Google Ads can bring in leads fast. But it can also burn through your budget in a week if nobody’s watching. The difference between the two usually comes down to whether the campaigns are being managed properly.
If you’re a small business owner trying to decide whether to manage Google Ads yourself or hire someone, this guide covers what’s actually involved, what to look for, and how to avoid wasting money.
Already know you want help with Google Ads? Check our Google Ads management service or view pricing.
What Google Ads management actually involves
“Managing Google Ads” sounds simple. It’s not. Here’s what a properly managed campaign involves:
The setup work
Before a single ad runs, these things need to be done right:
- Researching the search terms your customers actually use, not just the ones you think they use. This includes negative keywords to stop your ads showing for irrelevant searches.
- Writing ad copy with headlines and descriptions that match what someone is searching for. Generic ads get ignored.
- Setting up conversion tracking so you know which clicks turn into phone calls, form submissions, or sales. Without this, you’re spending blind.
- Building landing pages that match what the ad promised. Sending everyone to your homepage wastes clicks.
Most business owners skip the negative keyword research and the landing page work. Those two things alone account for the majority of wasted ad spend we see when auditing new accounts.
The ongoing work
Setup is maybe 20% of the job. The other 80% is ongoing:
- Reviewing search term reports weekly to find and block irrelevant queries that waste budget
- Adjusting bids based on which keywords are converting and which aren’t
- Testing new ad copy against existing ads to improve click-through rates
- Pausing underperforming keywords and reallocating budget to what works
- Monitoring competitor activity and adjusting strategy accordingly
Google Ads is not set-and-forget. An account that was profitable last month can start losing money this month if nobody’s checking it.
Google changes its algorithm, competitors adjust their bids, and search behaviour shifts with the seasons. What worked in January might not work in June.
DIY vs professional management
Google makes it easy to set up an account. They’ll even help you create your first campaign. What they won’t tell you is that their default campaign settings are designed to maximise how much you spend, not how many leads you get.
| DIY | Professional management | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup cost | Free (your time) | Setup fee varies |
| Ongoing cost | Ad spend only | Ad spend + management fee |
| Time required | 2-5 hours/week minimum | Handled for you |
| Keyword research | Basic (Google’s suggestions) | In-depth competitor and market analysis |
| Wasted spend | High (learning curve) | Lower (experience reduces waste) |
| Conversion tracking | Often missing or wrong | Set up properly from day one |
| Negative keywords | Usually forgotten | Managed weekly |
| Reporting | You read the dashboard yourself | Regular reports explaining what’s working |
The real cost of DIY isn’t the management fee you save. It’s the money you waste while learning. Most business owners we talk to spent $2,000-$5,000 on Google Ads before hiring someone, with little to show for it.
The most common pattern: someone sets up a campaign using Google’s defaults, runs it for three months, sees lots of clicks but no leads, and assumes Google Ads doesn’t work for their business. It does work. It just needs to be set up and managed by someone who knows what they’re doing.
DIY makes sense if your budget is under $500/month, you have time to learn the platform properly, and you’re willing to check the account weekly. For most small businesses spending more than $1,000/month, professional management pays for itself through reduced waste and better targeting.
What happens when Google Ads is managed badly
We audit Google Ads accounts regularly. The same problems come up almost every time, and most of them are fixable within the first month:
No negative keywords
This is the number one waste. A business selling web design services has ads showing for “free website templates,” “web design course,” and “web design jobs.” Every one of those clicks costs money and will never convert. One account we audited was spending 40% of its budget on irrelevant searches.
Broad match everything
Google’s default keyword match type is broad match, which means your ad can show for anything Google considers related to your keyword. “Plumber Sydney” on broad match might show for “plumbing supplies wholesale” or “how to become a plumber.” Useful for discovery at small budgets, dangerous at scale without tight negative keyword management.
Most DIY accounts we audit have every keyword on broad match with no negative keywords. That combination is how you end up spending $3,000 a month and wondering why only 10% of your clicks are from people who actually want what you sell.
No conversion tracking
Without conversion tracking, you know how much you spent and how many clicks you got. You don’t know which keywords actually generated leads.
This means you can’t optimise. You’re just guessing which campaigns to keep and which to cut.
We regularly see accounts spending $2,000/month with conversion tracking either missing entirely or set up wrong. The business owner thinks Google Ads doesn’t work. The reality is they have no idea whether it’s working because nobody set up the measurement.
Sending traffic to the homepage
Someone searches “emergency plumber Sydney” and clicks your ad. They land on your homepage, which talks about your company history and lists 12 different services. They wanted emergency plumbing, not your life story.
A dedicated landing page for that search converts at 2-3x the rate of a generic homepage. The landing page should match the ad copy, address the specific service they searched for, and have one clear call to action. Not six links to other parts of your site.
These four issues alone can account for 50-70% of wasted ad spend. The good news is they are all fixable in a week by someone who knows what they are looking at. But if nobody is checking, they will drain your budget month after month.
