The Hidden Expense Behind “Cheap” PPC

On the surface, cheap PPC management seems like a smart way to cut costs. But under the hood, it’s often where brands quietly lose the most money. If you’re spending thousands on ads each month, trusting that spend to the lowest bidder is rarely a good investment.

In 2025, with automated bidding and increasing platform complexity, what you really need is strategic oversight, not just someone to “keep the lights on.”

What "Cheap" Really Means in PPC

Low-cost PPC agencies often rely on cookie-cutter setups and bare-minimum maintenance. That usually looks like:

  • Templated campaign structures
  • No segmentation by funnel stage or audience type
  • Monthly (or less frequent) reporting
  • Optimising for impressions or CTR — not actual profit

The result? Your ad budget works harder for the agency than it does for your business.

Let’s Talk Numbers: The Real Cost Breakdown

Here’s a simple example that illustrates the difference between cheap and strategic PPC:

  • You're spending £10,000/month on ad spend
  • A budget agency charges £500/month, delivers 5x ROAS → £50,000 return
  • A strategic agency charges £2,000/month, delivers 10x ROAS → £100,000 return

Even after accounting for fees, the better-managed account puts £48,000 more in your pocket. Cheap PPC isn’t just inefficient — it’s expensive.

What You Actually Pay For

When you pay more for PPC management, you’re not paying for someone to press buttons. You’re investing in:

  • Campaign strategy aligned with your business goals
  • Funnel segmentation (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU)
  • Conversion rate optimization advice and landing page audits
  • Transparent reporting, live dashboards, and test plans
  • A proactive partner focused on scaling, not maintaining

You get more than campaign tweaks — you get results that compound.

Case Study: From Stagnant to Scalable

One of our clients — let’s call them Client A — was spending £3,000/month on PPC with a stagnant ROAS of 1.4x. Their previous agency ran the same campaigns for months with no changes, no tests, and no segmentation.

After switching to our structured management approach, we rebuilt their funnel, tested new landing pages, and implemented weekly performance reviews. Within 90 days, their ROAS more than doubled to 3.1x, turning an underperforming channel into a reliable revenue driver.

Final Thoughts: Invest Where It Counts

Low-cost PPC might feel safe in the short term — but it usually costs you far more in lost opportunity. When your media spend is real money, your management should be too.

If your budget matters, invest in strategy, not shortcuts. The difference isn’t just better results — it’s real profit growth.

Ready to turn your PPC into a true growth channel?

Let's Talk PPC