PPC Management Services for Real Leads
Paid ads run by people who track every lead and every dollar.
We'll reply with a written proposal: the work, what we need from you and an estimated timeline.
What PPC management is, and why your ads may not be paying off
Pay-per-click ads put your business at the top of Google, Bing, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn the moment someone searches or scrolls, and you only pay when someone clicks. PPC management is the ongoing work of making those clicks count. When nobody does that work well, the same six problems show up again and again.
Lots of clicks, very few leads
Your ads get clicks, but the phone stays quiet. Often the ads show for searches that sound close but come from people who will never buy, such as job seekers, students or people wanting something free.
Your budget is gone by lunchtime
The daily budget runs out early on broad, expensive searches, so your ads disappear in the afternoon when your best customers might be looking. No one has set times, places or limits that match how you sell.
No one knows which ads bring sales
Tracking counts page visits or button clicks as leads, or isn't set up at all. Calls aren't tracked, and nobody connects a lead to a sale. So decisions about what to spend more on are guesses.
Every ad sends people to your homepage
Someone searches for one specific service and lands on a general homepage. They have to hunt for what they wanted, can't find a clear next step and leave. You still pay for the click.
Your agency won't give you access
The ad account was set up in the agency's name, you only see a monthly summary and you aren't sure what is being spent on what. If you leave, you may lose years of data and history.
Automated campaigns you can't see inside
Campaign types that let the platform decide where ads show, such as Google's Performance Max, are switched on without good tracking or limits. Money moves to places you can't check, and results are hard to judge.
What our PPC management services include
PPC management services cover the weekly work of running pay-per-click ads (ads where you pay each time someone clicks). We plan which searches and audiences to target, build the campaigns, write the ads, set up tracking for calls, forms and sales, improve the pages people land on, cut wasted spend and report what each dollar brought back. Your ad budget goes to the ad platforms. Our management fee pays for the work. Both are shown separately, and you keep full ownership of every ad account we touch.
Eight areas of work take you from an honest review of your ads and tracking, through campaigns on the right platforms, to weekly fixes and plain reports tied to real leads. Your proposal spells out what is included.
Account audit before we change anything
We review your current ad accounts, tracking, searches, ads, budgets and landing pages, then write down what is wasting money, what is working and what to fix first. New accounts start with a setup plan instead.
Keyword and audience research
We find the searches real buyers use, the people worth reaching on social platforms and the searches to block. We group them by the service or product they match, so each ad speaks to one clear need.
Campaigns on the right platforms
We build and run campaigns on Google Search, Shopping, YouTube, Performance Max and AI Max, Microsoft Advertising (Bing), Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and LinkedIn, choosing only the platforms that fit your buyers and budget.
Ad copy and creative
We write ads that say clearly what you offer, who it is for and what to do next, with honest claims you approve. We test different versions and keep the ones that bring better leads, not just more clicks.
Landing pages that match the ad
We point each campaign at a page that matches what the person searched for, with a clear offer, proof, a short form and an easy way to call. We improve your existing pages or build new ones when needed.
Conversion tracking for calls, forms and sales
Conversion tracking records the actions that matter, such as a call, a form or a booking. We set it up and test it, and where your systems allow, send sales results back so the platforms learn which clicks became customers.
Bid and budget management
We set how much to pay for clicks and how to spread your budget across campaigns, days, hours and locations. We watch spending pace so money goes where good leads come from, and nothing runs away unchecked.
Weekly improvements and plain reports
Every week we review search terms, block waste, adjust bids, test ads and fix problems. You get a plain report showing spend, leads, cost per lead, sales where tracked, what we changed and what we will test next.
How we manage PPC differently: tracking first, waste out, you in control
Most wasted ad money comes from tracking that counts the wrong actions, searches nobody checks and accounts the business can't see inside. We fix those first, then spend.
We fix tracking before we spend more
If tracking counts the wrong things, every decision built on it is wrong too. We test calls, forms, bookings and sales tracking first, so the platforms and you learn from real results.
