If you’re looking to grow your business online, you’ve probably heard about PPC agencies and Google Ads agencies. These terms may seem similar, but they’re not exactly the same thing. Understanding the difference can help you choose the right agency team to run your advertising campaigns and get the most out of your budget.
Below, we’ll break down the difference between a PPC Agency and a Google Ads Agency in a way that’s easy to understand.
What Does PPC Mean?
PPC stands for pay-per-click. This is a type of online advertising where you pay only when someone clicks on your ad. That makes it an extremely cost-effective way to get high-converting traffic, because you’re only paying for clicks, not views.
PPC ads can show up in tons of places online. You’ve more than likely seen them on Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and even on news publisher websites. A PPC campaign can include text ads, display ads, video ads, and even shopping ads, depending on where they’re running.
A PPC agency is a specialized company that helps manage all of these types of paid ads across different platforms. They often help businesses run ads on several networks at once, depending on where the target audience spends time and are most likely to convert into revenue.
What Is a Google Ads Agency?
A Google Ads agency is a type of PPC agency that is further specialized. They only focus on managing ads in Google’s advertising platform. They are experts in creating, managing, and improving ad campaigns within the Google Ads platform, which includes several powerful ad networks such as Google Search, Google Display, Gmail, Youtube, Google Shopping, and Google Partners Networks.
Google Ads agencies work exclusively inside the Google ecosystem, so they have an in-depth understanding of how it works and how to leverage it. They spend their days learning every detail of Google’s tools, tracking updates, testing new features, and staying ahead of changes that affect performance for their clients.
What is the difference between a PPC Agency and a Google Ads Agency?
Not quite, but they are very similar.
All Google Ads agencies are technically PPC agencies because Google Ads uses the pay-per-click model. But not all PPC agencies are Google Ads specialists. Some PPC agencies focus on running ads across many different platforms, like Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram), Microsoft Ads (Bing), LinkedIn Ads, TikTok, Twitter (X), and Amazon.
If you want to advertise on multiple networks, a PPC agency may offer a wider approach and a single relationship to run your ads through. But if your goal is to focus just on Google and get the best performance from that channel, a Google Ads agency is without a doubt the smarter choice.
What Ad Networks Does Google Ads Offer?
Google Ads is more than just text-based search ads. When you work with a Google Ads agency, you get to take advantage of several powerful ad networks, all within one seamless platform.
Google Search Network
The Search Network shows keyword-targeted text ads to users who are actively searching for queries related to your business. These ads appear on Google’s search results pages and are highly effective for reaching people who are searching for exactly what you offer.
Google Display Network
The Display Network shows visual ads (images, banners, and even videos) across over 2 million websites, apps, and Google-owned properties like Gmail. These ads are great for increasing brand awareness and reaching new audiences as they browse the web. You can target users by hundreds of data points and reach them at the time they are most likely to positively receive your message and take action.
YouTube Ads
Since Google owns YouTube, Google Ads gives you access to video ads that show before, during, or after videos. You can also place banner or overlay ads on YouTube’s right hand column. A Google Ads agency like Blue Farm Google Ads and SEO Management helps create and manage these video campaigns to reach your audience through visual content.
Google Shopping Ads
If you sell products online, Google Shopping ads are an absolute must to drive strong growth and high return-on-ad-spend. They use a product feed to show a photo of your product(s), the price, and your store name directly on the search results page. These ads are great for eCommerce stores looking to efficiently drive more sales.
Gmail Ads
Gmail Ads appear in the Promotions tab of a user’s Gmail inbox and expand like an email when clicked. These ads are part of the Display Network and are useful for reaching users in a more personal, controlled space.
Performance Max Campaigns
Performance Max is Google’s newest campaign type and it has become very popular due to it’s reach and effectiveness. It uses automation and machine learning to run ads across all of Google’s networks at once, including Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Maps. It’s a smart campaign type that optimizes for your business goals, like leads or sales.
A skilled Google Ads agency knows how to set up, manage, and guide Performance Max campaigns to deliver the best possible return on ad spend. So, you can run your business and not worry about running your ads.
What Does a PPC Agency Do?
