15 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Google Ads Agency

Hiring a Google Ads agency can feel like handing someone the keys to your marketing budget and hoping they drive carefully. For most business leaders, that leap of faith is exactly the problem. Budgets leak fast when an account runs on autopilot, and by the time the numbers look off you may already have burned through months of spend. So before you sign anything, the smartest move is to ask the right questions. The 15 below are built to separate a real Google Ads agency partner from a vendor who simply talks a good game.

Start With Proof, Not Promises

The first four questions are about substance behind the sales pitch.

Ask “Are you a certified Google Partner, and can I verify it?” The Google Partner program checks agencies on certifications, ad spend, and performance, and its Premier tier is reserved for the top agencies in each country. That said, a badge proves baseline competence, not that they will grow your revenue, so treat it as a starting filter and not a guarantee.

Next, “How much experience do you have in my specific industry?” A team that has run paid search for SaaS companies thinks very differently from one steeped in ecommerce. Follow that with “Can you share case studies or references from clients like me?”

Then the question people forget to ask: “Who exactly will work on my account, and how senior are they?” Plenty of agencies win you over with their best strategist and then quietly hand your account to a junior. You want to know the name and the level of the person actually pulling the levers.

Dig Into Strategy and Who Really Runs Your Account

Now you test how they think. Start with ownership, because it protects you later: “Will I own my Google Ads account and all its data if we part ways?” If the answer is anything other than a clear yes, walk away. Your account history is an asset you paid for.

Move on to “What is your approach to campaign structure and strategy?” You are listening for a logic tailored to your goals, not a template they paste across every client. Pair it with “How do you handle keyword research and negative keywords?” Negative keyword management is one of the highest impact levers in Google Ads management, and thin negative lists are a classic sign of a neglected account.

Finally, “How do you balance automation and manual control?” Automation is powerful, but Google’s Smart Bidding optimizes within campaigns, not across your whole business strategy. A good PPC agency uses automation as a tool and keeps a human hand on the wheel.

Make Them Get Specific About Metrics

This is where mediocre agencies get exposed. Ask “Which KPIs will you report on, and how do they tie back to revenue?” If the first slide of their report leads with impressions, clicks, and click through rate but never connects to money, you are looking at a vanity report.

Then get sharper: “How do you define success for a business like mine?” The right answer changes with your model. An ecommerce brand should hear about ROAS and cost per acquisition, while a lead generation business should hear about cost per lead, qualified lead volume, and customer acquisition cost. If a paid search agency uses the same yardstick for everyone, that is a red flag.

Close the section with “How often will I get reporting, and do I get live dashboard access?” Transparency should be the default. You should never have to chase your agency to find out how your own money is performing.

Pin Down Communication and the Human Behind the Dashboard

Great performance means little if you feel ignored. Ask “Who is my main point of contact, and how quickly do you respond?” You want a named person and a realistic expectation, not a shared inbox. Then “How often will we meet to review performance and plan next steps?” A monthly rhythm at minimum rather than letting your account drift on autopilot for weeks at a time, which is exactly how waste compounds.

Understand the Money and the Fine Print

Ask “How is your pricing structured, and what is included?” Agencies charge a flat retainer, a percentage of spend, or a model based on performance, and each shapes their incentives differently. A percentage of spend model, for example, can quietly reward bigger budgets rather than better results.

Then “What are the contract terms and exit conditions?” Long lock ins with painful exit clauses are a warning sign. A confident Google Ads consultant earns your loyalty month to month with results, not with a contract that traps you.

How This Looks in Practice

At Donutz Digital, we built our paid search offer around exactly these expectations: full account ownership for the client, reporting that starts with revenue and pipeline rather than vanity metrics, and a named strategist you can actually reach. If you are weighing up whether to hire a Google Ads agency, put these 15 questions to us too. We would rather earn the account by answering them well.

The right agency treats your budget like their own and turns it into a predictable source of customers. The wrong one treats it like a monthly invoice. These questions are how you tell them apart before the money starts moving.

FAQ

How much does a Google Ads agency cost per month?

Most agencies charge either a flat monthly retainer, a percentage of your ad spend, or a fee based on performance. For small and medium businesses, monthly management fees commonly range from a few hundred to a few thousand euros depending on account complexity and spend. Always confirm what is included so you can compare offers on equal terms.

Do I really need a Google Ads agency, or can I run campaigns internally?

If you have the time, the certified skills, and the tools to monitor search terms and bidding closely, running campaigns internally can work. In practice most teams lack the bandwidth, which is when waste creeps in. A good Google Ads agency pays for itself by cutting wasted spend and improving conversion quality.

How long before a Google Ads agency delivers results?

Expect a learning and optimization phase of roughly one to three months. Smart Bidding needs conversion data to stabilize, and structural improvements take time to compound. Be skeptical of anyone promising dramatic results in week one.

What is the difference between a Google Partner and a Premier Partner?

A Google Partner meets Google’s requirements for certifications, spend, and performance. A Premier Partner sits in the top tier by country and usually has deeper access to Google support. Both signal competence, but neither guarantees the agency is the right fit for your industry.

How do I know if my current Google Ads agency is underperforming?

Watch for reporting built on vanity metrics, thin negative keyword lists, long gaps in the account change history, and a rising cost per acquisition with no clear plan. If two or more of these show up, it is time to ask harder questions or shop around.