How to Hire a PPC Ads Company That Actually Delivers Results

A PPC ads company basically becomes an extension of your marketing team, taking the reins of your paid advertising on platforms like Google and Meta. Their job is to manage everything from the nitty-gritty of keyword research to ad creation, budget optimization, and performance analysis, all with the goal of driving traffic, leads, and—most importantly—sales.

The right agency partnership can genuinely speed up your growth. But finding that "right" partner is only half the battle.

Setting the Stage for a Successful Partnership

Before you even think about searching for a PPC agency, the most important work needs to happen right inside your own business. I’ve seen this play out countless times: a company rushes to hire an agency, expecting them to work miracles, only to end up frustrated when the results don’t pour in.

Skipping this internal prep is like trying to build a house without a blueprint. It almost always ends in wasted money, mismatched expectations, and missed goals. The real secret to a great agency relationship isn't just finding a top-notch company; it's about being a top-notch client. That starts with knowing exactly what you’re trying to achieve.

Define What Success Actually Looks Like

Let's get past fuzzy goals like "more traffic" or "better brand awareness." While those are nice perks, they don't keep the lights on. Real success is measured in hard numbers that tie directly to your bottom line. You need to be crystal clear on your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) before you have a single conversation with a potential agency.

Here are the non-negotiable metrics you have to nail down first:

• Target Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): How much can you realistically afford to spend to get a new customer and still turn a profit?
• Required Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): For every single rand you invest in advertising, how many do you need back in revenue? A 4:1 ROAS is a common industry benchmark, meaning R4 in revenue for every R1 spent.
• Customer Lifetime Value (LTV): What’s the total revenue you can expect from one customer over their entire relationship with your business? Knowing your LTV is crucial because it helps you justify a higher CPA upfront for the right kind of customer.

Getting this groundwork done is absolutely essential. This quick flowchart breaks down the simple but powerful steps to take before you start your search.

This process makes sure that when you do start talking to agencies, you’re the one leading the conversation with clear, data-driven objectives.

Set a Realistic Budget

Your budget isn’t just some random number you pull out of thin air; it’s the fuel for your entire growth engine. It needs to be big enough to give a PPC ads company the room they need to test, learn, and optimize effectively. A good rule of thumb for many B2C companies is to set aside 5% to 10% of total revenue for marketing.

Don’t fall into the classic trap of setting a tiny "test" budget and hoping for moonshot returns. PPC is a data game, and it requires a real commitment to gather enough information to make smart decisions. A small budget often leads to inconclusive results and a failed partnership before it even gets off the ground.

For most small to medium-sized businesses, a realistic starting point for ad spend (not including agency fees) is often somewhere between $1,000 to $10,000 per month. This gives an agency enough runway to be competitive in most industries.

Audit Your Existing Assets

Finally, you need to take a long, honest look at what you’re bringing to the table. An agency can drive the most qualified traffic on the planet to your site, but if your website can’t convert that traffic, you’re just pouring water into a leaky bucket.

A crucial first step, even before asset auditing, is deciding if an external partner is the right move. Weighing the pros and cons of in-house vs agency marketing will give you clarity. Once you're set on outsourcing, run through this checklist:

• Landing Pages: Are they fast? Mobile-friendly? Do they have a clear, single call to action?
• Tracking and Analytics: Is Google Analytics set up correctly? Are the necessary ad platform pixels (like Meta or Google) installed and firing properly?
• Offer and Value Proposition: Is your offer compelling? Is it communicated clearly and immediately?

Having these pieces in place before you start your search shows any potential PPC ads company that you’re serious, organized, and ready to build a successful partnership from day one.

Your Pre-Hiring Internal Scorecard

To make this even simpler, here’s a quick checklist of the internal tasks you need to complete before you start talking to any PPC agency. Use it to make sure you've covered all your bases.

Action Item	Why It's Essential	Example Metric (eCommerce)
Define Target CPA	Sets a clear profitability ceiling for getting customers.	Target CPA: R350
Establish ROAS Goal	Ensures ad spend directly helps with revenue growth.	Minimum ROAS: 4:1
Calculate LTV	Shows how much you can sustainably invest to get customers.	Average LTV: R1,500
Confirm Ad Budget	Provides the necessary fuel for testing and scaling campaigns.	Monthly Ad Spend: R50,000
Audit Landing Pages	High-quality pages are vital for converting the paid traffic.	Page Load Speed < 3s
Verify Tracking	Accurate data is the foundation of all optimization efforts.	eCommerce tracking enabled in GA4

Ticking off these boxes means you're not just hoping for success; you're actively planning for it. This preparation makes you a far more attractive client and sets the stage for a much more productive and profitable agency relationship.

