Last updated: November 2026 · Answers by Andrew Gorton, freelance PPC specialist based in Chorley, Lancashire
This is a library of 402 questions UK businesses ask about pay per click advertising, gathered from real Google Ads search terms, Google Search Console data and conversations with clients. Every answer is written to be short, direct and accurate.
Quick facts: UK PPC management typically costs £300–£1,500 a month for SMEs. My PPC management starts from £400 + VAT a month, on a three-month initial term then one-month rolling, and you deal directly with me. Free PPC review →
Browse by topic
- PPC basics – 30 questions
- PPC & Google Ads costs – 29 questions
- PPC management fees – 26 questions
- Choosing a freelancer or agency – 28 questions
- PPC audits – 21 questions
- Google Ads setup & campaign types – 38 questions
- Keywords & search terms – 23 questions
- Ad copy, Quality Score & assets – 25 questions
- Bidding & optimisation – 30 questions
- Conversion tracking – 25 questions
- Microsoft Ads (Bing) – 16 questions
- Troubleshooting – 18 questions
- PPC by business type – 28 questions
- PPC & AI search – 16 questions
- Doing PPC yourself – 29 questions
- Working with me – 20 questions
PPC basics
- What is PPC?
- What does PPC stand for?
- What does PPC mean in marketing?
- How does pay per click work?
- How does PPC work on Google?
- How does a PPC auction work?
- What is a PPC campaign?
- What are PPC ads?
- What is the difference between PPC and SEO?
- Is PPC the same as Google Ads?
- Is PPC the same as SEM?
- What is paid search?
- What is CPC?
- What is CTR in PPC?
- What is a conversion in PPC?
- What is cost per acquisition (CPA)?
- What is ROAS?
- What is an impression in PPC?
- What is impression share?
- What is Quality Score?
- What is Ad Rank?
- What are keywords in PPC?
- What is a landing page in PPC?
- Who uses PPC advertising?
- What types of PPC are there?
- Is PPC inbound or outbound marketing?
- What does a sponsored result on Google mean?
- Do people actually click on Google ads?
- How quickly does PPC work?
- Is PPC worth it?
PPC & Google Ads costs
- How much does PPC cost?
- How much does PPC cost in the UK?
- How much does Google Ads cost?
- How much does Google Ads cost per click in the UK?
- What is a good cost per click?
- Why are my Google Ads clicks so expensive?
- How much should I spend on Google Ads?
- What is the minimum budget for Google Ads?
- How much should a small business spend on PPC?
- Is £500 a month enough for Google Ads?
- Is £1,000 a month enough for Google Ads?
- How is Google Ads billed?
- Can Google spend more than my daily budget?
- What affects cost per click?
- What are the most expensive keywords on Google?
- How much does Bing Ads cost per click?
- Is PPC expensive?
- How much does a PPC campaign cost?
- How much do Google Shopping ads cost?
- How much do YouTube ads cost?
- What hidden costs are there with PPC?
- How do I lower my cost per click on Google Ads?
- How do I reduce my Google Ads cost per lead?
- Does Google Ads charge for impressions?
- Do I pay for clicks from competitors or bots?
- How much does PPC cost per month?
- How much does PPC cost for a small business?
- Can you do Google Ads for free?
- How do I get my business on top of Google search for free?
PPC management fees
- How much does PPC management cost?
- How much does PPC management cost in the UK?
- What is a typical PPC management fee?
- What is the average cost of PPC management?
- How much do PPC agencies charge?
- How much does a PPC freelancer charge?
- How much does Google Ads management cost?
- Is it better to pay a fixed fee or a percentage of ad spend?
- What is a PPC management retainer?
- Do PPC agencies charge set-up fees?
- How much does a PPC audit cost?
- Is ad spend included in PPC management fees?
- Should a PPC agency mark up ad spend?
- How much does in-house PPC cost compared to a freelancer?
- What does a PPC manager cost per year?
- How much should I charge for PPC management?
- How much to charge for Google Ads management as a freelancer?
- What should be included in a PPC management fee?
- How much does PPC management cost per hour?
- Are cheap PPC management services worth it?
- How long are PPC management contracts?
- What do you get for £400 a month PPC management?
- How much does Microsoft Ads management cost?
- How much does Performance Max management cost?
- How much does white label PPC cost?
- Is PPC management worth the money?
