Navigate the quote process with confidence and clarity.
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Campaigns average a 300% return on ad spend across R50M+ in managed budget.
Premier Partner status places us in the top 3% of agencies in the country.
Conversion tracking and GA4 configured properly from day one, not months later.
New campaigns built, reviewed and live in days rather than weeks.
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Find answers to common questions
Budget requirements vary by industry, funnel and competitive intensity, but many advertisers need several thousand dollars per month to collect statistically useful conversion data; smaller budgets can still work if campaigns are tightly targeted to high-intent keywords or remarketing audiences. Prebo Digital designs spend strategies to prioritise profitable channels and scale when unit economics support it.
For eCommerce campaigns the focus is typically on Shopping, dynamic remarketing and ROAS-driven bidding tied to LTV, while B2B emphasises lead quality, account-based targeting, longer attribution windows and CPL/CPA optimisation. In both cases measurement, funnel optimisation and cross-channel attribution are prioritised to ensure spend drives revenue, not just clicks.
Prebo Digital implements clean data pipelines using GA4, Google Tag Manager, and server-side tracking, and ties platform data to on-site conversions and offline events where applicable to reduce attribution bias. Multi-touch attribution models and consolidated reporting are used to align spend with revenue and lifetime value rather than platform-reported last-click metrics.
Prebo Digital offers end-to-end Google Ads services including account audits, campaign strategy and setup (Search, Shopping, Display, Video, Remarketing), bid and budget management, conversion tracking implementation, and ongoing performance optimisations focused on revenue outcomes.
Time to profitability depends on product margins, funnel conversion rates, tracking accuracy and budget; an initial data-collection and learning phase commonly takes 4-8 weeks, with structured optimisation and scaling typically assessed over several months. Prebo Digital focuses on iterative testing and measurement to improve profitability rather than short-term traffic metrics.
In This Article
Understand Key Terminology
Prepare for Your Request
Evaluate and Compare Effectively
If you ask three Google Ads agencies for a quote, you may get three very different numbers. That is usually not a sign that one agency is “overpriced” and another is “cheap”; it usually means they are quoting different scopes, different levels of account work, and different assumptions about your ad spend, landing pages, and reporting needs. A quote for a brand-new account with no tracking can look nothing like a quote for an established account that already has clean conversion data and a clear offer.
The biggest myth is that a quote is just a fixed price for “running ads.” In reality, agencies may be pricing strategy, account setup, creative input, conversion tracking, search term management, landing page feedback, and monthly optimization separately or together. For that reason, the fastest way to get a useful quote is not to ask “How much do you charge?” but to send enough context for the agency to estimate workload and risk accurately.
A quote is only useful when the agency understands your goals, budget, and current account state. Without that context, the number is usually just a rough placeholder.
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. A quote is usually a price for a defined scope. An estimate is a range based on incomplete information. A proposal is the more detailed document that explains the approach, timelines, deliverables, and fee structure. If you want a number you can compare across agencies, request an estimate first and then a proposal once the scope is clearer.
| Term | What it means | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | A range based on limited details | Early outreach or exploratory discussions |
| Quote | A price tied to a defined scope | When budget and deliverables are clearer |
| Proposal | Scope, pricing, timelines, and terms | Before signing or onboarding |
The better your brief, the more accurate the quote. Agencies are trying to understand how much work your account will require and where the biggest performance risks are. A local service business spending ZAR 15,000 a month and a multi-location eCommerce brand spending ZAR 250,000 a month may both want Google Ads support, but they need very different systems, reporting layers, and account structures.
Before you request a quote, gather the basics: your monthly ad budget, target market, business model, primary conversion, average order value or lead value, and whether you already have a Google Ads account. If you have historical data, include a short summary of what has worked, what has not, and whether you have tracking in GA4, Google Tag Manager, or CRM-connected reporting. If you do not know these details, say so plainly; that helps the agency size the discovery work correctly.
Missing tracking information is one of the most common reasons a quote changes after the first call. A clean account can be scoped quickly; a broken one often needs audit and rebuild time.
If you already have an account, give the agency access to view historical performance or share screenshots of the last 90 to 180 days. That lets them see impression share, CPC volatility, conversion rate trends, search term quality, and whether the issue is strategy, tracking, or creative. It also helps them tell you whether a fixed retainer makes sense or whether your account is still too early-stage for a meaningful management quote.
A practical performance window agencies often review before scoping ongoing management
A good quote request should help the agency answer three questions: What do you want to achieve, what is already in place, and how much support do you need? Keep the first message short enough that it gets read, but detailed enough to avoid a vague back-and-forth. If you ask for a free audit, say what you want audited. If you want a management quote, say whether you need setup, ongoing optimisation, or both.
The best requests are specific about outcome and constraints. “We need 30 to 50 qualified leads a month within a ZAR 20,000 to ZAR 35,000 ad budget” is far more useful than “Please send pricing.”
Subject: Request for Google Ads quote for [business name]
Hi [Agency Name],
We are looking for a Google Ads partner and would like an estimate for [eCommerce / lead gen / SaaS / local service] management.
