How to Choose a Google Ads Agency: Criteria and Red Flags

TL;DR To choose a Google Ads agency, start from your model: B2B lead generation or ecommerce. Then insist on three non-⁠negotiables: a Google Ads account in your name, fees in writing and separate from ad spend, and conversion tracking explained before any promise. The Google Partner badge is a good sign of activity, not a performance guarantee.

By Louis Mauclair, CEO of Klickbee, an SEO, GEO and Google Ads agency for B2B and ecommerce companies.

Step 1: start from your model, not the agency

An agency that excels in ecommerce can be average in B2B, and vice versa.

• Ecommerce: the agency must master the Merchant Center feed, Shopping, Performance Max, and bid on margin rather than raw ROAS.
• B2B: it must connect Google Ads to your CRM, import qualified leads and closed deals, and optimize on cost per opportunity, not per form fill.

10 criteria to choose a Google Ads agency

1. 01Case studies in your model, with a client, a period and a business result.
2. 02Account ownership: the account is in your name, with admin access for you.
3. 03Tracking explained: which conversions are measured, how, and how CRM data flows back.
4. 04Transparent fees: flat, percentage or hybrid, written in the contract, separate from ad spend.
5. 05An audit of your account before the proposal: what they found, quantified.
6. 06A concrete 90-day plan: campaign structure, planned tests, negative keywords, milestones.
7. 07The real account manager in the room, with stated experience.
8. 08Business reporting: qualified leads, opportunities or revenue, not just clicks.
9. 09A reasonable commitment and a clear notice period.
10. 10A verifiable Google status: the badge should open the agency's profile on Google.

What the Google Partner badge really proves

The badge measures the agency's activity on Google Ads, not the profitability of your campaigns. According to Google Ads Help, a Partner must:

• reach an optimization score of at least 70% on its manager account;
• manage $10,000 in spend over 90 days across its accounts;
• have at least half of its account strategists certified.

Premier Partners must also rank in the top 3% of participating companies in their country, reviewed yearly on client growth, new client acquisition, retention and product diversification. None of these criteria measures your cost per lead or ROAS.

Red flags

• The account belongs to the agency, or you only have read access. Google asks third parties to set up a separate account for each advertiser.
• Ad spend runs through the agency's invoice with a markup you cannot see.
• Fees not in writing, or reports that do not show the exact amount Google charged.
• Guaranteed positions or results: Google states that no one can guarantee a specific ad position.
• Click-⁠centric reporting with no link to qualified leads or revenue.
• Performance Max switched on by default, or broad match with no negative keywords.
• A 12-month lock-⁠in with no exit.

Questions to ask in the pitch meeting

1. 01What did you find in our account, and what is it costing us today?
2. 02Who will manage our account day to day, and how many accounts do they handle?
3. 03How will you measure qualified leads or margin, not just conversions?
4. 04What will you do in the first 30, 60 and 90 days?
5. 05How are you paid, and what is not included?
6. 06If we leave, what do we keep: account, audiences, tracking, data?
7. 07Can we talk to a current client with a similar model?

A grid to compare proposals

Score each agency from 1 to 5 on the same criteria, with the same brief.

• Understanding of your model and margins: high weight.
• Quality of the audit of your account: high weight.
• Tracking and CRM link: high weight in B2B.
• Feed and Shopping skills: high weight in ecommerce.
• Fee and contract transparency: a deal-⁠breaker if missing.
• Account manager experience: medium weight.
• Price: compare last, at equal scope.

To see agencies that meet these criteria, read our list of the best Google Ads agencies, and for pricing benchmarks, our guide to Google Ads cost for B2B.

How we work at Klickbee

We apply these rules to our own Google Ads agency: an account in your name, ad spend you pay Google directly, a flat fee from $1,090 per month, and tracking included. We measure qualified leads and revenue, not clicks.

Conclusion: choosing an agency means choosing how you measure

The right Google Ads agency is not the one with the most badges, but the one that understands your model, measures what drives revenue and leaves you owning everything. Talk to three agencies with the same brief, compare them on the grid above, and get your free action plan if you want a first look at your account.

FAQ

How do I know if a PPC agency is legitimate?

Check three things: the Google Ads account stays in your name, fees are written and separate from ad spend, and the agency explains how it measures conversions. A Google Partner badge that links to Google's own profile is a useful extra signal.

Should I only hire a Google Partner agency?

It is a good filter, since the badge requires activity and certification. But it does not guarantee results: it measures neither your ROAS nor your cost per lead. Judge the agency on case studies in your model too.

Agency or freelancer for Google Ads?

A senior freelancer suits a simple account with a limited budget. An agency makes sense when you need campaigns, tracking, landing pages and reporting together, or several ad platforms.

Sources

• Google Ads, Partners program requirements
• Google Ads, working with a third party
• Google Ads, third-⁠party policy
• HawkSEM, how to choose the right PPC agency