"How much do Google Ads cost?" has two answers: what you pay Google (the ad spend) and what you pay to have it run properly (management). Here are real UK numbers for 2026.
Cost per click
You pay per click, and the price depends entirely on your industry. Low-competition local services might be 50p–£2 a click. Competitive sectors — legal, insurance, trades in big cities — can be £5–£20+. The only way to know yours is to look at your specific keywords, which we do free before you commit.
Sensible monthly ad budgets
- →Minimum useful spend: ~£500/month — below this the data is too thin to optimise
- →Most Essex SMEs: £1,000–£3,000/month
- →High-margin services (legal, healthcare, premium trades): £5,000+
Management fees on top
A good agency charges either a percentage of spend (typically 10–15%) or a flat fee — ours start at £495/month. That covers campaign structure, keyword work, ad copy, conversion tracking and ongoing optimisation. Cheaper "set and forget" management usually costs more in wasted spend than it saves in fees.
What you actually need to plan for
- →Ad spend (£500/month minimum)
- →Management (£495+/month for SMEs)
- →A landing page that converts the clicks
- →Lead tracking you trust
