Google Ads Agency Services: Scope, Deliverables & Costs

Google Ads agency services can look similar on paper, but what you actually get for your money can vary considerably.

One agency might manage your campaigns and send monthly reports. Another will also set up conversion tracking, produce ad creatives and improve landing pages. Both may advertise full-service management, even though the work included is clearly different.

But what happens when results fall short? That’s why you need to know what your agency is responsible for (and whether the work is paying off).

This guide breaks down the services and deliverables you should expect, how much they cost and what to check before signing an agreement.

What Google Ads Agency Services Should Your Proposal Include?

Google Ads agency services should include campaign strategy, account setup, keyword research, ongoing optimisation and performance reporting. Most agencies also review conversion tracking, while services such as creative production, Shopping feed management and landing page improvements may cost extra.

So before signing, ask what you'll actually receive for the monthly fee.

For example, an agency might promise a Google Ads audit. But will you get a report identifying wasted spend, tracking errors and campaigns that need attention? Will the agency make those changes, or simply recommend them?

The same applies to campaign management. You should know what the team checks regularly, which changes require your approval and how it reports the work completed.

Core Google Ads Services and Deliverables

Not every agency includes all these services in its standard fee.

A PPC management agency might identify a broken conversion tag but leave the repair to your developer. Another might manage Shopping campaigns while expecting your ecommerce team to maintain the product feed.

Neither arrangement is necessarily a problem, provided you know what you're paying for.

The proposal should identify who's responsible for each task, what's included in the fee and what happens when additional work is needed. Otherwise, it's easy to end up paying for services you assumed were already covered.

What Happens During Google Ads Agency Onboarding?

Google Ads agency onboarding involves reviewing your business goals, checking account access, auditing existing campaigns, setting up conversion tracking and preparing campaigns for launch.

Before spending begins, you should have an agreed campaign strategy, budget and clear responsibilities for any outstanding work.

Here's what the process should cover:

1. Establish Goals and Budget

The agency needs to understand what you're selling, how much you can afford to spend acquiring a customer and what makes a conversion valuable.

For ecommerce, that means looking at margins, order values and repeat purchases. For B2B, it means understanding which enquiries become qualified leads or actual customers.

You should come away with agreed performance targets and an initial budget plan.

2. Confirm Account and Billing Access

The agency checks access to Google Ads, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Tag Manager and Merchant Center, where applicable.

It should also establish who controls billing and whether your business has administrator access to its accounts. Any missing permissions need resolving before work begins.

Orange Trail also offers Google agency ad accounts for eligible advertisers needing account infrastructure. This is a separate service from campaign management.

3. Audit Existing Campaigns

For an established account, the agency reviews campaign history, search terms, conversion tracking, bidding strategies and where the budget is going.

The audit should identify problems worth fixing and campaigns worth keeping. There's no reason to rebuild a profitable campaign simply because a new agency has taken over.

Ask for a list of recommended changes, ranked by priority.

4. Agree on Strategy and Tracking

Next, the agency recommends which campaigns to run, how to distribute the budget and which conversions Google Ads should optimise for.

Tracking also needs to be checked before launch. Establish who's responsible for implementing any fixes, particularly if development work sits outside the agency's contract.

For UK advertisers, tracking must comply with applicable privacy requirements. The ICO's guidance on tracking technologies explains the relevant consent rules.

5. Build and Check Campaigns

The team creates or adjusts campaigns, writes ad copy, sets targeting and budgets, and checks that landing pages work.

Before launch, confirm that ads have been reviewed, conversion actions are recording correctly and campaign settings match the agreed plan.

6. Launch and Review Early Results

Once campaigns go live, the agency should monitor spending, ad approvals, conversion tracking and early search-term data.

Problems such as broken tracking or irrelevant traffic should be addressed promptly. Larger changes to bidding and campaign structure need enough reliable data to justify them.

Orange Trail typically prepares campaigns for launch within one to two weeks after onboarding, depending on account access, tracking and creative readiness. Its first four to six weeks focus on testing and optimisation.

That gives you an idea of its working timeline, but it isn't a promise of profitable results within that period.

What Should a Google Ads Audit and Ongoing Management Deliver?

A Google Ads audit should identify wasted ad spend, unreliable conversion data and problems holding campaigns back. Ongoing management should address those issues, test improvements and show whether the changes are generating more qualified leads or sales.

What Should a Google Ads Audit Cover?