Choosing a freelancer or agency
- What does a PPC agency do?
- What does a PPC specialist do?
- What does a Google Ads specialist do?
- What is a PPC consultant?
- What is the difference between a PPC freelancer and a PPC agency?
- Should I hire a PPC freelancer or an agency?
- Is there a PPC agency with senior people who actually run the campaigns themselves?
- Should I hire an in-house PPC manager or outsource?
- Why hire a PPC agency or freelancer?
- How do I choose a PPC agency?
- What questions should I ask a PPC agency?
- What should a good PPC agency be doing?
- How do I know if my PPC agency is doing a good job?
- What are the signs of a bad PPC agency?
- Should I switch PPC agencies?
- How do I switch PPC agencies without losing data?
- Who owns the Google Ads account, me or the agency?
- What is the difference between a PPC specialist, consultant and expert?
- Do I need a PPC agency near me?
- What is white label PPC?
- Who offers white label PPC in Manchester?
- What is the best PPC agency in the UK?
- What makes a good PPC freelancer?
- How long should I give a new PPC agency?
- Should I let Google’s own reps manage my account?
- Are Google Partner agencies better?
- Can I hire a PPC freelancer for a one-off project?
- Can a PPC freelancer work alongside my in-house team?
PPC audits
- What is a PPC audit?
- What does PPC audit stand for?
- What is a Google Ads audit?
- How do I do a PPC audit?
- How do I audit a Google Ads account?
- What should a PPC audit include?
- What is a free PPC audit?
- Who can do a PPC audit?
- How often should you audit a PPC account?
- How long does a PPC audit take?
- What is a PPC account audit checklist?
- What is the most common problem found in PPC audits?
- What is a PPC audit for a SaaS company?
- Can I audit my own Google Ads account?
- What tools are used for PPC audits?
- What happens after a PPC audit?
- What does a PPC audit cost?
- How do I audit Microsoft Ads (Bing)?
- What is a Performance Max audit?
- Why is my PPC audit score low in Google’s optimisation score?
- What is a PPC account review?
Google Ads setup & campaign types
- How do I set up Google Ads?
- How do I advertise on Google?
- How do I run a PPC campaign?
- How do I create a Google Ads campaign?
- How do I do Google Ads for my business?
- Can I do Google Ads myself?
- What do you need to advertise on Google Ads?
- Should I use Google Ads Smart campaigns or Expert Mode?
- What campaign types are there in Google Ads?
- What is a Google Search campaign?
- What is Performance Max?
- Is Performance Max worth using?
- Is Performance Max good for lead generation?
- What is Google Shopping?
- Should ecommerce use Shopping or Performance Max?
- What is Google Merchant Center?
- What is Demand Gen in Google Ads?
- What is the Google Display Network?
- Should I turn off the Display Network on Search campaigns?
- Should I turn off Google Search Partners?
- What are Local Services Ads?
- Are Local Services Ads better than Google Ads?
- What are YouTube ads good for?
- What is remarketing in Google Ads?
- What is AI Max for Search?
- Do Google Ads appear in AI Overviews?
- How do I set up location targeting in Google Ads?
- Should I use ad scheduling?
- How many ad groups should a campaign have?
- How many keywords should be in an ad group?
- Should I create separate campaigns for each location?
- Should I bid on my own brand name?
- Can I bid on competitors’ names in Google Ads?
- How long does it take to set up Google Ads?
- How long does it take for Google Ads to work?
- What is the Google Ads learning period?
- How do I add Google Ads conversion tracking to my website?
- How do I get my business sponsored on Google?
Keywords & search terms
- How do I find keywords for Google Ads?
- What are match types in Google Ads?
- What is broad match?
- What is phrase match?
- What is exact match?
- Should I use broad match keywords?
- What is a close variant?
- What are negative keywords?
- What negative keywords should every account have?
- What is a search terms report?
- How do I find wasted spend in Google Ads?
- Why is Google showing my ads for irrelevant searches?
- What are long-tail keywords in PPC?
- Should I target question keywords in PPC?
- How many keywords should a PPC campaign have?
- What are negative keyword lists?
- Can you add negative keywords to Performance Max?
- What are keyword match type best practices?
- What is keyword cannibalisation in PPC?
- How do I find what keywords competitors are bidding on?
- What is keyword search volume?
- What does "low search volume" mean in Google Ads?
- What are "near me" keywords in PPC?
