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Short answer: Choose a Google Ads agency for a trades business by checking five things before you sign: you will own the ad account with Admin access, the fee is written down separately from ad spend, there’s no long lock-in, calls are tracked as leads, and the people running it know local service ads. Google’s own policies for agencies require them to tell you their management fee in writing before your first purchase and to report the exact amount Google charged, without their fee added. Walk away from any agency that guarantees top position, promises unlimited clicks or won’t give you access to your account.
This page is for choosing an agency. If you already have one and want to know whether it’s doing a good job, use our 20-minute agency check.
What should I check before hiring a Google Ads agency for my trade business?
Checklist, based on Google Ads Help and Google’s third-party policies, checked 2 November 2026.
| Check | What good looks like | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Account ownership | The ads run in an account in your business’s name, with you as an Admin user | Admin users can remove an agency’s manager account at any time (Google). Without Admin, you can’t leave cleanly |
| Fee in writing | Management fee stated in writing before you start, and shown on every invoice | Google requires agencies to do this (Google) |
| Ad spend paid to Google | Your card or invoice account pays Google directly | You see exactly what Google charged. Google requires agencies to report the exact Google cost, without fees (Google) |
| Contract length | Month to month, or a short notice period | Google lists “putting undue pressure on advertisers to sign up or stay” as not allowed (Google) |
| Call tracking | Calls from ads and from your website counted as conversions, by call length | Most trade leads are phone calls. Google can count calls from ads above a set length as conversions (Google) |
| Reporting | Leads, cost per lead and booked jobs, not just clicks and impressions | Clicks don’t pay wages. See what a good report looks like |
| Trade knowledge | Can name the negative keywords and service areas they’d set up for you | Trade accounts waste money on job seekers, DIY and supplier searches. See our negative keyword list |
| Honest claims | No promises of top spot or a fixed number of leads | Google prohibits these claims by agencies (Google) |
What questions should I ask a Google Ads agency before signing?
- Whose name is the Google Ads account in, and will I have Admin access from day one? The only good answer is “yours” and “yes”.
- What is your fee, in writing, and is it separate from my ad spend? Get the fee, the minimum, any setup charge, and what happens to the fee as spend grows. Our guide to PPC agency fees for trades compares the common models.
- How long is the contract, and how do I leave? Ask what notice you must give and whether you keep the account, the tracking and the landing pages.
- How will you count leads? Ask which calls count (and from what call length), whether form fills are counted once, and whether you’ll see booked jobs.
- What will I see each month? You want cost, clicks and impressions from Google, plus leads and cost per lead.
- Which searches will you block? A good answer names examples for your trade (jobs, training, DIY, parts, wrong towns).
- Who actually works on my account? Ask whether the person you’re talking to runs the campaigns or hands them on.
- Have you run ads in my country? Settings differ. For example, Google’s call forwarding numbers aren’t available in New Zealand (Google), and Local Services Ads aren’t offered in Australia or New Zealand (Google).
What are the red flags when choosing a Google Ads agency?
Red flags, each tied to a Google policy or help page where one exists.
| Red flag | What Google says |
|---|---|
| “We guarantee you’ll be number one on Google” | Guaranteeing top placement is a prohibited claim for agencies (Google) |
| “Your ads will show all the time” or “unlimited clicks” | Both are listed as prohibited claims (Google) |
| The account is in the agency’s name and you can’t have Admin access | Admin users can unlink a manager account at any time (Google); without Admin access you can’t |
| One bill that mixes ad spend and fees, with no Google cost shown | Agencies must report the exact Google cost, excluding their fees, and disclose the fee on invoices (Google) |
| Reported cost is higher than your Google invoice | Reporting costs higher than Google charged is listed as untrustworthy behaviour (Google) |
| Claims to be a Google Partner but isn’t listed | Falsely claiming Partner status is prohibited (Google) |
| Repeated cold calls and pressure to sign today | Both are listed as not allowed (Google) |
| A fixed number of leads promised for a fixed price | Google prohibits “assuring outcomes that imply guaranteed success” (Google) |
Does it matter if an agency is a Google Partner?
