The vetting checklist we use internally at ScaleGrowth.Digital when evaluating paid search partners. Covers account ownership, bidding strategy, reporting, attribution, fee structure, and 20 other deal-breakers.
Last updated: March 2026 · 12 min read
Because most PPC agency relationships fail within 6 months. The wrong questions during the sales call are usually why.
“We’ve onboarded accounts from 40+ agencies over the past five years. The pattern is consistent: brands that asked tough questions upfront had better outcomes. The ones that didn’t? They usually come to us after burning through two or three agencies first.”
Hardik Shah, Founder of ScaleGrowth.Digital
This is the single biggest source of disputes when brands leave a PPC agency. Settle it before you start.
Account ownership refers to who legally owns the Google Ads, Meta Ads, or other platform accounts, including all campaign data, conversion history, and audience lists.
This reveals whether the agency relies on Google’s automation or actually thinks about your account architecture.
Reporting frequency, attribution models, and KPI definitions tell you whether the agency is optimizing for your business or their own retention.
Not every PPC agency is equally strong across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and programmatic. Know where they excel and where they’re stretching.
Fee structure tells you what the agency is incentivized to do. Make sure their incentives align with yours.
| Model | Typical Range | Watch Out For |
|---|---|---|
| % of Ad Spend | 10-20% | Agency is incentivized to increase spend, not efficiency |
| Flat Retainer | $1,500-$10,000/mo | No built-in incentive for performance |
| Hybrid | Base + bonus | Ensure bonus is tied to your KPIs, not vanity metrics |
If you hear any of these during the sales process, proceed with caution.
Any agency that insists on keeping you out of your own accounts is hiding something. No exceptions.
No agency can guarantee a specific CPA or ROAS. Too many variables (competition, landing page quality, product-market fit) are outside their control.
“We’ll send reports when there’s something to share” means you won’t hear from them until you ask. Insist on a defined schedule.
If the answer to “what bidding strategy will you use?” is “Smart Bidding” with no further detail, the person on the call isn’t managing your account.
Use this framework to compare agencies side by side after your calls.
| Dimension | Weight | What to Evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Account Ownership | 25% | Full admin access, your accounts, your data |
| Strategy Depth | 20% | Bidding approach, campaign structure, testing plan |
| Reporting Quality | 20% | Frequency, depth, actionable insights vs. data dumps |
| Team & Access | 15% | Who works on your account, seniority, account load |
| Fee Transparency | 10% | Clear pricing, no hidden costs, fair contract terms |
| Platform Certifications | 10% | Google Partner status, team certifications |
What PPC management actually costs in India: fee models, typical ranges by tier, and what’s included at each price point. Read Guide →
The 42-point checklist we use to evaluate Google Ads accounts. Run it on your current account before talking to agencies. Get Checklist →
Calculate your return on ad spend and compare it to industry benchmarks. Set clear targets before your agency conversations. Use Calculator →
Evaluate 3-5 agencies. Fewer than 3 doesn’t give you enough comparison data. More than 5 leads to decision fatigue without meaningful differentiation. Use the scoring framework above to compare them objectively.
For businesses spending $5,000-$50,000/month in ad spend, expect management fees of 10-20% of spend or a flat retainer of $1,500-$5,000/month. In India, management fees typically range from ₹15,000 to ₹2,00,000/month depending on spend volume and scope (as of early 2025).
If your monthly ad spend is below $3,000, a skilled freelancer is usually more cost-effective. Above $10,000/month, an agency brings team depth, tool access, and process maturity. Between $3,000-$10,000, either can work depending on campaign complexity.
Give a new agency 60-90 days for meaningful optimization. The first 30 days are onboarding, audit, and setup. Days 30-60 are initial optimizations and data collection. By day 90, you should see directional improvement in your primary KPI (CPA, ROAS, or lead volume).
“Who owns the ad accounts?” If you don’t own your accounts, you don’t own your data, your quality scores, your conversion history, or your audience lists. Everything else is secondary to this.
We run paid search with full account ownership, weekly reporting, and transparent pricing. No lock-in contracts. Talk to Our PPC Team →