PPC

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a PPC Agency

25 April 2026 9 min read

Hiring a PPC agency is a significant investment, and the wrong choice can cost you far more in wasted ad spend than you'd save in management fees. The best way to separate excellent agencies from mediocre ones is to ask the right questions. Here are 18 essential questions organised by category, with what the ideal answer looks like for each.

Transparency and Access

1. Who owns the Google Ads account?

Ideal answer: "You do. We'll work within your account or set one up in your name." Any agency that insists on running campaigns in their own account is holding your data hostage. You should have full admin access at all times.

2. Can I see the account anytime I want?

Ideal answer: "Yes, you'll have full admin access and can log in whenever you like." Transparency isn't optional — it's the minimum standard.

3. Will I know exactly how much is going on ad spend vs management fees?

Ideal answer: Clear separation of ad spend and management fees with no blended billing. You need to know where every pound goes.

4. Do you take commissions or rebates from Google or third-party tools?

Ideal answer: "No." Some agencies receive incentive payments from Google for hitting spend thresholds. This creates a conflict of interest. Ask directly and expect honesty.

Strategy and Expertise

5. What's your approach to account structure?

Ideal answer: A thoughtful explanation of how they structure campaigns based on business goals, product categories, and the customer journey — not a one-size-fits-all template. In 2026, this should include their approach to Performance Max, Search, and how they segment branded vs non-branded traffic.

6. How do you approach keyword research and expansion?

Ideal answer: Ongoing keyword discovery using search terms reports, competitor analysis, and tools like Google Keyword Planner. Not just a one-time setup that never evolves.

7. What bid strategies do you typically use, and why?

Ideal answer: A nuanced answer that depends on the scenario. They should mention starting with manual CPC or maximise clicks for data gathering, then transitioning to target CPA or target ROAS once conversion data is sufficient. Blanket answers like "we always use maximise conversions" suggest a lack of strategic thinking.

Pro Tip: Pay attention to whether the agency asks you questions during the sales process. The best agencies spend more time understanding your business than pitching their services. If they're talking 80% of the time, they're selling — not strategising.

8. How do you handle competitor activity and market changes?

Ideal answer: Regular auction insights monitoring, competitive ad copy analysis, and proactive adjustments to bidding and messaging when the competitive landscape shifts.

Reporting and Communication

9. What does your reporting look like?

Ideal answer: Regular reports (at least monthly) that go beyond raw metrics to include insights, trends, and actionable recommendations. Ask to see a sample report. Good reports tell a story — they explain what happened, why, and what the agency plans to do next.

10. How often will we have strategy calls?

Ideal answer: Monthly at minimum, fortnightly for larger accounts. These should be structured calls with an agenda, not casual check-ins. At Spires Digital, our process includes regular strategy sessions tailored to account size and complexity.

11. Who will be my main point of contact?

Ideal answer: A named individual who actually works on your account — not a separate account manager who relays messages. You should be able to speak to the person making changes to your campaigns.

12. What's your response time for urgent requests?

Ideal answer: Same business day for urgent matters. Non-urgent requests within 24–48 hours. Ask them to define what qualifies as "urgent."

Contracts and Pricing

13. What's your minimum contract length?

Ideal answer: 3 months initial term, then rolling monthly. Any agency requiring 6–12 month minimums is relying on contracts rather than results to retain clients. We cover pricing models in depth in our Google Ads management cost guide.

14. What's included in your management fee?

Ideal answer: A comprehensive list covering strategy, keyword research, ad creation, bid management, reporting, and regular calls. No surprises or add-on charges for essentials.

15. How do you align your fees with our success?

Ideal answer: Agencies using growth partnership models — such as a base fee plus a percentage of profitable revenue — have the strongest incentive alignment. The Spires Digital model of £1,200/month + 5% of profitable revenue ensures both parties benefit from growth.

Performance and Accountability

16. What KPIs will you report against?

Ideal answer: KPIs aligned with your business goals, not just platform metrics. Revenue, profit, ROAS, CPA, and lead quality should take precedence over clicks, impressions, and CTR. The best agencies agree on KPIs during onboarding and report against them consistently.

17. What happens if performance drops significantly?

Ideal answer: A structured diagnostic process: identify the cause (market change, competitor activity, technical issue, landing page change), develop hypotheses, test solutions, and communicate throughout. Run from agencies that get defensive or blame external factors without investigation.

18. Can you share references from current clients?

Ideal answer: "Absolutely." Confident agencies are happy to connect you with existing clients. If they refuse or provide only written testimonials, question why no client wants to speak directly.

Bonus Questions for Specialist Scenarios

E-commerce: "How do you optimise product feeds for Shopping and Performance Max campaigns?"
Lead generation: "How do you track and optimise for lead quality, not just volume?"
International: "Do you have experience managing multi-market campaigns with different languages and bidding landscapes?"
Low budgets: "What's the minimum ad spend you recommend, and how do you prioritise with limited budget?" Check our guide on whether Google Ads is worth it for small businesses.

How to Use These Questions

Don't fire all 18 questions like an interrogation. Weave them naturally into your discovery calls. The best insights come from follow-up questions when an answer feels vague or rehearsed. And pay attention to the questions they ask you — that reveals their strategic thinking more than any sales pitch.

Ready to experience an agency that welcomes tough questions? At Spires Digital, we're transparent about our pricing, process, and performance. Schedule a call via Calendly and ask us anything — we've got nothing to hide.

What's the most important question to ask a PPC agency?

"Who owns the Google Ads account?" If the answer is anything other than "you do," walk away. Account ownership gives you access to historical data, audience lists, and conversion tracking — all critical assets that belong to your business.

How many clients should my account manager handle?

For active campaign management, a skilled PPC manager can effectively handle 8–15 accounts depending on complexity. If your account manager is juggling 25+ clients, they're likely doing reactive management rather than proactive optimisation. Ask about workload directly.

Should I be worried if an agency doesn't have Google Partner status?

Google Partner status indicates the agency has passed Google's certification exams and meets spend thresholds. It's a baseline credential, not a guarantee of quality. Some excellent agencies choose not to maintain Partner status because they disagree with Google's push toward automated features. Focus on results and references rather than badges.

What contract length should I accept?

A 3-month initial term is reasonable — it gives the agency time to audit, restructure, and show initial results. After that, insist on rolling monthly contracts. Any agency that demands 12-month lock-ins is prioritising their revenue security over your satisfaction.