Frequently Asked Questions About Google Ads Management

They refer to the same core skill set. A Google Ads specialist or Google Ads expert is an individual with deep PPC campaign skills. A Google Ads manager handles day-to-day campaign management. A Google Ads agency or PPC agency is a company providing this as a managed service. At Enlightened Media, Jason Stern functions as all four — a certified Google Ads specialist, expert, and manager operating as a Google Premier Partner agency. One person. One point of accountability.

Start with Google’s partner directory at ads.google.com to find verified Premier Partners. Look for agencies with verifiable reviews on Clutch or Google Business Profile. The location of your Google Ads specialist or PPC agency matters less than their expertise — Enlightened Media manages accounts across the US from New Orleans, and all client communication is direct with Jason. Whether you search for a Google Ads specialist near me, pay per click agency near me, or paid search agency near me, the most important filter is who personally manages your account.

Google Ads management fees typically range from $500–$3,000/month for a boutique specialist or small PPC agency, and $2,000–$10,000+/month for larger agencies. Enlightened Media charges a flat monthly fee with no setup fee and no percentage of spend. Your ad budget goes to Google, not to us. Contact us for current pricing based on your account complexity.

Google Premier Partner status is awarded to the top 3% of Google Ads agencies based on spend managed, client growth, and product certifications. Enlightened Media is a verified Google Premier Partner. It’s not a guarantee of quality, but it eliminates the bottom tier of agencies and indicates Google recognizes the agency’s scale and performance. Verify any agency’s status at ads.google.com/intl/en_us/home/partners/find-a-partner/.

It depends on your budget and risk tolerance. A freelance Google Ads consultant or PPC consultant typically offers lower rates and more direct access, but less infrastructure and no backup if they become unavailable. A PPC agency offers more structure but often less personal attention. Enlightened Media is structured as an agency (Google Premier Partner status, business continuity) but operates like a specialist — Jason personally manages every account, every day.

Pay per click (PPC) is a digital advertising model where you pay each time someone clicks your ad. Google Ads is the dominant PPC platform — when someone searches on Google and clicks a sponsored result, the advertiser pays for that click. The cost per click varies by industry, keyword competition, and Quality Score. A well-managed pay per click campaign pays for clicks from buyers, not browsers.

PPC (pay per click) is the pricing model. Paid search is the channel — advertising on search engines. Google Ads is the platform. Most people use these terms interchangeably, and in practice they usually all refer to the same thing: bidding on search terms in Google Ads and paying per click. When someone says they need a paid search agency, a PPC management company, or a Google Ads agency, they’re typically looking for the same service.

The right budget depends on your cost per lead targets, your average deal value, and how competitive your keywords are. A rough framework: if your average client is worth $3,000 and you can convert 20% of leads into clients, you can afford a $600 cost per lead. Research your industry’s average cost per click, estimate your conversion rate, and work backwards to a budget that makes the math work. A good Google Ads specialist will walk you through this before recommending a budget — not after.

Yes. Home services is one of our core verticals. Google Ads for plumbers, Google Ads for HVAC companies, Google Ads for electricians, Google Ads for roofing contractors, and Google Ads for general contractors all require specific campaign structures built around emergency intent, local targeting, and call-focused conversion tracking. We’ve managed PPC for home service businesses for over 15 years across dozens of markets.

Yes. Legal is one of the most competitive and highest-cost PPC verticals. Google Ads for lawyers, Google Ads for attorneys, Google Ads for personal injury firms, Google Ads for family law practices, Google Ads for criminal defense attorneys, and Google Ads for immigration lawyers all require careful keyword selection, compliance with legal advertising rules, and conversion tracking built around phone calls and consultation requests. We have extensive experience with legal PPC.

Yes. Medical and dental verticals require compliance with Google’s healthcare advertising policies. We manage Google Ads for dentists, Google Ads for chiropractors, Google Ads for plastic surgeons, Google Ads for medical spas, Google Ads for weight loss clinics, and Google Ads for general medical practices. Healthcare PPC requires careful campaign architecture to avoid policy violations while still capturing high-intent patient searches.

Yes. Google Ads for e-commerce requires a different approach than lead generation — Shopping campaigns, product feed management, ROAS-based bidding, and conversion value tracking. We manage Google Ads for online retail businesses across multiple product categories. If you run e-commerce and want a Google Ads specialist who understands both the platform and the economics of product-based businesses, the free audit above is the right starting point.