Ad Optima vs PPC Agencies
Most small businesses hand their ad budget to an agency and get a jargon-filled PDF back once a month. No visibility. No control. No idea if the money is actually working. There's a better way.
Agency results without the agency retainer - from £399/mo, not £1,000+
The agency model
The traditional PPC agency model has three problems that cost you money every single month.
Monthly reports full of impressions, click-through rates, and acronyms. They look impressive. They're designed to. But they don't tell you the one thing you actually need to know: is this working, and where is my money going? You shouldn't need a marketing degree to understand your own ad spend.
Most agencies charge a percentage of your ad spend - typically 15-20% on top of a management fee. That means they earn more when you spend more, not when you spend better. Their incentive is to increase your budget, not your return on it. Your goals and theirs are pointing in different directions.
Monthly reports. Quarterly strategy reviews. By the time your agency spots a problem, you've been bleeding budget for weeks. And if your account is on the smaller side? You're probably assigned to a junior account manager, regardless of what you're paying. Senior rates, junior attention.
Side by side
Everything an agency does for you, at a fraction of the cost - plus the landing page work they don't do at all.
| Ad OptimaFrom £179/mo | Typical PPC agency£1,000-5,000/mo + % of spend | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & commitment | ||
| Monthly cost | From £179/mo£179 base + £4 per £1k spend | £1,000-5,000/moManagement fee alone |
| Percentage of ad spend | NoneYour budget works for you | 15-20% typicalOn top of management fee |
| Contracts | Cancel anytime | 6-12 months typical |
| Campaign management | ||
| Bid & budget optimisation | YesAI-driven, daily | YesHuman-led, slower cycles |
| Keyword management | Yes | Yes |
| Ad copy creation | YesAI-generated, human-reviewed | Yes |
| Negative keyword management | Yes | Yes |
| Optimisation speed | DailyAI never sleeps | Weekly / monthlyLimited by headcount |
| Landing pages | ||
| Landing page audit | IncludedAll plans | Not offered |
| Landing page design & build | IncludedLanding Pages plan & above | Separate serviceSignificant additional cost |
| Conversion rate optimisation | Ongoing | Not offered |
| Page speed optimisation | Yes | Not their remit |
| Transparency & control | ||
| See every change made | YesReal-time dashboard | NoMonthly PDF report |
| Approve changes before they go live | Yes | Rarely |
| Plain-English reporting | YesBuilt for business owners | Jargon-heavyDesigned to impress, not inform |
| Know where every penny goes | Full breakdown | Often unclear |
| Who does the work | ||
| Account manager experience | AI + named account managerFull Site plan & above | Junior on smaller accountsYou pay senior rates either way |
| Consistency | Same system, every day | Staff turnoverYour account manager may leave |
| Scales with your business | Instantly | Limited by headcount |
The missing piece
Your ads drive clicks. Your landing page turns those clicks into customers. Agencies optimise one and ignore the other. That means you're paying to send traffic to a page that isn't built to convert it.
Typical agency approach
The Ad Optima approach
Transparency
You shouldn't need to email your account manager and wait two days to find out what's happening with your own ad budget.
The agency way
You hand over control of your ad account and get a polished report back 30 days later. Packed with charts and metrics designed to look impressive, not to help you make decisions. Ask a question? You'll get an answer next week. Want to change direction? That's a conversation for the quarterly review.
The Ad Optima way
Every change is logged. Every result is visible. You can see exactly what's been done, what it cost, and what it delivered - right now, not in 30 days. You approve changes before they go live. Plain English, no jargon. It's your money and your business. You should always know where both stand.
The maths
Take a small business spending £2,000/mo on Google Ads. Here's what a year looks like with an agency versus Ad Optima.
Typical PPC agency
Ad Optima Landing Pages plan
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