The question of how much a Google AdWords expert charges can be answered in two words: “it depends.” But then you want more details, and truth be told, this article needs to be stretched to make a finished product, so let’s get started.
But seriously, we write, “it depends” half-jokingly because the rate hinges on multiple factors, explaining why there is no universal price for the service.
The cost fluctuates whether you are choosing the basic option or the full-service package. The rate also varies if you are hiring a freelance Google Ads expert or an SEO agency.
How Much Does Google Ads Cost?
On average, you can run a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign at an average of $1-2 per click. But again, several variables will bloat your PPC budget, including the industry you are in, the client lifecycle, and the competition (i.e., how many are bidding for your keywords).
For example, in some industries, it is more challenging to move the customer into your sales funnel. And you need to be on top of the situation as they go through the decision-making process. It takes some patients–and yes, money–before they will actually purchase the item or service.
The entire process is called the customer lifecycle, and you have to consider this when budgeting your Google Ads campaign.
To illustrate, the average click-through-rate for the legal or dating and personal industries is typically very high. You will have to compete for your target audience’s attention, which means a higher budget for your PPC campaign.
Before proceeding, it bears repeating that more money does not necessarily guarantee high ROIs for your Google Ads campaign. The system is devised in such a way to offer a more level playing field to both the small mom-and-pop stores and large megalithic corporations.
How Much to Hire a Google Ads Expert?
But back to the original question, there are two payment models that agencies or freelancers adopt. One is the fixed cost per-hour of time billed, and another is collecting a specific percentage of your ad budget.
If you have experience with Google Ads, then you are familiar with the amount of work and detail that goes into managing the account.
In this case, it is easier to come up with a budget and justify the professional fee because of the expertise and experience the Google Ads expert brings to the table.
If you choose the percentage-based model, a good rule of thumb to remember is that the Google Ads expert will spend an hour for every $1,000 you spend on PPC. Of course, the amount excludes the additional work they need to spend on A/B testing and optimizing your landing page. They may bill you for the extra work or include it in the package.
- If you have are just starting, or a small business, computing the professional fee of the Google Ads expert is straightforward. You only have to add another 10% to your ad budget. If you are spending $100 per week, then increase it to $110. If you think it is expensive, one thing to remember is that over 90% of the cost will go to ad placement.
- Hiring a freelance specialist will cost between $50 and $100 per hour. For some, it is easier to monitor their spending when they can control the number of hours the expert will work on the ads. The cost is for the service only, and it does not consider the cost of the ad itself.
- SEO agencies would be more expensive, but they also offer fixed packages designed for small and medium businesses with little budget to spend. For instance, you can fix your budget to $1,000 each month (which should be the recommended minimum budget if you want a reasonable ROI). Multinationals, however, allocate millions each year for their digital ads.
To give you an insight into how much other companies are spending on Google Ads, according to SmallBizGenius, advertisers are allocating between $108,000 and $120,000 each year.
As you might expect, it is not for the faint-hearted. And if you are thinking of doing the Google Ads in-house, consider that your competitors are hiring experts to bolster their digital marketing campaigns.
Doing it yourself without experience is like bringing a bread knife to a gunfight.
Conclusion
The prices quoted here are by no means definitive. Again, multiple variables will impact the final cost of hiring a Google Ads expert. Finally, as in business, you need to put in money to expect returns. It is the same way if you hire a professional since you cannot expect them to make wine out of water. When you skim your ad spending, you can expect mediocre results, as well.
