can save time and improve efficiency – but it cannot replace a deep understanding of the business or the strategic oversight required to scale effectively.
Final thoughts
Google will continue to roll out new features and products. That’s inevitable. But no amount of automation can substitute for human insight and guidance. The value comes from the teams who understand the client, interpret the data, and make informed decisions that align with real business objectives.
To summarise: Google can sell the tools, but marketers are the ones responsible for delivering results. And until platforms start prioritising business outcomes over product adoption, that responsibility isn’t going anywhere.
