{"id":2635,"date":"2026-10-04T09:50:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T09:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digimanmarketing.com\/blog\/?p=2635"},"modified":"2026-10-04T09:50:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T09:50:23","slug":"questions-to-ask-google-ads-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digimanmarketing.com\/blog\/questions-to-ask-google-ads-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Questions to Ask a Google Ads Agency Before Signing a Contract"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before signing with a Google Ads agency, ask who controls the account, what you pay for, how conversions and lead quality are measured, and what happens when you leave.<\/strong> Request written evidence for the answers. A clear proposal should connect costs and deliverables to your business goals without promising guaranteed returns.<\/p>\n

This checklist is for businesses that have shortlisted a PPC provider and want to assess the agreement before committing. It evaluates vendor fit and delivery accountability rather than ranking agencies. Sample report wording and scope clauses below are illustrations, not Digiman contract terms or client results.<\/p>\n

How to use this Google Ads agency checklist<\/h2>\n

Give each shortlisted agency the same website, goals, actual service areas, priority offer and available budget. Ask the questions in a meeting, then request the relevant answers in writing. Record whether an answer is confirmed, conditional or unresolved and who must supply the missing information.<\/p>\n

For Chennai businesses, include practical requirements such as Tamil or English assets, supported neighbourhoods and enquiry handling hours when relevant. Do not assume a city-based agency understands your sales process without discussing it.<\/p>\n

Google\u2019s third-party policies<\/a> emphasize honest, transparent descriptions of services, costs and expected results. Apply that principle to the proposal: you should understand the work, associated costs and limits before agreeing.<\/p>\n

15 questions to ask a Google Ads agency<\/h2>\n

1. Who will control our Google Ads account and related assets?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Agree which business users retain administrative access, how agency access is provided and what happens when the relationship ends. Clarify separately who controls analytics, tag management, landing pages and creative files.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> An account-access inventory showing client administrators, linked managers and each asset\u2019s owner or responsible party.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> The agency refuses to explain access or says leaving means losing the account.<\/p>\n

2. What access level does your team need, and why?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Different tasks require different permissions. Use named user access and an appropriate manager-account arrangement rather than sharing a personal password. Google distinguishes user access levels and manager-account ownership; ask the agency to explain both.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> A written access request tied to the tasks, plus a process for removing access.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> A demand for shared credentials without a clear explanation of alternatives.<\/p>\n

3. Who pays Google, and how will actual media spend be shown?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Establish whether the business pays Google directly or receives a combined invoice. Either arrangement should make advertising charges distinguishable from agency fees and other costs.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> A sample invoice and a description of how Google costs are reconciled.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> One bundled total with no usable breakdown or reconciliation.<\/p>\n

4. What are the setup fee, monthly fee and additional charges?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Ask about landing pages, creative, tracking tools, translations, extra campaigns and applicable taxes. For percentage fees, define the calculation basis and any minimum or cap.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> A dated cost schedule with recurring and one-off items, exclusions and a worked calculation.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> A headline price followed by undefined mandatory add-ons.<\/p>\n

5. What exactly will you deliver during setup and each month?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Separate launch work from ongoing management. Define campaign types, locations, priority products or services, asset production and the review process. Ask how changed priorities affect the scope.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> A deliverables list with owners, deadlines, dependencies and acceptance checks.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> Broad phrases such as \u201ccomplete optimization\u201d without identifiable work.<\/p>\n

6. Who will actually manage the account?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Understand the day-to-day contact, relevant experience, review responsibilities and cover when the main manager is unavailable. A sales presentation does not establish who will do the work.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> The role of the named contact and a clear communication and escalation process.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> No accountable contact or an unexplained gap between sales promises and delivery capacity.<\/p>\n

7. What research supports your proposed campaign approach?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Ask how the agency assessed the offer, search needs, competition, service areas and available account data. Distinguish measured evidence from assumptions and forecasts.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> A scoped launch rationale, research sources and unresolved questions.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> A generic plan presented as proven for your business without examining it.<\/p>\n

8. How will you define and test conversions?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Agree what counts as an enquiry, purchase or other outcome and whether actions are used for reporting or campaign optimization. Ask who implements tracking and who checks it before launch.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> An event list, implementation owner and test record covering the real conversion route.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> Reporting clicks or page views as sales, or launching with untested tracking.<\/p>\n

9. How will you measure qualified leads and sales?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> A form submission is not automatically a qualified opportunity. Agree eligibility criteria, duplicate treatment and who supplies sales feedback. For longer sales cycles, define when outcomes can reasonably be reviewed.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> A qualification definition and a simple feedback workflow through an agreed record system.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> Success is judged solely by raw lead volume while relevance and sales are ignored.<\/p>\n