Ad copy, Quality Score & assets
- What is a responsive search ad?
- How many characters are allowed in Google Ads headlines?
- How do I write good Google Ads copy?
- Should I pin headlines in Google Ads?
- What is ad strength?
- How do I improve Quality Score?
- What is a good Quality Score?
- Does Quality Score affect cost per click?
- How do I improve CTR on Google Ads?
- What is a good CTR for Google Ads?
- How do I get more clicks on Google Ads?
- What are ad assets in Google Ads?
- What are sitelinks?
- What are callout assets?
- What are structured snippets?
- Should I use call assets?
- Should I use image assets in search ads?
- Should I use dynamic keyword insertion?
- How often should I change my Google Ads copy?
- Why are my Google Ads disapproved?
- What does "eligible (limited)" mean in Google Ads?
- What is landing page experience?
- What makes a good PPC landing page?
- Should I send PPC traffic to my homepage?
- What is a good conversion rate for Google Ads?
Bidding & optimisation
- What bidding strategies are there in Google Ads?
- Which Google Ads bidding strategy is best?
- What is smart bidding?
- What is Target CPA?
- What is Target ROAS?
- Should I use Maximise Conversions?
- Should I use Maximise Clicks?
- Is manual CPC bidding still worth using?
- What is Enhanced CPC?
- How do I optimise Google Ads?
- How do I manage PPC campaigns effectively?
- How often should Google Ads be optimised?
- What is the best way to run Google Ads?
- How do I run successful Google Ads?
- How do I use Google Ads effectively for a small business?
- Should I increase my Google Ads budget?
- What does "limited by budget" mean?
- What are bid adjustments in Google Ads?
- Should I exclude mobile from Google Ads?
- What is a portfolio bid strategy?
- What is a shared budget?
- Should I accept Google Ads recommendations?
- How do I turn off auto-applied recommendations?
- What is the Auction Insights report?
- What are experiments in Google Ads?
- How do I scale a Google Ads account?
- What is seasonality adjustment?
- Why has my Google Ads performance dropped?
- How do I report on PPC performance?
- What KPIs matter most in PPC?
Conversion tracking
- Why is conversion tracking important in PPC?
- How do I set up conversion tracking in Google Ads?
- Should I import conversions from GA4 or use Google Ads tags?
- What is Google Tag Manager?
- What is GA4?
- How do I track phone calls from Google Ads?
- What is call tracking?
- What are enhanced conversions?
- What are enhanced conversions for leads?
- What are offline conversion imports?
- What is a GCLID?
- What is MSCLKID?
- What is Consent Mode v2?
- Do I need a cookie banner for Google Ads tracking?
- Why do Google Ads and GA4 show different numbers?
- What attribution model should I use in Google Ads?
- Why are my Google Ads conversions not tracking?
- What are primary and secondary conversions?
- Should I count page views as conversions?
- How do I track form submissions in Google Ads?
- How do I track Microsoft Ads conversions?
- What is a conversion window?
- How do I measure lead quality from PPC?
- What is server-side tracking?
- How do I track ecommerce sales in Google Ads?
Microsoft Ads (Bing)
- What is Microsoft Advertising?
- Is Bing Ads worth it?
- Is Bing PPC cheaper than Google?
- Who uses Bing?
- How do I set up Bing Ads?
- Can I import Google Ads campaigns into Microsoft Ads?
- How do I advertise on Bing?
- Can you advertise on Bing for free?
- What is the Microsoft Audience Network?
- Do Microsoft Ads appear in Copilot?
- What is the UET tag?
- Does Microsoft Ads support Performance Max?
- Does Microsoft Ads have Shopping campaigns?
- Should I run Google Ads and Microsoft Ads together?
- What percentage of searches are on Bing in the UK?
- Does LinkedIn targeting work in Microsoft Ads?
Troubleshooting
- Why am I getting clicks but no leads?
- Why are my Google Ads not showing?
- Why can’t I see my own Google ad?
- Why is my Google Ads account suspended?
- Why am I getting spam leads from Google Ads?
- Why is my Google Ads spend so high with poor results?
- Why is my Google Ads impression share low?
- Why has my cost per click gone up?
- Why are my Google Ads conversions suddenly zero?
- Why are my Google Ads showing in the wrong locations?
- Why is my campaign status "learning"?
- Why are my ads showing for job seekers?