You own the ad account, always
Your ad accounts sit in your business's name, with you as the main owner. We work through proper user access, never shared passwords. If we part ways, everything stays with you.
Wasted spend is checked every week
We read the actual searches that triggered your ads, block the ones that don't fit, limit locations and hours to where you sell and exclude people who are not buyers. Small leaks add up, so we keep plugging them.
No long lock-in contracts
We would rather keep your business by doing good work than by a long contract. Your proposal states the notice period in plain words, and it is short.
Landing pages are part of the job
An ad is only half the journey. We make sure each campaign lands on a page that matches the search and makes it easy to get in touch, because a better page can lower the cost of every lead.
Reports tied to leads and sales
We have managed more than $12M in client ad spend, and we have learned that clicks alone mislead. Reports show leads, cost per lead and sales where tracking allows, plus what we changed and why.
Our PPC audit and working method: seven checks before we spend more
Before we raise any budget, we check seven things. Each check shows what we found, what we will do, who does it and how we confirm it worked. For a deeper one-off review of a Google account, see our Google Ads audit service.
Tracking, goals and what a good lead is
We agree what counts as a real result for your business, then check that every ad platform records it correctly.
Ad platforms use your tracking to decide who to show ads to. If tracking counts page views or duplicate forms as leads, the platform will chase more of the wrong people.
Who owns the ad account, and who can see what
We check who owns each ad account, who has access and whether your business could keep everything if an agency left.
An ad account holds your history, audiences and learning. It should belong to your business, not your agency. We work as a user you can remove at any time.
Keywords, search terms and wasted spend
We look at the real searches and audiences your money is buying and cut the ones that will never become customers.
Wasted spend rarely comes from one big mistake. It is usually many small leaks: wrong searches, wrong places, wrong hours and wrong people, each costing a little every day.
Your ad budget, our management fee and spending pace
We separate what you pay the ad platforms from what you pay us, then check how the budget is spread and paced.
Google can spend up to twice your daily budget on a busy day, but won't charge more than your monthly limit. Budgets need watching, not just setting.
Ads, offers and the landing page after the click
We check that each ad makes a clear, honest promise and that the page it leads to keeps that promise.
A great ad sent to a weak page still wastes money. The page should match the search, load fast on a phone and make the next step obvious.
Performance Max, AI Max and other automated campaigns
We decide where the platforms' automated campaigns help and where they need limits, based on your tracking and goals.
Performance Max lets Google show your ads across Search, YouTube, Gmail, Maps and other places from one campaign. AI Max for Search lets Google widen which searches match and write some ad text. Both can work, but only with good tracking and clear limits.
Reporting, next steps and how pricing works
We agree what you will see each week and month, and how our fee is worked out, before campaigns scale.
We don't price by a percentage of ad spend alone, because that can reward spending more instead of spending better. Your fee is based on the work in your plan.
What changes after the first PPC management cycle
First we find out what your ads are really buying today, who owns the accounts and whether your tracking can be trusted.
- Ownership and accessEvery ad account is checked for who owns it, who can see it and who is billed, so control sits with your business.
- What the money buysReal searches, audiences, locations and hours behind your spend are listed, with the waste marked clearly.
- Tracking you can trustCalls, forms, bookings and sales tracking are tested, and anything counted twice or not at all is written down.
Approved fixes to tracking, campaigns, searches, ads, budgets and landing pages go live. We check each one and note anything still waiting on the platforms to learn.
- Campaigns rebuilt around buyersCampaigns are grouped by service or product, with searches, ads and pages that match one clear need.
- Waste blockedWrong searches, places, hours and audiences are blocked, and the budget moves to what brings good leads.
- Tracking testedCalls, forms and bookings are counted once, and sales results flow back where your systems allow.
Weekly reviews, tested changes and lead quality feedback from your team guide a list of next steps that someone owns.
- Clear results viewSpend, leads, cost per lead, booked jobs and sales are shown separately, so you know what really happened.
- Steady improvementSearch terms, bids, ads and pages are improved each week, with every change dated and explained.
- Next stepsRemaining work, such as new platforms, new pages or bigger budgets, is ranked by value and readiness.
