Key takeaways
- It's time when you're spending money without knowing what it brings in, or don't have time to manage it.
- A good agency tracks calls and jobs, not just clicks.
- You should always own your ad account.
- Ask exactly what they'll do each month.
Google Ads can bring in leads fast, but it's easy to waste money. Here's how to know when it's time to bring in help.
1. Signs it's time
- You're spending money but don't know your cost per lead.
- Leads are low quality or the wrong services.
- You don't have time to check and adjust campaigns.
- You want Local Service Ads but haven't set them up.
- You're ready to grow but afraid of wasting budget.
2. What a good agency does
- Sets up tracking for calls and forms.
- Targets your best services and towns.
- Builds landing pages that match the ads.
- Adjusts keywords, budgets and bids regularly.
- Reports on leads, cost per lead and booked jobs.
3. Questions to ask
- Will I own the ad account?
- How do you track calls and leads?
- What's your management fee, and is ad spend separate?
- What will my monthly report show?
- Do you work with my competitors?
4. Red flags
Be careful if an agency
- Won't give you access to your ad account.
- Reports clicks but not leads.
- Can't explain where your budget goes.
- Locks you into a long contract before showing results.
Related: Google Ads management cost and our Google Ads services.
