Running Google Ads campaigns – what does it cost and what is working with an agency like?

Handing Google Ads campaigns to an agency usually costs between PLN 1,500 and 5,000 net a month for management, separately from the ad budget, which goes directly to the Google account. The price depends on the size of the budget, the number of campaigns, the industry and the scope of the service – from optimisation alone to a full strategy with creative testing and remarketing. In this article we explain what running Google Ads campaigns looks like step by step, what it really costs and what to look out for when choosing an agency for a long-term partnership.

What does running Google Ads campaigns mean?

Definition and scope of the service

Running Google Ads campaigns is more than launching ads in the panel. It is a process covering analysis of business goals, choosing campaign types, setting up conversions, creating ads, optimising bids and ongoing reporting. In practice the agency handles the campaign's whole life cycle – from the first account audit to scaling budgets once results begin to stabilise.

How does running campaigns differ from a one-off ad setup?

Many companies think of Google Ads as a one-off configuration: set up the campaign and wait for results. In reality a campaign that is not optimised regularly loses effectiveness. Google's algorithm needs time and data to learn who to show ads to, and without constant work on keywords, exclusions and bids the budget is spent less efficiently. That is why running Google Ads campaigns is a continuous process, not a one-off job.

How much does running Google Ads campaigns cost?

The agency's payment model

Agencies usually bill in one of three ways:

• A fixed monthly management fee – the most common model, independent of the size of the ad budget.
• A percentage of the ad budget – usually 10–20% of ad spend, rising with campaign scale.
• A mixed model – a fixed base fee plus a commission on results (e.g. on the number of conversions).

Price ranges

Scope of service

Monthly cost

Basic optimisation of one campaign – PLN 1,500–2,500 net

Full campaign management (several types, remarketing, reporting) – PLN 1,500–5,000 net

Comprehensive multi-channel management (Google Ads + analytics + testing)

from PLN 5,000 net

On top of that comes the ad budget, which goes directly to Google and is not part of the agency's fee.

Offers of "campaign management from PLN 500" usually mean one campaign with no testing, no work on traffic quality and no regular reporting.

What affects the cost of running Google Ads campaigns?

• The size of the ad budget – a larger budget requires more frequent optimisation and oversight.
• The number of campaign types – Shopping, Performance Max, remarketing and Display campaigns each require separate work.
• Industry and competition – highly competitive keywords increase the optimisation workload.
• The scope of reporting and communication – regular meetings, a dedicated account manager and data analysis raise the cost of the service.

What does working with an agency running Google Ads campaigns look like?

The account audit and starting point

Every Google Ads engagement starts with an audit – checking the account structure, past results, the quality of the conversion data and the client's business goals. At this stage the agency decides whether the campaign has to be built from scratch or can build on the existing structure.

Setup and campaign launch

After the audit comes building or reorganising the campaign structure: choosing ad types, splitting into groups by user intent, setting up conversion tracking and basic analytics. This is the foundations stage – mistakes made here affect all the optimisation that follows.

Testing creatives and messages

In the first weeks of running Google Ads campaigns, testing is key: different headlines, ad formats and audiences. Data from this period shows which messages genuinely attract valuable traffic, not just clicks.

Data-driven optimisation

Once the campaign has gathered enough data, systematic optimisation begins: adjusting bids, cleaning out queries that do not convert, strengthening effective ad groups and refining landing pages. This is the stage where results begin to stabilise.

Scaling budgets

Once results stabilise, the agency recommends increasing the budget in the areas genuinely delivering a return, and developing remarketing to users who have already had contact with the brand.

What to look out for when choosing an agency to run Google Ads campaigns

Transparent access to the account

A Google Ads campaign should run on an account belonging to the client, with admin access on the company's side. That avoids a situation where the campaign history and data stay with the agency once the cooperation ends.

Clear reporting

A good agency shows not just clicks and impressions but the real business impact: cost per lead, enquiry quality, ROAS, changes over time and concrete recommendations for the next period.

Experience in your industry or sales model

Campaigns for e-commerce focused on ROAS are run differently from those for a service company that needs quality leads. It is worth checking the portfolio and case studies in a similar business model.

The approach to optimisation

Watch out for agencies that change the campaign chaotically, with no clear justification in the data, and equally for those that make no changes for months. Good Google Ads management requires a balance between patience and regular testing.

Running Google Ads campaigns and SEO – is it worth combining both channels?

Google Ads gives you fast visibility and lets you test which messages and keywords genuinely convert. SEO builds stable organic traffic over a longer horizon, independent of current ad spend. Data from paid campaigns – which queries generate conversions, which messages attract users – can feed directly into content marketing strategy and SEO content planning.

Companies running both channels in parallel usually reach a full picture of what actually drives sales faster than those relying on a single source of traffic.

Google Ads or Meta Ads – which to choose for your first campaign?

This question comes up most often with companies just starting out with paid advertising. Google Ads works where demand already exists – the user is actively looking for a product or service. Meta Ads works better for building demand and reaching people who are not yet actively searching but match the target group. In practice many brands – especially in e-commerce – combine both channels, using the strengths of each at different stages of the sales funnel.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

How much does an agency charge to run Google Ads campaigns?

Most often PLN 1,500–5,000 net a month for campaign management alone, separately from the ad budget spent directly in Google.

Do I need a large ad budget to start?

There is no single minimum amount – it all depends on how competitive the industry is and what the campaign's goal is. A local service business can start with a smaller, well-controlled budget and scale it once the first data comes in.

How long do you have to wait for results from Google Ads campaigns?

The first data that lets you judge a campaign's direction usually appears after 2–4 weeks, but full stabilisation of results and the effect of optimisation often take 2–3 months of consistent work.

Does an agency running Google Ads also handle the landing page?

A good agency also analyses the landing page the ad traffic reaches – even if the page itself was not built by the same team, its quality directly affects the campaign's effectiveness.

Is it better to hand campaigns to an agency or run them yourself?

Running campaigns yourself is possible, but it takes time to learn the panel, optimise continuously and analyse the data. An agency brings experience from many accounts and industry context, which usually shortens the path to stable results.

Summary – key takeaways

• Running Google Ads campaigns is a continuous process covering audit, setup, testing, optimisation and scaling – not a one-off ad configuration.
• The cost of campaign management at an agency is usually PLN 1,500–5,000 net a month, regardless of the ad budget.
• When choosing an agency, check transparent access to the account, the quality of reporting and experience in your business model.
• Google Ads management works best combined with SEO and a coherent landing page – together they build a system rather than a single activity.
• Google Ads and Meta Ads can complement each other – the first answers existing demand, the second helps build it.

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If you are wondering what running Google Ads campaigns could look like for your company, take a look at our offer or get in touch to talk about a concrete plan of action.

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