What Questions Should I Ask a Google Ads Agency Before Hiring Them?
Learn the key questions to ask a Google Ads agency before hiring them, so you can choose a partner that aligns with your goals, budget, and expectations.
1. Experience and track record
Before entrusting your budget, find out how much real world experience they have.
• Ask:
- “How many clients like my business (size, industry, budget) have you managed?”
- “Can you share case studies or anonymized results (before/after metrics)?”
- “How long have you been running Google Ads campaigns?”
Look for agencies with relevant industry examples and clear, measurable outcomes (increased conversions, lower CPC, better ROAS), not just generic “experience.”
2. Strategy, structure, and communication
Understand how they plan to set up and manage your account.
• Ask:
- “How will you structure my campaigns and ad groups for my products/services/locations?”
- “What is your approach to keyword research, audience targeting, and bidding strategies?”
- “What tools or platforms do you use (e.g., reporting dashboards, tag management, analytics)?”
Also clarify communication:
• “How often will you report performance, and in what format?”
• “Will you assign a dedicated account manager?”
Agencies that can explain their structure clearly are more likely to manage your account intentionally, not randomly.
3. Budget, pricing, and transparency
Make sure you fully understand how they charge and how they handle your ad spend.
• Ask:
- “Do you charge a management fee, percentage of ad spend, or a hybrid model?”
- “What is your recommended starting budget and how will you scale over time?”
- “Will you have any auto spend rules or budget over run buffers I should know about?”
Check for transparency:
• “Can I see the live Google Ads account and access all data?”
• “Do you let clients keep control of billing and payment details?”
Avoid agencies that do not clearly separate management fees from media spend or refuse to grant you direct access.
4. Performance expectations and KPIs
Get realistic expectations on what they can achieve.
• Ask:
- “What are realistic KPIs for my business (CPC, CPA, ROAS, impressions)?”
- “How long do you expect the learning phase to last before we see stable results?”
- “What happens if targets are not being met?”
Good agencies should:
• Set data based expectations, not guarantees.
• Explain testing timelines, learning phases, and how they will optimize as data comes in.
5. Technical setup and tracking
Strong performance depends on solid tracking and technical foundations.
• Ask:
- “How do you set up and verify conversion tracking and value based bidding?”
- “Do you conduct a website audit for landing page quality and speed before launching?”
- “Will you make sure my Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager configurations match your tracking needs?”
An agency that talks about tracking accuracy, tag deployment, and landing page experience is more likely to deliver trustworthy numbers.
6. Policy compliance, risk, and control
You want protection from bad surprises like ad disapprovals or policy issues.
• Ask:
- “How do you stay compliant with Google Ads policies for my industry (e.g., finance, health, e commerce)?”
- “What happens if my account gets flagged or suspended?”
- “Do you keep your own version of my account (e.g., MCC copy) for backup?”
Also, ask about control:
• “Can I pause or stop any campaign at any time?”
• “What happens if I decide to take the account in house in the future?”
Agencies that are open about risks, backups, and handover are easier and safer to work with.
7. Ongoing optimization and collaboration
Your relationship should be collaborative and iterative, not one sided.
• Ask:
- “How often do you test new creatives, audiences, or bidding strategies?”
- “How do you incorporate feedback from us (internal team, sales, product changes)?”
- “Do you offer training or onboarding so our team understands the basics of our account?”
Look for a mix of automation, data driven testing, and open communication with your internal stakeholders.
Key takeaways
• Before hiring, ask about experience, strategy, budget/pricing, KPIs, tracking, policy compliance, and control.
• Choose an agency that is transparent, communicative, and aligned with your business goals and risk tolerance.
• Use their answers as a checklist to compare multiple agencies and make a confident, informed decision.
Tags
Google Ads agency questions, hire Google Ads agency, PPC agency vetting, Google Ads consultant questions, PPC agency selection, digital marketing agency questions, Google Ads outsourcing, PPC management
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