10 Questions That Reveal Whether a PPC Agency Is Truly Good — or Just Good at Selling Itself
You got a great presentation. An appealing pitch, a friendly price, assurances that they’d take care of everything. You signed the contract. Six months later you decided to change agencies — and discovered that the ad account doesn’t belong to you. All your data, your entire campaign history, every crown of invested budget — stayed with the agency.
This isn’t an exceptional story. On the Czech PPC market, it’s standard practice.
Agencies differ dramatically in quality. The problem is that you usually only find out when it’s too late. Certificates, Google reviews, or a nice website won’t tell you whether the specialist managing your campaigns has been doing this for two months or ten years. They won’t tell you what happens to your data when you end the partnership. Nor whether the agency actually measures results — or just sends you a table with click counts.
If you’re trying to figure out how to choose a PPC agency that will genuinely work for you, ask these 10 questions before signing any contract. Each one has a correct answer — and its own red flag.
Why the Cheapest Offer Is Often the Most Expensive Choice
Choosing a PPC agency based on price is one of the most expensive mistakes a business owner can make. It’s not a paradox — it’s math.
Hourly rates for PPC specialists in the Czech Republic vary by experience: juniors start from 300–600 Kč (CZK), more experienced specialists (mid-level) from 900 Kč, and senior consultants range from 1,500 to 5,000 Kč per hour. An agency offering campaign management for 5,000 Kč/month on a 100,000 Kč budget has one of these options: assign you a junior without certification, bundle you with 30 other clients, or make up the difference elsewhere — such as hidden mark-ups on your ad credit.
A cheap agency doesn’t save your money. It just moves the costs somewhere you can’t see them as easily.
Before you start comparing offers, you need to know exactly what you’re buying. These 10 questions will help you find out.
Question 1 — Who Specifically Will Manage My Campaigns?
Large agencies tend to present themselves through senior specialists — and then assign clients to juniors. Seniors are at the pitch, juniors are in the accounts. This isn’t inherently a problem if you know about it and there’s a clear oversight system in place. The problem arises when you don’t know.
You want a specific name, to see a LinkedIn profile, and ideally to meet or at least speak with that person. Campaigns aren’t managed by an agency. They’re managed by a specific person with specific experience — and a specific number of clients on their plate.
| ✅ Good answer | 🚩 Red flag |
| A specific name, years of PPC experience, examples of industries they’ve worked in. Willing to introduce themselves, answer questions. Ideally: a meeting or video call with the specialist before signing the contract. | “Our team will take care of everything” — without a specific name. Evasive answer: it depends on capacity, or we’ll assign the best specialist. Inability to speak with the specialist before the partnership begins. |
Question 2 — Do You Have Google Partner or Meta Business Partner Certification?
Google Partner certification isn’t just a badge on a website. It means the agency meets performance standards, has certified specialists, and manages a sufficient volume of campaigns. There are two levels: Google Partner and Google Premier Partner — Premier is awarded to approximately the top 3% of agencies in a given country.
Verify the agency’s status directly through the Google Partners Directory (partners.google.com). If the agency isn’t there — they either don’t have the certification or have lost it.
Meta Business Partner certification works on a similar principle and is relevant if you plan to advertise on Facebook or Instagram.
| ✅ Good answer | 🚩 Red flag |
| A verifiable Google Partner or Premier Partner badge — with a direct link or profile in the Google Partners Directory. Certified individuals (Google Ads, Analytics) — with specific names, not just “we have certificates.” | “We handle certification internally” — without the ability to verify. Outdated certification (expired date), or certification only for display/video, not Search. A badge on the website with no ability to verify through Google. |
Question 3 — Will I Own the Ad Account?
This is the most important question on the entire list. Without the correct answer, the other questions are almost irrelevant. Ownership of the ad account determines what you take with you if you end the partnership.
Common practice among some agencies: they run campaigns from their own Google Ads or Meta Ads account and only report results to the client. The client never sees the account directly, doesn’t know the campaign structure, doesn’t know the settings. When the partnership ends — they leave without data, without history, without any record of what worked and what didn’t. The entire investment in building the account disappears.
The right approach: the account is created in the client’s name (or their company’s name). The agency gets access as an editor or manager — but the account belongs to you. Always. From day one.
| ✅ Good answer | 🚩 Red flag |
| “We set up the account in your name / your company’s name. We’re just editors with access.” Access to the account at any time — without needing to request a data export. | Any exception or vague answer: “it depends,” “we standardly manage accounts centrally.” “We’ll hand over your data when the partnership ends” — that’s not enough. You want ownership, not a promise of an export. |
Question 4 — How and How Often Will You Report Results?
Reporting is where poor-quality work hides most often. A table with click counts, click-through rates, and impressions looks like data — but says nothing about whether the campaigns are generating revenue.
A quality report includes conversions (purchases, inquiries, registrations), PNO or ROAS (the ratio of costs to revenue), and an explanation of what was done in the given period, why — and what’s planned for the next month. Not just numbers, but context for those numbers.