A proper audit starts with the account's performance data. The agency should examine:

• Conversion tracking: Are leads and purchases recorded correctly, or are less valuable actions inflating the results?
• Search terms and targeting: Which searches attract potential customers, and which waste money on irrelevant traffic?
• Campaign structure and bidding: Are budgets, campaign objectives and bidding targets aligned with business goals?
• Ads and landing pages: Do the ads match what people are searching for, and do the landing pages deliver what the ads promise?
• Shopping feeds: Are incorrect product details, missing information or Merchant Center disapprovals affecting sales?
• Budget allocation: Which campaigns justify their spending, and which need closer attention?

Let’s say a B2B account reports 100 conversions a month, but 70 are newsletter sign-ups and only 30 are sales enquiries. If both count equally towards automated bidding, Google may optimize for the easier action rather than potential customers.

In that situation, the agency should review the conversion settings before recommending a larger budget.

The audit should leave you with a prioritised list of problems, recommended fixes and an explanation of how the results will be measured.

What Does Ongoing Google Ads Management Involve?

Once the audit is complete, the agency needs to act on its findings.

If irrelevant searches are wasting money, for example, it should exclude them and check whether the remaining traffic brings in better leads. Campaigns that are already performing well shouldn't be changed simply to show activity.

Speaking of change, it doesn’t need to happen on a whim. Broken tracking requires immediate attention, yes, but changing a bidding strategy or restructuring campaigns may require more data.

Google's Smart Bidding already adjusts bids using signals available at auction time. The agency's job is to make sure it's working towards the right objectives.

For example, generating cheaper leads means little if those leads never become customers. A capable PPC team should recognise that problem and, where possible, use qualified-lead or sales data from the CRM to improve campaign optimisation.

Orange Trail's Karma & Luck Google Ads case study provides a practical example.

The account relied heavily on branded searches, which meant much of the advertising targeted people already familiar with the business. Orange Trail expanded into Shopping and other campaign types, improved the product feed and developed campaigns to reach new customers.

The company reports that ROAS increased from 3.05x to 9.66x, while reported sales rose from $14,400 to $167,000 between the periods shown. Advertising spend also increased, so these figures should be considered in that context rather than treated as a typical outcome.

What matters here is the approach. Orange Trail identified a limitation in the existing strategy and changed how the account attracted customers.

Which Google Ads Campaign Types Should an Agency Manage?

A full-service Google Ads agency should be able to manage Search, Shopping, Performance Max, Demand Gen and video campaigns, along with App campaigns where relevant. Which ones you need depends on your business, who exactly you're trying to reach and how you measure conversions.

For example, a B2B company generating sales enquiries may get more value from Search campaigns than from broad video advertising. An ecommerce brand with hundreds of products may benefit from Shopping and Performance Max, provided its product feed and conversion tracking are reliable.

Here's what each campaign type is used for and what you should expect your agency to manage:

Performance Max deserves particular attention. It can serve ads across multiple Google channels, so your agency needs to explain how it manages asset groups, brand exclusions, search themes and product feeds.

It should also distinguish conversions credited to the campaign from additional sales the advertising actually generated. Those aren't necessarily the same thing.

For ecommerce advertisers, ask who handles Merchant Center problems. Incorrect prices, missing product information and disapprovals can restrict Shopping ads, regardless of how well the campaigns are configured.

Campaign formats are changing, too. Google began allowing eligible Display campaigns to migrate to Demand Gen in 2026. An agency managing existing Display campaigns should understand the changes and whether migration makes sense for your account.

Google explains the migration process here.

Are Conversion Tracking and Landing Page Optimization Included?

Most Google Ads agencies review conversion tracking and landing page performance, but fixing tracking issues, building pages and running A/B tests may cost extra. Check whether your management fee covers recommendations only or the actual implementation work.

Say your Google Ads campaigns are generating clicks, but enquiries have dropped. The agency discovers that a recent website update broke your contact form.

If your agreement covers campaign management but not website development, you'll probably need your own developer to fix it. The agency can identify the problem and check that conversions are being recorded again, but the repair may be outside its contract.

Here's what to clarify before signing:

• Tracking audit: Checking for missing tags, duplicate conversions and inaccurate reporting.
• Tracking setup: Configuring Google Ads conversions, GA4, Tag Manager and relevant integrations.
• Landing page review: Identifying problems with ad relevance, messaging, page usability and forms.
• Landing page development: Writing copy, designing pages and implementing changes.
• A/B testing: Testing different page versions to see which generates more conversions.
• CRM integration: Connecting qualified leads or completed sales to Google Ads where supported.