What to look for in a Google Ads manager
Not all Google Ads managers are equal. Here’s what separates the good ones:
They start with your business, not your keywords
Before touching the ad account, a good manager will ask about your services, your margins, your target customer, and what a lead is worth to you. Check whether they hold a Google Ads certification, but don’t treat it as a guarantee of quality. The certification tests knowledge, not results. If they jump straight to keywords without understanding your business, they’re guessing.
They track what matters
Conversion tracking should be set up on day one. Phone calls, form submissions, and any other actions that count as a lead.
If a manager can’t tell you exactly which keywords are generating leads and at what cost, they are not managing the account properly. Ask for a cost-per-lead number.
They show you the real numbers
Monthly reports with real data: cost per lead, which campaigns are performing, what changes were made and why. Not just “impressions are up.” If impressions are up but leads are flat, that is not progress. A good report breaks down spend by campaign, shows which keywords converted, and explains what changes were made that month.
They manage negative keywords
This is the single biggest waste reducer in Google Ads. If your ad for “web design” is showing for “free web design templates,” you’re paying for clicks that will never convert. A good manager reviews the search terms report weekly and blocks the irrelevant ones.
They don’t lock you out
The Google Ads account should be yours. You should have full access at all times. If a manager won’t let you see the account, that’s a problem.
A good manager pays for themselves. If they charge $500/month but reduce your wasted spend by $800 and increase your leads by 30%, that’s a clear return.
Red flags when hiring
The Google Ads industry has its share of bad operators. Some are just inexperienced, others are actively taking advantage of business owners who don’t know what to look for. These are the warning signs:
- They guarantee specific results. “We’ll get you 50 leads in the first month” is a promise nobody can make. Results depend on your industry, location, budget, and competition.
- They want a long lock-in contract. Good managers don’t need to trap you. If the results are there, you’ll stay.
- They won’t share access to the ad account. You’re paying for the ads. You should own the account.
- They charge a percentage of ad spend, which creates an incentive to increase your budget whether it’s working or not. Flat-fee management aligns their interests with yours.
- They only talk about clicks and impressions. What matters is leads, cost per lead, and return on ad spend.
- They “manage” 200+ accounts. Google Ads takes real time. If one person handles hundreds of accounts, yours gets 15 minutes a week at best.
- They don’t include website copy or landing pages. If they send paid traffic to pages that don’t convert, the best campaign in the world won’t help.
The easiest test: ask how they’d measure success for your business. If the answer is “more clicks,” keep looking.
The answer should be about leads, cost per lead, and return on ad spend. Clicks mean nothing if they don’t turn into customers.
How much does Google Ads management cost?
There are two separate costs: the ad spend (what you pay Google for clicks) and the management fee (what you pay the person managing the campaigns).
Ad spend varies by industry and location. A plumber in a regional town might spend $500/month. A lawyer in Sydney might spend $5,000.
The right budget depends on your market and what a lead is worth to you. If a new customer is worth $2,000 to your business and you can get leads at $50 each, spending $1,000/month on ads to bring in 20 leads is a clear win.
Management fees vary, but most agencies use one of two pricing models. The one you choose affects whether your manager’s incentives are aligned with yours:
- A flat monthly fee where you pay the same regardless of ad spend. This is better because the manager has no incentive to inflate your budget. They earn the same whether you spend $500 or $5,000, so their focus is on making your existing budget work harder.
- A percentage of ad spend, usually 15-20%. The problem: the more you spend, the more they earn, whether those extra dollars are generating leads or not.
For specific pricing on our Google Ads management, check our pricing page.
Questions to ask before you sign
Before signing with any Google Ads manager, ask these questions. The way they answer tells you more about how they work than any sales pitch:
- Do I own the Google Ads account? This should be a simple yes.
- How do you report on results? You want cost per lead and return on spend, not just click counts.
- How often do you review the search terms report? Weekly is the minimum.
- What’s your management fee structure? Flat fee is better than percentage of spend.
- How many accounts do you manage? Under 30 per person is reasonable.
- What happens if the campaigns aren’t performing? A good manager adjusts strategy. A bad one blames your budget.
- Do you handle landing pages and conversion tracking? If not, you’ll need someone who does.
The answers tell you a lot. A manager who’s confident in their work will answer all of these without hesitation. If someone gets defensive about account ownership or vague about how they measure success, that tells you everything you need to know.
One more thing: ask if they will set up a dedicated landing page for your main campaigns. If they plan to send all paid traffic to your homepage, they are leaving conversions on the table from day one.
The biggest mistake we see is business owners spending thousands on ads with no conversion tracking. They know money is going out but have no idea which keywords are actually generating leads. A good manager fixes this on day one.
Ready to get your Google Ads managed properly?
We manage Google Ads for Australian small businesses. Flat monthly fee, no lock-in contracts, full access to your account, and monthly reporting that shows exactly what’s working.
If you’re currently running Google Ads and not sure whether it’s working, we can audit your account and tell you where the money is going. No obligation, just a straight answer.
Visit our Google Ads management page for details, check our pricing, or get in touch and we’ll give you an honest assessment of whether Google Ads is the right move for your business.