Finding and Vetting Potential PPC Partners

Alright, you’ve got your internal strategy sorted. Now for the real work: finding the right people to make it happen. The market for a PPC ads company is absolutely saturated. A quick search will throw a thousand names at you, and it’s nearly impossible to tell the real experts from the smooth-talking opportunists.

So, how do you find a partner who will actually move the needle for your business? It’s time to look past the sponsored search results and dig into the places where real performance is what counts.

Sourcing High-Calibre Candidates

You need to think like a detective here. The best agencies often aren’t the ones with the flashiest ads; they're the ones quietly getting incredible results for businesses just like yours.

Instead of broad searches, try these smarter hunting grounds to build your shortlist:

• Technology Partner Directories: If you’re running on a platform like Shopify, HubSpot, or BigCommerce, start with their official partner directories. These agencies are already vetted and have a proven track record within that specific tech ecosystem. It’s a great quality filter.
• Trusted Referral Networks: This is gold. Ask other founders or marketing managers in your network who they use. A warm referral from someone who has already seen tangible results is probably the strongest signal you can get.
• Industry Forums and Communities: Poke around online communities and forums in your niche. An agency that is actively and helpfully participating in conversations shows they're genuinely invested in the space, not just another vendor chasing a contract.

This targeted approach helps you sidestep the generalists and zero in on specialists. The goal isn't to create a massive list of twenty potentials; you want a tight, relevant shortlist of three to five agencies that truly fit the bill.

How to Dissect Case Studies

With a shortlist in hand, it's time to check out their work. Every agency website has a "Case Studies" or "Our Work" page, but most are loaded with vanity metrics. Your job is to cut through the fluff and find the actual substance.

A good case study isn't just a brag sheet; it's a story. It should clearly lay out the problem, the strategy used to solve it, and the measurable outcome. Look for these elements:

• The "Before" Picture: What was the client’s specific pain point? A sky-high CPA? A dismal conversion rate? An inability to scale spend?
• The "How": What exactly did the agency do? Did they restructure campaigns, launch a new creative strategy, or optimize landing pages? Vague claims like "we optimized the account" are a massive red flag.
• The "After" Metrics: Do the results tie directly to business goals? A boost in click-through rate is nice, but a 30% reduction in CPA or a 2x increase in qualified leads is what really matters.

A PPC ads company that's truly confident in its work will be transparent about the challenges and the solutions. If a case study feels too perfect or lacks specific details on their strategic process, be skeptical.

As you evaluate their past work, it’s also useful to review some solid factors for hiring a digital marketing agency, as the core principles for finding a great partner are universal.

Spotting Real Expertise vs. Sales Talk

Beyond the case studies, pay close attention to how each potential PPC ads company communicates. Those initial conversations are incredibly revealing.

An expert will be more interested in your business metrics than their own awards. They'll ask you tough, insightful questions about your customer lifetime value (LTV), profit margins, and sales cycle. A sales-driven agency, on the other hand, often leads with guarantees, buzzwords, and a generic "solution" before they even understand your business.

Ultimately, you’re not just hiring a campaign manager; you're looking for a strategic partner. They should be able to intelligently discuss how various PPC platforms and channels can work together to hit your bigger business objectives. That kind of deep, strategic thinking is what separates a good agency from a great one.

Asking the Right Questions on Your Discovery Call

The discovery call is your interview. You've checked out their case studies and they seem to know their stuff, but this is your chance to separate the genuine strategic partners from the polished sales pitchers. Going into that call armed with a sharp, insightful list of questions is the best tool you have.

This isn't about ticking boxes. It’s about getting a feel for how a potential PPC ads company thinks. You want to push past the generic fluff and get right to the core of their expertise, their communication style, and how they approach data.

Probing Their Strategic Thinking

Forget asking, "What's your process?". Every agency has a rehearsed, canned answer for that one. Instead, you need to throw them some real-world curveballs to see how they react on their feet. Their answers will tell you a lot more about their strategic depth than any shiny slide deck.