A PPC agency builds, manages, and optimizes ad campaigns across multiple ad platforms. Their job is very complex; to make sure your ads are shown to the right people, in the right place, at the right time, at the right cost per conversion. These agencies help by choosing the best platforms for your business, whether that means Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, or other networks. They also create compelling ad copy and visuals that attract attention and encourage clicks. PPC agencies focus on targeting the right audience so your ads reach people who are the most likely to become customers. They manage your advertising budgets and bidding strategies to get you the best results for your money. Testing different ad versions by way of A/B variants is another important part of their role, so they can see what works and make improvements. Finally, they report on campaign results, giving you clear insights into performance and return on investment. Because PPC agencies work across many networks, they often look at your advertising strategy as a cohesive whole. They aim to make all the pieces work together smoothly in an omni-channel approach to bring in more traffic, more leads, and ultimately more sales for your business.
What Does a Google Ads Agency Do?
A Google Ads agency offers many of the same services as a broader PPC agency, but they focus solely on Google’s advertising system. These agencies dig deeper into Google’s tools and features than general PPC agencies usually do, giving them a strong competitive advantage when it comes to getting results on the Google Ads platform. They help with detailed keyword research and choosing the right match types to reach the best audience at the best time for conversion. They also write compelling ad copy that encourages users to click and take action.
In addition, Google Ads agencies optimize landing pages to improve conversions, making sure visitors have a clear path to becoming customers. They manage bidding strategies and advertising budgets to get the most value for your ad spend. Running A/B tests to find which ads perform best is another important part of their work, along with tracking conversions and improving return on investment. They also know how to use more advanced tools like Performance Max and smart bidding, which take advantage of Google’s machine learning algorithm to supercharge campaign results.
Many Google Ads agencies are Google Partner certified, such as Blue Farm Google Ads and SEO Management in Tampa, FL, which means they meet strict standards for knowledge and client ad account performance metrics set by Google. This certification gives them early access to new features and direct support from Google representatives, which can be a huge benefit for your business.
Which Type of Agency Should You Choose?
It really depends on your goals and type of business. For example, a local service business that needs regular leads would be better suited with a Google Ads Agency to drive high-intent leads from Google. Whereas, an ecommerce retailer that sells across all of the US, would be better off going with a PPC agency that can manage their shopping feed across several ad platforms.
If your main focus is growing with Google’s ad network and you want a team that lives and breathes Google Ads, then a Google Ads agency is the better choice. They know the platform inside and out and can help you get better results in a short period of time.
If you want to run ads across multiple platforms and reach users in many different places online, a broader PPC agency may be right for you. They can help manage a cross-platform strategy and keep your message consistent across channels.
Some businesses should work with both types to generate maximum return on investment. They would use a Google Ads agency for paid search and shopping ads, and a separate PPC team for social media, search campaigns on Amazon, or across other non-Google based ad platforms.
Why Google Ads Agencies Are Best for Google Campaigns
Google Ads changes very often, with new features being released, rules shifting, and automation tools being released almost monthly. A Google Ads agency saves you mountains of time by keeping up with these changes so you don’t have to. Their deep, experienced knowledge of the platform helps you avoid common mistakes, save time, and get the most value from your budget. Without them, you could be wasting thousands and not have the slightest idea. They know how to set up conversion tracking properly, create high-quality ad extensions, improve your Quality Score, and use data to boost results week after week. When it comes to Google-specific features like Shopping feeds, negative keyword strategies, or setting up Performance Max campaigns, a general PPC agency may not go as deep, and that’s where a Google Ads agency truly shows their immense value.
Final Thoughts on PPC Agencies vs Google Ads Agencies
To round out this post, here’s the main things you need to remember. PPC is a type of advertising where you pay when someone clicks your ad. A PPC agency helps you run these ads across many platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google. A Google Ads agency is much more focused. They specialize in Google Ads and all of their owned networks included in their platform.
Both types of agencies can help your business grow. Choosing between them depends on your goals, your audience, your business type, and where you want to advertise.
If you want help with Google Search, YouTube, Shopping, or Performance Max, a Google Ads agency is without question the expert service that you need. If you want to cast a wider net and advertise across several platforms, a full-service PPC agency might be the better fit. They can also be more convenient since you only have one bill to pay by going with one agency.
Either way, make sure you work with a local agency that listens to your goals, communicates clearly, and works hard to get results month in and month out.
Ready to get started with a high-efficiency Google Ads Agency? Contact us today to learn more about how Blue Farm Google Ads and SEO Management can bring you consistent, high value leads and sales from the Google Ads platform.
