Executive Summary
- • Guarantees incentivize agencies to bid on your own Brand Name keywords (which have high ROAS but add no value).
- • They often use "View-Through Attribution" to claim credit for sales that would have happened anyway.
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Action: Look for "Alignment," not Guarantees. Pay based on profit growth, not vanity ROAS.
A promise such as "3x ROAS or we work for free" sounds reassuring, but the definition, attribution window, exclusions, and remedy matter. Auction conditions and business performance cannot be controlled by the agency alone.
The "Brand Search" Trap
The easiest way to hit a fake ROAS target is to run ads targeting people who are already searching for your name.
If someone Googles "Nike Shoes," they are already going to buy. If an agency runs an ad there, they get a 20x ROAS. They show you the report, claim their fee, and you effectively paid double for a customer you already had. This is called Cannibalization.
The "View-Through" Attribution Trick
Agencies will often enable "1-Day View" attribution. This means if someone sees your ad, scrolls past, but buys 5 hours later from an email you sent, the Agency claims credit. They are taking credit for your email team's work.
The Solution: Demand "Click-Only" attribution reporting or use a third-party tool like TripleWhale to verify the truth.