Try pushing them with these more challenging questions:

• "Walk me through how you'd turn around an underperforming campaign in our industry." This question forces them to apply their knowledge directly to your world. A great answer will involve them asking you questions first—about your goals, tracking, and past efforts—before they even dream of suggesting a solution.
• "How do you contribute to conversion rate optimization (CRO) beyond just the ad platform?" This is a big one. An agency that only talks about keywords and bids is a tactical vendor, not a partner. A real partner will start talking about landing page suggestions, A/B testing ideas, and ways to improve the entire journey from the ad click to the final conversion.
• "What's your strategy for scaling a successful campaign without letting the CPA get out of control?" Their response should be more sophisticated than just "increase the budget." Listen for mentions of audience expansion, testing new platforms, and re-investing in top-performing creative. You might find our guide on what it takes to find the right Google Ads agency that can handle this kind of scale helpful.

Understanding the Team and Communication

One of the biggest letdowns is when the impressive senior strategist who sold you on the service vanishes, leaving you with a junior account manager. You need to get absolute clarity on who you'll actually be working with day-to-day.

Don't be shy about asking direct questions about their team structure:

• "Who will be our primary point of contact?"
• "Who will be in the ad accounts making the actual changes and optimisations?"
• "What's the ratio of accounts to account managers at your agency?"

A major red flag is an agency that gets cagey about who is doing the work. You have a right to know the experience level of the person managing your money. If they can't give you a straight answer, it’s a sign their senior team is focused on sales, not client success.

Communication is the glue that holds any good partnership together. Ask them to define their communication and reporting rhythm. Will it be weekly emails? A monthly strategy call? A shared Slack channel? Make sure their style fits with what you need to feel confident and in the loop.

Talking Money and Performance

Alright, let's get down to the two topics that matter most: pricing and results. Any professional PPC ads company will be completely transparent about both.

You'll generally come across a few common pricing models:

1. Percentage of Ad Spend: The agency takes a cut (often 10-20%) of what you spend on ads each month. This model scales with your budget but can sometimes incentivise agencies just to spend more, not necessarily smarter.
2. Flat Monthly Retainer: You pay a fixed fee every month, regardless of your ad spend. This gives you predictable costs but might not be the most cost-effective option for very small budgets.
3. Performance-Based: The agency gets paid based on the results they generate, like a fee per lead or a percentage of sales. This aligns your incentives perfectly, but it can be complex to track and is far less common.

While you're on the topic of pricing, ask about contract lengths and termination clauses. You need to know exactly what you're committing to and what your options are if things don't work out.

Finally, you need to understand how they will measure and report on the performance that matters to you. Ask them what platforms they specialise in and why. In South Africa, for instance, the performance landscape varies. Google Ads often delivers a strong 5:1 ROAS, whereas Facebook Ads can be more affordable for entry but might yield a more conservative 3:1 ROAS. Then you have LinkedIn, which commands a premium for its powerful B2B targeting.

A good agency won't just push their favorite platform; they'll recommend a strategic mix based on your specific goals and budget.

Decoding Contracts and Aligning on Expectations

You’ve found a promising PPC ads company, and the discovery calls went great. Now comes the moment of truth: the contract. It’s all too easy to get swept up in the excitement and just skim the legal document, but a solid contract is the absolute bedrock of a healthy, long-term partnership. It’s there to protect both you and the agency.

Understanding what you’re signing isn’t just about avoiding nasty surprises down the line. It’s about making sure everyone is on the same page from day one. This document sets the rules of the game and defines what a successful relationship will look like in clear, unambiguous terms.

Key Clauses to Look for in Any Agency Contract

Don't let the legalese intimidate you. Most standard PPC contracts cover the same core areas. Your job is to check that the specifics in each clause line up with what was promised during your sales calls.

Here are the critical parts you need to review carefully:

• Scope of Work (SoW): This needs to be incredibly detailed. Does it list the exact platforms being managed (e.g., Google, Meta, TikTok)? Does it specify services like campaign builds, keyword research, ad copywriting, and landing page optimisation? Vague terms like “PPC management” simply won't cut it.
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): This part defines expectations around communication. How quickly will they get back to your emails or calls? It sets professional boundaries and ensures you won’t be left hanging for days when you have an urgent question.
• Reporting Schedule: How often will you get performance reports, and what will they actually include? A good agency will commit to weekly or bi-weekly updates and a more in-depth monthly strategy call.
• Termination Clause: This is a big one. What’s the notice period needed to end the contract? Is it 30, 60, or 90 days? You need to avoid getting locked into a long-term agreement without a clear and fair exit path if things don't work out.

