Google Ads management in 2026 is priced three ways: a percentage of ad spend (usually 10% to 20%), a flat monthly retainer, or a hybrid with a base fee plus a percentage. The model matters more than the number, because it decides what your agency is paid to do.
The three pricing models
| Model | Typical range | What it rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of spend | 10% to 20% of monthly ad spend, often with a minimum | Growing your spend, whether or not results follow |
| Flat monthly fee | Fixed retainer set by scope, excludes ad spend | Improving results on the spend you already have |
| Hybrid | Base fee plus 5% to 10% of spend | A mix; the percentage still pulls toward more spend |
Why percentage of spend works against you
If your agency earns 15% of spend, a recommendation to raise your budget from $10,000 to $20,000 a month raises their fee from $1,500 to $3,000 before a single extra sale is measured. That is not a conspiracy; it is an incentive. Clients tell us the same thing in different words. Vim & Vigr's marketing manager described their previous agency this way: "we felt pressured to spend more money, despite the returns on our spend not being properly communicated."
The other quiet cost is attention. A percentage model favors the largest accounts, so a $5,000-a-month advertiser at a big agency is nobody's priority.
What a flat fee changes
With a flat rate, the only way an agency earns more from you is to keep you. That pushes the work toward efficiency: better keyword structure, bid modifiers that direct spend to the buyers, non-brand growth that does not lean on trademark searches to flatter the ROAS number. Grundy Insurance saw paid search cost per conversion fall 81% in six months; their fee did not change when volume rose 1,435%.
TAS charges a flat monthly rate that excludes ad spend, on a rolling month-to-month agreement with 14 days' notice to opt out. Once your rate is set it never rises as your spend grows.
What should be included at any price
Whatever the model, make sure the fee covers conversion tracking setup and maintenance, keyword and negative keyword research, ad copy and asset testing, bid strategy management, landing page recommendations, a live dashboard rather than a monthly PDF, and a named person you can reach. If "reporting" means a monthly email, you are paying for media buying, not management.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Do you earn more if my spend goes up?
- Who manages my account day to day, and will that change?
- How do you report brand versus non-brand performance?
- What is the notice period to leave?
- Do I own the ad account and its history?
How a flat rate is set
At TAS, the rate depends on the number of channels, accounts and regions, and how much creative and landing page work you want from us. It never depends on spend. You get the number after one 30-minute call.
TAS rates run $3,000 to $5,000 per month, set after an initial exploratory call.