It tells you something, but not whether they suit a small trade business. To become a Google Partner, an agency’s manager account needs an optimisation score of at least 70%, US$10,000 of ad spend across managed accounts over 90 days, and staff who meet Google’s product skills requirements. Premier Partners are the top 3% of Partners in a country (Google). The spend threshold is easier to reach for agencies with bigger clients, so a small specialist can be a good fit without the badge. Ask how they’d run your account instead.
Should I choose a specialist trades agency or a general one?
Pick whoever can show they understand local call-driven ads: service areas, call tracking, after-hours scheduling and blocking job-seeker searches. A specialist will usually know these already. A general agency can too, so test them with the questions above. Don’t choose on a sample report alone. Ask them what they’d change in your account in the first 30 days.
On reviews and case studies: we couldn’t find neutral, published data comparing results between trades agencies, so treat any “best agency” list (including ones written by agencies) as marketing.
Where does PPC Fitter fit?
PPC Fitter runs Google Ads and Meta Ads for trades and local service businesses in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. It’s run by Prashant Kumar, who worked at Google from 2017 to 2021. Your Google Ads account is set up in your business’s own name, so you own the account and its data. You pay your ad spend straight to Google or Meta from your own payment method, so it never goes through us. The fee is first 2 months free, then 10% of combined Google + Meta ad spend or US$500/month, whichever is greater, with no lock-in and tools included (pricing). Use the questions on this page on us too.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose a Google Ads agency for my plumbing or trade business?
Check five things before signing: the ad account is in your name with Admin access, the fee is in writing and separate from ad spend, there’s no long lock-in, calls are tracked as leads, and they can explain how they’d handle local service ads for your trade.
What questions should I ask a PPC agency before hiring?
Ask whose name the account is in, what the fee is in writing, how long the contract is and how you leave, how leads are counted, what you’ll see each month, which searches they’ll block, and who works on your account day to day.
What are the red flags with a Google Ads agency?
Guarantees of top position or unlimited clicks, an account you can’t get Admin access to, bills that mix ad spend and fees, reported costs higher than your Google invoice, and pressure to sign quickly. Google’s third-party policies list these as prohibited or untrustworthy.
Should I own my Google Ads account if an agency runs it?
Yes. If the account is in your business’s name and you’re an Admin, you can unlink the agency’s manager account at any time and keep your history, keywords and conversion data.
Is a Google Partner agency better?
Not necessarily for a small trade business. Partner status needs a 70% optimisation score, US$10,000 of managed spend over 90 days and staff product skills. Those rules favour bigger agencies. Judge an agency on how it would run your account.
Is there a Google Ads agency for contractors with no long-term contract?
Yes, many agencies work month to month. PPC Fitter has no lock-in: first 2 months free, then 10% of combined Google + Meta ad spend or US$500/month, whichever is greater, with tools included.
Is there a Google Ads agency run by an ex-Google founder?
PPC Fitter is run by Prashant Kumar, who worked at Google from 2017 to 2021 and now manages Google Ads and Meta Ads for trades and local service businesses in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
Sources (all checked 2 November 2026)
- Google Advertising Policies Help, Transparency requirements (third-party policies)
- Google Advertising Policies Help, False, misleading, or unrealistic claims
- Google Advertising Policies Help, Harassing, abusive, or untrustworthy behavior
- Google Ads Help, About Google Ads manager accounts
- Google Ads Help, About access levels in your Google Ads account
- Google Ads Help, How to become a Google Partner or Premier Partner
- Google Ads Help, About call reporting
- Google Local Services Ads Help, Getting started with Local Services Ads
Related: How to know if your Google Ads agency is doing a good job · PPC agency fees for trades · Google Ads agency free trial · Free Google Ads management · About Prashant Kumar · Pricing