This level of detail is crucial in South Africa, where the digital advertising scene is changing fast. The retail paid search sector alone is growing at a compound annual rate of 27.7%, a clear sign of the massive shift towards measurable, performance-based marketing. Understanding these contract terms ensures your agency is held accountable for delivering results in this competitive environment.

Going Beyond the Contract with a Mutual Success Plan

A contract covers the "what," but a Mutual Success Plan defines the "why" and the "how." This isn't a legal document; it’s a strategic one you build with your new agency during onboarding. It bridges the gap between legal obligations and your actual business goals.

A contract protects you legally, but a Mutual Success Plan ensures you're aligned strategically. It transforms the relationship from a simple client-vendor dynamic into a true partnership where both sides are invested in hitting the same targets.

This plan should clearly outline:

1. Overarching Business Goals: What is the main objective for the next 6-12 months? Is it to increase online revenue by 40%, generate 200 qualified leads per month, or hit a 5:1 ROAS? Get specific.
2. Quarterly Milestones: Break that big goal down into smaller, achievable targets. For example, Q1 might be all about establishing a baseline CPA, while Q2 focuses on scaling ad spend without sacrificing efficiency.
3. Key Metrics for Success: List the specific KPIs that will truly define a win. This means going beyond vanity metrics and focusing on what moves the needle: Cost Per Lead, Conversion Rate, and Customer Lifetime Value. You can check out our guide on how much Facebook ads cost to get a better handle on platform-specific metrics.

Creating this plan together ensures there are no misunderstandings from the get-go. Your PPC ads company knows exactly what you expect, and you have a clear framework for measuring their performance against the goals that actually matter to your business.

Making the Onboarding Process Work for You (and Get Results Faster)

You’ve signed the contract. The deal is done. Now, the real partnership begins, and frankly, the first 90 days with your new PPC ads company can make or break the entire relationship. A clunky, disorganized start is a recipe for missed deadlines and lost momentum. But a smooth, well-oiled onboarding? That’s your fast track to seeing real results.

Think of it this way: the more you prepare on your side, the quicker your agency can move past the administrative setup and get stuck into strategy and optimization. They can spend their time making you money instead of chasing you for logins and brand assets. A great partnership is a two-way street, and being proactive here is a game-changer.

Your Onboarding Prep-Pack: What to Have Ready

To really hit the ground running, you should have a digital "welcome pack" ready to hand over. Getting this organized from day one can literally shave weeks off the setup time and empower your new team to start making an impact immediately.

The goal is to give them a complete picture of your business, your customers, and what you’ve done online so far.

Here’s a quick list of what they’ll need:

• The Keys to the Kingdom: Grant them admin-level access to your key platforms. This usually means Google Ads, Meta Business Manager, Google Analytics, and Google Tag Manager.
• Your Customer Blueprint: Don't just say "we target millennials." Share your detailed customer personas. Who are these people, really? What keeps them up at night? What triggers them to buy?
• Your Brand Bible: Hand over your logo files, color palettes, font guidelines, and any rules you have about your tone of voice. This is crucial for making sure every new ad feels like it comes from you.
• The Best Bits: Point them towards your hero products or most profitable services. Let them know about any promotions you have running that they can use for quick wins.

The single most valuable thing you can give your new agency is a clear, unfiltered view into the soul of your business. Don't just email a bunch of logins. Get on a kickoff call and walk them through your customer's journey, your sales process, and the why behind what you do. That context is pure gold.

What to Expect in the First 90 Days

While you’re getting your assets together, a good PPC ads company will have its own structured plan for the first few months. This isn’t just about flicking a switch and hoping for the best; it’s about building a solid, data-backed foundation.

If an agency can't show you a clear 30-60-90 day plan, consider it a major red flag.

They should be guiding you through these early, critical stages:

1. The Deep-Dive Audit: Before they build anything new, a competent agency will get under the hood of your existing ad accounts. They’ll dig into historical performance, campaign structures, conversion tracking, and keyword targeting to find both quick fixes and bigger, untapped opportunities.
2. Spying on the Competition: A great agency looks beyond your four walls. They should be doing deep research on your top competitors’ ad strategies, their messaging, and the offers they’re pushing. This is how they find gaps in the market for you to own.
3. The "Learning" Launch: Armed with all that info, they’ll launch the first set of campaigns. The goal here isn't an immediate flood of profit. It’s about gathering clean, reliable data. They’re testing which audiences respond, what creative works, and which messages hit home.

