Find a Google Ads Consultant That You Can Trust

Having an experienced Google Ads Consultant that knows what they are doing is essential if you want to achieve consistent results. The average small to mid-sized business spends between $9,000 – $10,000 per month on Google Ads to (WebFX) get around an 8:1 return on their investment (according to Google). If you trust the wrong consultant with your Google Ads campaigns, then you could be wasting thousands of dollars without getting any return whatsoever.

If you want to save time finding a Google Ads consultant or have any questions about your Google Ads account, then feel free to talk with our experts today.

Our team has audited hundreds of accounts over the years and helped dozens of clients get more revenue from their Google Ads campaigns without increasing their budget. We customize our services based upon your business to help you get your ads in front of the right audience, maximize your return on ad spend, and increase qualified traffic to your website, store, or business. 

One of the best things you can do to improve your results is hire a seasoned SEM expert to manage your Google Ads account. Though I am a little biased because I’ve been a Google Ads consultant for about a decade now, over the years I have helped dozens of clients save more on their ad spend while increasing their return on investment. This article will give you useful tips so you can know what to look for in your future Google Ads consultant.

What do Google Ads Consultants Do?

The first thing you might be curious about is what Google Ads consultants can do for you and you might be wondering….”what skills does a Google Ads consultant have to successfully manage my account?”

Any SEM consultant that’s worth working with should have a strong understanding of how to do the following:

• Campaign Performance Analysis – you should look for someone that can diagnose your campaign’s performance and see what metrics need to improve to help you reach your goals. Having a certified Google Ads consultant definitely helps, though this particular skill comes primarily with hands-on experience managing accounts.

• Keyword Research – with all the updates going on in Google Ads, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find your right target audience. Effective keyword research is crucial for being able to find high intent terms that align with your target audience while also finding terms that are cost effective so you don’t spend excessively to reach your ideal customer.

• Ad Creation & Testing – with the new responsive search ad update, advertisers are now given 15 headlines and 4 descriptions that can show up to 43,680 different ad combinations. Your Google Ads consultant needs to know how to create the right headlines & descriptions that relate to your ideal prospect. Otherwise that same prospect might decide to go with one of your competitors instead.

• Account Maintenance – whether it’s bid optimization, audience refinement, negative keyword research, A/B testing, budget management, and so forth. You should have a consultant that knows what they need to do to maintain consistent results.

• An Ongoing Understanding of How Search Engines Work – you can still find an adequate account manager that might not know the in’s and out’s of how Google works to show people the right information they need for their search. Though any top tier Google Ads consultant will know how the ad auction works, what Google deems as high quality content, and how Google tries to give users the best possible experience while answering their search queries with useful information.

• Reporting – if you can’t measure it, you can’t achieve it. In order to achieve your SEM goals, you need ongoing reporting to see how you’re progressing towards your goals. Our team prides itself on being transparent and giving clients the information they need to make informed decisions about their marketing efforts.  

• The Soft Skills – Besides the basic skills we just reviewed, we firmly believe that you need a Google Ads consultant that is an effective communicator, takes pride in their work, works well with your team, and prioritizes your success.

Even if you don’t entirely understand all of these concepts, it’s good to ask your Google Ads consultant to explain them to see if they understand them. If they can’t provide you answers that are as clear as water, then that could be a sign that you should look elsewhere.

What Do Excellent Google Ads Consultant Bring to The Table?

Every business has their own unique goals, target audiences, value propositions, and services. There are quite a few consultants out there that can get a free Google Ads certification or manage an account or two that spend +$10k/month to become a Google Partner. Here’s are some particularly rare qualities that elite Google Ads Consultants have:

• Experience with managing $5,000 to +$1 Million in monthly ad spend. If you don’t have a multi-million dollar budget, you likely don’t need someone with that type of experience. Though it’s good to have someone that has experience managing a wide variety of accounts.

• Over 5 years of experience managing paid search accounts – this is one of the defining differences between the recently experienced ad managers (minimum of 2 years experience) and the seasoned ad manager.

• Managing accounts in your specific industry and knowing what’s required to manage accounts in your industry. 

• Prior case studies that show an ability to achieve meaningful results. Like our case studies here.

• A track record of effective communication to help you when you need it the most. 

• Project management skills to keep your Google Ads projects organized while providing you with consistent updates on the work being completed.

• Empathy – someone that is able to put themselves into the shoes of your top persona and see how your product or service relates to what they need.

• A Creative Mind – anyone can create an ad, it takes a truly creative consultant to know how to create ads that grab the right person’s attention and inspire them to act.

