12 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Google Ads Agency

Picking someone to run your advertising is genuinely hard, and it's hard for a reason: you're being asked to judge work you can't see, in an industry that's quite happy to sound more complicated than it is. I've been on both sides of these conversations for years, so here are the questions that cut through the flannel. I'd be delighted if you asked me every one of them.

Start with the money

What exactly am I paying you, and what's going to Google? You should always know the split between the fee you're paying the agency and the actual ad spend going to Google or Facebook. If those two are mushed into one number, you can't tell whether your budget's buying advertising or buying the agency a nice lunch.

Is the ad account in my name? This is the big one, so don't skip it. If they build everything under their own account, you walk away with nothing when you leave — no history, no data, none of the learning you paid months for. Insist it belongs to you and that you've got admin access from day one. Any hesitation here is a red flag the size of a house.

How long's the contract, and how do I get out? Twelve-month lock-ins are common and they're rarely in your favour. Ask what happens at month three if it's not working. Good agencies are relaxed about this because they expect to earn the renewal rather than trap you into it.

Then the actual work

What won't you bid on, and why? I love this question because it exposes people instantly. Anyone who's thought properly about your business will have a list of searches they're deliberately steering clear of. A blank stare means the plan is to point Google at your trade and cross their fingers.

How will you know it's failing, and what would you change first? You want a specific answer, not "we optimise continuously," which means nothing.

Who's actually doing the work? The person charming you in the meeting often isn't the one running the account. Ask who it'll be, how many other accounts they're juggling, and whether any of it's being quietly outsourced.

Have you worked with businesses like mine? Not "have you worked with big brands" — trades advertising is its own beast. Ask what they learned and what caught them out.

Then the results

What will you report, and how often? The answer needs to include booked jobs, not just clicks and impressions. If the reporting stops at "impressions up 40%", you'll never actually know if it worked. I go into this properly in why cheap leads are usually expensive.

How are we tracking phone calls? Most trades enquiries are calls, not form fills. If nobody's tracking the calls, nobody knows what's working, and you're flying blind. There should be a clear, confident answer here.

What do you need from me? Honest agencies will tell you the campaign leans on things they don't control — how fast you answer the phone, how quickly you quote, whether your Google listing's any good. Anyone who claims to need nothing from you is overpromising, plain and simple.

The two I care about most

What would make you tell me not to advertise? Advertising doesn't suit every business at every moment. If your margins are wafer-thin, or you're already flat out, or your close rate's on the floor, more enquiries won't fix a thing. Anyone who can't name a single situation where they'd turn work away is going to take yours regardless of whether it helps you.

What's a realistic result in the first ninety days? Be wary of confident, specific promises — nobody can guarantee a number before they've seen your data. What you want is a range, the thinking behind it, and a straight answer on what happens if it comes in at the bottom end.

Answers that should make you nervous

"We guarantee first place on Google" — nobody can, paid position depends on your bid and your quality score. "We've got a special relationship with Google" — partner badges are real, preferential treatment isn't. "You don't need to worry about the technical side" — fine if it means they'll handle it, not fine if it means they won't explain it. And any pressure to sign today: discounts that vanish at the end of the call exist for the seller's benefit, never yours.

A bit of homework first

Two things make every one of these conversations sharper. Know what a customer's worth to you — here's how — and get your Google Business Profile in decent shape. Both are free, and both change what a fair price actually looks like.

When you're ready, book a free half-hour with us and ask us all twelve. We won't flinch.