This methodical approach is non-negotiable, especially now. In a market where ad costs are only going up, you can’t afford to guess. The South African PPC market, for example, has seen CPCs (cost-per-click) rise in a staggering 87% of industries. For crowded sectors like beauty and personal care, CPCs have jumped by as much as 40%. In South Africa, a single click can cost anything from R10 to over R150, which makes a data-driven launch strategy absolutely essential to avoid burning through your budget. You can find more of these insights in these PPC advertising statistics on Shopify.com.

When you know what a great onboarding looks like, you can hold your new partner to a higher standard and make sure your investment starts paying for itself from day one.

Common Questions About Hiring a PPC Company

Choosing the right partner to manage your ad spend is a massive decision, and it’s only natural to have a lot of questions. We’ve been there. To help you move forward with confidence, we've pulled together the most common questions we hear from businesses just like yours and laid out some clear, no-nonsense answers.

How Much Does a PPC Ads Company Typically Cost in South Africa?

This is the big one, and the honest answer is that costs can vary quite a bit. It really depends on your total ad spend and how complex your campaigns are. In South Africa, most agencies work off one of three main pricing models.

First up, there’s the flat monthly retainer. This is a popular option because it gives you a predictable cost each month, making budgeting a breeze. For smaller accounts, you can expect this to start somewhere around ZAR 15,000 to ZAR 30,000.

Then you have the percentage of ad spend model. This is usually between 10-20% of your total budget and is common for larger, scaling accounts where the workload grows with the spend.

Lastly, some agencies offer performance-based fees. Here, their fee is tied directly to hitting certain goals, like generating a specific number of leads or sales. This model really aligns their success with yours.

The most important thing? Find a model that suits your cash flow and growth goals. Always, always ask for a clear breakdown of the management fee versus the actual ad spend going to platforms like Google or Meta.

How Long Does It Take to See Real Results?

Okay, this is the question on everyone's mind. The truthful answer is: it takes time. You’ll see traffic and impression data almost immediately after launching campaigns, but genuine business results don't just happen overnight.

I find it helpful to think about the first few months in phases:

• Month 1 (The Foundation): This is all about setup, deep research, and crucial learning. Your new agency is getting all the tracking right, digging into your audience, and understanding the competitive landscape.
• Months 2-3 (Optimization): This is where you should start seeing meaningful data and the first real optimizations. The agency is actively testing different audiences, ad creative, and bidding strategies to figure out what resonates.
• Months 3-6 (Scaling): This is when things get exciting. A clear, scalable return on investment (ROI) usually becomes visible after the three-month mark, once the groundwork has been laid.

Be very wary of any PPC ads company that promises you the world overnight. Real, sustainable growth comes from a methodical process of testing, learning, and refining—not from flipping some magic switch.

What Is the Difference Between a PPC Agency and a Freelancer?

Choosing between a freelancer and an agency really comes down to what you need in terms of bandwidth and breadth of expertise.

A freelancer is a one-person show managing your campaigns. For smaller businesses, this can be a very cost-effective route. The trade-off is that you’re reliant on one person's limited time and their specific, sometimes narrower, skill set.

A PPC agency, on the other hand, brings a full team to the table. This is a game-changer because you're not just getting one person; you're getting a whole system. This often includes:

• A dedicated strategist for high-level planning.
• Platform-specific ad buyers who live and breathe Google, Meta, or TikTok.
• A copywriter to craft compelling ad creative that converts.
• A data analyst to dive deep into the numbers and find the "why" behind the results.

This team approach gives you much broader expertise, more strategic oversight, and critical redundancy. It means your campaigns are always in expert hands, even if someone is on leave.

How Involved Do I Need to Be After Hiring an Agency?

Very. Let me be clear: the best agency relationships are true partnerships. This isn't a “set it and forget it” service. While your agency will handle the day-to-day grind of managing and executing the campaigns, your internal insights are the secret sauce that makes everything work.

You know your product, your customers, and your industry better than anyone. Things like regular communication, giving swift feedback on new ad creative, and sharing updates on lead quality or sales trends are invaluable. This kind of collaboration empowers your agency to make smarter, data-informed decisions that will ultimately drive far better results for your business.

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