How to Vet a Freelancer or Agency to Run Google Ads for Your Small Business

If you’re a small business owner ready to invest in Google Ads, chances are you’ve realised two things:

1) It’s more complex than it first looks, and

2) Getting it wrong can be expensive.

Whether you’re hiring a freelancer or agency locally or abroad, the challenge is the same: how do you know who to trust?

In this post, I’m sharing the practical advice I wish more business owners had before outsourcing their Google Ads. It’s not about hiring the biggest name or going for the cheapest quote. It’s about finding someone who understands your goals, communicates clearly, and knows how to get results without wasting budget. Done right, hiring a Google Ads specialist can be one of the best things you do for your business, freeing you up to focus on what you’re great at while your campaigns are guided by someone who takes your budget and profitability seriously.

And to be clear, this isn’t about me. I’m not writing this to pitch my own services. I’m writing this because there are brilliant Google Ads specialists out there who genuinely care about their clients’ results, and there are small business owners like you who would benefit from working with them. The key is knowing how to spot them!

1. Know What You’re Buying (and What You’re Not)

Let’s start with a quick reality check. Google Ads isn’t just about picking a few keywords and writing some snappy headlines. A good Google Ads consultant will consider:

• Campaign structure

• Automation

• Keyword and audience research

• Negative keywords

• Ad extensions

• Tracking and attribution setup

• A/B testing

• Ongoing optimisation

• Reporting and insights

Some freelancers or agencies offer a set-and-forget approach. Others do deep, strategic work that drives your business forward. Neither is inherently wrong, but you need to know what level of support your business actually needs.

Think of it like hiring a builder. Are you asking them to build you a basic garden shed, renovate your kitchen, or design a custom house from scratch? Different jobs, different budgets, different skill sets. If you’re spending £3,000 a month on ads, you’re making a significant investment, and you need support that matches that level of spend.

2. Ask the Right Questions Before You Hire

Another valuable area to explore is how they keep their skills and knowledge up to date. Google Ads evolves constantly, and the rise of AI tools means strategies and best practices shift quickly. Ask questions like:

• "How do you stay up to date with changes in Google Ads and AI tools?"

• "Do you run your own test accounts or experiment with new features?"

• "What have you learned from something you tested recently?"

The goal isn’t to catch them out; it’s to understand whether they’re curious, proactive, and always learning. You want someone who’s not just riding on five-year-old tactics but is staying current with how the platform behaves now.

When you start speaking to potential hires, these are the kinds of questions that cut through the fluff:

• "What’s your process for getting to know a new client’s business?"

• "Can you talk me through how you structure campaigns?"

• "What do you do in the first month vs ongoing?"

• "How do you handle keyword research and match types?"

• "What’s your approach to tracking conversions?"

• "How do you measure success for different types of campaigns?"

You’re not looking for buzzwords or perfect answers. You’re listening for:

• Clear, confident communication

• A process (even if it’s flexible)

• Curiosity about your business and goals

3. Ask for Examples (Not Just Numbers)

Any freelancer can show you a ROAS screenshot. But what you’re really looking for are examples with context:

• What was the challenge?

• What was their strategy?

• What did they test or learn?

• What happened as a result?

Even better if they can talk about a time something didn’t go as planned and what they did to fix it. You’re hiring someone to think and deliver results for your business, not just push buttons. Their stories should reflect that.

4. Talk About Tracking Early (and often)

This one’s big. If someone brushes off tracking or says "we'll just use the default Google Ads conversions," that's a red flag.

Ask:

• How do you handle conversion tracking setup?

• Do you use Google Tag Manager?

• Can you help connect leads or sales back to campaigns?

• Think of your Google Ads like a sat nav. If it doesn’t know where “success” is, it can’t steer you there.

5. Balance Budget, Location and Communication

You absolutely can find smart, experienced, and competitively priced freelancers in locations outside of your own, but wherever they’re based, look for:

• Clear Language Skills (written and spoken)

• Reasonable availability for calls or updates

• Evidence of long-term client relationships

• Transparency around what’s included in their fee

Cheap doesn’t always mean bad, and expensive doesn’t always mean good. It’s about fit. Keep in mind, if they’re hard to communicate with now, they’ll be hard to communicate with once your ads are live.

6. Don’t Just Buy a Price - Buy a Partnership

This is a big mindset shift. You’re not buying a deliverable. You’re investing in a relationship with someone who will help grow your business.

A good Google Ads specialist:

• Asks good questions

• Listens carefully

• Flags risks or opportunities

• Helps you make better marketing decisions

Imagine hiring a personal trainer. You want someone who doesn’t just count reps, but who understands your goals, your injuries, and your motivations. Ads are the same.

If you’re reading this, you’re already ahead. You care about your business. You want to use your budget wisely. And you’re willing to invest in expertise as long as it’s the right kind of expertise. There are brilliant Google Ads freelancers and agencies out there - people who take your ad spend seriously and want to learn about your business, not just run ads in a silo. Your job is to find the right match.

Ask questions. Expect clarity. And remember, a good partner doesn’t just get you clicks. They help your business grow with confidence.

Thinking about hiring a freelancer for Google Ads? Why not get in touch and we’ll chat.