Google Ads management in Ireland typically costs a flat fee of roughly €300 to €1,500 a month, depending on the size and complexity of the account. Agencies that charge a percentage instead usually take 10% to 20% of your monthly ad spend, and some add a one-off setup fee of around €200 to €500.
Those figures come from price guides published by Irish agencies, and they are typical market prices rather than our own fees. They are also paid on top of your ad spend, which is the money Google charges for the clicks themselves.
Google Ads management fees in Ireland
- Flat monthly fee: one Irish agency puts this at €300 to €800 a month for small to medium accounts, and another at €400 to €1,500 depending on how complex the campaigns are.
- Percentage of ad spend: both guides put it at 10% to 20% of the monthly budget.
- Setup fee: One agency quotes €200 to €500 once-off, covering the account structure, conversion tracking and first round of keyword research.
Both guides describe the Irish market in general, so use the ranges as a starting point for comparing quotes rather than as a price list.
How agencies charge for Google Ads management
- Flat monthly fee. Easy to budget for, and the fee doesn't rise just because your spend does. Check what it covers, and what happens to the fee when you add campaigns or platforms.
- Percentage of ad spend. The fee grows with the account, which can suit large accounts where the effort grows too. The catch is that the agency earns more when you spend more, whether or not the extra spend pays off.
- Minimum monthly fee. Some percentage deals carry one, and on a small budget it can make the real percentage much higher than the headline figure.
- Setup or onboarding fee. A one-off charge for building or rebuilding the account, setting up tracking and doing the first research.
Whichever model you're offered, the same question applies to PPC management of any kind: what exactly does the fee pay for each month?
Ad spend and management fees are separate costs
Your ad spend is what Google charges for clicks, and the management fee is what the agency charges for running the account. Google's third-party policy requires agencies that charge a management fee to tell new customers in writing before their first purchase and to show it on invoices. When they report costs, they must give the exact amount Google charged, excluding their own fees.
At Everblue, clients pay their ad spend directly to Google from their own account, and our management is billed separately. That way you can see every cent Google charges in your own account, with nothing marked up in between.
What Google Ads management should include
- Conversion tracking set up and tested before campaigns go live, so calls, forms and sales are counted.
- Keyword research and a campaign structure built around what you sell and where you sell it.
- Regular reviews of the searches that triggered your ads, with negative keywords added to keep the budget off the wrong ones.
- Ads and landing pages that match what people searched for.
- Monthly reporting on costs, clicks and impressions, together with the enquiries and sales the ads produce.
- Full access to your own account at all times.
Negative keywords are a good example of where the monthly effort goes. For City Post Express, a Connecticut shipping company, we added more than 200 of them to keep people looking for UPS, FedEx or USPS out of the budget. Each group of ads also points to its own landing page.
How to tell whether a Google Ads management fee is fair
A fee is fair when you can see what it pays for and judge it by results. These questions will tell you most of what you need to know.
- Is the account in your name, and will you keep it if you leave? Google's advertiser guide to working with third parties says an agency must set up a separate Ads account for you.
- Can you see the exact amount Google charged, separate from the fee?
- What gets done each month, and who does it?
- Are results measured by clicks, or by the calls, enquiries and sales the ads bring in?
- Is there a minimum contract term?
Google's guide also lists warning signs, including agencies that won't share the cost and performance of your campaigns, guarantee a particular ad position, or suggest that paying for ads will improve your organic rankings. Google says you have the right to know, at a minimum, the clicks, impressions and total cost of your ads.
What Google Ads management involved for our clients
- Crispy Green, a New Jersey snack brand, came to us after its previous agency locked it out of its own website. Once the store was rebuilt, we ran Google Ads alongside SEO for competitive freeze-dried fruit searches, and online sales have since grown several times over.
- Netcrisps sees more than 45% of its customers come back to buy again, which made it worth paying to find new ones. Its Google Ads delivered a consistent, profitable return as part of a mix that also included Meta ads and email.
- Savor by Suzie, a gluten-free pretzel brand, needed ads aimed at health-conscious snackers and gift shoppers instead of snack buyers in general. The return on ad spend has stayed strong and consistent as the budget has grown.
Why we don't list our fees
The effort behind an account depends on how many campaigns, platforms and products it covers and how much fixing it needs, so we'd rather see yours before putting a figure on it. You keep your Google Ads, Meta and analytics accounts, and our monthly work has no minimum term. Our Google Ads management page explains what we do, PPC management in Ireland covers the other platforms, and you can start with a free website audit on a 20-minute call.
Google Ads cost questions
How much should I spend on Google Ads in Ireland?
One Irish agency suggests €500 to €1,000 a month in ad spend for a small local service business, and €1,000 to €3,000 for a growing business targeting the whole country. What you need depends on how much a click costs in your sector and how many enquiries you want each month.
Is a percentage of ad spend or a flat fee better?
Neither is better in every case. A flat fee is easier to plan around, while a percentage can suit large accounts where the effort grows with the budget. Either way, check for a minimum fee and ask what happens to the fee when your spend changes.
Can I run Google Ads myself?
Yes, and with a small budget it's a reasonable place to start. Our guide to Google Ads for small business covers the setup, and if your campaigns are spending without bringing in enquiries, Google Ads not working walks through the usual causes.
Do I keep my Google Ads account if I change agency?
You should. Google's advertiser guide says an agency must set up a separate Ads account for you, and it's worth confirming in writing that the account stays yours if you leave. Our clients own their Google Ads, Meta and analytics accounts, so the account and its history stay with you if you move. If you're weighing ads against organic search, our guide to what SEO costs in Ireland covers the other side.