Here is a quick overview:
- Business: [one-line description]
- Website: [URL]
- Monthly ad budget: [range]
- Target market: [US national / specific states / local area]
- Primary goal: [sales / leads / booked calls / pipeline]
- Current setup: [new account / existing account / need tracking help]
- Timeline: [launch date / urgent / flexible]
Please let us know:
1. Your pricing model
2. What is included in setup and monthly management
3. Any minimum ad spend or minimum contract term
4. Whether you start with a discovery call or audit
Thanks,
[Name]On the discovery call, ask about access requirements too. Agencies usually need Google Ads access through a manager account or MCC, and they may also request GA4, Google Tag Manager, Merchant Center, Search Console, CRM, and landing page access depending on the scope. Ask whether the quote includes onboarding, conversion tracking review, campaign rebuilds, and the first round of reporting. That prevents hidden extras later.
You should also ask how quickly the agency can turn around a quote. A simple account with clear goals may take a few business days, while an account needing a deeper audit can take longer. If an agency promises a detailed recommendation with no discovery questions at all, that is usually a sign the quote is not tailored to your account.
Most Google Ads agencies price work in one of three ways: a flat monthly fee, a percentage of ad spend, or a hybrid model that combines a base retainer with spend-based scaling. The right structure depends on your budget size, account complexity, and how much hands-on support you need. A flat fee is easier to predict; a percentage model can scale with spend; and a hybrid model often suits brands that need both strategy and heavier execution.
For US-based advertisers, it is important to separate media spend from management fees. The agency fee is what you pay for strategy, build, optimization, and reporting. Ad spend is what goes to Google. A quote that looks inexpensive can become expensive if it excludes setup, landing page support, tracking fixes, or feed management. Ask for both numbers clearly so you know your real monthly commitment.
| Pricing model | How it works | Typical fit | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat monthly retainer | One fixed fee for agreed services | Brands with stable scope and predictable needs | Scope creep if setup and reporting are excluded |
| Percentage of spend | Fee scales with ad spend, often with a minimum | Larger accounts or agencies managing spend growth | Small accounts may pay a relatively high effective rate |
| Hybrid model | Base fee plus spend-linked layer or project fee | Complex accounts needing setup plus ongoing work | Hard to compare unless scope is broken out line by line |
As a broad market range, smaller accounts may see monthly management fees starting around ZAR 7,500 to ZAR 25,000 equivalent depending on scope, while larger or more technical accounts can land well above that once tracking, feeds, and multi-campaign optimisation are included. Those numbers are estimates, not universal pricing, but they help you spot whether a quote is unusually low because it omits essential work. If you are asking for a quote on a fresh account, expect onboarding and build time to matter almost as much as ongoing management.
A low quote is not a bargain if it excludes conversion tracking, search term management, or monthly testing. Those omissions often create hidden costs later.
When quotes arrive, compare more than price. A strong quote should explain deliverables, reporting cadence, account ownership, expected onboarding steps, and what happens if your budget changes. You want to know whether the agency is building campaigns from scratch, auditing an existing account, or simply managing already-built campaigns. Those are different scopes and should not be priced the same.
It is also worth checking whether the agency uses a Google Partner badge as a signal of account experience, but do not treat it as the only decision factor. Ask who will actually manage your account, how often you will speak with them, and whether you keep ownership of the Google Ads account and data. You should always retain ownership of your account and access, even if the agency runs it through its MCC. If a quote depends on transferring ownership or locking you into unclear access terms, that is a red flag.
Be cautious if a quote is vague about minimum spend, setup fees, or contract length. Ambiguity at the proposal stage often turns into friction after onboarding.
A practical way to compare is to put each quote into a simple side-by-side grid. Ask whether the agency includes account rebuilds, landing page input, feed optimisation, call tracking, creative testing, and performance reviews. Then judge whether the price aligns with the depth of work. In many cases, the cheapest quote is really a narrow management-only offer, while the higher quote includes the setup work that actually affects performance.
| Comparison item | What good looks like | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Clear list of included services | “Full service” with no details |
| Tracking | GA4, GTM, and conversion setup reviewed | Tracking left to the client without guidance |
| Access | You keep ownership of the account | Agency controls access without a clear offboarding path |
| Commercial terms | Minimum term and notice period are stated | Terms are hidden until after approval |
A simple estimate may come back in a few business days after a discovery call. A more accurate quote can take longer if the agency is reviewing account history, tracking, landing pages, Merchant Center, or CRM data.
Yes, many agencies offer an introductory call or light audit. Just remember that a free review is usually a screening step, not a full strategic engagement. If the agency is auditing a large or complex account, some teams will charge for deeper analysis.
Google does not typically quote agency management for you. You can estimate media costs through your own account tools, but agency pricing comes from the agency itself. If you want a support partner, you need to request a quote from an agency or consultant directly.
Yes, if they are managing campaigns properly. They should work through an MCC or account-level access, while you keep ownership. That access is normal and necessary for setup, optimisation, and reporting.
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