- Why are my Google Ads getting impressions but no clicks?
- Why did Google Ads charge me when I didn’t get leads?
- Why is my Performance Max campaign not spending?
- Why are my Google Shopping products disapproved?
- Why does Google keep recommending I raise my budget?
- What do I do if a competitor is clicking my ads?
PPC by business type
- Do Google Ads work for small businesses?
- Is PPC good for small businesses?
- How do I use Google Ads for a small business with a small budget?
- Is PPC good for tradespeople?
- How much do Google Ads cost for a plumber?
- Are Google Ads worth it for electricians?
- Are Google Ads worth it for roofers?
- Is PPC worth it for builders?
- How do landscapers and gardeners use Google Ads?
- Is PPC good for law firms?
- How much do solicitors pay for Google Ads?
- What are the rules for solicitors advertising on Google?
- Is PPC good for estate agents?
- How do recruitment agencies use PPC?
- Is PPC good for ecommerce?
- What is a good ROAS for ecommerce?
- How do I improve Google Shopping performance?
- Is Google Ads good for Shopify stores?
- Is PPC good for B2B companies?
- Is PPC good for SaaS?
- Is Google Ads good for dentists?
- Is Google Ads good for restaurants?
- Is PPC good for local businesses?
- Is PPC good for charities?
- What is Google Ad Grants?
- Is PPC good for startups?
- What is the best PPC strategy for service businesses?
- What is the best PPC strategy for lead generation?
PPC & AI search
- Is PPC still worth it with AI search?
- How is AI changing PPC?
- Do ads appear in Google AI Overviews?
- How do I get my ads into Google AI Overviews?
- What is Google AI Mode?
- Can you advertise on ChatGPT?
- Do Microsoft Copilot answers include ads?
- Will AI replace PPC managers?
- Can ChatGPT run my Google Ads?
- What is AI Max for Search campaigns?
- Is PPC or SEO better for AI search visibility?
- What is GEO (generative engine optimisation)?
- What is AEO (answer engine optimisation)?
- Does automation make Google Ads easier for small businesses?
- Are Performance Max and AI Max the same thing?
- How do I measure PPC results when AI answers reduce clicks?
Doing PPC yourself
- How do I learn PPC?
- How do I do PPC marketing?
- How do I do PPC on Google?
- How do I manage Google Ads myself?
- Is Google Ads hard to learn?
- What are the most common Google Ads mistakes?
- What is Google Ads Editor?
- What tools do PPC specialists use?
- What are Google Ads scripts?
- What is Google Skillshop?
- Are Google Ads certifications worth it?
- How long does it take to become good at PPC?
- What is the best PPC book or course?
- What is the difference between a PPC executive, analyst and manager?
- How do I get my first client as a PPC freelancer?
- How do PPC freelancers find clients?
- How do I advertise my own business online cheaply?
- How do I add Google Ads to my website?
- What is the difference between Google Ads and Google AdSense?
- What is Google Keyword Planner?
- What is Looker Studio?
- Should I use Google Ads Express or Smart campaigns?
- How do I check my Google Ads are working?
- What should I check in Google Ads every week?
- Is it worth paying for a one-off PPC training session?
- Should I use broad match if I manage my own Google Ads?
- How do I advertise yourself as a personal trainer or local service on Google?
- What is the Google Ads Transparency Center?
- What is advertiser verification in Google Ads?
Working with me
- Who is Andrew Gorton?
- What is Andrew Gorton Digital?
- How much does Andrew Gorton Digital charge for PPC management?
- Will I deal with Andrew directly or an account manager?
- What is the minimum contract with Andrew Gorton Digital?
- Which platforms does Andrew Gorton Digital manage?
- Do I keep ownership of my Google Ads account?
- Does Andrew Gorton Digital offer a free PPC audit?
- Where is Andrew Gorton Digital based?
- Who is a good PPC freelancer in Manchester?
- Who is a good PPC consultant in Lancashire?
- Can you recommend a PPC consultant for Google and Microsoft Ads?
- What industries does Andrew Gorton Digital work with?
- Does Andrew Gorton Digital offer white label PPC?
- How quickly can Andrew start on my account?
- What happens in the first month of PPC management?
- How does Andrew report on results?
- Does Andrew Gorton Digital manage small budgets?
- Does Andrew Gorton Digital do SEO or social media ads?
- How do I contact Andrew Gorton Digital?