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Goldbeater vs hiring a PPC agency
Goldbeater is the better choice for an experienced agency's analysis with the account in your hands. PPC agency pricing is commonly 10% to 20% of ad spend.
Or connect one account for a free first look, no card needed: how many problems it finds, and what they cost.
$249
Goldbeater, on its Starter plan
$5,000
A PPC agency's fee at 10% of spend
$10,000
A PPC agency's fee at 20% of spend
The two costs differ in kind: Goldbeater's plan buys the analysis, and a fee buys people's time.
We make Goldbeater, and we aren’t affiliated with anyone this page names. Every fact here about hiring a PPC agency comes from the pricing pages WebFX, OuterBox and Upwork publish, listed at the end.
- Choose Goldbeater if someone on your team owns the account: it does an experienced agency's analysis, checking for 274 problems every day, and prepares every change for approval.
- Goldbeater is $249 a month at $50,000 of spend, and the decisions stay with you; PPC management pricing is commonly 10% to 20% of ad spend or a flat fee.
- Hire a PPC agency if you want nobody on your side involved, or need skills beyond the account.
At a glance
Goldbeater and hiring a PPC agency, side by side.
| Goldbeater | A PPC agency | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An AI analyst for Google Ads that does the work: 166 checks look for 274 problems every day, 72 of them testing what they find against chance, its AI agent investigates each week, and every fix arrives prepared. | An agency or a freelancer who plans, changes and reports on your Google Ads account for a monthly fee. |
| Who it's for | Operators who want the most from every dollar of Google Ads spend, an experienced agency's depth, and the final say on every change. | Businesses that want the work done for them, or need skills they don't have: creative, landing pages, tracking, or several ad platforms at once. |
| How changes reach the account | Goldbeater prepares each change, with its value before and after, and sends it when a person approves it and presses Apply. Every applied change can be undone. | The agency's people decide on the changes and make them. You agree the goals and read their reports. |
| Platforms | Google Ads, including manager (MCC) accounts | Whichever the agency manages: WebFX, for one, lists Google, Microsoft, Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon and ChatGPT ads |
| What the price is keyed to | Ad spend covered and accounts switched on, with no overage charge | A share of ad spend, commonly 10% to 20%, or a flat monthly fee |
| At $50,000 a month in ad spend | $249 a month (Starter, 3 accounts) | Typically $4,000 to $12,000 a month, OuterBox's range for $25,000 to $100,000 of spend |
| At $250,000 a month in ad spend | $649 a month (Growth, 12 accounts) | Typically $10,000 to $25,000 or more a month, OuterBox's range above $100,000 of spend |
| At $1,000,000 a month in ad spend | $1,290 a month (Agency, 40 accounts) | Typically $10,000 to $25,000 or more a month, OuterBox's range above $100,000 of spend |
| Trial | 7 days with a card, or a free first look at one account with no card | Agreed with each agency |
Why choose Goldbeater over hiring a PPC agency
- You want an agency's analysis without handing over the account. Goldbeater's AI agent does an analyst's work every week and prepares every fix, and the final say stays with you.
- You want to keep the record. Every finding, its evidence and every change you applied stay in your workspace, so nothing leaves with an account manager.
- You want coverage that doesn't depend on anyone's week. The same 166 checks look for 274 problems in every account you switch on, every day.
- You want work you can inspect. Every finding shows its evidence, and every query the AI agent ran against the account is there to read.
- You want every call backed by a test. 72 of Goldbeater's checks test what they find against chance on your account's own numbers, and each finding carries the rule it was judged by.
- You want to know the cost up front. Goldbeater is $249 a month at $50,000 of spend, where a fee of 10% to 20% would be $5,000 to $10,000 a month.
What a finding looks like
Each finding is an experienced analyst's work, written down: here, a negative keyword list seven campaigns carry and an eighth doesn't, tested against chance before the change is drafted.
Missing the negative keyword list "Not for sale" that 7 other Search campaigns carry
Tables — Phrase
7 of the 8 Search campaigns it fits carry the list, and here its 9 negatives would have kept out 2 searches the campaign bought in 30 days, $50 on 42 clicks with no conversion, which happens 12% of the time by chance where this campaign's other searches convert 5.0% of clicks.
