Paid media

PPC Agency Pricing Models & Costs: How Much Should You Be Paying?

Ifigenia Arampelou 9 min read


Using a PPC agency is a powerful way to drive traffic and leads for your business. But what factors determine the price of your PPC agency? The key ones include campaign strategy, management capabilities, and size.

PPC agencies offer a wide range of services and fees. A big factor in pricing is the campaign strategy you choose: pay-per-click (PPC), cost-per-acquisition (CPA), or return on investment (ROI). 

How much should you expect to pay for a PPC agency? 

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How to choose a PPC agency?

Many businesses prefer hiring a PPC specialist rather than handling it in-house. As, PPC agencies offer advantages such as access to more experienced consultants, more sophisticated software and tools, and a team of specialists who can work on your account. 

Hiring an agency also gives you the benefit of an outside perspective. Your PPC marketing agency should be able to bring fresh ideas to your PPC campaigns and help you grow your business. 

On the other hand, in-house PPC specialists have the advantage of intimate knowledge of your company and customer base. They can make decisions quickly and efficiently without consulting with an agency.  

In-house PPC is often the preferred choice for companies with small budgets or PPC needs, but if the correct pricing model is available, an agency can be a great option as well. 

PPC agencies offer a wide range of services and fees

When looking for a PPC agency, you'll find that they offer a wide range of services and fees. PPC agencies can help you with everything from creating your campaign to managing it on a day-to-day basis. 

The cost of a PPC agency can vary depending on the services you need. For example, if you want help creating your campaign, the agency will likely charge a higher fee than if you only need help to manage it. 

Other services can include keyword research, ad copywriting, and bid management.  

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Campaign strategy is one major factor in pricing 

Management capabilities are another key factor that PPC agencies consider when pricing their services. PPC agencies have a variety of management capabilities, ranging from simple account management to full-service campaign management. 

Agencies that offer more comprehensive management services generally charge more than those that only offer basic services. 

Hands-on management means the PPC agency will manage your account on a day-to-day basis. They'll create new ads, adjust bids, and track results, as well as strategy Advanced keyword research.   

Automated management means the PPC agency will set up rules and algorithms to manage your account for you. This type of management is good for businesses that want to save time and money. 

The more services your agency provides, the higher the price

Google Ads

One of the most commonly used PPC platforms is Google Ads (called Google AdWords until 2018). Google Ads is a pay-per-click advertising programme run by Google, where advertisers bid on keywords to have their ads displayed on Google search results pages. 

Google Ads allows you to target people who are searching for what you offer. You can choose your keywords, set your bid amount, and write your ad copy. Google will then serve your ad to people who search for those keywords. 

When someone clicks on your ad, they're taken to your website or landing page. You're only charged when someone clicks on your ad, not when it's shown. 

Google Ads is a popular PPC platform because it's easy to use and has a large reach: you can target people in any country where Google operates.

Specialised and unique agency capabilities

Specialised and unique agency capabilities will also reflect increased pricing. PPC agencies that have a wide range of services and can offer a wide array of capabilities will often be priced higher than those that cannot. This is because their services are more specialised and they can provide a wider range of solutions to their clients. Additionally, PPC agencies that are able to manage large-scale campaigns will often be more expensive than those that cannot. This is because the management of large-scale campaigns requires a lot of time, effort and resources.

Multi-Lingual Ad Campaigns

If your PPC agency can operate in multiple languages, then you can expect to pay a higher price. This is because translating and managing campaigns in different languages takes a lot of time and resources. PPC agencies that are able to offer this service will often be more expensive than those that cannot. 

Industry Specialisation

Most PPC agencies have some level of expertise in certain industries, such as Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals. PPC agencies that have a lot of experience and are highly specialised in a particular industry can often charge more for their services. This is because they are able to provide a lot of value to their clients in these industries. They understand the nuances of the industry and the challenges that companies face when trying to advertise in them. As a result, they are able to create more effective campaigns that generate better results. In healthcare, there are particular regulatory constraints that must be adhered to when marketing products. PPC agencies with healthcare experience will understand these constraints and how to work within them, as well as be up to date with the latest industry trends.

Reporting and optimisation

One of the main benefits of using a PPC agency is that they offer expert reporting and optimisation. PPC agencies have access to sophisticated software and tools that can help them track your results and make adjustments to your campaigns to improve performance. 

