Most business owners who hire a PPC agency cannot easily tell whether the work is good. Reports look professional, the account is busy, but leads feel thin. An independent PPC audit service gives you an outside view, but you can learn a great deal first just by asking the right questions.
Below are 10 questions to put to your agency or freelancer. Good agencies welcome them. Vague or defensive answers are a signal to look closer.
Quick answer: To judge whether your PPC agency is doing a good job, check that you own the account, conversion tracking measures real leads or sales, search terms are reviewed regularly, reporting ties to business results rather than clicks, and changes are explained. If answers are unclear, an independent Google Ads review will show what is really happening.
10 questions to ask your PPC agency
1. Who owns the Google Ads account?
You should own the account, with the agency given access through their manager account. If the agency owns it, you could lose the account history if you part ways. Check under Admin > Access and security who has admin access.
Good answer: "You own it, we have standard or admin access via our MCC."
2. What exactly counts as a conversion?
Ask them to list every Primary conversion action and explain what triggers it. Page views, button clicks or "time on site" should not be driving bidding. If a form fill is counted, has anyone tested it recently? Our guide to Google Ads conversion tracking not working explains what can go wrong.
Good answer: A short list of real business actions, recently tested, with no duplicates.
3. Do the reported conversions match our CRM or sales?
Pull your own lead or order numbers for the last month and compare. Some difference is normal because of attribution and click date reporting, but a large gap needs explaining.
4. How often do you review search terms, and what did you exclude last month?
Search term review is basic hygiene and one of the most effective ways to cut wasted spend. A good agency can show recent negative keywords and explain why.
Red flag: "The algorithm handles that now." Smart bidding helps, but it does not replace human judgement about irrelevant queries.
5. How is brand search reported?
If brand and non brand campaigns are blended, results look better than they are, because people searching your name were likely to find you anyway. Ask for non brand performance on its own.
6. Why this bid strategy and this target?
The agency should be able to explain why they chose Maximise Conversions, Target CPA or Target ROAS, and how the target was set. If they cannot connect it to your margins or lead value, the target may be arbitrary.
7. What changes have you made recently, and why?
Google Ads keeps a change history. Ask the agency to walk you through the last month of meaningful changes. Activity alone is not value, but a long period with no changes and no explanation suggests the account is on autopilot.
8. Which settings have you checked?
Ask specifically about location targeting ("Presence" vs "Presence or interest"), Display Network opt in on Search campaigns, search partners and auto applied recommendations. These are common sources of waste that are easy to overlook.
9. What does the report measure?
A useful report focuses on cost per lead or sale, conversion value, ROAS where relevant, and lead quality, not just impressions, clicks and CTR. If the main headline every month is click volume, ask why. Our article on how to calculate ROAS explains why even return figures need checking.
10. What would you do with more budget, and with less?
A strong agency knows which campaigns are limited by budget and which are marginal. If the answer to more budget is "spread it evenly", they may not know where returns are coming from.
Warning signs to watch for
- You do not have admin access to your own account.
- Conversions rose sharply with no matching increase in real enquiries or sales.
- Reports change format or metrics frequently.
- Management fees are tied purely to spend, with constant pressure to increase budget.
- Long contracts with no clear performance review points.
- Questions get jargon instead of plain answers.
None of these proves the agency is doing a bad job. They are reasons to look more closely.
Free PPC audit vs independent paid review
Many agencies offer a free PPC audit. These can be useful, but remember that they are usually a sales tool for winning your management contract. The incentive is to find problems with the current agency and recommend switching.
An independent PPC audit service that does not offer ongoing management removes that conflict. The goal is simply to tell you what is working, what is broken and what to fix, whoever manages the account.
What a proper Google Ads agency review covers
- Conversion tracking validation, tested end to end.
- Account structure and budget allocation.
- Search terms, match types and negative keywords.
- Bid strategies and targets.
- Campaign settings and Performance Max configuration.
- Ads, assets and landing page relevance.
- A prioritised list of fixes your agency can act on.
For a full breakdown, see our Google Ads audit checklist.
What to prepare before a review
To get the most from an independent review, gather a few things first:
- Read only access to Google Ads, plus GA4 and Google Tag Manager if tracking is in scope.
- Your own lead or sales figures for the last three to six months, so reported conversions can be compared with reality.
- Your rough gross margin or average lead value, so targets can be judged against what you can afford.
- Recent agency reports, so the reviewer can see what you have been told.
- Any known changes, such as a website rebuild or new booking system, that may have affected tracking.
Using an audit constructively
An audit does not have to end the relationship. Often the best outcome is sharing the findings with your agency and agreeing a fix list. A good agency will take that on board. Our reports are written so agencies can act on them, and for agency partners we can work white label.
Our Google Ads Audit is fixed fee, independent and does not lead to a retainer pitch, because we do not run campaigns.
FAQs
How do I know if my PPC agency is wasting money?
Look at the search terms report for irrelevant queries, check that conversions match real enquiries or sales, and review settings such as location targeting and Display Network opt in. Large unexplained gaps are a warning sign.
Should I trust a free PPC audit?
A free PPC audit can surface genuine issues, but it is usually offered by an agency hoping to win your business. Treat its recommendations as a starting point, ideally with a second opinion.
How often should I review my agency's work?
Monthly reporting should be standard, with a deeper Google Ads review once or twice a year or whenever results change significantly.
What access does an independent auditor need?
Read only access to Google Ads is usually enough, plus GA4 and Google Tag Manager access if tracking is being validated.
Get an independent second opinion
If you want an honest, unbiased Google Ads review, our Google Ads Audit costs £179, fixed fee, with no retainer and no sales pitch. Add a Tracking Audit + Fix in the Performance Clarity bundle for £349. Get My Audit.
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