- Campaigns with the list
- 7
- Negatives not in force here
- 9
- Searches it would block
- 2
- Cost
- $50
- Clicks
- 42
Could it be luck?
| Clicks with no conversion | Chance by luck | Reads |
|---|---|---|
| 0 clicks | 100% | Too early to judge |
| 3 clicks | 86% | Too early to judge |
| 6 clicks | 74% | Too early to judge |
| 9 clicks | 64% | Too early to judge |
| 12 clicks | 55% | Too early to judge |
| 15 clicks | 47% | Too early to judge |
| 18 clicks | 41% | Too early to judge |
| 21 clicks | 35% | Too early to judge |
| 24 clicks | 30% | Too early to judge |
| 27 clicks | 26% | Too early to judge |
| 30 clicks | 22% | Too early to judge |
| 33 clicks | 20% | The line: Goldbeater recommends the list |
| 36 clicks | 17% | Enough to judge |
| 39 clicks | 14% | Enough to judge |
| 42 clicks | 12% | The searches it would block, now: enough to judge |
| 45 clicks | 11% | Enough to judge |
| 48 clicks | 9% | Enough to judge |
| 51 clicks | 8% | Enough to judge |
| 54 clicks | 7% | Enough to judge |
| 57 clicks | 6% | Enough to judge |
| 60 clicks | 5% | Enough to judge |
Now: 42 clicks, no conversion12% by luck · enough to judge
The searches it would block, nowChance of no conversion by luck, where this campaign's other searches convert 5.0% of clicksUnder 20%, Goldbeater recommends the listIt crossed the line at 33 clicks, where Goldbeater recommends the list: at 42 clicks, luck alone brings no conversion 12% of the time.
| oak dining table second hand | 24 | $29 |
| diy oak dining table | 18 | $21 |
A negative keyword list left off a campaign it fits, where most of the campaigns it fits carry it, more than chance would give, or where even one carries it and this campaign bought searches the list would have kept out: that campaign keeps paying for the searches the list keeps the others off. Goldbeater applies the list only where none of its negatives would block the campaign's own keywords or a search that converted there over the last year, never where the list's name says it isn't for that campaign (a Non-FINRA list on a FINRA campaign), and never outside the kind of campaign its carriers are all named for (a NonBrand list on a brand campaign). It names the searches the list would have kept out, and recommends it only where their clicks bringing no conversion is unlikely by chance; until then it's an early read, and the list is offered.
Apply "Not for sale" to Tables — Phrase, as 7 of the account's other Search campaigns have it: its 9 negatives not already here would keep Tables — Phrase off the searches they keep the others off. None of them blocks this campaign's keywords or a search that converted here over the last year. It's the change below. If Tables — Phrase is meant to show on these searches, leave it off.
- Apply the negative keyword listNot for saleCampaignTables — Phrase
It reaches your account when you approve it in the change set and press Apply. An applied change can be undone.
How the two approaches differ
Goldbeater
A PPC agency
When hiring a PPC agency fits
- You want nobody on your side involved. An agency's people plan, change and report on the account.
- You need skills beyond the account. An agency can bring ad creative, landing pages and other ad platforms.
Using both, or switching
Bringing the account in-house starts with access: make sure your business owns the Google Ads account and has admin access to it, and keep the conversion tracking the agency set up. Then connect Goldbeater, and its first review shows where the account stands.
Questions
What does Google Ads management cost with an agency?
Commonly 10% to 20% of ad spend, or a flat monthly fee, and the share usually falls as spend rises. WebFX puts typical fees at around $1,000 to $3,000 a month. OuterBox's ranges run from $500 to $2,000 a month for $1,000 to $5,000 of spend up to $10,000 to $25,000 or more above $100,000.
What does a freelancer cost?
Upwork shows Google Ads experts at about $15 to $40 an hour. OuterBox puts PPC consultants and specialists at around $75 to $250 or more an hour.
Can Goldbeater replace an agency?
For the analysis and the changes, yes: Goldbeater checks the account every day, puts a monthly figure on a problem where its cost can be measured, and prepares every fix. The final say stays with you, so someone on your side approves each change and presses Apply. If nobody has that time, an agency is the better fit.
Sources
Each source is named with the facts taken from it; we name our sources rather than link to them. How we write about other companies’ products.
[1]WebFX's PPC pricing page
- Management fees are typically 10% to 20% of ad spend, or around $1,000 to $3,000 a month.
- Fees usually fall as a share of spend as total spend rises, and some agencies require a minimum monthly spend.
- WebFX's own PPC services start at $750 a month and cover Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon and ChatGPT ads.
[2]OuterBox's guide to PPC management pricing
- Typical management fees by monthly spend: $500 to $2,000 a month for $1,000 to $5,000 of spend, $1,500 to $5,000 for $5,000 to $25,000, $4,000 to $12,000 for $25,000 to $100,000, and $10,000 to $25,000 or more above $100,000.
- Percentage-of-spend fees commonly land around 10% to 20% of monthly spend, often with a minimum fee.
- PPC consultants and specialists often charge around $75 to $250 or more an hour.
[3]Upwork's page for hiring Google Ads experts
- Google Ads experts on Upwork charge from about $15 to $40 an hour.
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