Landing page work matters because you're already paying to bring visitors to your website. A page that loads slowly, doesn't match the ad or makes enquiries difficult can waste that traffic.

Google also considers landing page experience when calculating its Quality Score diagnostic for Search keywords. But improving Quality Score alone isn't the objective. You want more of the right visitors to become customers.

What Does Orange Trail Include?

Orange Trail separates campaign management from technical implementation across its performance marketing packages.

• Trail Core: Includes tracking and funnel recommendations. Your team handles tracking implementation and CRO work.
• Trail Scale: Includes tracking setup, monitoring and a reporting dashboard. Hands-on CRO implementation costs an additional $1,000 per month.
• Trail Edge: Includes tracking, monitoring and CRO within the agreed service scope.

If you already have developers and designers who can implement changes, Trail Core may provide the campaign management you need.

If you need Orange Trail to handle tracking setup or landing page improvements as well, compare the additional services in Trail Scale and Trail Edge before choosing a package.

The important question is who makes the changes.

Can a Google Ads Agency Fix an Underperforming or Suspended Account?

A Google Ads agency can improve an underperforming account by fixing tracking errors, adjusting targeting and restructuring campaigns. It can also investigate suspensions, address policy violations and help with appeals.

But note that no agency can guarantee better results or get a suspended account reinstated without Google's approval.

When Does an Account Need Restructuring?

A rising cost per acquisition doesn't automatically mean your campaigns need rebuilding.

Before recommending major changes, the agency should check whether the problem comes from irrelevant search traffic, poor conversion tracking, unsuitable bidding targets or increased competition.

For example, if a campaign is bringing in plenty of leads but few actual customers, changing the conversion goals or targeting may be more useful than rebuilding the entire account.

Ask for a restructuring plan that identifies the problems, explains the proposed changes and sets out how success will be measured. The agency should also explain which existing campaigns and performance data it intends to preserve.

What Happens After an Account Suspension?

If Google suspends your account, an agency can investigate the reason, review your ads and website, correct identified issues and help prepare an appeal.

Suspensions can result from payment problems, misleading business information or serious advertising policy violations. The appropriate response depends on the reason Google provides.

Only Google can reinstate a suspended account. Creating or using another account to get around the restriction can lead to further enforcement under Google's circumventing systems policy.

Orange Trail provides compliance support and agency account infrastructure for eligible advertisers. These services don't override Google's policies or guarantee account approval.

What Should Your Google Ads Report Include?

A Google Ads report should show actual advertising costs, conversions, business results, work completed and the agency's next recommendations. The purpose is to explain whether the campaigns are achieving their objectives and what the team is doing about the results.

A useful report should answer five questions.

1. How much did we spend? Show actual Google Ads charges and compare them with the agreed budget.
2. What did we get? Report purchases, enquiries, qualified leads or other agreed conversion actions.
3. Was the spending worthwhile? Compare CPA, ROAS or other relevant results against business targets.
4. What did the agency change? Explain important budget decisions, targeting adjustments, tests and tracking fixes.
5. What happens next? Identify the work planned for the next reporting period and why it deserves priority.

Consider a campaign whose cost per lead falls from $100 to $60.

That looks like an improvement until the sales team reports that most of the cheaper enquiries are unqualified.

A useful report should identify the difference between generating more leads and generating more potential customers.

The same applies to ecommerce. Revenue and ROAS may increase while margins deteriorate because more sales come from heavily discounted products.

Google Ads reporting should use the commercial information available rather than stop at platform conversions.

How Can You Tell Whether the Agency Is Doing Its Job?

Ask for a sample report before signing.

You should be able to identify the main results, understand what the agency changed and see what it plans to do next.

If the agency reports the same metrics month after month without explaining its decisions, ask for more detail.

Also check that Google Ads spending and management fees are clearly distinguished. Google's third-party transparency requirements require clear disclosure of management fees and accurate reporting of Google advertising costs.

Orange Trail's published performance marketing packages include weekly reporting, a dedicated specialist, direct Slack communication and regular strategy calls.

Those arrangements should still be documented in the service agreement, including who receives reports and how urgent problems are escalated.

How Much Do Google Ads Agency Services Cost?

Google Ads agencies generally charge a fixed monthly retainer, a percentage of advertising spend, or both.

Full-service agencies may charge a higher base retainer to cover strategy, campaign management, tracking, creative production and reporting.

