Managing multiple Adwords accounts from one Google account

Question

I have a Gmail account linked to numerous Analytics accounts, and a couple of Adwords accounts - that is, I can track stats from a dozen or so sites, and have administration rights for a couple of Adwords campaigns.

However, a client has already set-up their Adwords account and has invited me help administer their campaign. However, when I try to accept, I get the folowing error:

The Google Account xxx already has access to an AdWords account (Customer ID: ). 

As many have discovered, for some reason Google won't let an account that already owns an Adwords campaign, to join another account.

However, I wondering if there is any workaround for this? Temporarily, I'm using a separate Gmail account for this, but what is the longer term solution.

Going forwards, sometimes clients will be happy from me to 'host' their campaigns (but providing them with access), but I'm equally sure that many will want to retain greater control. Surely there must be a better way than creating an additional Gmail account for each client?

How do web/SEO agencies handle this?

Answer 1

Use AdWords my client center account. It's designed specifically for agencies to manage multiple clients. Here's the FAQ on MCC accounts, and here's how to create them.

Answer 2

You just need to link the account to your MCC. Copy user ID of the account you wanna link to, on the top right corner. Go to my client centre, beside +create account there is grey button called link existing accounts. Open that tab, copy and pastes the user ID, and request for access.

Go back to the account you wanna link to, at the my account-account access to grant the request and you will be done!

Answer 3

You can not convert your current AdWords account to MCC account as they are not deleted, they are paused internally and the data remains forever. So you will have to create new MCC account as follows:

1. Create a new Gmail account for AdWords and then log out.
2. Log in to your original AdWords account and go to My Account ->Account Access.
3. Add newly created gmail account that you created in step 1 as an Admin.
4. Complete all the confirmation emails and confirmation alerts.
5. Log in to your newly created account and delete the primary AdWords user from the account.
6. Go to http://www.google.com/intl/en/adwords/myclientcenter/ and create a new MCC account. Your account is now MCC instead of Adwords.