Running Google Ads: Do It Yourself, Hire a Freelancer, or Use an Agency?

The short answer: choose based on time, budget, and control

There is no single best way to run Google Ads. Do it yourself if you can spend time learning the account and reviewing it regularly. Consider a freelancer if you want hands-on help from one person but still want a close view of the work. Consider an agency if you need broader, ongoing support and are comfortable paying for a larger service setup.

None of these routes guarantees profitable results. Google Ads can bring visitors to a business, but results depend on the goal, offer, budget, targeting, ads, landing page or destination, and the decisions made after campaigns start. The practical question is not simply, “Who is cheapest?” It is: what can you realistically manage, understand, and verify?

For many small businesses, the right choice comes down to three things:

How much time can you give to campaign review each week?
How much can you spend on management in addition to ad spend?
How much control and visibility do you want over the account?

A lower management fee is not automatically better if you do not know what work is being done. A more expensive option is not automatically better either. Compare the support you receive, the reporting you get, and whether you retain access to your own Google Ads account.

What Google Ads work actually involves

Before choosing DIY, a freelancer, or an agency, understand what the work includes. Running Google Ads is more than creating an ad once and waiting for leads or sales.

The work typically involves:

Defining the business goal. This could be phone calls, enquiries, store visits, online purchases, or visits to a specific page.
Choosing campaign settings. Decisions can include where ads appear, who should see them, when they run, and what budget to use.
Writing ads. Ads need clear messages that match what a potential customer is looking for and what the business actually offers.
Setting a budget. You need a spending limit you can afford to monitor while learning what the campaign produces.
Reviewing search terms and results. This helps you see what people searched before interacting with your ads and whether the traffic appears relevant.
Making changes. Campaigns may need updates to keywords, targeting, budgets, ads, or the page people reach after clicking.

It is also important to separate two costs. Ad spend is the money paid to Google for advertising. Management cost is the fee paid to a freelancer or agency for their work. If you run campaigns yourself, you may not pay a separate management fee, but you are investing your own time.

Ask every provider to show these costs separately. If a proposal combines everything into one figure, ask how much is intended for ads and how much covers management.

Option 1: Run Google Ads yourself

DIY Google Ads means you create, manage, and review the account yourself. This route can work well for owners who want direct control and are willing to learn gradually.

Advantages of DIY

The biggest advantage is control. You can see your account directly, decide what to promote, change budgets yourself, and learn how advertising decisions affect your business. That first-hand knowledge can be useful even if you later hire help.

DIY also avoids a separate management fee. For a business with a limited budget, putting more of the available amount into ad spend may feel practical. But this only works if the campaign is being watched rather than left alone.

You also have the shortest path between business knowledge and campaign changes. You know which products are available, which enquiries are useful, which locations you serve, and which offers have changed. You do not need to wait for someone else to understand those basics before updating an ad.

Tradeoffs of DIY

The tradeoff is time. You need time to set campaigns up, understand the information in the account, review spend, and make careful changes. There is a learning curve, especially when you are new to digital marketing.

You are also responsible for checking the account. If performance changes, spending rises, or leads are not relevant, there is no manager automatically accountable for raising the issue. You need a routine for looking at results and deciding what to do next.

DIY is not the same as “set it and forget it.” If you cannot make time to review campaigns, the lack of a management fee may not be a real saving.

Who should consider this route?

DIY can suit you if:

You are comfortable learning a new business tool.
You can review the account regularly.
You want complete access and decision-making control.
You have a straightforward offer and one clear starting goal.
You want to understand the basics before delegating advertising.

Before starting, ask yourself:

What exact action do I want advertising to produce?
Can I set aside time each week to check spend and results?
Do I know where ad clicks will send people?
Can I tell the difference between a useful enquiry and an irrelevant one?
What would make me pause, change, or continue the campaign?

If you cannot answer these questions yet, start by defining the goal before spending heavily.

Option 2: Work with a freelancer

A Google Ads freelancer is an individual who manages campaigns for clients. This can be a middle path between doing everything yourself and hiring a larger agency.

Advantages of working with a freelancer

A freelancer can provide focused support while giving you a direct working relationship with the person handling the account. For an owner who wants help but does not want to manage every campaign detail alone, that can be appealing.

Communication can also be simpler when there is one main person to speak with. You can explain your business, share changes in products or services, and ask questions directly. This may help when your offer changes often or you want a more hands-on working style.

A freelancer may be a good fit when your needs are specific. For example, you may need help launching one campaign type, improving an existing account, or establishing a regular review process.

Tradeoffs of working with a freelancer

The scope of service can vary significantly from one freelancer to another. One person may handle setup and monthly optimisation only. Another may also help with ad writing, landing page feedback, tracking, or reporting. Do not assume that a service is included because it sounds related to Google Ads.