PPC management for your type of business
A law firm, a roofer, a clinic and an online store need different searches, ad rules, pages and ways to count a good lead. Where advertising rules apply, we work with your compliance or legal team.
Law firms and lawyers
Legal searches are some of the most expensive clicks online, so blocking poor-fit searches and tracking every call matters most. Ads must follow lawyer advertising rules (ABA Model Rules 7.1 to 7.3 and your state bar), and we work with your legal team on claims.
Home and on-site services
Customers search when something breaks and call the first business they trust. Ads need tight service areas, opening hours that match when you answer the phone and clear call buttons.
HVAC and plumbing companies
Demand jumps with the weather, so budgets need to move fast in heat waves and cold snaps without wasting money on quiet days.
Roofing contractors
Storm damage, repairs and full replacements are very different buyers. Ads and pages should separate them, and block searches from people looking for roofing jobs or supplies.
Clinics and healthcare providers
Health ads have extra platform rules, and HIPAA (US patient privacy law) limits what tracking can collect and share. We work with your compliance team and avoid targeting based on health conditions.
Real estate agents and brokers
Housing ads in the US fall under Fair Housing rules, and platforms limit targeting by age, gender and ZIP code. Buyer, seller and rental searches each need their own ads and pages.
Online stores and ecommerce brands
Product ads depend on a clean product feed, accurate prices and stock, and tracking that sends real order values back to the platforms.
B2B and professional services
Buyers take weeks or months to decide, and one deal can be worth a lot. LinkedIn and search ads need to reach the right job roles and feed leads into your sales process.
Insurance agencies
Insurance ads must follow state rules and carrier approval, and any calls or texts to leads need proper consent under the TCPA (US law on marketing calls and texts). We work with your compliance team.
Small and local businesses
With a smaller budget, every click counts. We focus on the few searches most likely to turn into customers instead of spreading money thin.
Startups and new products
Ads can test demand and messages quickly before you spend big. Tracking and clear goals stop early budgets from disappearing.
Nonprofits and charities
Eligible nonprofits can get free Google search ads through Google Ad Grants, which we manage. Paid campaigns can run alongside them for donations and events.
Who does what in your PPC campaigns
Your proposal lists what Softscotch builds and runs, which outside platforms and specialists we coordinate, and which offers, budgets, claims and lead follow-up stay with you.
The PPC work and changes in your plan.
- Audit your ad accounts, tracking, searches, ads, budgets and landing pages
- Plan platforms, campaigns, audiences, budgets and the first tests
- Build campaigns, write ads and set up waste controls
- Set up and test tracking for calls, forms, bookings and sales
- Review search terms, bids, budgets and ads every week
- Send plain reports, a change log and a list of next steps
The outside help that good ads depend on.
- Work with Google, Microsoft, Meta and LinkedIn support when needed
- Work with your web developer on landing pages, speed and forms
- Work with your call tracking, booking and customer record tools
- Work with your designers or ours on images and video
- Work with your compliance or legal team on regulated claims
- Link up with SEO, email and follow-up work where it helps
Your business stays in charge of money and promises.
- Own every ad account and approve who has access
- Approve monthly ad budgets and any budget changes
- Approve offers, prices, claims and industry wording
- Answer leads quickly and tell us which ones were good
- Share sales results where you can, so tracking reaches real revenue
- Confirm what counts as a good lead and what each is worth
How long PPC takes: your first 12 weeks
Ads can bring clicks within days, but useful results take longer. Checking tracking and your account usually takes one to two weeks once we have access. First campaigns or fixes often go live in weeks three to four, and cost per lead usually settles over the following weeks as the platforms learn. We can't promise exact dates or costs.
PPC management, first 12 weeks
Audit, access and tracking
Once we have access to your ad accounts, analytics and website, we review what your ads are buying, confirm you own every account and test calls, forms and sales tracking.
KPI Starting point agreedPlan and quick fixes
We agree goals, platforms, budgets and the first campaign plan, and make quick fixes such as blocking obvious wasted searches and correcting broken tracking.
