Google Ads for Agencies: The Complete Client Success Playbook

Setting Expectations Before the Contract

The biggest agency-client conflicts stem from misaligned expectations. Address these during sales, not after signing.

Critical Expectation-Setting Conversations

Topic	What to Clarify
Timeline	Learning phase takes 4-8 weeks minimum
Results	Realistic projections based on industry
Involvement	What you need from them (access, assets, approvals)
Communication	Reporting frequency, meeting schedule
Budget	Minimum viable and recommended spend levels

The Client Onboarding Checklist

Week 1: Access and Setup

• Receive Admin access to Google Ads account
• Install conversion tracking (forms, calls, purchases)
• Verify tracking is firing correctly
• Connect Google Analytics
• Set up offline conversion tracking (if B2B/lead gen)
• Audit existing campaigns (if any)

Week 2: Strategy Development

• Complete keyword research
• Build campaign structure
• Create ad copy
• Review landing pages
• Present strategy to client
• Get client approval

Week 3: Launch

• Launch campaigns
• Monitor first 48 hours closely
• Check for disapprovals
• Verify tracking accuracy
• Send launch confirmation to client

The 30-Minute Account Audit

Check	Time	What to Look For
Conversion tracking	5 min	Is it set up? Accurate?
Campaign structure	5 min	Logical organization?
Search terms	10 min	Wasted spend? Missing negatives?
Bidding strategy	5 min	Appropriate for account maturity?
Settings	5 min	Networks, locations, schedules

Common Issues in Inherited Accounts

Conversion Tracking Problems:

• Tracking not installed (surprisingly common)
• Double-counting conversions
• Wrong conversion actions set as primary
• No phone call tracking

Campaign Structure Issues:

• All keywords in single ad group
• No theme organization
• Broad match everything
• Missing negative keywords

Account Health Scorecard

Rate each area 1-5 and present to client:

Area	Score	Notes
Conversion Tracking	/5
Campaign Structure	/5
Keyword Strategy	/5
Negative Keywords	/5
Bidding Strategy	/5
Ad Copy Quality	/5
Landing Pages	/5
Settings Optimization	/5

The Challenge of Scale

Managing 1-3 accounts is very different from managing 20-50+. Efficiency comes from standardization, not heroics.

Agency Efficiency Principles

Principle	Implementation
Standardize processes	Same audit, setup, and optimization procedures
Templatize deliverables	Reporting templates, proposal templates
Batch similar tasks	Do all search term reviews on same day
Document everything	Playbooks for each client type

Campaign Naming Conventions

Consistent naming across accounts saves hours of confusion.

Recommended Structure: [Client] - [Campaign Type] - [Target] - [Match Type]

Examples:

• ClientA - Search - Core Services - Exact
• ClientA - Search - Competitor Terms - Phrase
• ClientA - PMax - Full Catalog
• ClientA - Remarketing - All Visitors

Standard Weekly Workflow

Day	Tasks
Monday	Review weekend performance, identify urgent issues
Tue-Wed	Search terms review, bid adjustments, ad optimizations
Thursday	Compile reports, prepare client meeting notes
Friday	Client calls/meetings, send reports, plan next week

The 80/20 of Account Management

Focus Time Here (80% of Results):

• Search terms and negative keywords
• Conversion tracking accuracy
• Bidding strategy appropriateness
• Landing page performance

Deprioritize These (20% of Results):

• Micro-optimizing ad copy words
• Demographic bid adjustments
• Device bid adjustments (smart bidding handles)
• Extensions/assets (beyond initial setup)

Matching Strategy to Client Maturity

Client Situation	Recommended Bidding
New account, no data	Maximize Conversions (no target)
30-100 conversions	Maximize Conversions → Add Target CPA
100+ conversions	Target CPA or Target ROAS
500+ conversions	Performance Max consideration

The Target-Setting Process

1. Establish Baseline (Weeks 1-4): Launch with no target, calculate actual CPA/ROAS
2. Set Conservative Target (Week 5+): Set target at current performance level, NOT at "client wants this"
3. Scale Gradually: When performance improves consistently, raise targets

Communicating Bidding to Clients

What Clients Often Want: "Set target CPA at $20" (when actual is $50)

What They Need to Hear: "Setting an unrealistic target will cause your campaign to stop spending. We'll start at your current CPA and work systematically to reduce it through optimization. Aggressive targets sound good but prevent Google from finding any customers for you."

