PlaybookProve it worked · 4 min read · 30 October 2026
How to choose
a marketing agency.
Choose an agency on four things: you own the accounts, the costs are transparent, nobody promises what they can't control, and they'll report on enquiries and sales rather than clicks. Google's own guide says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking, and its policy requires partners to report Google's exact costs and disclose their fees. I run a marketing consultancy, so I'm not neutral. Use the scorecard on this page on anyone you're considering, including me.
Written by Dan Picken, a marketer who checks the sources. Last checked 30 October 2026.The honest bit
first.
I run a marketing consultancy, so I'd like you to choose me. Keep that in mind. Everything below is what I'd want a business to ask me, and where I could, I've used Google's own rules rather than my opinion.
There's no perfect agency, only a good fit. A big agency gives you a team. A small one or a consultant gives you the person doing the work. Both can be right. What matters is that you can see what they're doing and whether it's working.
Own your
accounts.
Your Google Ads account, Meta ad account, Google Analytics, Search Console, Google Business Profile and website should be in your name, with the agency given access. Not the other way round. In Google Ads, keep Admin access, which controls who else gets in, and give the agency Standard access.
If the agency owns them and you leave, you can lose years of data: which searches converted, which ads worked, what your customers did on the site. Starting from zero costs real money.
Your accounts, their access. Not the other way round.
Know what you're
paying for.
Google's policy for partners managing ads requires them to give customers the exact amount Google charged, separate from their own fees, and to disclose management fees in writing before the first purchase and on every invoice.
Ask how the fee is worked out. A percentage of ad spend means they earn more when you spend more. That isn't always wrong, but ask what they'd do if the honest answer was to spend less. A fixed fee or a fee tied to the work avoids that pull.
Be wary of
guarantees.
Google's page on hiring an SEO is blunt: no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google, and if someone guarantees first place, find someone else. The same page warns about firms that email you out of the blue.
It also now covers AI search. Google lists optimising for AI experiences, sometimes called 'AEO' or 'GEO', as a service an SEO might offer, and says to check their advice matches Google's own guidance. New labels, same test: can they explain what they'll change and why?
No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.
Read the contract
properly.
Since 9 November 2023, unfair terms in standard form contracts with small businesses can attract large penalties, not just be thrown out. A small business here means fewer than 100 staff or under $10 million turnover.
Look for long lock-ins, contracts that renew themselves, and terms that let one side change things without letting the other walk away. This is a marketer's checklist, not legal advice: if something worries you, ask a lawyer before you sign.
Ask what they'll
report.
Clicks, impressions and 'reach' can all go up while the phone stays quiet. Ask what number they'll report every month, and where it comes from. The answer should be enquiries or sales, checked against your own records. More on that in reporting you can act on.
Then ask what they'll do if the numbers are bad. A good answer names a test. A bad answer blames the market.
Score them
in two minutes.
Answer these for each agency or consultant you're considering. 'Not sure' means ask before you sign. Nothing you click leaves your browser.
Score
0/10
Worth raising
Still to ask
Use it on anyone you're considering, including me. 'Not sure' means ask them before you sign.
Your turn
An agency offers guaranteed first-page Google rankings within 60 days. What does Google's own advice say?
Google's page on hiring an SEO says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking, and if someone guarantees first place, you should find someone else.
The
checklist.
Tick them off as you go. Your ticks stay on this device only.
0 of 8 done
In my experience
Most of my work over the years has come through other agencies, so I've seen a lot of accounts from the inside. The problems that come up again and again aren't about skill. They're accounts the business doesn't own, reports full of clicks with no sales in them, and fees nobody can explain. All three are easy to check before you sign.
Questions
people ask.
Should I own my Google Ads account?
Yes. Have the account in your business's name and give the agency access. If you part ways, you keep the history and data.
Can an agency guarantee first page rankings?
No. Google says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking, and if someone does, you should find someone else.
What should a Google Ads agency report?
At minimum, Google's policy requires partners to provide cost, clicks and impressions, with Google's exact costs separate from their fees. A useful report also shows enquiries or sales and what each one cost.
Are lock-in contracts legal?
They can be, but unfair terms in small business standard form contracts have attracted penalties since November 2023. Read the term, renewal and exit clauses, and ask a lawyer if you're unsure.
Agency or freelancer?
An agency gives you a team and cover when someone's away. A freelancer or consultant usually means you deal with the person doing the work, often for less overhead. Ask who'll actually run your account either way.
How much should a marketing agency cost?
It varies with the work and the business. More useful than a price: what exactly is included, how the fee is worked out, and what you'll be able to measure at the end of each month. What a marketing agency costs breaks down the fee models and the true cost of hiring in-house.
What changed
- First published. Every source checked on the day.
Keep going
Want me to check
yours?
Takes a minute. Audits come back within 1 to 2 business days. For anything else, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
What happens next
- 1I'll ask for read-only access, or just your website for a search audit.
- 2I go through it and write up the 3 biggest fixes.
- 3A 20-minute call to walk you through it. No pitch unless you ask.