PPC management pricing. One flat fee. No percentage of your spend.
Most PPC agencies quote 10% to 20% of your ad spend, so their fee rises every time your budget does. Ours is a flat $999 a month for Google and Meta ads management, and your ad spend goes straight to the platforms.
What does PPC management pricing look like in 2026?
Agency fees depend on how much you spend, not how much work the account needs. These are published planning ranges from two large agencies, not quotes.
| Monthly ad spend | Typical management fee (OuterBox) | Hello Bleu |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 to $5,000 | $500 to $2,000 | $999/mo Google + Meta ads management |
| $5,000 to $25,000 | $1,500 to $5,000 | |
| $25,000 to $100,000 | $4,000 to $12,000 | |
| $100,000+ | $10,000 to $25,000+ |
The common models are a percentage of ad spend (10% to 20%), a flat monthly retainer (WebFX lists $1,000 to $3,000) and hourly consulting ($75 to $250+). OuterBox's own example: a 15% fee on $20,000 of ad spend is $3,000 a month.
Hello Bleu PPC pricing.
Published prices. Ad spend is billed by the platforms and is never part of our fee.
PPC
Google and Meta ads management, with conversion tracking set up properly from day one.
- Campaign planning & setup
- Keyword research & competitor analysis
- Ad copy & creative direction
- Conversion tracking
- Ongoing bid, budget & audience optimisation
- Monthly report & next-month plan
Ad spend billed by the platforms.
Book a Free CallPPC + Design
Ads plus unlimited design requests, so your creative never waits in a queue.
- Everything in PPC
- Unlimited design requests
- Ad creatives, landing pages, emails
SEO + PPC
Capture demand with ads now while organic rankings build underneath.
- Everything in PPC
- The full SEO package
- One team, one report
See SEO packages.
Book a Free CallPercentage of spend or flat fee: which should you pay?
A flat fee is better for most small and mid-size accounts. A percentage works when the account is large and the scope scales with it.
| Percentage of ad spend | Flat monthly fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | 10% to 20% of spend | $1,000 to $3,000 (market); $999 at Hello Bleu |
| What happens when you double your budget | Your fee doubles | Your fee stays the same |
| Agency incentive | Grow the spend | Lower the cost per lead |
| Best for | Large accounts with heavy workloads | Small to mid-size accounts |
| Watch out for | Minimum fees and fee jumps at spend tiers | A scope that quietly excludes reporting or tracking |
What to check in any PPC quote
Six questions that separate a clear quote from a vague one.
Who owns the ad accounts?
You should. If the agency runs everything under its own account, you can lose your campaign history when you leave.
What counts as a conversion?
Form fills and calls, not page views. Bad tracking makes Google optimise for the wrong thing and the report look better than the results.
Is creative included?
Ads need images, video and landing pages. Find out whether they're in the fee or billed on top.
What does the fee do as spend grows?
Ask for the price at double your budget. A percentage model answers that question for you.
What will you report on?
Cost per lead, cost per acquisition and return on ad spend, not impressions and clicks alone.
What's a realistic cost per lead?
The agency should give you a number from your industry. WordStream's 2026 median is $66.69 across all industries and $131.63 for legal services.
Proof, not promises
Google Ads for a restricted-niche wellness brand, run on bottom-of-funnel keywords only.
Restricted-niche Google Ads
$10,508 in ad spend returned $52,799 in tracked revenue at a 9.52% conversion rate, using bottom-of-funnel keywords only and target CPA bidding on a $30/day budget.
Work out your budget first
The management fee is the smaller number. The bigger decision is how much to put into clicks. Start with our guide to how much Google Ads costs, which turns the median CPC and conversion rate into a monthly budget, then run your own figures through the free Google Ads calculator and ROAS calculator.
If you're deciding between ads and organic, SEO vs PPC explains when each pays back. For the full list of what we manage, see our PPC management services. If you run Google Ads for a restricted category, start with our CBD advertising guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does PPC management cost?
Agencies usually charge 10% to 20% of monthly ad spend or a flat fee of roughly $1,000 to $3,000 a month. OuterBox's planning ranges put management at $500 to $2,000 a month when you spend $1,000 to $5,000 on ads. Hello Bleu's PPC management is a flat $999 per month, and ad spend is billed separately by Google and Meta.
Is PPC management priced as a percentage of ad spend?
Often, yes. The typical range is 10% to 20% of spend, usually with a minimum fee. The catch is that the fee rises when your spend rises, whether or not your cost per lead falls. A flat monthly fee keeps the agency's incentive on results instead of budget size.
What is not included in the PPC management fee?
Ad spend. Google and Meta bill your card directly for clicks and impressions, so the management fee never includes the media budget. Creative production can be priced separately at some agencies. With Hello Bleu, you can add unlimited design to PPC for $1,599 per month.
How much ad spend do I need on top of the management fee?
Enough to collect meaningful data. WebFX recommends around $1,000 to $3,000 a month for testing, and at the 2026 median of $5.42 per click that buys roughly 185 to 550 clicks. Below that, there are too few conversions for the account to learn from. Our guide to Google Ads costs shows the maths.
Is there a contract?
Terms depend on your account and goals, so we talk them through on the free call. Whatever you sign, check that you own the ad accounts, that reporting is monthly and that the quote names what's included.
What do you manage in a PPC account?
Campaign planning and setup, keyword research and competitor analysis, ad copy, conversion tracking, audience and budget allocation, ongoing optimisation of bids, keywords and creative, and a monthly report with cost per lead, spend and next-month recommendations. We run Google Search, Performance Max and Display plus Meta (Facebook and Instagram) campaigns.
From The Bleu Print
Guides from our team on the questions we get asked most.
How much does Google Ads cost?
Median CPC, cost per lead by industry, a budget table that works backwards from leads, and what agencies charge on top.
Read article →How to calculate marketing ROI
The formula, worked examples for ads, SEO and your budget, and four free calculators that do the maths in seconds.
Read article →SEO vs PPC
Costs, speed, ROI and risk compared, plus a simple framework for where your next marketing dollar should go.
Read article →Know what your ads
should cost before you spend.
Book a free call. We'll look at your account or your market, estimate a realistic cost per lead and tell you whether PPC makes sense for you right now.
Book a Free Call