A good PPC agency in South Africa should be clear about who controls your Google Ads account, what its fee covers, how it measures valuable leads, and what it will change when a campaign underperforms. If you’re comparing a pay per click agency or a Google Ads provider, use these nine questions to judge the work behind each proposal—not just the promised number of clicks.
1. Who owns the account, billing and data?
Ask whether the Google Ads account will be in your business’s name, who will retain administrator access, how the agency will be linked, and what happens if you stop working together. You should be able to review the account and understand the handover process before you need it.
Google Ads manager accounts let an agency manage client accounts. Google explains that a client account continues to own its data and can remove an owner manager’s access by unlinking it. Read Google’s guidance on ownership of client accounts and get the access arrangement in writing.
2. What counts as a successful result for your business?
Clicks are not the same as sales or qualified enquiries. Agree which actions matter, how they will be measured, and which are supporting signals. For a service business, primary outcomes might include booked consultations, successful contact forms or accepted quotes; a quote generated or a PDF delivered could be a secondary signal, depending on the sales process.
Ask the agency to show how those actions map to Google Ads conversion actions and how it will check that the Google tag or linked analytics events are working. Google’s web-conversion setup guidance explains that conversion measurement can use a Google tag or events from a linked Google Analytics property. Confirm who is responsible for testing the events and resolving gaps.
3. What is included in the agency fee—and what is separate?
Request a written breakdown of the setup fee, ongoing management fee, Google Ads spend, creative work, landing-page work, software costs and VAT. Make sure the total is shown in Rand if the proposal is in South Africa, and ask how changes in budget are approved. Ad spend paid to Google is not the same thing as the fee paid to the agency.
For a current local reference, Engage24’s Pay-Per-Click Ads page lists a once-off Setup & Discovery option and monthly plans in Rand; it states that prices exclude VAT and ad spend is billed separately. Package scope differs, so check the live page for current inclusions and prices before comparing a quote.
4. How will you review actual search terms?
A campaign keyword is what an advertiser chooses to target; a search term is what someone actually searched before an ad appeared. Ask how often the agency reviews search terms, which campaigns and ad groups it examines, and how it decides whether a term deserves a negative keyword or its own ad group.
Google’s Search terms report guide says the report shows searches that triggered ads and how they performed; some low-activity queries may be omitted for privacy. A careful reviewer should therefore explain both what the report reveals and what it cannot show. Negative keywords should filter clearly irrelevant demand without blocking useful variations.
5. How will campaigns match the way customers search?
Ask how the proposal separates brand searches from non-brand discovery, products or services, locations, and different customer needs. The agency should be able to explain why each campaign or ad group exists and which page a searcher will reach.
Request examples of the search intent the campaign is meant to serve. If the explanation is only a list of keywords, ask how the targeting, ad copy and landing page work together.
6. Who checks the landing page and mobile journey?
PPC performance depends on more than the ad. Ask whether the proposal includes a review of the destination page, mobile layout, form or checkout path, message match, and any changes needed to reduce friction. Confirm whether the agency will make changes, recommend them for your developer, or treat them as separately priced work.
Engage24’s PPC service page describes campaign optimisation, ad and landing-page testing, and landing-page recommendations; check the live package descriptions for what is included in each option.
7. How often will you see useful reporting?
Ask for a sample report and a clear schedule. A useful report should separate ad spend, clicks and measured conversions, explain what changed, and identify the next test or decision. It should also distinguish measured results from estimates and should not present a platform score as proof of revenue.
Agree who will review the report with you and how urgent issues—such as broken tracking or an unexpected budget change—will be raised.
8. How are tests and budget changes approved?
Ask what the agency will test first, how long it expects to gather enough evidence, and what would cause it to pause or change a test. Clarify who approves new campaigns, increased budgets, new locations, creative production and changes to conversion goals.
Treat forecasts as estimates, not promises. Ask the agency to show its assumptions and explain which factors it can control and which depend on the auction, customer demand, your offer and the destination page.
9. What happens if you leave?
Before signing, agree how account access, billing, campaign history, conversion actions, tags, audiences, creative files and reports will be handed over. Ask whether the agency will help prevent tracking gaps while a new provider takes over, and whether any access or subscription needs to be transferred or cancelled.
A simple PPC proposal comparison checklist
Before choosing, write down the answer each provider gives for:
- Account ownership, administrator access and exit process.
- Agency fees, ad spend, VAT and any additional costs.
- Primary conversions, secondary signals and how they are tested.
- Search-term review and negative-keyword decisions.
- Landing-page responsibilities and mobile checks.
- Reporting frequency, named contact and approval process.
- Handover of campaigns and measurement when the contract ends.
A proposal that explains these points clearly is easier to compare and manage. Be cautious if an agency will not give you account visibility, reports only on clicks, hides ad spend inside a single unexplained total, or promises a specific lead volume without stating its assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
Should my business have access to its Google Ads account?
Yes. You should have administrator access or a clearly documented access arrangement, be able to inspect the account, and know how access can be changed or unlinked. Google’s manager-account guidance explains the relationship between manager and client accounts; ask the provider to document the arrangement before work starts.
Is a search term the same as a keyword?
No. A keyword is a targeting term an advertiser adds to a campaign; a search term is a query a person used that triggered an ad. The distinction helps you judge whether targeting and ad copy are reaching the intended audience.
Should an agency guarantee leads or a particular ad position?
Ask for the assumptions behind any forecast and how the agency will measure progress, but treat forecasts as estimates rather than guarantees. Performance depends on factors beyond the agency’s direct control, including the auction, competition, your offer, conversion tracking and the landing-page experience.
How do I compare PPC agency costs?
Compare the scope and exclusions, not only the headline fee. Separate setup, management, media spend, creative and landing-page work, software charges and VAT. Ask each provider to show the total in Rand and identify exactly which services are included.
Compare the work, not just the promise
A well-scoped PPC relationship makes account access, measurement, fees and responsibilities clear before campaigns launch. Review Engage24’s Pay-Per-Click Ads service, check the current package inclusions, and request a tailored quote if you want to discuss support for your business.