Key facts
- Both freelancers and agencies are paid a management fee; ad spend goes to Google either way
- Google Ads management at dijitul from £150 a month + VAT, or 10 to 15% of ad spend if higher
- You should always own the Google Ads account, with the freelancer or agency added as a user or through their manager account
- Holiday and sickness cover is the main practical risk with a sole freelancer
- Tracking, landing pages and paid social often sit outside a PPC freelancer's scope
- Monthly, cancel with notice at dijitul
The short version
The quality of the person matters more than the type of business. A skilled freelancer will outperform a careless agency, and the reverse is also true. The structural differences are about cover, breadth and continuity.
| PPC freelancer | PPC agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | The person you hired | A team; check who actually runs your account |
| Fees | Often lower overheads, sometimes lower fees | Fixed monthly fee or percentage of spend |
| Cover | Holidays and illness can pause optimisation | Another team member can step in |
| Skills beyond PPC | Depends on the individual | Usually tracking, paid social, email and CRO in-house |
| Capacity | Limited; busy periods affect everyone | Can add people as you grow |
| Continuity | Ends if they take a full-time job | Account history stays with the team |
| Contracts | Often flexible | Varies; avoid long lock-ins |
When a freelancer is the better choice
- One channel, modest spend. A single Search campaign for a local service business does not need a team.
- You want the specialist, not an account manager. With a freelancer, the person on the call is the person in the account.
- You have strong in-house support. If your developer handles tracking and your marketer handles social, a freelancer can focus purely on Google Ads.
- A specific niche. Some freelancers specialise deeply in one sector or platform, such as Shopping feeds or Microsoft Ads.
Ask to see how they report, how they handle holidays, and whether they will set up conversion tracking themselves or expect you to. Check references from a business of similar size, and ask how many accounts they manage alone; a freelancer juggling forty clients has little time for yours.
When an agency is the better choice
- Several channels that need to work together. Google Ads, Meta, email and GA4 reporting under one roof avoids finger-pointing when numbers disagree.
- Tracking needs fixing. Consent Mode v2, enhanced conversions, Meta Conversions API and offline conversion import are specialist work in their own right.
- Continuity matters. If results depend on one person who might take a job or go on a month's holiday, that is a business risk.
- You expect to grow. Adding Shopping, Performance Max, YouTube or LinkedIn is easier when the skills already exist.
The agency risks are being handed to a junior after the sales call, and paying for a team you never speak to. Ask who will run the account day to day and how often you will hear from them.
Account ownership: non-negotiable either way
Whoever you hire, the Google Ads account, GA4 property, Google Tag Manager container, Merchant Center and Meta Business assets should be owned by your business, with your email as an admin. The freelancer or agency should be added as a user or link their manager account to yours. If an agency or freelancer runs ads in their own account, you lose the history and data when you part company, and you may have to start again. At dijitul everything is set up in your accounts from day one. If you are inheriting an account and are unsure who owns it, a Google Ads audit starts with exactly that check.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- Will you work in our account, and will we be the owner?
- Who does the work day to day, and who covers holidays?
- How do you track conversions, and will you fix tracking if it is wrong?
- What does a monthly report show? Ask for a sample.
- How are you paid: fixed fee, percentage of spend or both? Is there a minimum term?
- Do you promise results? (The honest answer is no.)
Then watch the first three months. A competent manager, freelance or agency, should explain what they found in the account, what they changed and why, and what they will test next. Expect early work on tracking, negatives and structure before bids and budgets. If reports only show clicks and impressions, or the explanation is mostly jargon, ask for cost per enquiry or sale. If that number never appears, find someone else.
Frequently asked questions
Are PPC freelancers cheaper than agencies?
Often, because they have lower overheads, but not always. Compare what is included: tracking set-up, reporting, ad copy, landing page advice and cover. A cheaper fee that leaves tracking broken can cost more in wasted ad spend.
What if my freelancer disappears?
If the Google Ads account is yours, you can remove their access and hand it to someone else with all history intact. If it is in their account, you may lose it. Always make sure your business owns the account and has admin access.
Do agencies charge a percentage of ad spend?
Many do, some charge a fixed fee, and some use whichever is higher. dijitul charges from £150 a month + VAT, or 10 to 15% of ad spend if that is higher, with ad spend paid directly to Google.
Can a freelancer and an agency work together?
Yes. Some businesses use a freelancer for Google Ads and an agency for paid social or tracking. It works if roles are clear and both report from the same GA4 data, so results are not double counted.
How do I switch from a freelancer to an agency?
If you own the account, add the new manager as a user, remove the old one when ready, and ask for a handover of current tests and known issues. We review the account before changing anything, so performance is not disrupted.
Related
Get a free marketing review
We'll look at your ads, social, email and tracking, and tell you plainly what we'd change. No obligation.