Google PPC Consultants vs. In-house Teams: Choosing the Right Approach

Some businesses hire Google PPC consultants and some build in-house teams of Google Ads experts. These are the two main options you have to managing your Google PPC campaigns.

Both options have their pros and cons and considerations which you should investigate before taking the plunge. And choosing the right one depends on your specific business needs, budgets, and resources.

In this article, I’ll be exploring the key factors to consider when deciding between Google PPC consultants and in-house teams.

1. Expertise and Experience

Google PPC consultants are experts in setting up and managing campaigns in Google Ads. So, they bring a lot of experience and knowledge to your campaigns, having worked with many industries. And they stay updated with the latest PPC trends, best practices and algorithm changes.

However, if you prefer to manage your campaigns in-house, this will require building a team of knowledgeable experts, which will take time, effort and resources to train and develop the necessary skills, and it’s not always guaranteed to work.

So, you’ll need to consider your budget and the level of expertise required to manage your  campaigns, when evaluating these options.

2. Cost Considerations

To choose the right approach between Google PPC consultants and an in-house team, you must find out what each will cost. As cost is a big factor in decision making, hiring a Google Ads consultant typically involves paying a fee for such services as campaign setup and management.

And this can be as a fixed fee, or a percentage of your ad spend. So, you can easily control how much you pay, and it avoids additional expenses such as employee benefits and training costs.

The average hourly cost to hire a Google PPC consultant is £86 per hour. And it depends on their expertise and experience.

Building an in-house team of experts can be very expensive and is usually suited for large businesses with high budgets. The expenses include salaries, benefits, training, and ongoing professional development. So, you need to do a thorough assessment of your budget and goals before deciding.

3. Scalability and Flexibility

Consider how scalable your campaigns are. This means is there potential for large growth and can a Google Ads expert help you in your plans and how flexible are they.

If you require specialised skills because of the challenges in your industry including competition, then you should consider hiring a Google Ads consultant. They’ll offer flexibility meaning they will be engaged on-demand as needed and provide targeted expertise for your unique requirements.

However, an in-house team will be better for you if you have consistent PPC needs or prefer internal management and control. So, this provides greater control and immediate access to resources.

4. Time and Resource Allocation

Working with Google PPC consultants generally means you’ll allocate lower resources compared to having your own in-house team of Google Ads experts. These resources include money and time and choosing the right one for you will help you to maximise the resources you have.

Building an in-house team will require a lot of recruitment, training and ongoing management time and financial resources. It will take months to hire the right team and onboard them and additional resources will be required to develop their skills. And this is applicable whether you want to employ one Google Ads consultant or a few.

On the other hand, hiring a Google Ads consultant allows you to save time and immediately benefit from their expertise. They bring specialised knowledge without the need for extensive training or onboarding processes.

5. Focus and Strengths

You need to consider the areas of focus and strengths of your business when deciding which Google advertising approach to take. If PPC is not a strength for your business and you’re unlikely to build a strong team of experts, then consider hiring a Google Ads specialist or agency to manage this for you.

This allows you to leverage external expertise while you focus on your strengths and business activities. And it ensures that your ads are managed by a competent person or team that specialise in PPC strategies, optimisation, and monitoring.

However, if PPC is central to your business and you have the necessary resources to manage it, then building an in-house team can provide more control over your campaigns.

6. Accountability and Performance

Whether you choose to work with Google PPC consultants or an in-house team, you should hold them accountable for campaign performance. Consultants generally have specific targets and KPIs that they work towards and this is outlined in the agreement or contract, and this provides clear accountability.

With your in-house team, you’ll have direct supervision and control over campaign performance, and this will allow you to align with your business objectives.

So, consider the level of oversight and control that you desire when deciding on Google PPC consultants vs in-house teams.

Conclusion

To choose between working with Google PPC consultants or in-house teams, you’ll need to carefully evaluate this based on the factors discussed above. And the right choice will help you effectively manage your Google PPC campaigns and drive the desired results for your business.

My name is Mike Ncube and I’m a Google Ads consultant and would be happy to discuss your PPC campaigns. Contact me today to discuss your requirements.