How Much Does Google Ads Cost?

It’s one of the first questions we get from new clients.

And the most honest answer is still the most frustrating: “It depends.”

But that’s not a cop-out, it’s context.

Google Ads isn’t a one-size-fits-all platform. 

It’s a live auction, a test lab, a real-time marketplace where costs and results shift based on your industry, your website, your competitors, and your goals.

So instead of a flat figure, we give you two:

1. Your ad spend – what you pay Google

2. Our management fee – what you pay us to run it properly

Let’s break both down.

1. What You Pay Google (Your Ad Spend)

This is the budget that goes directly into your campaigns. It's what fuels the clicks, drives the traffic, and builds the data we need to optimise.

As a rough guide:

• Local Google Ads campaigns: £300+ per month (around £10/day minimum)

• National Google Ads campaigns: £1,500+ per month (around £50/day minimum)

• International Google Ads campaigns: Varies widely based on country, market size, and competition

This isn’t an exact science. It’s a starting point.

Most clients begin with a test budget in the first 3–6 months. That period is all about learning. We see how people search, which ads convert, what landing pages work, and where the real opportunity lies.

Once the campaign is working, you can scale spend to scale results.

But if it’s not delivering by month six, we’ll pivot, whether that’s refining your website, shifting channels, or changing strategy.

2. The Different Types of Google Campaigns

Not all ads are equal, and different formats suit different goals.

• Search Ads: Text ads that show when someone actively searches for your service. Best for lead gen and conversions.

• Display Ads: Image/banner ads across websites. Great for brand awareness and remarketing.

• YouTube Ads: Video ads served before or during YouTube content. Highly visual and cost-effective for impressions.

• Remarketing Ads: Ads that follow previous visitors around the web. Great for re-engaging warm leads.

• Google Shopping campaigns: For eCommerce businesses, we cover this in a separate blog post since setup and management differ from traditional PPC campaigns.

3. What You Pay the Agency (Our Management Fee)

This is the cost of making sure your ad budget actually delivers.

Unlike a Google Ads agency that charges a percentage of your ad spend (which often penalises success), we charge a flat monthly fee based on how much time your account requires.

• Search, Display & YouTube: £500 + VAT / month

• Google Shopping: £750 + VAT / month

That means your fee stays consistent, even if we scale your spend.

Because more clicks doesn’t always mean more work. We charge for strategy and time, not volume.

4. What You Actually Get for That Fee

This isn’t a set-and-forget service. We’re hands-on, strategic, and always refining.

Here’s what you get with our Google Ads pricing:

• Campaign setup and ongoing optimisation

• Keyword research and negative keyword filtering

• Bid strategy and budget pacing

• A/B testing ads and landing pages

• Weekly updates

• Monthly reporting and strategy calls

• Quarterly service reviews

• Conversion tracking and ROI analysis

• Syncing with GA4 and CRM integrations

• For eCommerce: revenue tracking via purchase events

We don’t just generate traffic. We track what happens after the click, leads, sales, enquiries, and actual return on investment.

5. What Affects Your Cost & Return?

Several factors will influence how much Google Ads cost and how well your campaign performs:

• Your industry: Some sectors are more competitive. Legal clicks might cost £10+, while niche B2B markets could be under £1.

• Competition: If your competitors are bidding high, the auction gets more expensive.

• Website quality: A fast, focused, mobile-friendly site converts better, giving you more ROI per click.

• Landing pages: The stronger the page, the lower your cost-per-lead.

• Geography: Local targeting is cheaper than national or international.

We’ll always advise you where to spend and where to hold back.

6. Real Client Results

Sometimes it’s better to show than tell:

• Accounting firm: £30,000 in ad spend → £280,000 return, including a single £90,000 audit job

• Solicitor firm: Campaign scaled so effectively they had to hire extra staff to handle inbound leads and delivery of service

• Local trades business: Went from one enquiry a week to three a day, all tracked through call and form conversions

None of these happened overnight. But with the right testing and landing pages in place, pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns like this can become a predictable lead machine.

7. How Long Until It Works?

Expect 3–6 months before you see consistent, scalable results.

• Month 1–2: Data gathering

• Month 3–4: Heavy optimisation

• Month 5–6: Scale what’s working

And if it’s not working? We won’t flog a dead horse.

We’ll either fix your site to improve conversion, or recommend shifting your budget into SEO, social, or email if that’s a better route to a ROI. We are a full service agency, which allows us to offer the right digital solution for your business. Ultimately our focus is for a long lasting relationship, so we provide what you need, when you need it.

So… How Much Does Google Ads Cost?

Here’s the honest summary of Google Ads pricing:

The more you spend, the more data we get. The more data, the smarter the campaign.

Final Thoughts

If you're wondering how much Google Ads costs, the short answer is: it depends on your goals, competition, and how strategic your setup is.

If you’re trying to reach people who are already looking for your service, Google Ads is one of the fastest, most reliable ways to do it. 

But only if it’s done properly. tracked, tested, and refined by people who live and breathe this stuff.

We’re not here to throw money at ads.

We’re here to make sure every pound returns something useful.

Want a straight answer on how much Google Ads cost for your business?

Let’s talk numbers. Let’s talk strategy.

Let’s make your next campaign the one that actually works.