A good agency will also give you access to a live dashboard — typically in GA4 or Looker Studio — where you can see results at any time, not just once a month.
| ✅ Good answer | 🚩 Red flag |
| Monthly report with commentary: what was done, what produced results, what will change. Access to a live dashboard (GA4 / Looker Studio) with key metrics. Clearly defined KPIs at the start of the partnership: ROAS, CPA, number of conversions. | “We’ll send you a report on request.” A table with clicks and impressions without conversions or commentary. Resistance to giving the client access to the account or dashboard. |
Question 5 — Do You Have Experience in My Industry?
E-commerce, B2B, local services, SaaS — every industry has its own specifics. Different buyer journeys, different keywords, different seasonality. A specialist who expertly manages campaigns for a fashion e-shop may know nothing about generating B2B leads for a manufacturing company.
Don’t just ask “do you work with companies like ours?” — ask for specific examples. What worked, what didn’t, what metrics they tracked, what the result looked like.
The agency doesn’t need to have references from your exact segment. But they should be able to describe how they’d approach your industry. “We work with all industries” without a single example is the answer of a specialist without specialization.
| ✅ Good answer | 🚩 Red flag |
| Specific examples of campaigns from a similar industry — even anonymized, but with real numbers. A description of your industry’s specifics and how those would be incorporated into campaigns. Willingness to say what they wouldn’t do in your industry and why. | “We work with all industries” without a single concrete example. References only from other industries with no ability to extrapolate. Generic answers that would apply to any client. |
Not sure what the numbers in your current agency’s report mean? Book a free consultation — we’ll go through it together and tell you straight what we see.
Question 6 — How Is the Price Structured and What Exactly Am I Paying For?
There are three basic cooperation models in the market: flat fee (fixed amount for management), percentage of ad spend (typically 10–20%), and hourly rate. Each model has its advantages — none is inherently bad. The problem arises when you don’t know which model you have.
Managing PPC campaigns for a single ad channel starts from 6,000 Kč/month on the market (excluding ad credit). The standard management scope for multiple channels ranges from 10,000 to 50,000 Kč per month depending on campaign scale and industry. The key question: are you paying for campaign management separately, or is the ad credit part of an “all-inclusive” price?
Always separate the ad credit from the management fee. Only then can you see how much you’re actually investing in advertising versus how much you’re paying for the work.
| ✅ Good answer | 🚩 Red flag |
| Itemized offer: campaign management X Kč/month, ad credit Y Kč/month — separated. Clear explanation of the fee model and what happens if you increase or decrease your budget. No hidden charges for “setup,” “audit,” or “onboarding” without prior notice. | Bundle price “all-inclusive” without a breakdown of management vs. credit. Ambiguity about who holds access to the payment card in the ad account. Fee tied exclusively to ad spend (incentivizes the agency to spend, not optimize). |
Question 7 — How Do You Measure Conversions and Are Goals Set Up in GA4?
Without conversion tracking, campaigns are managed by guesswork. You don’t know which keywords bring customers. You don’t know the actual ROAS. And you don’t know where visitors are dropping off.
A professional agency sets up measurement as the first step — before campaigns launch, not after. The typical process: implementing Google Tag Manager (GTM), connecting Google Analytics 4 (GA4), defining conversion actions (purchase, form submission, phone call), and verifying that each one is correctly recorded.
An agency that launches campaigns without verified conversion tracking is optimizing blind. And that’s not optimization — it’s gambling with your budget.
| ✅ Good answer | 🚩 Red flag |
| GTM and GA4 as the first step, before any campaign launches. Specifically defined conversion actions matching your business objective. Testing of measurement — the agency verifies that every conversion is correctly recorded. | “We’ll set up conversions after launch” or “it depends on your situation.” Tracking only clicks and impressions without conversion data. GA4 integration “at some point” — without a specific timeline at the start of the partnership. |
Question 8 — Which Platforms Will You Advertise On and Why?
In the Czech Republic, Google Ads is not the only relevant platform. Sklik — the ad system of Seznam — holds around 11% of search, and in certain industries and among older demographics it achieves significantly higher figures. An agency that automatically recommends “Google + Facebook” without analyzing your industry either doesn’t know Sklik or is deliberately ignoring it.
Meta Ads makes sense for B2C products with visual potential and for retargeting. For B2B with a longer sales cycle or for local service companies, it may be ineffective — if not set up correctly.
A good agency will explain why they recommend specific platforms for your business. Not because it’s standard — but because it makes sense for your customers.
| ✅ Good answer | 🚩 Red flag |
| A recommendation with reasoning: why Google Ads, why (or why not) Sklik, why Meta Ads. Mention of Sklik as a standard part of the Czech market — not as an exception. Recommendations tailored to your industry, budget, and target audience. | “We always recommend Google + Facebook” without any analysis of your business. Not even mentioning Sklik — agencies without Czech market experience skip right past it. Recommending a platform where the agency receives partner bonuses, without explaining why. |
Question 9 — What Does the First Month of Partnership Look Like?
