Choosing Your Paid Search Consultant: An Expert’s Guide To Strategic Value

As a paid search consultant, I often find that clients view this service as simply providing advice. In reality, strategic consulting involves much more than that. My work has tangible, measurable outcomes.

Basically, I don’t  just shoot the shit for an hour and call it a day. I feel the strong need to prove myself monetarily to my clients.

This dedication to measurable results is precisely why experts like myself command a premium investment.

If you're ready to stop wasting time and get a focused plan right now, [Book your $350 Focused Consulting Call today]

If you do decide to book my paid search consulting time. Focus on the ROI.

My fee reflects the measurable ROI I deliver. I focus on outcomes, not hours, so you can always grab your calculator and ensure I am earning your keep.

The Value of Strategic Paid Search Consulting (and Why You Need It)

In a world where competition for customer attention is ruthless, a well-defined paid strategy is the biggest differentiator for brands and advertisers.

It determines whether your business navigates the waters confidently or drifts without direction.

And no one wants to drift with the price of PPC these days.

But here is the thing, I can scream from the rooftops that your brand needs strategy, but you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t resist strategy. Everyone just wants a quick answer. No one wants to do the deep work.

That said, a PPC consultant provides your company with direction and accelerated growth. But it is deep work.

That goal of the work is simple. Acceleration. And this is what defines my success as a paid search consultant. Period.

So, the first big question I have is: 

Is your marketing actually going in the right direction? 

Many businesses invest heavily in marketing but lack a clear, cohesive strategy. This leads to wasted resources and missed opportunities. If you are facing such challenges, you are not alone.

Here are the major missed opportunities and challenges a PPC consultant like myself addresses:

• Fierce Competition: Companies vie for mindshare and attention, not just product superiority.

• Unclear ROI: Spending without strategy often results in flawed attribution modeling and uncertainty about results. I push brands to attribute success to particular strategies and tactics. This is why every paid search audit begins with a data-driven account analysis to pinpoint exactly where resources are draining budget and not working well.

• Wasted Spend: Businesses waste an average of 26% of their marketing budget on ineffective strategies, according to a 2023 report by the CMO Council.

• Overwhelming Complexity: The paid search marketing landscape involves many platforms, applications, and tools, all with a steep learning curve.

Defining the Roles: What Is a Strategic PPC Consultant?

A paid ads marketing consultant is a professional who helps businesses develop, refine, and execute marketing strategies that drive growth. Think of them as a high-level problem solver.

They do not just manage the day-to-day tasks in Google and Microsoft. Instead, they create a strategy and a roadmap that dictates which tasks should even be done.

I teach your team how to execute the strategy rather than doing the day-to-day execution myself. [Learn more about my Team Training & Full Account Build Service here.]

PPC consultants fall into three main categories:

• Freelancers: These are specialists who execute specific tasks, like SEO, copywriting, or paid search. They work best when you know exactly what you need and can manage the day-to-day execution.

• Marketing Agencies: These are full-service teams that handle everything from branding to execution. They are best for businesses that need all-in-one, hands-on solutions.

• Paid Search Consultants (The Strategist): This is what I consider myself: a strategy-first expert who builds a foundational plan. Unlike a freelancer, I focus on fixing broken systems, uncovering opportunities.

The 5 Core Deliverables You Must Expect From Your Consultant

If you are paying for an expert partner, you need to have a tangible outcome you can measure. You want a data-driven approach to the impact, especially because the investment is often high.

Here are the five core benefits you should expect:

1. Enhanced Customer Understanding. You uncover the core motivations and pain points of your ideal customers to tailor messaging. A lot of this information comes right out of platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.

2. Streamlined Messaging and Brand Consistency. You develop a strong, cohesive brand identity. This is mission-critical, especially when more than 80% of customers only buy from brands they trust.

3. Optimized Customer Journey and Increased Conversions. You map out how customers interact with your brand and adjust materials to catch them at the right time. As Google says: "Right time, right place, right message."

4. Agility and Adaptation to Market Changes. You keep up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies, such as integrated AI and marketing operations.

5. Greater Return on Investment (ROI). You optimize your marketing budget resource allocation with data behind it. You are not just spending on Google because you have to; you are using your business's data to make informed decisions.

Research shows that 70% of companies using strategy consulting services see improvements in their market positioning.

Which Specialist Do You Need? The Tactical Google Ads Consultant

I have outlined the different types of consulting, but marketing consultants specialize in specific areas. Diving into your primary challenge helps you find the right expert for your company.

Here are the core types of consultants in the field:

• Strategic Consultant: This is a high-level planning, market research, and brand positioning expert. They develop the comprehensive plan from the ground up.

• Tactical Consultant: This specialist concentrates on the execution strategy of specific activities, like social media, content creation, or paid media. I am a tactical Google Ads consultant; I consult on the strategy behind a core, extremely expensive tactic: paid ads. 

I consult on the strategy behind a core, extremely expensive tactic: paid ads. If your business is spending $5000 or more on Google/Microsoft Ads and needs to stop wasting budget, you need this tactical focus.