They can also help you set goals for your PPC campaigns and measure whether or not you're meeting them. Conversion tracking is an essential part of PPC and allows you to see how many sales or leads you're generating from your PPC campaigns. 

PPC agencies will often charge more for their services if they offer reporting and optimisation. This is because these services require a lot of time and resources to provide. 

Social Media Paid Search

Most agencies will be familiar with Google Ads. However, expertise in Social Media PPC is another area where agencies can charge more. PPC agencies that are able to provide social media PPC services, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and often have a lot of experience and expertise in this area. They know how to create effective campaigns that generate leads and sales through social media channels. As a result, they can often charge a premium for their services.

PPC Agency Size

Larger PPC agencies will also be more experienced with click fraud prevention and mitigation. PPC agencies that have a lot of experience and are able to provide this service can often charge more for their services. This is because they understand the various ways in which click fraud can occur and how to prevent it from happening. They also have access to the latest tools and technology that helps them identify and mitigate any fraudulent activity.

Typical PPC agency pricing models

There are a few different pricing models that PPC agencies use. The most common are a percentage of your ad spend, a management fee plus a percentage, a flat fee and performance-based pricing.

1. Percentage of ad spend pricing

Many PPC agencies charge a percentage of the ad spend as their fee. Under this pricing model, the agency takes a share of everything you spend on ads.

The catch is that the fee rises whenever your budget does, whether or not the extra spend brings you more customers, and the agency is paid however the campaign performs. It rewards spending more, not spending well. That is why we never take a percentage of your ad spend.

2. Management fee + percentage of ad spend pricing

Under this pricing model, the PPC agency charges a monthly management fee in addition to a percentage of the ad spend.

The fixed fee pays for the work, but the percentage has the same catch as above: that part of the fee grows with your budget, not with your results.

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3. Flat fee pricing

Flat rates or tiered pricing mean clients pay correspondingly the same fee regardless of time or performance in the months they have spent. Unlike the hourly rates for specialised work, these pricing models generally serve as retainers for a wide variety of services and the working group working for client targets. 

This pricing model is popular because it is a very simple and straightforward way of pricing. The client knows exactly how much they will be paying the PPC agency, and the PPC agency knows that they will be paid the same amount every month. 

4. Performance-based pricing

Under performance-based pricing, the agency is paid according to the leads or sales its campaigns bring in. It only works when both sides agree in advance how a lead or a sale is counted, and can see the same figures.

The other main factor that affects the price of PPC agencies is the experience and capabilities of the agency. PPC agencies with more experience and higher levels of expertise will typically charge more than those without as much experience. This is because they can provide a higher level of service and produce better results for their clients. 

How we price paid media

We never take a percentage of your ad spend. You pay the ad platforms directly for your media, and you pay us for the work, on a monthly plan or a day rate, so our fee does not grow when your budget does.

We judge campaigns on the whole journey, from the first ad to the contact record in your CRM and the sale, not on how much was spent. See how we run paid media, or look at our pricing.

What affects PPC rates

PPC rates can vary significantly depending on the agency, the services offered, and the size of the campaign. However, there are a few general trends that can be observed.

First, PPC agencies are becoming increasingly specialised. This means that they are focusing on specific areas of PPC, such as search engine marketing, social media PPC, or retargeting. As a result, they are able to provide a higher level of service and expertise in these areas. This allows them to charge a premium for their services.

Second, PPC management agencies are becoming more expensive. The average rate for PPC services is increasing each year. This is due to the increasing complexity of PPC campaigns, as well as the rising cost of keywords.

Finally, PPC agencies are becoming more competitive. There are a growing number of PPC agencies competing for business. This is driving down prices and making it more difficult for PPC agencies to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Despite these trends, PPC rates will continue to vary significantly from agency to agency and from campaign to campaign. It is important to shop around and compare pricing before you choose a PPC agency.

Conclusion

In conclusion,  the price of PPC agencies varies depending on a number of factors, including the size of the campaign, the services offered, and the experience of the agency. However, PPC rates are generally increasing each year due to the increasing complexity of PPC campaigns and the rising cost of keywords. PPC agencies that can differentiate themselves from their competitors will be able to charge a premium for their services.  

Are you looking for a PPC Agency? 

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