Onboarding is a test of professionalism. An agency that wants to launch campaigns as quickly as possible — without auditing the current state, without keyword analysis, without setting goals — is telling you that results matter less to them than the invoice.
Professional onboarding includes a technical audit (account status, tracking, landing pages), keyword and competitor analysis, goal and KPI definition, campaign structure setup, and a testing phase before full launch. This takes two to four weeks — and it’s time well invested.
Ask for a specific timeline. A good agency will give you one without hesitation — because they have one.
| ✅ Good answer | 🚩 Red flag |
| A structured onboarding plan with specific steps and a timeline. An audit as the mandatory first step — regardless of whether it’s a new or existing account. Clearly defined communication frequency: who, how often, through which channel. | “We’ll launch campaigns as soon as possible” — without an audit phase. No onboarding plan, or just a vague “you’ll have results within two weeks.” Pressure to sign the contract quickly before you have time to ask questions. |
Question 10 — What Happens If I Want to End the Partnership?
This question is asked least often — and reveals the most. The termination terms will tell you more about an agency’s character than any presentation.
The standard notice period in the Czech Republic is 30 to 60 days. Anything over 90 days is a red flag. So are penalty clauses for early termination or non-compete provisions.
What happens to the ad account, campaign history, and data? If you handled question #3 correctly, you know the account belongs to you. But also verify that the agency doesn’t have a clause in its terms that would allow it to retain access to the account after the partnership ends.
Agencies that do good work aren’t afraid of partnerships ending. Those that are afraid show it in the contract.
| ✅ Good answer | 🚩 Red flag |
| Notice period of 30–60 days — clearly stated in the contract. All data, accounts, and creative materials remain with the client upon termination. No penalty clauses, no non-compete provisions. | Notice period over 90 days or automatic renewal without notice. Vague terms regarding account ownership “after the partnership ends.” Penalty clauses, confidentiality clauses about results, or bans on working with competitors. |
Bonus: 3 Warning Signs at the Very First Contact
Before you even get to these ten questions, watch how the agency behaves from the very first moment.
The Reply Took Three Days
An agency that takes three days to respond to a no-obligation inquiry will take a week to respond after you’ve signed the contract. A slow response at the start isn’t an exception — it’s a preview of what’s to come.
The Offer Arrived Without a Single Question About Your Business
They sent you a price proposal without asking you anything. How large is your budget. What you sell. Who you want to reach. That kind of offer isn’t a proposal — it’s a price list. A specialist who doesn’t need to know your business probably doesn’t want to understand it.
Guaranteed Results
“We guarantee the first position on Google.” / “We guarantee a 30% increase in conversions.” Nobody — literally nobody — can guarantee positions in an ad auction or exact conversion results. Google Ads is an auction influenced by dozens of factors outside any agency’s control. Guaranteed results are either ignorance or a lie. In either case: pass.
Checklist for Choosing a PPC Agency
Run every agency you’re considering through this table. A good agency should check all 10 rows.
| # | ✅ Good answer | 🚩 Red flag |
| 1 | Specific specialist name, LinkedIn, willingness to meet | “Our team will handle it” — no name given |
| 2 | Verifiable Google Partner badge, link to Partner Directory | “We handle certification internally” |
| 3 | Account in your name, agency as editor only | Any exception or evasiveness |
| 4 | Monthly report with commentary + live GA4 dashboard | Click table without context |
| 5 | Specific examples from your industry with results | “We work with all industries” |
| 6 | Itemized offer: management + credit separately | Bundle price “all-inclusive” with no breakdown |
| 7 | GTM + GA4 as the first step before campaigns launch | “We’ll set up conversions later” |
| 8 | Recommendation with reasoning based on your industry | Google + Facebook always, without analysis |
| 9 | Structured onboarding: audit, keywords, goals | “We’ll launch ASAP” — no audit phase |
| 10 | 30–60 day notice, all data stays with you | Penalty clauses, unclear account terms |
Choosing an Agency Is a Business Decision, Not a Service Purchase
The right PPC agency doesn’t sell you advertising. It becomes a partner that understands your numbers, can influence them — and can explain how. In practice, we’ve seen cases where a company spent years paying for campaigns that brought clicks but not customers. All it took was setting up conversion tracking and looking at the data. A bad agency sells you clicks — and leaves you guessing whether they’re worth anything.
When choosing a PPC agency, these 10 questions won’t give you a guarantee. But they’ll give you a tool to distinguish transparency from obfuscation, expertise from self-promotion, and a fair partnership from a contractual trap.
Go through them with every agency you’re considering. Watch not just the content of their answers — but how quickly they come, how specific they are, and whether the person across from you treats you as a partner or as an opportunity.
Want to know how we’d answer these 10 questions ourselves? Write to us — and we’ll go through it together. Free consultation, no strings attached.
