Two separate costs: clicks and management
Running search ads involves two different costs, and it helps to keep them apart when you compare offers.
Ad spend is what Google or Microsoft charges for clicks. It goes on your own card or invoice inside your own account, and you set the ceiling.
The management fee pays for the work: building or restructuring campaigns, keyword and negative keyword lists, ad copy, conversion setup, routine checks and a written summary of what changed. The provider quotes it directly.
What moves the fee is usually the number of campaigns and services, whether you run one platform or both, how much tracking needs fixing at the start, and how often you want changes and reports. A quote that bundles spend and fee into one figure makes it hard to see either.
Keyword and match-type planning
Keyword planning starts with how your buyers describe the service, not how your company describes it internally. A provider will usually pull ideas from Keyword Planner, your existing search terms if the account has history, your sales notes and competitor ads.
Match type then sets how loosely Google can interpret each keyword:
- Exact match covers the same meaning and close variants. The tightest control over what you show for.
- Phrase match allows extra words around the meaning of your phrase.
- Broad match lets Google match related searches, and it leans heavily on your conversion tracking to decide what is related.
Small budgets usually start with phrase and exact. Broad match gets tested once conversion tracking is reliable and negative lists are in place.
What to ask about tracking and reports
Tracking decides what the account learns from, so it deserves a few direct questions.
Ask which events will be counted as conversions and which will be recorded but left out of bidding. Ask how they will test that a form submission shows up in Google Ads, and how they will notice if it stops. If you use a CRM such as HubSpot or Salesforce, ask whether they plan to import offline conversions or use enhanced conversions for leads, and what they need from you to do it.
For reports, ask to see a sample. A useful one says what changed, why, and what is being watched next. Columns of figures with no notes are harder to act on. Also ask whether you can open the account's change history yourself.
Questions about search ads management
Do I need both Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising?
No. Most accounts start with Google Ads because it carries most US search volume. Microsoft Advertising can be added later, often by importing the Google campaigns and then adjusting settings. Whether it is worth the extra upkeep depends on your buyers and budget, which the service partner can talk through with you.
Should Google's automatic recommendations be switched on?
Many managers turn off auto-apply and look at each recommendation by hand. Some are useful, such as fixing a missing asset. Others widen targeting or raise budgets. Ask your provider how they handle them, and check the change history now and then to see what was applied.
How do I know what changed in my account?
Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising both keep a change history you can open yourself. A provider should also send a plain summary of what they changed, why, and what they are watching next. If you only receive charts with no notes, ask for the reasoning behind the changes.
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Paid social
Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn campaigns planned around your offer, with creative refreshed on a schedule and spend watched weekly.
Lead capture forms
Forms with the right fields, consent wording you supply, thank-you pages and connections to your inbox or CRM.
Conversion tracking
Google Tag Manager, GA4, the Meta pixel and the LinkedIn Insight Tag set up, tested and documented in your accounts.