10. Who is responsible for landing pages and creative assets?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Clarify whether the agency supplies recommendations, edits an existing page or builds a new one. Name the copywriter, designer, developer and business reviewer where needed.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> A page and asset scope, revision process and launch checklist.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> The proposal assumes work is included while delivery depends on unmentioned outside suppliers.<\/p>\n

11. Who can change budgets, and when is approval required?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Set an authorized spending plan and approval thresholds. Decide how campaign-level changes relate to the overall budget and who can pause activity if something goes wrong.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> A documented approval rule and a process for communicating material spend changes.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> The agency can increase spending without an agreed authorization process.<\/p>\n

12. What will the monthly report explain?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Request completed work, actual media costs, relevant outcomes, qualification feedback, significant changes and next priorities. Dates, attribution definitions and data limitations should be understandable.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> An anonymized sample report and a review meeting agenda.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> A dashboard screenshot with no explanation of outcomes, fees or next actions.<\/p>\n

13. What evidence supports your experience and performance claims?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Ask for relevant examples with the period, scope and measurement explained. Respect client confidentiality; anonymized evidence can still show the method. Distinguish a reference, a certification and a performance case.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> Verifiable credentials where claimed and appropriately documented examples.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> Guaranteed returns or selected figures with no dates, definitions or context.<\/p>\n

14. How do you handle approvals, policy issues and urgent problems?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Agree who reviews ads and business claims, who responds to disapprovals and how urgent issues are escalated. Clarify client responsibilities for accurate information and verification.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> An approval workflow, escalation contact and incident communication process.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> Suggestions to evade platform enforcement or use misleading claims.<\/p>\n

15. What happens when we end the contract?<\/h3>\n

Why it matters:<\/strong> Read the minimum term, renewal, notice process, final billing, unfinished work and handover obligations. Clarify access removal, transferable assets and any non-transferable licences.<\/p>\n

Evidence to request:<\/strong> Written exit terms and a handover checklist with named responsibilities.<\/p>\n

Warning sign:<\/strong> Exit conditions are vague or account access is used as pressure to renew.<\/p>\n

For the access questions, consult Google\u2019s account access-level documentation<\/a>. It explains differences between permissions and linked manager access. The checklist\u2019s recommendation to document client control is a purchasing safeguard; do not confuse it with a claim that every account must use an identical administrative arrangement.<\/p>\n

For tracking scope, Google\u2019s conversion measurement overview<\/a> explains measuring valuable actions after ad interactions. Agree which actions are meaningful to your business and require verification of the implemented setup.<\/p>\n

Proposal scorecard: compare the answers consistently<\/h2>\n

Score the evidence, not presentation quality. Use 0<\/strong> for missing or unacceptable, 1<\/strong> for partly explained with unresolved conditions, and 2<\/strong> for a clear written answer supported by suitable evidence. This is an editorial purchasing aid, not a validated prediction of agency performance.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Dimension<\/th>\nRelated questions<\/th>\nEvidence needed for a strong answer<\/th>\nScore<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Account control and access<\/td>\n1\u20132<\/td>\nClient access, named permissions and documented manager links<\/td>\n0\u20132<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fees and billing<\/td>\n3\u20134<\/td>\nSeparated charges, calculation basis and reconciliation process<\/td>\n0\u20132<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Scope and delivery team<\/td>\n5\u20137<\/td>\nDeliverables, accountable contact and business-specific rationale<\/td>\n0\u20132<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tracking and lead quality<\/td>\n8\u20139<\/td>\nTested conversion route and qualification feedback process<\/td>\n0\u20132<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Assets and spending authority<\/td>\n10\u201311<\/td>\nPage and creative owners plus approval rules<\/td>\n0\u20132<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Reporting and evidence<\/td>\n12\u201313<\/td>\nUseful sample report and substantiated claims<\/td>\n0\u20132<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Approvals and incidents<\/td>\n14<\/td>\nReview and escalation process<\/td>\n0\u20132<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Exit and handover<\/td>\n15<\/td>\nWritten exit conditions and usable handover checklist<\/td>\n0\u20132<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The maximum is 16 points. Use the score to identify follow-up work, not as an automatic hiring threshold. A high total does not cancel a serious problem with access, billing transparency, misleading claims or exit conditions. The evidence and remaining risks matter more than small differences in totals.<\/p>\n

Illustrative comparison:<\/strong> one provider scores 13\/16 but leaves handover unresolved. Another scores 12\/16 and clearly documents handover but needs a better tracking plan. The numbers do not establish a winner. Request the missing evidence and decide which final proposal meets your needs.<\/p>\n

Non-negotiables to resolve before committing<\/h2>\n