Twelve questions to ask before hiring a PPC agency

Hiring a PPC agency is a big decision for a service business. You are handing over part of your budget, and often your main source of new work. Most agencies sound convincing on a first call, so the useful thing is to ask questions that reveal how they actually operate.

Here are twelve, with what a good answer looks like.

Ownership and access

1. Who will own the ad accounts?

Good answer: You do. The agency works in accounts created under your business, with access you can remove.
Warning sign: The agency runs ads from its own account and keeps the history if you leave.

2. Who will own the landing pages and tracking?

Good answer: You own the pages, domains, analytics and tag manager, or they can be transferred easily.

3. Can I see everything in the account at any time?

Good answer: Yes, with your own login.

Measurement

4. What will you measure success by?

Good answer: Qualified leads, booked jobs, and cost per customer.
Warning sign: Only clicks, impressions, click-through rate or "reach".

5. How will you track phone calls?

Good answer: A clear plan for call tracking, because most service leads call.

6. Will you send lead outcomes back to Google and Meta?

Good answer: Yes, using offline conversion tracking, and they explain what they need from you.

How they work

7. Who will actually manage my account?

Good answer: A named person with relevant experience, and you can speak to them.
Warning sign: A senior person sells, and a junior team you never meet runs the account.

8. What happens in the first 30 days?

Good answer: A specific plan: audit, tracking fixes, campaign structure, landing page review, and first optimizations.

9. How often will we talk, and what will reports show?

Good answer: A regular call and a short report in plain language, showing spend, leads, qualified leads, jobs and what they are changing next.

10. What will you need from me?

Good answer: Lead outcomes, access, photos and videos, and quick answers on offers and capacity. An agency that needs nothing from you cannot optimize for your real results.

Money and contracts

11. How are you paid?

Common models are a flat monthly fee, a percentage of ad spend, or a fee per lead. Each has trade-offs. A percentage of spend can reward spending more rather than spending well. Pay-per-lead can reward volume over quality. Make sure you understand the incentive.

12. What is the contract length and notice period?

Good answer: A short initial term or month-to-month after an agreed setup period, with a clear notice period and a handover process.

Where to start

Use these questions on your next agency call, including with us. For background before those calls, read Google Ads for service businesses and how much Google Ads costs.

Our answers to all twelve are on our PPC management page. If you would like to ask them in person, book a free audit.

Questions owners ask

How much does a PPC agency cost?

It varies widely by market and scope. Compare what is included, such as landing pages, tracking and creative, not just the monthly fee.

Should I hire a specialist in my industry?

Industry experience helps, especially with seasonality and lead qualification. More important is that they track real outcomes and explain their decisions clearly.

How soon should I expect results?

Tracking and setup often take the first few weeks. Most accounts need two to three months of data before you can judge the agency fairly.

What should I look for in a PPC agency for contractors?

An agency that builds your campaigns in an ad account you own, tracks calls as well as forms, reports on booked jobs when you share the data, explains each month what it changed and why, and does not lock you into a long contract before it has shown results. Industry experience helps, but clear measurement matters more.