PPC agencies: your questions, answered.
Short, straight answers to what UK businesses ask before they hire a PPC or Google Ads agency. Each one links to How to choose a PPC agency in the UK, which covers everything in one place.
How much does a PPC agency cost in the UK?
Most UK small businesses pay a PPC agency £500 to £1,500 a month in management fees, on top of the ad spend that goes to Google. Very small local accounts can sit nearer £300 to £800. Scalepoint’s Google Ads management is £495 a month plus ad spend, month to month with 14 days’ notice.
Read the answer →Should I pay a PPC agency a flat fee or a percentage of ad spend?
For most UK small businesses a flat monthly fee is the clearest choice, because your costs stay predictable and the agency gains nothing from pushing spend up. Percentage of spend, usually 10 to 20 per cent, suits larger accounts if the agency caps it. Performance fees only work when tracking is airtight.
Read the answer →How much ad spend do I need to start PPC?
Most UK small businesses need at least £500 a month in ad spend for Google Ads to produce useful data, and £1,000 to £2,500 a month gives a fairer test of one service or area. Below that, the management fee can swallow most of the budget. Our minimum ad spend is £500 a month.
Read the answer →Is a Google Ads agency the same as a PPC agency?
Mostly, yes. PPC (pay per click) covers any advertising where you pay for clicks, and Google Ads is by far the biggest platform for it in the UK. A PPC agency usually also runs Microsoft Ads and sometimes Meta Ads, while a Google Ads agency may focus on Google alone.
Read the answer →What questions should I ask a PPC agency before signing?
Ask who owns the ad account, what the fee covers, how they will track calls and forms, who runs the account day to day, what the report shows, and how you leave. Clear, specific answers to those six questions tell you more than any case study or award badge.
Read the answer →What are the red flags when hiring a PPC agency?
The biggest red flags are an ad account in the agency’s name, guaranteed results, reports that only show clicks and impressions, long contracts with exit fees, and no clear answer on what the fee buys each month. Any one of these should make you slow down.
Read the answer →Who should own my Google Ads account, me or the agency?
You should. Your business should own the Google Ads account, the billing, Google Analytics and the conversion tracking from day one, and the agency should work in it through access you grant. If you leave, you keep every keyword, ad, search term and year of data.
Read the answer →How do I check if a PPC agency is a Google Partner?
Search for the agency in Google’s Partner directory at google.com/partners rather than trusting a badge on its website. The directory lists current Partners and Premier Partners. The badge shows the agency meets Google’s spend, performance and certification requirements, but it is not a judgement on how well it will run your account.
Read the answer →How long should I give a PPC agency to get results?
Give a new PPC agency about three months before you judge it. Ads can bring enquiries within days, but Google needs a few weeks of conversion data to bid well, and the agency needs time to cut wasted search terms and test ads. By month three, cost per enquiry should be trending down.
Read the answer →Should I sign a long contract with a PPC agency?
You should not need to. PPC results show within weeks, so a rolling monthly agreement with a short notice period is fair to both sides. A 12-month minimum term mainly protects the agency from losing a client who is not happy. Scalepoint works month to month with 14 days’ notice and no exit fees.
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