Digital marketing
How much should a small business spend on Google Ads?
There is no single right budget. Here is how to work out what a sensible Google Ads spend looks like from your margins, your customers and your goals.
· 3 min read
Marketing & advertising
Search and display campaigns built around your goals, with careful tracking and budget control.
Paid search can bring in customers quickly, but only with tight targeting and good tracking. We set up and manage Google Ads campaigns, test ad copy and landing pages, and report on cost per lead rather than just clicks.
Search ads are a good fit when people already search for what you sell, when each customer is worth more than the cost of winning them, and when you can handle the enquiries that arrive. They are less useful for products nobody searches for. We will tell you honestly if your market or budget is a poor match.
We research the searches your customers use, group them into tightly themed ad groups, and write ads that match each theme. Negative keywords stop spend on irrelevant searches, location and schedule settings focus the budget, and conversion tracking records calls, forms and purchases, so optimisation is based on real results. Bidding changes are made slowly and with evidence, not on a hunch.
An ad is only half the job. If the page behind it is slow or vague, the money is wasted. We review the landing page for each campaign and recommend or make changes such as clearer headlines, simpler forms, visible trust signals and faster loading.
You keep your own Google Ads account and pay Google directly, so you always see where the money goes. Our monthly report shows spend, clicks, enquiries and cost per enquiry, what we changed and what we plan to test next. Ads work well alongside local SEO, which brings free visibility for the same searches.
Benefits
Daily budgets and negative keywords limit wasted clicks.
You see where money goes and what it returned.
Ads work harder when the page they land on matches them.
You own the account and pay Google directly, so nothing is hidden.
Negative keywords and tight targeting reduce spend on irrelevant clicks.
We measure what each lead costs, not just how many people clicked.
We learn about your business, audience, competitors and goals before recommending anything.
You receive a clear scope, timeline and priorities so you know what happens and why.
We build or implement in stages, sharing progress and asking for feedback early.
After launch we measure, report plainly and refine based on real results.
It depends on your market and goals. We will give an honest view after reviewing your sector.
Yes. Ad spend is paid to Google from your own account, so you keep full control.
Ads can bring traffic within days of approval, but the first few weeks are for learning which searches and messages work. Most accounts need two to three months of careful adjustment to settle.
Yes. We begin with an audit of structure, tracking, keywords and spend, and tell you what is working and what should change before we touch anything.
We agree a clear management fee in writing before starting, so you know what you will pay. Ad spend itself goes directly to Google.
Online stores on Shopify, WooCommerce or custom platforms, built for smooth checkout and long-term growth.
Learn moreA joined-up plan across search, content, email and paid channels, focused on qualified leads rather than vanity metrics.
Learn moreDigital marketing
There is no single right budget. Here is how to work out what a sensible Google Ads spend looks like from your margins, your customers and your goals.
· 3 min read