Your Google Ads cost has two separate parts. There's the money you pay Google for clicks, and there's the fee you pay someone to manage the account. Quotes get confusing when people mix the two, so separate them before comparing anything.
I've managed more than ₹20 crore in ad spend, and the questions below are the ones I'd want answered if I were the client.
The common pricing models
A flat monthly fee is the simplest. You know what you'll pay, and the manager has no reason to push your budget up. It works well for small and mid-sized accounts with a clear scope.
A percentage of ad spend is common at bigger budgets. It scales with the work, roughly. But it also rewards the manager when you spend more, whether or not that spend is profitable. If you go this way, agree a minimum and a cap.
Performance-based pricing, paid per lead or sale, sounds ideal. It only works when you both agree on what counts as a qualified lead and the tracking is solid. Otherwise you'll argue about numbers every month.
Many managers also charge a one-time setup fee for building the account, writing ads and installing conversion tracking. That's fair if the work is real.
What pushes the fee up
More campaigns, more locations and more products mean more work. So does complex tracking, such as calls, WhatsApp clicks and offline sales. If the manager is also writing landing pages or making video creative, expect that to be priced separately.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Is the account in my name, and will I keep it if we stop working together?
- Is my ad budget paid directly to Google from my own card?
- Who will actually manage the account day to day?
- How will you track leads, and how will you report them?
- What's the notice period?
Be wary if someone wants to pay Google for you and bill you a combined total. That makes it hard to see what's going to Google and what's going to them.
Cheap management can be expensive
A low fee often means the account gets set up once and rarely touched. Search terms go unchecked. Budget leaks to irrelevant clicks. In those cases, a better-managed account usually saves more than the difference in fees.
See how I run accounts on my Google Ads management page, or read digital marketing pricing in India for the wider picture.
Written by Aman Potlia.