How to Choose a PPC Agency: 10 Questions to Ask Before Signing
Hiring a PPC agency? These 10 questions reveal whether an agency will actually deliver results or waste your budget. Includes red flags, pricing models, and what good reporting looks like.
Why Most Businesses Struggle to Choose the Right Agency
The PPC agency market is crowded. There are over 50,000 agencies claiming Google Ads expertise, but quality varies enormously. A good agency multiplies your ROI. A bad one burns through your budget with zero accountability.
The difference comes down to asking the right questions before you sign.
10 Questions to Ask Every PPC Agency
1. "What is your typical client retention rate?"
Good answer: 80%+ retention over 12 months Red flag: They don't track it, or it's below 60%
High retention means clients are getting results. If an agency loses most clients within 6 months, something is wrong.
2. "Can I see a case study from a business similar to mine?"
Good answer: Specific case study with real numbers (CPA before/after, ROAS improvement, conversion growth) Red flag: Generic testimonials without metrics, or "we can't share due to NDAs" for everything
Every good agency has at least 2-3 case studies they can share. If they can't show results, they don't have results.
3. "Who will actually manage my account day-to-day?"
Good answer: A named account manager with 2+ years of Google Ads experience, managing 5-10 accounts Red flag: "Our team" (no specific person), or a junior managing 30+ accounts
You're hiring a person, not just a company. If your account manager handles too many accounts, yours gets neglected.
4. "How often do you optimize campaigns?"
Good answer: Weekly bid adjustments, bi-weekly creative testing, monthly strategy reviews Red flag: "We set it and forget it" or "monthly check-ins only"
Google Ads requires active management. Monthly-only adjustments miss anomalies and optimization opportunities.
5. "What reporting do you provide and how often?"
Good answer: Weekly automated reports + monthly strategy call with actionable insights Red flag: Monthly PDF with vanity metrics (impressions, clicks) but no CPA, ROAS, or conversion data
What good reporting includes:
- CPA and ROAS trends (not just current numbers)
- Budget pacing vs. targets
- Search term analysis and negative keyword additions
- Conversion tracking health status
- Next month's plan and tests
6. "Do I own my Google Ads account?"
Good answer: "Yes, you own the account and all data. We manage it under your MCC or in your own account." Red flag: "We manage it in our MCC and you don't get direct access."
If you leave, you should take your account, conversion data, and campaign history with you. An agency that holds your account hostage is a serious red flag.
7. "How do you handle budget anomalies and tracking issues?"
Good answer: "We monitor daily and have alerts for CPA spikes, tracking breaks, and budget overspend." Red flag: "We check during our weekly optimization session."
A tracking issue on Friday afternoon that goes undetected until Monday's weekly check means 3 days of wasted budget. Good agencies have real-time or daily monitoring.
8. "What's your pricing model?"
| Pricing Model | Typical Range | Pros | Cons | |--------------|--------------|------|------| | % of ad spend | 10-20% | Aligned incentive to grow | Can incentivize overspending | | Flat monthly fee | $1,000-$5,000 | Predictable cost | Not performance-aligned | | Performance-based | Varies | Results-aligned | Can lead to short-term tactics | | Hybrid (flat + %) | $500 base + 10% | Balanced | More complex |
Most common for SMBs: 15-20% of ad spend with a $1,000-$2,000 minimum Most common for enterprise: Flat fee $3,000-$10,000/month
9. "What happens in the first 30 days?"
Good answer: Structured onboarding: account audit → tracking verification → strategy development → campaign launch/optimization → first report at day 30 Red flag: "We'll start running ads immediately"
The first 30 days should be heavily focused on audit and setup. Agencies that skip this step waste money from day one.
10. "What tools do you use for monitoring and reporting?"
Good answer: Named tools for reporting (Looker Studio, AgencyAnalytics), monitoring (automated alerts), and bid management Red flag: "Just the Google Ads dashboard"
Professional agencies use specialized tools because the Google Ads dashboard alone is insufficient for proactive management.
5 Red Flags That Should Disqualify an Agency
1. Guaranteed results — "We guarantee 5x ROAS." No legitimate agency guarantees specific results. 2. Long-term contracts with no exit clause — Good agencies don't need to lock you in. 3. No direct account access — You should always have read access to your own ad account. 4. They don't ask about your business — If they pitch a solution before understanding your goals, margins, and customers, they're selling a template. 5. No mention of conversion tracking — If tracking isn't the first thing they audit, they don't know what they're doing.
What to Do After Hiring an Agency
Monitor Their Work
Trust but verify. Even with a great agency, you should:- Review weekly reports (5 minutes)
- Check that conversion tracking is active (monthly)
- Compare actual results to promised benchmarks (quarterly)