Understanding PPC Management Fees: A Comprehensive Guide for Advertisers

Understanding PPC management fees is crucial if you want to maximise the ROI of your campaigns. There are many factors to consider of course, including your budget, the pricing models, expertise of the PPC expert and more.

Managing PPC campaigns requires expertise, time and money, so it’s important to hire a PPC specialist that has the skills, experience and ability to help you.

In this guide, I’ll be talking about 10 factors to consider as you look to find out what PPC management fees to expect. And when you contact a PPC expert you’ll be more equipped.

 

1. What are PPC management fees?

PPC management fees are the charges that a PPC manager sets for overseeing and optimising your campaigns. These fees cover such work as ad creation, keyword research, bid management, performance tracking and so on.

The cost to carry out this work will depend on a few factors and I’ll be discussing that here in this guide.

This will help you to hire the best Google PPC specialist for your business and spend the correct amount to get the work done.

 

2. Factors influencing PPC management fees

There are several factors that influence the PPC management fees you’ll pay. This depends on factors such as the size of your budget, the competitiveness of your industry, the experience of the PPC specialist and more.

So, you’ll need to evaluate these to determine how much you’ll pay. And considering these factors can help you understand the pricing structure and align it with your business goals and budget.

 

3. Common pricing models

There are several PPC pricing models, but I’ll mention a few leading ones here, so you know what PPC management fees you’re likely to pay.

a. Flat fee

This is one of the most common pricing models, and it charges a fixed monthly fee for management, irrespective of what you’re spending or current performance. This works well if you have a small account and budget, and means you’ll know what you will pay each month.

There are several factors that determine what you will pay, however PPC management fees start from £300 per month plus VAT. This is usually for small accounts and can be over £1500 for large accounts with multiple campaigns.

b. Percentage of ad spend

In this pricing model, the PPC management fees are a percentage of your ad spend in Google Ads. This is a popular model because it encourages the PPC expert to optimise your ad spend which you can increase as performance improves.

The rate is usually 10% – 25% and can be lower or higher depending on how much you are spending or intend to spend.

So, if you have a monthly budget of £5,000 per month for example, you can expect to pay between £500 to £1,250 per month for the Google Ads management services.

c. Performance-based

With a performance model the pricing structure is based on how your PPC expert performs. So, you will compensate them for the results that they produce like conversions, sales, leads and so on.

And this ensures that the PPC expert or agency has a vested interest in driving successful results for your campaigns.

 

4. Evaluating the ROI of PPC management fees

You should look beyond the cost of your campaigns and consider the increased conversions, improved click through rates, lower cost per click and so on that you will achieve. So, you’ll focus on the ROI by working with an expert that will maximise this.

 

5. The value of expertise and experience

PPC management fees are greatly determined by expertise and experience. The most experienced experts usually charge the most for their services and that can start from £100 per hour.

On average UK PPC freelancers charge about £56 per hour, while PPC agencies charge £86 per hour on average. However, the most experienced freelancers and agencies will charge more than this.

Less experienced freelancers charge less for management, and you’ll normally find these on freelance sites like People Per Hour. Many freelancers on these sites charge about £30 per hour and will offer basic one-off management services.

It’s also important to ensure you hire someone who stays up to date with the latest PPC trends, performs extensive research, knows how to create great ads and has many strategies to maximise your ad performance.

 

6. Customised services and additional charges

Depending on your specific needs, PPC management fees can cover a range of services. These may be customised to your requirements and will include campaign set up and management, ad testing, campaign experiments, remarketing campaigns, competitor analysis and more and you could be charged more.

There may also be additional charges for customised services or when you need to create new campaigns in Google Ads. So, it’s important to discuss these at the beginning where possible, to avoid high costs.

 

7. Transparency and reporting

It’s important to hire a Google Ads consultant that is transparent regarding communication and reporting. You should know what to expect before hiring them for PPC management and what the charges and fees for this are.

A reputable expert will provide regular updates detailing how the campaigns are working with insights on how to improve things, based on the performance of the metrics you are tracking. And this accountability will enable you to gauge the effectiveness of your PPC investment.

But most times the reporting is included as part of the PPC management fees, and this will be either weekly or monthly or both.

 

8. Aligning PPC management fees with business goals

Before engaging a PPC specialist, it’s important to establish a clear understanding of your business goals and objectives. And you need to communicate these with the expert you’ll be working with to ensure there is a clear understanding of what you want to achieve and have some feedback about them.

This will enable the PPC expert to tailor their services to your requirements and propose a PPC management fee structure that aligns with your goals while maximising ROI.

 

9. Ongoing optimisation and adaptation

Your campaigns will need regular monitoring, adjustment, and optimisation to ensure they are performing at their best. So, you need to understand how the PPC management fees cover this and ensure they are relevant and effective.

PPC management is not a one-time activity but an ongoing process. That means there will always be costs involved in the management which you need to factor in as part of your budget.

 

10. Evaluating and choosing the right PPC management provider

When looking for a PPC manager, take the time to evaluate their expertise, experience, process, track record, case studies and reviews. And with a detailed breakdown of their fee structure, you will be able to see it all in the value they bring to your campaigns.

This means you’ll have to evaluate and choose the right PPC management provider that will help you achieve your goals.

And it’s important to remember that the lowest cost option may not always provide the best results. So, you should prioritise their expertise and alignment with your business objectives.

 

Conclusion

By understanding what’s included in PPC management fees, you’re likely to have less problems as you look for someone to manage your campaigns.

The ultimate goal is to partner with an expert who considers your business objectives and can deliver the best value for your business.

I’m a Google Ads expert and I work with many businesses to set up and manage effective campaigns. Contact me today to find out about my PPC management fees.