Four pricing models are common:

• Fixed retainer: A set monthly fee for agreed services, regardless of advertising spend.
• Percentage of ad spend: A fee calculated against your advertising budget. At 10%, a $20,000 monthly budget means $2,000 in management fees.
• Hybrid pricing: A monthly retainer plus a percentage of ad spend. The management cost increases as your advertising budget grows.
• Performance-linked pricing: Additional fees tied to agreed results, such as revenue, qualified leads or ROAS.

In other words, an agency that charges less for campaign management may leave creative production, conversion tracking and landing page improvements to your own team.

What Does Orange Trail Charge for Google Ads Management?

Orange Trail publishes three performance marketing packages, starting at $2,500 per month for one advertising platform, plus a percentage of managed ad spend.

Here's what the fees look like for an advertiser spending $10,000 monthly on Google Ads.

These figures cover one selected advertising platform and exclude the $10,000 paid to Google. For example, Trail Core would mean at least $13,000 in combined monthly advertising and management costs, before any KPI bonuses.

Each package covers a different level of work:

Trail Core package suits businesses that already have designers, developers or an internal marketing team and primarily need PPC management.

Trail Scale is the better fit when you need an agency to produce and test advertising assets and manage tracking, rather than relying on your internal team for those tasks.

Trail Edge is designed for businesses in regulated or policy-sensitive industries that need additional compliance and operational support.

The percentage-based fee increases according to the ROAS achieved:

• Up to 3.0x ROAS: 10% of managed ad spend
• Above 3.0x through 4.0x ROAS: 12.5%
• Above 4.0x ROAS: 15%

Only one percentage applies at a time. The rates don't stack.

What Should You Budget Before Hiring Orange Trail?

Orange Trail's published client criteria call for at least $10,000 per month in advertising spend, on top of management fees. The company also proposes a three-month minimum engagement.

For a business advertising on Google alone, that means a combined starting monthly outlay of approximately:

• Trail Core: $13,000, plus any agreed KPI bonuses
• Trail Scale: $14,000, plus any agreed KPI bonuses
• Trail Edge: $16,000-$16,500, depending on the applicable ROAS fee tier

These are examples based on a $10,000 advertising budget, not personalised quotes. Managing additional platforms or adding services can increase the cost.

Before choosing a package, work out what your business can handle internally. If your team already produces ads and maintains reliable conversion tracking, you may not need to pay for those services again.

If you're expecting the agency to handle creative production, tracking repairs and landing page testing, make sure those responsibilities are included in the price.

What Should Be Included in a Google Ads Service Agreement?

A Google Ads service agreement should spell out what the agency will manage, how much you'll pay, who can approve spending changes, and what happens if you decide to leave. It should also cover reporting, account access, and responsibility for work outside the agreed scope.

Before signing, make sure the agreement addresses:

• Services included: Which campaigns, advertising platforms, tracking tasks, creative work, and landing page services will the agency handle?
• Fees and additional charges: What is the monthly management fee? Are setup costs, creative production, or tracking repairs billed separately?
• Budget approvals: Can the agency increase spending or launch new campaigns without your permission? What changes require written approval?
• Performance and reporting: Which KPIs will you track, how often will you receive reports, and who will explain the results?
• Account access: Who has administrator permissions, controls billing, and manages connected Google Analytics and Merchant Center accounts?
• Contract terms: Is there a minimum commitment? How much notice must you give, and are there cancellation fees?
• Handover: What happens to campaign history, tracking configurations, creative assets, and account access when the contract ends?

Pay particular attention to spending authority.

Say you've approved a $10,000 monthly advertising budget, but the agency increases it to $15,000 without asking. Your agreement should establish whether that change required approval, who investigates the additional spending, and how responsibility for any unauthorised costs will be handled.

The same applies to work outside the contract. If the agency discovers broken conversion tracking, will it fix the problem or charge separately for implementation?

You shouldn't have to negotiate these details after something goes wrong.

Who Should Control the Google Ads Account?

Your business should retain independent administrator access to its Google Ads account wherever the account arrangement allows it. You need to be able to review campaign history, check spending, and change providers without relying entirely on the outgoing agency.

Google makes a distinction between account access and manager ownership.

When an agency links an existing Google Ads account to its Manager Account (MCC), it doesn't automatically become the owner manager. However, when an MCC creates a new advertiser account, that manager becomes its owner by default.

Google explains how account ownership works here.

Before signing, confirm who controls the account and its billing arrangements. Check access to Google Analytics, Tag Manager, and Merchant Center as well.