KPI Plan approvedBuild and launch
New or rebuilt campaigns, ads and matching landing pages go live after your approval. We check every ad, link, form and phone number on the live site.
KPI Campaigns liveLearning and early clean-up
The platforms learn from new tracking. We read the first search terms, block waste, adjust bids and fix anything that isn't working.
KPI First waste removedFirst useful report
We compare spend, leads, cost per lead and lead quality from your team, and test new ads or page changes where the numbers point.
KPI Results explainedGrow what works
We move budget toward the campaigns bringing good leads, agree any new platforms or pages and set the plan for the next cycle.
KPI Next cycle readyOur full growth plan (all services together), month by month
Foundation and review
We review your whole website, where you rank and your competitors, agree how the site should be organized, and set up hosting, analytics (visitor tracking) and your GoHighLevel lead system. The first agreed pages start going live.
KPI pages liveBuild and launch
The site is built or rebuilt. Main, service and industry pages go live with on-page SEO, website labels and technical fixes. Your Google Business Profile is improved and lead follow-up automations are switched on.
KPI pages in GoogleEarly rankings, paid ads start
More pages built from templates (programmatic pages) start going live, paid ads and email follow-ups are switched on for early leads, and Google adds your pages to its results as the first rankings usually appear.
KPI search terms rankingMomentum builds
Rankings often start climbing, visits from free search begin to rise, ad spending is tuned to the return it brings (ROAS, return on ad spend), and groups of related articles and links from other sites build your reputation with Google.
KPI visits from searchResults start to show
Main search terms can move closer to page one, the first leads from free search often arrive, AI tools may begin to mention you, and testing improvements to your pages (CRO, conversion rate optimization) helps more visitors get in touch.
KPI leads from searchGrowth builds on itself
Pages that are working are protected and improved, template pages bring in visitors searching for very specific terms, and SEO, ads, email and automation work together to bring steadier leads and sales. Timing varies by market and competition, and no ranking is guaranteed.
KPI leads and salesSoftscotch vs a typical PPC agency
The difference is in the parts most agencies skip: account ownership, tracking that counts real leads, waste control, the landing page and reports that connect spend to sales.
- Sets up the ad account in the agency's name
- Launches campaigns before tracking is tested
- Counts clicks and page views as leads
- Rarely reads the actual searches behind the spend
- Sends every ad to your homepage
- Switches on automated campaigns without limits
- Charges a percentage of spend, so more spend means more fee
- Locks you into a long contract
- Sends a monthly summary with no change log
- Promises a set number of leads or a fixed return
- Keeps every ad account in your business's name
- Tests calls, forms and sales tracking before scaling
- Separates clicks, leads, booked jobs and sales
- Reviews search terms and blocks waste every week
- Matches each campaign to a page built for that search
- Uses automation only with good tracking and clear limits
- Prices the work in your plan, with ad spend kept separate
- Uses a short notice period written in plain words
- Dates every change and explains why it was made
- Reports honestly and never guarantees lead numbers
Results from Softscotch client work.
These totals come from work for Softscotch clients across search, paid ads, websites and lead generation, as published on softscotch.com. Past results don't guarantee future results.
All six Softscotch client stories.
Every Quick Story currently published on Softscotch.com, covering education, ecommerce, healthcare and SaaS. Stock photography represents each client industry; the figures are reported historical results and do not guarantee future performance.
Education Ads + local SEO
183% more leads for an education consultancy
An education consulting business in India needed to build its digital presence and lead flow from scratch.
- Built a new WordPress website
- Used Quora ads to grow daily lead volume
- Added Local SEO and community engagement
Home solutions Shopify + SEO
Home-solutions ecommerce growth
A home-solutions business was dependent on business-to-business (B2B) marketplaces, losing sales and recovering from a Google penalty.
- Resolved the Google penalty
- Revamped the website and online store
- Improved organic visibility and Amazon campaign performance
Health consultant $20/day
Five booked calls a day for a health consultant
A Houston lactation consultant needed to recover a malware-damaged website and rebuild local patient acquisition.
