What does a PPC agency's monthly fee cover?
When you hire a PPC agency, the monthly fee should cover far more than just "managing your ads." A reputable agency provides a full service that includes strategy, execution, optimisation, and reporting. Here is what to expect.
1. Account setup and structure
The foundation of any PPC campaign is a well-structured account. This includes:
- Campaign architecture: Organising campaigns by product, audience, or objective
- Ad group structure: Grouping keywords by theme so ad copy can be highly relevant
- Conversion tracking setup: Ensuring you can measure sign-ups, demo bookings, and purchases accurately
- Account settings: Location targeting, language, ad schedule, and budget allocation
A strong setup prevents wasted spend and makes ongoing optimisation far more effective.
2. Keyword research and strategy
Continuous keyword research is essential. An agency should:
- Identify buying-intent keywords that attract users ready to convert
- Find long-tail opportunities with lower competition and higher relevance
- Monitor the search terms report to find new keyword opportunities and add negative keywords
- Track competitor activity to identify gaps and opportunities
Keyword strategy is not a one-time task — it should evolve based on performance data and market changes.
3. Ad creation and copywriting
Writing effective ad copy is both art and science. An agency should:
- Write multiple ad variants for A/B testing
- Test different angles (benefit-led, feature-led, question-led, comparison)
- Include relevant keywords in headlines and descriptions
- Use ad extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets) to increase visibility and CTR
- Continuously refine ad copy based on performance data
4. Landing page optimisation
Driving traffic is only half the battle. Converting that traffic requires optimised landing pages. An agency should:
- Review landing page relevance — does the page match the ad's promise?
- Test page layout, headline, CTA, and form length
- Optimise page speed and mobile experience
- Implement A/B testing to continuously improve conversion rate
Some agencies include landing page design in their fee; others charge separately. Clarify this before signing.
5. Ongoing management and optimisation
Google's own guidance is useful here: its negative-keyword documentation explains that exclusions are designed to remove irrelevant searches, while the search terms report shows the actual queries that triggered ads. That is why optimisation should be based on observed intent and conversion quality, not simply cheaper clicks or a larger keyword list.
PPC is not set-and-forget. Ongoing management includes:
- Bid management: Adjusting bids based on performance, competition, and budget
- Budget allocation: Shifting spend from underperforming campaigns to high-performing ones
- Negative keyword management: Continuously adding irrelevant search terms as negatives
- Audience refinement: Adding or adjusting audience targeting based on performance
- Ad scheduling: Adjusting bids by time of day and day of week based on conversion data
- Device adjustments: Increasing or decreasing bids by device based on performance
This should happen weekly, not monthly. Ask how often the agency reviews and adjusts your campaigns.
6. Performance tracking and reporting
A reputable agency provides:
- Real-time dashboards showing spend, CTR, conversion rate, CPA, and ROAS
- Regular reports (weekly or monthly) with analysis and recommendations
- Transparent data — you should have full access to your Google Ads account and all data
- Clear explanations of what the metrics mean for your business
If an agency is reluctant to share raw data or provide dashboard access, that is a red flag. check how many of your pages Google has indexed
7. Competitor analysis
Understanding what your competitors are doing helps you stay ahead. An agency should:
- Monitor competitor ad copy and landing pages
- Track competitor keyword bidding and positioning
- Identify gaps in competitor strategies you can exploit
- Benchmark your performance against industry standards
8. Conversion rate optimisation (CRO)
Some agencies include CRO in their monthly fee. This covers:
- A/B testing of landing pages
- Heatmap and session recording analysis
- Form optimisation
- Funnel analysis to identify where users drop off
CRO is one of the highest-ROI activities an agency can perform, because improving conversion rate compounds across all your traffic.
9. Strategic consultation
Beyond execution, an agency should provide strategic guidance:
- Budget planning: How much to spend and where to allocate it
- Channel strategy: Which platforms to use (Google, Bing, LinkedIn, etc.)
- Funnel strategy: How to move users from awareness to conversion
- Goal setting: What CPA and ROAS targets make sense for your business
Regular strategy sessions (monthly or quarterly) ensure the PPC strategy aligns with your broader business goals.
10. Access to tools and technology
Agencies typically have access to premium tools that would be expensive to license individually:
- Keyword research tools (Ahrefs, Semrush)
- Competitor analysis tools (SimilarWeb, SpyFu)
- Landing page testing tools (Unbounce, Optimizely)
- Analytics platforms (Google Analytics 4, Looker)
- AI-powered optimisation platforms
Access to these tools is included in your fee and enhances the quality of management. build a content cluster
Pricing models: what should you expect to pay?
| Model | Typical cost | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of spend | 10-20% of ad spend | Larger budgets where the percentage is manageable |
| Flat fee | £300-£1,500+/month | Most SaaS businesses; predictable and no conflict of interest |
| Performance-based | Base fee + bonus per conversion | When you have clear conversion data and want alignment on outcomes |
For SaaS founders, flat-fee pricing is usually the best model because:
- It is predictable and fits into your unit economics
- It removes the conflict of interest where an agency earns more by pushing you to spend more
- It aligns the agency's incentive with your outcomes, not your spend
Red flags when evaluating a PPC agency
- Guaranteed results. No reputable agency guarantees specific ROI or conversion numbers.
- Vague reporting. If they cannot show you exactly where your money goes, walk away.
- Percentage-of-spend with no cap. This incentivises higher spending regardless of results.
- Junior account managers. Ask who will actually manage your account and what their experience level is.
- No access to your ad account. You should always own and have full access to your Google Ads account.
- No clear onboarding process. A good agency has a structured onboarding process; a bad one wings it. commercial intent audit
Making the most of your agency relationship
To get the most value from your PPC agency:
- Set clear goals from the start — what does success look like?
- Provide access to your analytics, CRM, and any other data sources they need
- Communicate regularly — schedule biweekly check-ins
- Be open to testing — let the agency experiment with new approaches
- Hold them accountable — review performance against agreed KPIs
Looking for transparent, flat-fee PPC management? Book a free session with a 27-year search specialist. We also offer SEO Content Strategy to help your site earn more organic traffic, and a powerful ROI Calculator to project your growth. Learn how to improve PPC Click-Through Rate by refining your ad copy, or read more about our Google Ads Management services.