Key Talking Points:

• Targets are constraints, not goals
• Unrealistic targets = no spend
• Gradual improvement is sustainable
• Fighting Google's algorithm loses

What Clients Actually Want to Know

Most agency reports are too complex. Clients want:

• Are we making money?
• How much did we spend?
• What did we get?
• What are you doing to improve?

The One-Page Report Format

Section 1: Executive Summary (2-3 sentences)

"This month we generated 47 leads at $82 average cost per lead, an 8% improvement over last month. Campaign performance is stable and we're testing new ad copy to drive further improvements."

Section 2: Key Metrics Table

Metric	This Month	Last Month	Change
Spend	$3,850	$3,500	+10%
Leads	47	38	+24%
Cost/Lead	$82	$92	-11%
Conversion Rate	4.7%	4.2%	+12%

Section 3: What We Did

• Added 32 negative keywords (saved estimated $200)
• Tested 3 new headline variations
• Adjusted bid strategy for Campaign X

Section 4: Next Month Plan

• Launch new landing page test
• Expand keyword coverage in [area]
• Continue monitoring and optimization

Reporting Frequency

Client Size	Recommended Frequency
<$1K/month spend	Monthly
$1K-5K/month	Bi-weekly
$5K-20K/month	Weekly
$20K+/month	Weekly + as-needed

Managing Expectations During Learning Phase

Before Launch: "The first 2-4 weeks are a learning period. Google is testing to find what works. Performance will be volatile, costs may be higher than target, and we'll resist making major changes during this time."

During Learning: Weekly brief updates: "We're in week 2 of learning. Seeing X conversions at $Y cost. This is expected. We're monitoring closely."

After Learning: "Learning phase complete. Here's our baseline performance. Now we begin systematic optimization."

Handling Client "Suggestions"

Response Framework:

1. Acknowledge: "Thanks for raising this. It's a good question."
2. Explain: "Here's why we approach it this way..."
3. Offer Testing: "If you'd like, we can test this approach..."
4. Document: Record all client requests and responses

Common Client Suggestions and Responses

Suggestion	Response
"Add more keywords"	"We're focusing on high-intent terms first. We can expand once we prove profitability."
"Match competitor X"	"We've analyzed their approach. Here's why our strategy differs..."
"Lower our CPA target"	"Too aggressive a target will cause the campaign to stop spending."
"Why aren't we #1?"	"Position isn't correlated with results. We optimize for conversions, not position."

When Things Go Wrong

Proactive Communication Rule: If you notice a problem, tell the client before they notice.

Problem Communication Template:

"I wanted to alert you to an issue we identified: [describe problem]. Here's what caused it: [explanation]. Here's what we're doing to fix it: [action]. Expected resolution: [timeline]."

Pricing Models That Work

Model	Pros	Cons
% of Spend	Scales with client	Can feel unfair to client
Flat Monthly	Predictable	Doesn't scale with complexity
Performance-Based	Aligned incentives	Risk on agency
Hybrid	Balanced	Complex to explain

Common Pricing Ranges

Client Ad Spend	Typical Management Fee
$1K-5K/month	$500-$1,500 flat or 15-20%
$5K-20K/month	$1,000-$3,000 flat or 12-15%
$20K-50K/month	$2,500-$5,000 flat or 10-12%
$50K+/month	8-10% or custom arrangement

Profitability Calculation

Target: Each client should generate 3-4x the cost of servicing them.

• Hours per month: 8-12 hours for $5K spend client
• Effective hourly rate: $80-150+
• If lower, either raise prices or reduce service time

Scaling Agency Operations

• 1-10 clients: Founder does everything
• 10-25 clients: First hire (junior PPC specialist)
• 25-50 clients: Add account managers, processes critical
• 50+ clients: Specialized roles, management layer