The Two Costs You Pay
Every Google Ads setup has two separate costs, and proposals don't always make the split clear:
- Ad spend. The money Google charges for clicks. It should be billed to your card by Google.
- Management fee. What you pay a person or agency to build, run and improve the campaigns.
When you compare quotes, add the two together. A low management fee with a large required ad spend can cost more than a higher fee with a sensible budget. How much ad spend a new cleaning company needs is covered in our 90-day Google Ads budget plan.
Three Ways Management Is Priced
| Model | How it works | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat monthly fee | A fixed amount each month, whatever you spend | Predictable budgets, small and medium accounts | Check what work is included each month |
| Percentage of ad spend | Commonly 10–20% of what you spend with Google, often with a minimum | Larger accounts | The manager earns more when you spend more, even if results don't improve |
| Pay per lead | A fixed price for each enquiry | Owners who want no upfront risk | Lead quality, shared leads, and who decides what counts as a lead |
No model is wrong in itself. What matters is that the manager is rewarded for booked jobs, not for spending or for counting junk enquiries as leads.
What the Fee Should Cover
Setup (first two to four weeks)
- Conversion tracking for calls, forms and online bookings, tested before launch
- Keyword research by service and town. Our cleaning service keyword lists show the scope.
- A negative keyword list loaded on day one
- Campaigns split by service, with residential and commercial apart
- Ads and assets written for each service (see Google Ads assets for cleaning companies)
- Landing pages that match each ad group, or clear advice on fixing yours
Ongoing (every week or month)
- A weekly search terms review and new negatives
- Bid and budget changes based on which services and towns book
- Ad testing
- A monthly report showing spend, leads, cost per lead and cost per booked job