- Rebuilt the hacked site and migrated it to secure hosting
- Ran targeted Facebook and Google campaigns
- Reached top-three local Google positions
Ecommerce 10 months
315% organic growth for an ecommerce site
Softscotch reports a 315% increase in ecommerce organic traffic over 10 months through focused on-page SEO.
- Optimized product and collection pages
- Improved the links between pages and the page addresses (URLs)
- Made the site easier for Google to explore and better matched to what people search for
SaaS platform Cold outreach
9% close rate for a transcription SaaS
A transcription platform needed a qualified prospect list and a reliable email-sending setup for outreach we managed.
- Built a comprehensive prospecting list
- Managed the cold outreach campaigns
- Set up reliable email-sending servers (SMTP)
Healthcare 6 months
182% organic growth for a healthcare clinic
A clinic in a competitive location needed to build organic search visibility from the ground up.
- Built the clinic's foundation for unpaid (organic) Google search
- Combined on-page and off-page SEO
- Reached top-five positions in Google Search
Teams that stopped leaving clicks on the table.
"The Softscotch team has been a solid partner as our business evolved over the last five years. Unlike most agencies, they have never charged us for work that falls outside the agreement. That is what sets them apart."
"Without their knowledge, we would be in a very different place than we are now. Whenever they find something that can be improved, they implement it quickly. I could not be happier with their performance and response time."
"Softscotch goes above and beyond the scope. The time, effort and dedication they put in is like having your own in-house marketing team. They are not just another marketing company."
"We are extremely happy with Softscotch, such an attentive team. No project is too small, and they give their 100%. We are extremely satisfied with their work."
"Softscotch is a great team to work with: transparent, reliable and genuinely invested in the growth of your company. They are good partners to have by your side."
"The Softscotch team has been a solid partner as our business evolved over the last five years. Unlike most agencies, they have never charged us for work that falls outside the agreement. That is what sets them apart."
"Without their knowledge, we would be in a very different place than we are now. Whenever they find something that can be improved, they implement it quickly. I could not be happier with their performance and response time."
"Softscotch goes above and beyond the scope. The time, effort and dedication they put in is like having your own in-house marketing team. They are not just another marketing company."
"We are extremely happy with Softscotch, such an attentive team. No project is too small, and they give their 100%. We are extremely satisfied with their work."
You'll always know exactly what we changed.
Plenty of agencies go quiet after the audit and you never quite know what you're paying for. We do the opposite. You get a live view of every change and what it moved, in plain language you can act on.
Live client dashboard
Every change, score and ranking in one place you can open any time, not a monthly PDF you wait around for.
Ready for your review
Weekly video summary
A short screen-recorded video (Loom) each week walking you through exactly what shipped and what it moved, so nothing is a mystery.
Before
After
Before/after score per page
See the exact lift on every page we touch, not a vague "it's improving" you have to take on faith.
Approved page updates are live.
Product details need a review.
Confirm the next priority pages.
Plain-English reporting
Clicks, rankings and revenue, explained in words you can act on, instead of a wall of charts about how often you were seen (impression charts.
Reports on demand
Ask for any cut of the data whenever you need it and get it, no waiting for the end of the month.
- ✓Proposed
Softscotch prepares the change.
- ✓Approved
Your team gives the go-ahead.
- ✓Published
Checked live and recorded.
Ethical, transparent, always on
One accountable team, strictly white-hat (only methods search engines and platforms allow), no shortcuts and no surprises. Support whenever you need it.
One Softscotch plan gives you access to the full service stack, coordinated around your priorities.
You do not need a separate agency or retainer for every channel. Your plan can draw from search, paid media, web, ecommerce, outreach, automation, lead generation, messaging, content, creative and operations. The agreed scope sets what is active, in what order and at what capacity.
PPC management services FAQs
These answers cover what PPC management is, cost, ad budgets, account ownership, wasted spend, tracking, landing pages, automated campaigns, contracts, timing and how to choose a PPC agency.
What is PPC management?