Capacity can vary too. An individual may have limited availability, particularly during busy periods. That does not make a freelancer a poor choice, but it makes clear expectations important.

You still need reporting and account access. Hiring a freelancer does not remove your need to understand the goal, review what is being reported, and ask whether the work is helping the business move toward that goal.

Freelancer evaluation checklist

Before working with a freelancer, clarify:

Goal: What business outcome will the campaigns focus on?
Scope: What work is included each month? Setup, ad writing, campaign changes, search-term review, reporting, and calls should all be discussed clearly.
Fees: Is the management fee fixed, based on ad spend, or charged another way? Is ad spend separate?
Reporting: What will you receive, how often, and which results will be explained in plain language?
Communication: Who will you contact, and how quickly can campaign changes be discussed?
Approvals: Which changes need your approval before they go live?
Account ownership: Is the Google Ads account in your business's name, with you retaining admin access?

A freelancer should be able to explain their work without hiding behind jargon. You do not need to become an advertising expert, but you should be able to understand what is being managed and why.

Option 3: Hire an agency

An agency usually offers a broader service structure than one freelancer. It may have different people handling strategy, campaign work, reporting, creative work, or client communication.

Advantages of hiring an agency

An agency can suit businesses that want ongoing support and access to a wider range of skills. If you need regular campaign management alongside other marketing work, an agency may have more capacity to support multiple activities.

A structured agency process can also be useful for businesses that want scheduled reporting, recurring meetings, and defined workflows. For a growing team, having a regular point of contact and a documented process may be more valuable than handling every issue internally.

Agencies can be a reasonable option when advertising is one part of a wider marketing plan. The key is to confirm what “wider support” means in the actual proposal, rather than assuming all marketing needs are covered.

Tradeoffs of hiring an agency

Agency management fees may be higher than working with an individual, especially when the service includes more people or additional deliverables. That can be worthwhile if the scope matches your needs, but it should be assessed against a clear plan.

You may also have less direct access to the person making day-to-day campaign changes. Your account manager may be your main contact while another team member works inside the ad account. Ask how this process works and who is responsible for decisions.

Accountability must be defined clearly. A report full of advertising terms is not enough. You should know what was changed, what the business is trying to achieve, what has been learned, and what will happen next.

Questions to ask an agency before signing

Ask these questions before committing:

What deliverables are included each month?
Who will manage the campaigns day to day?
Who will be my main point of contact?
How often will I receive reporting and review calls?
What will the report explain beyond basic numbers?
How are campaign changes approved?
What happens if I want to pause, reduce, or change the advertising budget?
Is ad spend separate from the agency fee?
Will my business own the Google Ads account and retain access?
What work is not included in this proposal?

Get the answers in writing. A clear scope protects both the business owner and the agency.

Compare the three routes before you choose

Use this comparison as a starting point. Actual fees and service levels vary, so use it to shape your questions rather than treat it as a price list.

Factor	DIY	Freelancer	Agency
Time commitment from owner	Higher	Moderate	Lower for campaign tasks, but owner still needs to review reports and give input
Management cost	No separate management fee	Varies by freelancer and scope	Often higher than an individual service, depending on scope
Level of control	Highest direct control	Shared control	Shared control through an agency process
Expertise required from owner	Higher at the beginning	Enough to set goals and assess reporting	Enough to set goals, approve direction, and assess reporting
Reporting needs	You create your own review routine	Agree on simple, regular reporting	Agree on reporting, contacts, and accountability

The most important comparison is not price alone. Compare proposals by the work scope and the transparency offered.

For example, two providers may quote different management fees, but the lower quote may cover less frequent reviews or fewer campaign changes. Another proposal may include reporting but not explain whether someone will discuss what the report means. Ask for specifics before deciding.

The best route is the one that gives you a workable balance of support, visibility, and responsibility. If you want someone else to manage campaigns, do not give up your ability to see the account and understand the basics. If you run campaigns yourself, do not ignore the time needed to do the job carefully.

A practical first-month checklist

Whichever route you choose, use the first month to create clarity rather than chase every possible advertising option at once.

Set one business goal. Choose the most important action you want advertising to support, such as enquiries, calls, or purchases.
Decide a starting budget you can monitor. Separate the ad budget from any management fee, and avoid committing money you cannot review.
Keep access to the account. Your business should be able to access the Google Ads account and see activity, even when someone else manages it.
Agree on what will be reported. Decide what information you need to review, how often you will receive it, and who will explain it.
Confirm the approval process. Know who can change budgets, ads, targeting, and campaign settings.
Review clarity at the end of the month. Can you explain the goal, spending, activity, and next step? If not, ask for better reporting or reconsider the level of support.

Your first month does not have to prove that one route will work forever. It should tell you whether you have enough visibility to continue, whether you need different support, or whether you should pause and rethink the plan.

Need a clearer marketing plan for your business? Start by defining one goal, the support you need, and the reporting you expect before you spend.