These details become especially important when switching agencies. Campaign history generally remains in the advertiser account, but conversion tracking, shared audiences, or invoicing may depend on the departing provider.

Your agreement should require a proper handover so those dependencies can be addressed before access is removed.

Can a Google Ads Agency Manage Other Advertising Channels?

Yes, many Google Ads agencies also manage paid social, Microsoft Advertising, retail media, and other digital advertising channels. Some offer SEO, programmatic display, and connected TV (CTV) advertising as well.

The services available depend on whether you're working with a specialist PPC agency or a broader digital marketing agency.

Additional services may include:

• Paid social advertising: Meta (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and X.
• Other search and retail advertising: Microsoft Advertising (Bing), Amazon Advertising, and Walmart Connect.
• SEO: Technical improvements, content optimization, and organic search strategy.
• Programmatic and CTV advertising: Automated display advertising and video ads delivered through streaming television platforms.

Managing several channels through one agency can make campaign planning and reporting easier.

For example, someone might discover your product through a Meta ad, search for your brand on Google, and purchase it a few days later. Both platforms could claim credit for the sale.

An agency managing both should be able to compare their reported conversions with GA4, CRM, and actual sales data rather than adding the platform totals together.

Orange Trail's performance marketing services cover Google, Meta, TikTok, Microsoft/Bing, Reddit, and other paid advertising platforms. We also provide advertising account infrastructure across additional networks, although account access and hands-on campaign management are separate services.

Expert Viewpoint: Buy Google Ads Deliverables, Not Agency Promises

The right Google Ads agency services are the ones your business needs and can verify through completed work and performance data.

A long service list doesn't tell you whether an agency will improve your campaigns. Its proposal should explain what the team plans to do, which results it will measure and what happens when something needs fixing.

Before signing, take three steps:

1. Request a defined scope of work. Confirm who handles campaign management, tracking, creative production and reporting.
2. Review the commercial terms. Check the complete management fee, advertising budget, account access and cancellation conditions.
3. Agree on performance expectations. Establish the KPIs, reporting schedule and initial testing priorities.

Orange Trail provides Google Ads management through packages designed for different levels of creative, tracking and compliance support.

With a published focus on advertisers investing $10,000 or more per month in media, its services are aimed at businesses ready for structured campaign management and growth.

Ready to define the scope for your account? Book a strategy call with Orange Trail to discuss your advertising budget, existing setup and management requirements. You can also contact hello@orangetrail.io.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google Ads Agency Services

Does Google Ads Management Include Ad Creative?

Google Ads management may include ad copywriting and creative testing, but image and video production are not always included. Orange Trail's Trail Core uses client-provided creative assets, while Trail Scale includes 20 creatives per week. The agreement should specify formats, production volume and approval responsibilities.

Is Conversion Tracking Setup Included in the Monthly Fee?

Conversion tracking setup is not included in every Google Ads management package. Some agencies review tracking and recommend fixes while the client handles implementation. Orange Trail includes tracking recommendations in Trail Core and setup and monitoring in Trail Scale and Trail Edge. Confirm which integrations your agreement covers.

Can a Google Ads Agency Manage Existing Campaigns Without Rebuilding Them?

Yes. A Google Ads agency can take over existing campaigns without rebuilding the account. It should first review campaign history, tracking, targeting and performance. Changes should address identifiable problems or opportunities rather than replace working campaigns simply because a new provider has taken over.

Do Agencies Charge Separately for Google Shopping Feed Management?

Some agencies include Merchant Center monitoring and product feed optimisation in their management fee. Others charge separately for extensive catalogue corrections, third-party feed tools or technical integrations. Ask whether the agency identifies feed problems, fixes them directly or expects your ecommerce team to implement changes.

Can I Hire a Google Ads Agency for an Audit Only?

Yes. Some agencies offer one-off audits without a monthly management agreement. A useful audit should identify specific account problems, explain their likely impact and recommend prioritised corrections. Check whether the fee covers recommendations only or also includes implementation and follow-up testing.

How Do I Know Whether I Need an Agency or an In-House PPC Specialist?

An agency can be useful when your business needs specialist campaign management without building an entire paid media team. An in-house specialist may be more appropriate when advertising requires constant coordination with sales, products and other departments. Compare the cost, available expertise and work each arrangement can realistically cover.

Related guides: Google Ads Management Agency: Services & Fees · Google Ads Marketing Agency: Costs, Services & Results · White Label Google Ads Agency: Pricing and How to Choose