PPC (pay-per-click) management is the ongoing work of running ads where you pay each time someone clicks, mainly on Google, Bing, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. A PPC manager chooses the searches and audiences to target, writes the ads, sets bids and budgets, tracks calls, forms and sales, blocks wasted spend, tests improvements and reports results. Good management is weekly work, not a one-time setup.
What do PPC management services include?
Our PPC management services include an account audit, keyword and audience research, campaign builds, ad writing, landing page improvements, conversion tracking for calls, forms and sales, bid and budget management, weekly wasted-spend reviews and plain reports. Your proposal lists the platforms, campaigns and pages included.
How much do PPC management services cost?
You pay two separate amounts: your ad budget, paid straight to the ad platforms, and our management fee for the work. Our fee depends on how many platforms and campaigns you run, how much tracking and landing page work is needed, how often you want reports and any industry rules. We send a scoped proposal with a clear fee rather than a one-size price list.
What's the difference between my ad budget and your management fee?
Your ad budget is the money the platforms charge for clicks. It is billed to your own card or invoice by Google, Microsoft, Meta or LinkedIn. Our management fee pays for our time and skill: planning, building, tracking, weekly improvements and reporting. We keep the two separate in every proposal and report, so you always know where each dollar goes.
What is the minimum ad budget for PPC to be worthwhile?
There is no single number. Your budget needs to buy enough clicks each month to learn what works, and that depends on click costs in your industry and area. In your proposal we tell you honestly whether your budget is enough, and if not, where to focus it.
Who owns the ad account if we stop working together?
You do. We set up or keep every ad account in your business's name, with you as the main owner, and we work as a user you can remove at any time. Your campaigns, history, audiences and tracking stay with you if you leave.
How do you stop wasted ad spend?
Every week we read the actual searches that triggered your ads and block the ones that don't fit, using negative keywords (words that stop your ad from showing). We also limit ads to the places and hours you serve, exclude poor-fit audiences, watch budget pacing and flag spam leads or odd click patterns to the platform.
How do you track calls, forms and actual sales from ads?
We set up conversion tracking (a record of each valuable action) for calls, forms and bookings, and test that each one is counted once. Where your customer system allows, we send closed sales back to the ad platforms, so you can see which campaigns bring customers, not just leads. Some journeys can't be fully tracked, and we say so in reports.
Do you build landing pages, or send ads to my homepage?
We send each campaign to the page that best matches the search. That might be an improved service page on your site or a new landing page we build. A matched page with a clear offer, proof, a short form and a phone number usually turns more clicks into leads than a general homepage.
What are Performance Max and AI Max, and should I use them?
Performance Max is a Google campaign type that shows your ads across Search, YouTube, Gmail, Maps and other Google places from one campaign. AI Max for Search lets Google widen which searches your ads match and write some ad text. Both can work, but only with trustworthy tracking, enough budget and limits in place, so we test them carefully rather than switching them on by default.
How long does it take to see results from PPC?
Ads can bring clicks within days. Useful results take longer, because the platforms need a few weeks to learn from new tracking and we need that time to cut waste and test. Most accounts have a clearer picture of cost per lead within two to three months. We can't promise a fixed date or result.
Can you take over an existing account, and do you audit it first?
Yes. We start by auditing your current campaigns, tracking, searches, budgets and landing pages, and we keep your account history instead of starting from scratch. You get a written list of what's working, what's wasting money and what we'll fix first.
Is there a long contract?
No long lock-in. Your proposal states a short notice period in plain words. We would rather earn your business every month.
Do you offer SEO and PPC services together?
Yes. PPC brings quick, paid visibility while SEO (search engine optimization, ranking in free results) builds traffic over time. Running both with shared tracking shows which searches are worth paying for and which you can win for free. SEO is priced as its own part of your plan.
How do I choose the best PPC management agency?
Ask who will own the ad account, how they track calls and sales, how often they review search terms, whether they improve landing pages, how they price the work, how long the contract is and what their reports show. Be wary of anyone who guarantees a number of leads or a fixed return, keeps the account in their own name or can't explain their fee.