How do I verify an SEO agency's access to its clients' analytics accounts?
Ask the agency to show, on a screen share, the list of client accounts it can open, with its role in each, and compare that list with its client roster. Then ask who owns each account, because access held through a former employee or a personal login may not survive the sale.
An agency’s work lives inside its clients’ accounts: analytics, search consoles, ad dashboards and site admin panels. If the access is loose, the agency can’t do its work or prove its results. Ask for a table with each client, each account, the agency’s permission level and the email that holds it.
Insist on seeing it live rather than as a list. A screen share lets you check that the logins work and that the agency is an invited user, not signed in as the client. Look for accounts owned by the agency instead of the client, which can complicate things if the client leaves. Look for access tied to one employee’s personal email, which disappears when that person does.
Cross-check the roster against the accounts. A client with no working access is either not being served or being served blind. Ask how access is granted when a new client joins and how it is removed when one leaves; both reveal how careful the agency is. Write down any account the agency cannot open, and ask the seller to explain each gap in plain terms. Ask your lawyer what the client agreements say about data and access, and your accountant how unpaid client invoices appear in the books.
Key takeaways
- See the access list live on a screen share.
- Compare it with the client roster and look for gaps.
- Note any access tied to one person’s personal email.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
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