Pay-per-click advertising has two costs that are easy to mix up: the money you pay Google or Meta for clicks, and the fee you pay someone to manage the campaigns. This guide explains both, the common ways agencies charge, and how much a small business should budget to get useful results.
The short answer
You pay for PPC in two parts. Ad spend goes straight to the ad platform for the clicks you receive. The management fee pays for the work: research, setup, ads, tracking, optimization and reporting. WebFX’s PPC pricing guide puts typical management fees at 10–20% of ad spend, or around $1,000–$3,000 a month.
Our PPC management plans cost $499, $799 or $999 a month, plus a one-time setup fee of $299, $499 or $699. Your ad budget is separate from these fees.
How Google Ads charges you
According to Google Ads Help, you set an average daily budget for each campaign. Google may spend more than that on a busy day, but never more than twice your average daily budget in one day, and you’re never charged more than 30.4 times your average daily budget in a month. A $10 daily budget, for example, means a monthly maximum of $304.
You also set a maximum cost per click, and you usually pay less: Google charges only what’s needed to hold your ad’s position. That’s why good management lowers costs over time, through better keywords, ads and landing pages.
How agencies charge for PPC management
| Pricing model | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Flat monthly fee | A set fee each month, whatever you spend on ads. | Make sure the scope is clear: platforms, campaigns and reports. |
| Percentage of ad spend | A share of your monthly ad budget, often 10–20% (WebFX). | Fees rise as you spend more, even if the work doesn’t. |
| Hybrid | A base fee plus a percentage above a certain spend. | Check where the percentage starts. |
| Setup fee | A one-time charge to build accounts, tracking and first campaigns. | Ask what the setup actually includes. |
A flat fee is the easiest to budget for when you’re starting out, because your management cost doesn’t change when you test a bigger ad budget.
What our PPC plans include
| Plan | Monthly management | One-time setup |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | $499 | $299 |
| Silver | $799 | $499 |
| Gold | $999 | $699 |
Every plan covers Google Ads and Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram), with:
- Keyword research and location targeting
- Ad copy, text ads and banner ads
- Daily budget, bid and ad schedule setup
- Landing page identification
- Google Analytics and conversion tracking on Google and Meta
- Monthly maintenance and monitoring
- Campaign and keyword performance reports, with email and phone support
How much ad budget does a small business need?
There’s no strict minimum; Google lets you start with a few dollars a day. WebFX notes that ad spend ranges from about $100 to $10,000 a month and suggests around $1,000–$3,000 a month for meaningful testing.
A practical way to set yours: look at what a click costs in your market, decide how many clicks you need to get a few leads, and work backward. A small budget spread across many keywords rarely teaches you anything; a focused budget on your best services and locations usually does.
Red flags when hiring a PPC agency
- No conversion tracking: if calls and forms aren’t tracked, nobody can tell what works.
- Ad accounts that aren’t in your name. Ask for access to your own Google Ads and Meta accounts.
- Reports that show clicks and impressions but never leads or cost per lead.
- A fee that isn’t clear about what it covers, or markup hidden inside your ad spend.
PPC or SEO?
PPC brings traffic the day campaigns launch; SEO takes months but keeps working without paying for each click. Many small businesses run PPC for leads now and build SEO for later. See how much SEO costs for a small business and our SEO packages to compare.
Frequently asked questions
Is ad spend included in the management fee?
No. Your ad budget is separate from our monthly management fee and one-time setup fee, so you always know what goes to ads and what goes to management.
How quickly do PPC campaigns bring results?
Campaigns start generating visibility and traffic as soon as they launch. Results typically improve over the following weeks as ads are tested, audiences refined and bids adjusted based on real conversion data.
Should I use Google Ads or Meta Ads?
If people already search for what you sell, Google Ads captures that demand. If you need to build awareness or reach people by interests, Meta Ads is usually the better fit. Most businesses get the best results from both.
Get a PPC plan that fits your budget
Compare our PPC management plans or get a free audit. We’ll look at your market and current ads, and recommend a budget split before you spend anything.
