HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire a PPC specialist in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to PPC specialists. Here is how to keep the ad account in your name, keep the ads honest and agree a clear fee.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a PPC specialist in five steps

  1. Open the ad account in your own nameYour business owns the account and pays the ad spend directly; the PPC specialist is added as a manager.
  2. Agree how the fee worksA flat monthly fee or a percentage of spend, any setup fee, and what happens if spend rises.
  3. Set a target you can measureCost per lead or return on ad spend, with conversion tracking set up properly first.
  4. Check every ad's claimsPrices, offers and "best" or "cheapest" must be true and provable.
  5. Read the monthly reportSpend, clicks, conversions and what will change next month.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or qualification is required to manage paid search or social ads in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Judge a PPC specialist on accounts they manage, results they can show, and the terms.

Ask for a case study with spend and results, and a client you can contact.

Ads that do not mislead

Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 an advertiser must not mislead consumers with false or deceptive messages or by leaving out important information, and the advertising codes of practice apply too. The ads run in your business's name.

Approve the ad copy, and keep the evidence for any price, offer or comparison it makes. gov.uk →

Conversion tracking and cookie consent (PECR)

Conversion and remarketing tags usually set cookies. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations require you to tell visitors and get their consent unless a cookie is strictly necessary.

Ask the PPC specialist how tracking works with your consent banner, and test it by refusing cookies. ico.org.uk →

Customer lists for audiences

Uploading customer emails to build ad audiences is processing personal data. Data protection rules require people to be told how their data is used, and most businesses must pay the ICO fee.

Only upload lists where your privacy notice covers it, and agree this in writing with the PPC specialist. gov.uk →

VAT

Ad management is standard-rated: a registered PPC specialist charges 20% on the management and setup fees, and the ad platform invoices your spend under its own terms. Registration becomes compulsory once a PPC specialist has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the PPC specialist for the VAT number with the proposal and for VAT on the management fee, apart from ad spend. gov.uk →

“Will the ad account be in my business's name, with my card paying the spend?”

A good answer: Yes. The PPC specialist manages it through their access, and you keep the account and its history if you part ways.

“Is your PPC fee flat or a percentage of ad spend?”

A good answer: A clear basis, with any setup fee and what happens to the fee if you increase spend.

“How will the PPC specialist track conversions, and does it respect cookie consent?”

A good answer: Tracking set up and tested, working with your consent banner, before campaigns scale up.

“What results would a PPC specialist expect in the first three months?”

A good answer: A realistic range based on your market and budget, and the measure that matters (leads, sales or cost per lead).

“Who writes and approves the ad copy, you as the specialist or me?”

A good answer: The PPC specialist drafts, you approve, and claims are checked against your evidence.

“How often will a specialist like you change bids, keywords and budgets?”

A good answer: A rhythm, such as weekly reviews, and a monthly summary of changes made.

“What is the notice period for PPC management?”

A good answer: Usually a month, with access removed and the account left intact.

Getting the quote right

  • Fee basis: flat monthly or a percentage of spend, plus any setup fee
  • Who actually attends to the campaigns: the PPC specialist you met, an employee, or a subcontracted account manager
  • Ad spend paid directly by you, separate from the management fee
  • Campaign types and platforms managed
  • Conversion tracking and landing page work: included or extra
  • Reporting: what, how often, and a review call
  • Minimum term, notice period
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the management and setup fees only

Walk away if

  • Wants to run ads through their own account
  • Will not share account access or the raw numbers
  • Ad spend billed through them with no breakdown
  • Guaranteed leads or sales
  • Tracking that ignores your cookie banner
  • Long lock-in with no break clause
LOW
£200
TYPICAL
£470
HIGH
£2,000

What a PPC specialist costs: £200–£2,000 per month

PPC specialists charge a monthly management fee, flat or as a percentage of ad spend, often with a setup fee; the ad spend is paid separately to the platform. Google Ads / PPC Specialist price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

PPC specialists near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Audit or setupThe account reviewed or built, with tracking and goals agreed.
  2. Keywords and audiencesSearch terms, locations, schedules and audiences set.
  3. AdsAd copy written and approved by you.
  4. OptimisationBids, budgets and keywords adjusted as data comes in.
  5. ReportingMonthly results and next steps.

PPC
Pay-per-click: ads where you pay each time someone clicks.
Conversion
An action you count as a result, such as an enquiry or a sale.
CPC
Cost per click.
ROAS
Return on ad spend: revenue divided by what the ads cost.
Negative keyword
A search term your ads are set not to show for.
Remarketing
Showing ads to people who visited your site before; relies on cookies and consent.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check you hold account ownershipYour login should be the administrator. Remove the PPC specialist's access when the contract ends.
Compare spend with invoicesThe platform's billing record should match what you paid for ads, separate from the management fee.
Keep the reportsMonth-by-month results show what worked and protect you if a later manager changes everything.
Leave the reviewYour review of the PPC specialist can only follow a booking on Locufy. Below four stars, you can send the problem to them first and we follow it up before the review appears.

STEP 1Give the PPC specialist the chance to fix itSay what was agreed, what went wrong and the fix you want. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats a trader's service as including reasonable care and skill; where the PPC specialist fell short of that, you can ask for the work to be redone free or for money off.
STEP 2Let us chase itWhen you rate the PPC specialist under four stars, you decide whether the problem goes to them first. We follow it through, then the review is posted.
STEP 3Free consumer adviceIf the PPC specialist ignores you, ring Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 (England and Wales), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060 or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 (Northern Ireland). Each can pass a complaint to Trading Standards.
STEP 4Small claims if it is still unresolvedUnresolved money disputes with the PPC specialist fit the small claims routes: £10,000 is the limit in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a PPC specialist: questions people ask

No. The work is unlicensed in every UK nation, with no register and no required qualification.

Your business. Pay the ad spend directly and give the PPC specialist manager access, so the account and its history stay with you.

Where tracking uses cookies that are not strictly necessary, PECR requires visitors to be told and to agree first.

£200–£2,000 per month, typically around £470. Ad spend, the number of campaigns and shopping feeds move the management fee; the spend itself is paid on top. The PPC specialist price guide has the full breakdown; enter your town above to compare PPC specialists near you.

Only if it is true and you can prove it. Misleading ads breach the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 and the advertising codes.

Usually one to two weeks to set up, then management runs month to month.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: SEO SpecialistHow to hire: Digital Marketing ConsultantHow to hire: Social Media ManagerHow to hire: Email Marketing SpecialistHow to hire: Web DesignerHow to hire: CopywriterHow to hire: Influencer MarketingHow to hire: Content CreatorAll 701 hiring guides →

PPC specialists near you

PPC specialists in LondonPPC specialists in ManchesterPPC specialists in BirminghamPPC specialists in GlasgowPPC specialists in BelfastAll ppc specialists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — regulations that affect advertising
  2. ICO — cookies and similar technologies (PECR)
  3. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register