Most Google Ads agencies sound alike on a sales call: certified, data-driven, focused on results. The differences show up inside the account, in settings most owners never see. These 10 questions bring them out before you sign, and a good agency will be glad you asked.
- Ask whose account you'll use. It should be yours, in your name, billed to your card.
- Ask to see the search terms report and how often negative keywords are added.
- Ask what conversion the account is optimizing for. Clicks and page views are the wrong answer.
- If you only ask three questions, ask those three.
About the best agency lists
Search for the best Google Ads agency and much of page one is ranked lists and directories. Two of the three ranked lists we checked on 31 October 2026 were published by agencies that included themselves, one of them at number one. A list can tell you who exists; it can't tell you how your account will be run.
What the Google Partner badge means
Many agencies lead with the badge, so it's worth knowing what it takes. According to Google's own requirements, the agency's manager account needs an optimization score of at least 70%, at least $10,000 of ad spend across its client accounts over 90 days, and at least half of its account strategists certified in Google Ads.
That shows an agency is active, trained and keeping up with Google's recommendations. It doesn't show how its accounts perform, or whether it has run businesses like yours. Treat it as a starting filter, then ask the questions below.
The 10 questions
For each one, here's what a good answer sounds like and what should make you pause.
Whose Google Ads account will we use?
Good answer: yours, in your name, billed to your card, with the agency given access. Red flag: an account the agency creates and owns, so the history stays with them if you leave.
Will I see the search terms report?
Good answer: yes, and they'll walk you through it. The search terms report shows what people actually typed before they clicked. Red flag: reports that only show keywords, clicks and impressions.
How often do you add negative keywords?
Good answer: every week, from real search terms, including the plurals and synonyms, because Google says negative keywords won't match to close variants. Red flag: a negative list built once at setup and never touched.
What conversion are you optimizing for?
Good answer: the result that pays you, set as the primary conversion action Google bids toward: a booked call, a form that's been qualified, a sale. Calls counted only past a minimum duration. Red flag: clicks, page views or every call however short.
Do you leave auto-apply recommendations on?
Good answer: no, or only selected ones, reviewed first. Google says auto-applied recommendations can add broad match keywords, search partners and Display expansion. Red flag: they've never looked at the setting.
How do you handle Performance Max?
Good answer: only where it fits, with clear conversion goals, brand and audience signals, and a plan for what you can and can't see inside it. Search vs Performance Max covers the trade-off. Red flag: Performance Max for everything, with no explanation of where the money goes.
What location setting will you use?
Good answer: people in your area, not merely interested in it. Google's default option includes people who've shown interest in a place without being there. Red flag: they don't know which setting you're on.
Who runs the account day to day?
Good answer: a named, experienced person you can speak to, who'll tell you how many accounts they look after. Red flag: a senior person on the sales call and someone else, unnamed, afterwards.
What does the fee include?
Good answer: a written list: setup, tracking, ad writing and testing, landing page review, reporting and calls. Red flag: extras that only appear after you sign, or a percentage of spend with no cap.
What happens if I leave?
Good answer: you keep the account, its history, the conversion tracking and every campaign, and their access is removed. Red flag: "we'd have to discuss that", or a long notice period.
Hiring for a specialist business?
- Dental practices. How they handle Google's health advertising rules for implant and other surgical ads, and how they track new patients without sending patient details to Google. See Google Ads for dentists.
- Trades and home services. Whether they manage Local Services Ads as well as search campaigns, and what happens to leads that weren't real. See Google Ads for home services.
- Law firms. How they keep ad copy inside your bar or regulator's advertising rules, and how they track signed cases rather than calls.
How we'd answer them
It's only fair to answer our own list, as a Google Ads management agency ourselves:
- We work inside your own Google Ads account, never a locked agency one. You keep the account, the data and the conversion history.
- Search terms are reviewed and negatives added every week.
- Conversion tracking for calls, forms and sales is wired into GA4, with offline conversions where they matter.
- We write and test the ads; that's included.
- Management runs $500-$2,000 a month, month-to-month, with no setup fees. Ad spend is paid to Google, never through us.
Before you decide
Bring three things to any agency call: what a new customer is worth to you, how many enquiries usually become customers, and access to your account or a few screenshots of the last three months. If you're not yet sure Google is the right channel at all, do Google Ads work for a small business has a two-minute test. For what agencies charge, see Google Ads agency pricing, and if you're hiring for Facebook and Instagram too, how to choose a Facebook ads agency covers that side.
Questions people ask
What is the best Google Ads agency?
There isn't one best agency for every business. The right one for you runs accounts like yours, works inside a Google Ads account you own, shows you the search terms report, adds negative keywords every week, optimizes for leads or sales rather than clicks, and lets you leave without a long contract. The 10 questions in this guide test for each of those.
What does a Google Ads agency actually do?
It runs your Google Ads account day to day: campaign and keyword structure, the ads, bidding, conversion tracking, budget changes and the weekly work on search terms and negative keywords. A good one also looks at the landing page and how fast enquiries get an answer, because that's where many accounts lose money.
Is a Google Partner agency better?
Not necessarily. Google Partner status means the agency's manager account spends at least $10,000 over 90 days, has an optimization score of at least 70%, and has at least half its account strategists certified. It shows activity and training, not results for businesses like yours, so ask for those separately.
How much does a Google Ads agency cost?
Published rates for small-business Google Ads management mostly run from about $500 to $3,500 a month, with ad spend paid to Google on top. We charge $500-$2,000 a month, month-to-month, with no setup fee.
Should a Google Ads agency own my account?
No. Your ads should run in a Google Ads account in your name, billed to your card. An agency can manage it through its manager account, but if you part ways you should keep the account, its history and its conversion data.
How do I choose a Google Ads agency for a dental practice?
Ask the same 10 questions, then two more: how they handle Google's health advertising rules, which stop implant and other surgical ads from using remarketing lists, and how they track new patients without sending patient details to Google. An agency that hasn't met those rules hasn't run many dental accounts.
Want to put these questions to us? Book a strategy call. Ask all 10, and we'll answer them about your account, not in general.
