When people ask what PPC costs, they usually mean two different things rolled into one: the money that goes to Google or Meta, and the fee for someone to run the campaigns. It helps to separate them, because they behave very differently.

The two things you are paying for

Ad spend. This goes straight to the platform every time someone clicks or sees your ad. You set it, you control it, and it should always be in your own account in your own name.

Management. This is the fee for building, running and improving the campaigns, whether that is a freelancer, an agency or your own time.

A common mistake is comparing two providers on management fee alone while ignoring how well each one spends the ad budget. A cheaper manager who wastes 30 per cent of your spend costs you more.

Ad spend: what to expect

There is no minimum, but there is a practical floor. Below roughly £300 a month of ad spend, a search campaign struggles to gather enough data to optimise. Most small local businesses run somewhere between £300 and £1,500 a month to start, then adjust based on what the return looks like.

Management: the three pricing models

Percentage of ad spend. The fee is a percentage of what you spend on ads, often in the region of 10 to 20 per cent. Simple, but it rewards the manager for getting you to spend more, which is not always in your interest.

Flat monthly fee. A fixed amount regardless of spend. Predictable, and the incentives are cleaner. Common for small business management, often from around £300 to £1,000 a month depending on the number of platforms and campaigns.

Hybrid. A base fee plus a smaller percentage, or a fee that steps up at spend thresholds.

Typical UK figures

As a rough guide for a small business:

These are starting points, not rules. Your figures depend on your industry, your area and how competitive your keywords are.

What a management fee should include

• Campaign build and structure

• Keyword research and a negative keyword list that is maintained

• Ad writing and testing

• Landing page guidance

• Conversion tracking setup

• Regular optimisation, not just a monthly glance

• A clear monthly report showing enquiries and cost per enquiry, not just clicks

Doing it yourself, a freelancer, or an agency

What to watch out for

• Long lock in contracts. Good managers work month to month

• Not owning your own ad account. If you leave, you should keep the account and its history

• Percentage fees with no cap, which quietly push your spend up

• Reports full of clicks and impressions but silent on leads and cost per lead

What Koprio charges

Management starts at £350 a month, set as a fixed fee after a free audit call. Your ad spend is separate, paid directly to the platforms, and stays under your control. Month to month, no minimum term. Details on the paid advertising page.

The takeaway

Budget for two things: ad spend, realistically £300 a month or more to start, and management, commonly £300 to £800 a month for a small business on a flat fee. Favour flat fees over uncapped percentages, insist on owning your ad account, and judge any provider on cost per enquiry.

For a fixed quote based on your market, get in touch for a free audit. If you are still deciding whether to run ads at all, start with Google Ads for small business: is it worth the spend.