What does a Google Ads consultant do?
A Google Ads consultant sets up, runs and improves your Google Ads account personally. The person you talk to is the person making the changes. At Source Digital, that's me, Tristan. There's no account manager passing notes to someone you never meet, and no outsourcing.
The work each month:
- Keyword research from real search data for the services you want to sell.
- Campaign structure, ads and assets, written for each service.
- Conversion tracking for calls, forms and bookings, set up before launch.
- Weekly search term reviews and new negative keywords.
- Bid and budget changes based on what turns into enquiries, not just clicks.
- Landing pages built and tested against the ads.
- A plain English report on what you spent and what came back.
I also run Facebook and Instagram ads for businesses that want both, so one person sees the whole picture.
Google Ads consultant vs agency vs DIY: which should you choose?
It comes down to budget, time and how big the account is. A consultant suits most small and medium businesses that want expert work without layers. An agency suits large accounts across many channels. DIY suits small budgets and owners with time to learn.
| Consultant | Agency | DIY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who builds the campaigns | The person you talk to | Often a specialist you don't speak with | You |
| Who you talk to | The same person every time | An account manager | Nobody, or Google's support line |
| Typical fee | Flat monthly fee, ours from $950 ex GST | A monthly retainer, sometimes a percentage of ad spend | Your time, plus ad spend |
| Landing pages | Can be built by the same person | Usually a separate team or extra cost | You build them, or use your home page |
| Speed of changes | Usually same day | Depends on the queue | As fast as you can learn |
| Best for | Small to medium businesses wanting one point of contact | Big budgets, many channels, many markets | Very small budgets and owners who enjoy it |
| Main trade-off | One person has limited capacity | Your account may change hands as staff move | Wasted spend while you learn |
The honest trade-off with one person is capacity. If you need a team running Google, YouTube, TV and outdoor across ten markets, an agency is built for that. If you want someone who knows your account inside out and picks up the phone, a consultant usually wins.
How much does a Google Ads consultant cost in Australia?
Our Google Ads management is from $950 a month plus ad spend, ex GST. Ad spend is paid straight to Google and usually runs $500 to $5,000 a month depending on your industry and competition.
| Item | Cost (ex GST) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Management | From $950 a month | Flat fee, no lock-in contract |
| Ad spend | $500 to $5,000 a month | Paid directly to Google |
| Clicks, Perth trades and home services | $3 to $8 on average | Emergency work sits at the top end |
| Clicks, legal and dental | $12 to $30 on average | Higher value clients, more competition |
| Landing pages | From $950 | One off, matched to your campaigns |
GST is added to our fees. A flat fee also means I'm not paid more for spending more of your money, so the advice on budget stays honest. If your cost per click is high, the answer is usually a better landing page and tighter keywords, not a bigger budget.
Why should one person build your ads and your landing pages?
Because the ad and the page are one system. When different people build them, the ad promises one thing, the page says another, and nobody owns the gap. When I build both, the headline matches the search, the form asks the right questions and I can change either one the same day.
In practice that means:
- A page for each campaign, with the same offer and wording as the ad.
- Tracking built into the page from day one, not bolted on later.
- Tests run on the page and the ads together, so you learn what actually changed the result.
- No briefs bouncing between an ad team and a web team.
Landing pages start from $950 ex GST. You can see how they're built on our landing page design page.
Search campaigns for businesses that sell on a call or a quote.
- Campaigns, keywords and negatives
- Call and form tracking
- Budget checked every week
- A plain English monthly report
One page built for one offer, so clicks turn into enquiries.
- One offer, one call to action
- Fast on a phone
- Tracking built in
- Live in days, not weeks
Facebook and Instagram lead ads.
- Ad copy and creative
- Lead forms or a landing page
- Audience testing
- Leads sent straight to you
Every ad lead texted back in seconds.
- $0 setup, cancel any time
- Missed calls texted back
- Quotes followed up
- 30 day guarantee
Prices exclude GST. Ad spend is paid to Google or Meta directly, usually $500 to $5,000 a month depending on your industry. No lock-in contracts.
What happens in the first 30 days?
The first month is about clean tracking, a tight build and cutting waste fast. Here's how it runs:
- Week 1, audit or plan. If you have an account, I go through the search terms, tracking and structure. If you don't, I map the searches for the services you want to sell.
- Weeks 1 to 2, tracking. Calls, forms and bookings tracked in Google Ads and GA4 before money goes out.
- Week 2, build and launch. Campaigns, ads, negatives and landing pages go live.
- Weeks 3 to 4, cut the waste. Search terms reviewed weekly, negatives added, budget moved to what's bringing in enquiries.
- Day 30, review call. What you spent, what came in, what each enquiry cost and what changes next month.
I won't promise a number of leads in month one. Nobody can know that before the data comes in. What you will get is clean tracking and an honest read on what your clicks are worth.
What should you ask before hiring a Google Ads consultant?
Ask who does the work, who owns the account and how the fee is charged. Those three answers tell you most of what you need. The full list I'd use:
- Will the account be in my name, and do I keep it if we stop?
- Who actually makes the changes each week?
- Is the fee flat or a percentage of ad spend?
- Is there a lock-in contract or a minimum term?
- How will calls and forms be tracked, and can I see it?
- Can I see the search terms report any time?
- Who builds the landing pages?
Our answers: your account, me, flat, no lock-in, set up before launch, yes, and me again.
Who is a Google Ads consultant not right for?
A one-person setup isn't for everyone. It's probably not the right fit if:
- You run a very large account across several countries and need a team on it every day.
- You can't spend at least about $500 a month on ads. A strong Google Business Profile or DIY may be the better use of the money.
- Nobody can reply to enquiries quickly. Paid clicks that wait a day for a reply mostly go elsewhere. Omega CS can text every form lead back in seconds if that's the gap.
We run Google Ads for businesses across Australia. If you're a tradie, our guide to Google Ads for tradies goes deeper on budgets and negatives. If you're in WA, see Google Ads in Perth. And if you want to know who you'd be working with first, read more about Tristan.