• A Data Geek – someone that knows how to drill down into your past performance data to find meaningful trends that provide directions to help you improve your campaigns results and possibly even improve your overall marketing performance.

I will confess, we are not perfect and it is extremely unlikely that you will find someone with every single one of these skills. Though it’s good to know what you should look for and no matter what, your future Google Ads consultant should be honest about who they are and what they can do for you. That being said, we do cover a substantial majority of these points with our consulting service and I can provide you with details on a 1:1 call.

How a Google Ads Consultant Saves Money

In order to get the leads you’re looking for at an affordable rate, you have to understand the fundamentals of paid media. Not only that, but you’ll also need to gauge your competition, bid on the right keywords, balance your marketing budget, and more. And in today’s fast-paced operations, most business owners don’t have the time or inclination to study every facet of Google AdWords which is why you should hire a Google Ads consultant instead. 

An experienced consultant takes the necessary steps to optimize your ad campaigns, manage your budget appropriately, and work with you to strategically gather leads. Basically, they’ll take care of the technical work for you while you focus on what matters most – running your business. Let’s dive into some of the ways you can hire the right Google AdWords consultant.

Determine Your Google Ads Budget

Every digital marketing agency will need a minimum monthly ad budget to work with. Keep in mind that with a smaller budget, your consultant may not get to be as aggressive with your campaigns. Your industry and niche will also play a significant role due to varying costs for targeting specific keywords and expanding outward. 

During a consultation call, be as transparent as you can with your budget. This can help you determine whether the agency or consultant is the right fit for your business and ad spend. Remember, the more money you allocate towards paid media, the more your consultant of choice will have to work with, casting a wider net, and expanding the outreach of your campaigns. 

The financial aspect of Google Ads can sometimes fall into a gray area. While it’s important to balance your budget and not overspend, you also need to understand the full cost of what it takes to achieve the marketing goals you set out for your business.

Do you need a Google Ads consultant, agency, or in-house specialist?

There are three key options to consider when it comes to Google Ads management and they all have their pros and cons. Here’s Our Take:

Google Ads Consultants

You often get someone that is highly experienced and affordable. Consultants are usually flexible to your account management needs and a great resource to help you achieve your goals. Especially if they already have experience in your industry along with other digital marketing capabilities. They can be limited in scope if they lack complimentary skills in strategy, creative, management in other channels, project management, or data analytics. If they do have these skills, then you will likely get someone that is an excellent value at to your team.

Digital Marketing Agencies

They tend to be more expensive and may lack expertise in Google Ads vs a consultant or in-house specialist. You could get nearly all the bells and whistles to support a marketing program; which can be ideal to have support for your other marketing channels to compliment your Google Ads management. Agencies have been known to prioritize higher spending accounts while giving you team members with less experience. If you can negotiate a reasonable deal with agency and you need omnichannel services, then this could be a good option for you.

In-House Specialists

This is a great option if you want more control and integration with your team, but requires ongoing management and can be the most expensive option of the three. In-House specialists can be a great value add if you find someone with the right skill set that fits your culture. It can also be a good decision if you have the budget/need to have a fulltime specialist manage your account. Unlike the agency or consultant, your hiring decision is long term. If you don’t find the right person or they leave, you could be left with the same Google Ads management issues along with a fulltime salary.

Experience Matters

Hiring a PPC consultant takes time and resources to ensure you work with the right experts. A large part of the hiring process involves experience. Some questions you’ll want to ask during a consultation are:

• How long have you been managing paid search accounts for?
• Are you certified & what do you do to maintain your understanding of Google Ads accounts?
• Do you have any previous case studies? Ideally ones that relate to your industry.
• Do you have testimonials from past or current clients?
• How do you choose which keywords to target?
• What do you do to improve cost efficiency?
• What will you do to help me achieve my marketing goals?
• Do you offer complimenting services such as SEO & Paid Social?

As mentioned before, it’s important to hire a consultant that works toward the same goals that you’ve set forth for your business. The wrong hire could lead to misplaced ad spend, poor conversions, and most importantly a waste of time and money. 

Keep this in mind when funneling through the various agencies out there. We’ve covered how an experienced consultant can single handedly supercharge your campaigns to garner additional leads and is well worth the cost. But, as you may already know, the results can vary dramatically.

Choose Centaur Consulting Group to Manage Your Google Ad Campaigns

Hiring a Google Ads consultant is an investment that can pay off big if you choose the right consultant. If you want to learn more about working with the right Google Ads consultant, then I would be more than happy to help. Schedule time with me today to find out more.