• Digital Marketing Consultant: They specialize in online channels, including website development, SEO, and PPC campaigns. I also function in this area, working side-by-side with the tactical focus.

• Creative Marketing Consultant: This expert focuses on making things memorable, brand identity, unique advertising concepts, and compelling taglines. They work closely with the strategic consultant to ensure all messaging aligns.

• Product Marketing Consultant: This person focuses on the marketing of specific products, orchestrating launches and promotional campaigns within the marketplace.

• Marketing Communications Consultant (The Hub): This role is dedicated to building and maintaining brand identity and managing all marketing communications. They work closely with PR and other strategic and product consultants.

If you are uncertain if your issue is 'Strategic' or 'Tactical Paid Search,' the fastest way to find out is to [Book a Focused Diagnostic Call with me right now]. We'll clarify your core problem in 60 minutes.

PPC Consultant vs. Agency: Choosing the Right Vessel for Your Goals

The right choice depends on your goals, budget, and internal resources. Knowing the differences is key because each is structured differently.

Here is a breakdown of the two models:

Feature	Marketing Consultant (Your Expert Guide)	Marketing Agency (The Full Crew)
Pros	More attention and cost-effective for startups, focused projects, or small-to-midsize businesses. Strong one-on-one relationship and flexibility.	A team of experts across various disciplines (SEO, PPC, Content, PR, etc.). Broader bandwidth and more resources. Can scale with you.
Cons	Not a one-stop shop, with potentially limited bandwidth. I am a single person, with extremely in-depth knowledge in the paid channels, which can limit my availability.	Fees are often higher. May require more access to your internal systems. You sometimes deal with multiple points of contact.

Access to platforms has changed massively. Historically, agencies sold access to premium Google offers. Now, Google reaches out to experts like myself on a day-to-day basis, keeping us in the loop as Google Ads and Microsoft Ads influencers.

The Consultant's Structured Journey: A Step-by-Step Hiring Guide

A quality consultant does not just give random advice. They have structured processes to move from analysis to strategy. They want to ensure every step is purposeful so they meet the goals they sold you on.

The consulting process follows these six structured steps:

1. Step 1: The Essential Paid Search Audit Analysis (My Starting Point). This analysis is the start of every paid search audit project I do for clients. It is essentially my ‘Google Ads Audit’, which you can [purchase as a standalone service here] to get immediate clarity

2. Competitor Research. Analyze the trend opportunities of what your competitors are doing to find differentiators your business could capitalize on.

3. Audience Insights and Segmentation. Identify your most profitable markets and tailor messaging to unique pain points. All this information is often available right in your marketing platform data.

4. Strategy Development. Create a detailed, comprehensive plan that includes tactics, channels, and timelines.

5. Implementation and Guidance/Team Training. This is the meat of what I offer. I guide your in-house team on execution and share proven best practices. This ensures your internal team can execute the strategy and knows exactly where they are going.

6. Performance Measurement and Optimization. Track the right key metrics, report on progress, continuously refine the strategy based on real-world data, and know when to shift course.

The Consultant’s Toolkit: Using Established Frameworks

A lot of people do not understand that there are common frameworks we apply to get the answers your business needs. Frameworks enable us to analyze complex situations and build a robust strategy.

Here are three of the core consulting frameworks we use:

1. The 5C Situation Analysis. This provides a comprehensive assessment of internal and external factors influencing your business. We look at your Customers, Competitors, Collaborators, the Company itself, and the ultimate Context or Climate you are operating in.

2. Value Chain Analysis. We break down your business into its value activities to analyze the cost structure, revenue streams, and sources of competitive advantage. We look at R&D, manufacturing, marketing, and service, and ultimately, the margin value. We talk a lot in ads about Value-Based Bidding, and these are the exercises that help us find the data for that.

3. Porter’s Five Forces. This assesses the attractiveness and potential profit of an industry by analyzing five key competitive forces: the Threat of New Entrants, the Bargaining Power of Suppliers, the Rivalry Among Existing Competitors, the Bargaining Power of Buyers, and the Threat of Substitute Products or Services.

A visual image of consulting frameworks

PPC Consultant Pricing: Understanding the Investment Models

PPC consultant pricing is influenced by experience, project scope, engagement model, and location. Understanding these structures helps you find the right fit for your budget and needs.

Here are the four primary ways PPC consulting services are priced:

1. Hourly Rate. This is great for short-term work and guidance. I have been doing paid search consulting work and often use hourly work when consulting to agencies for staff augmentation, as it avoids scope creep.

• Entry-Level (Paid Search): $50–$100 an hour.

• Mid-Level (five–nine years): $100–$250 an hour.

• Senior Specialists (ten+ years): Upwards of $250–$500 an hour.

2. Project-Based Pricing. This pricing is great for defined scopes of work.

• Small Scope (e.g., Paid Search Audits): Typically $1,000–$3,000.

• Medium Scope (e.g., Funnel Optimization or Deeper Audit): Typically $3,000–$7,500.

• Large Scope (e.g., Full Rebuild): Full-scale strategy development or a complete campaign rebuild ranges from $5,000–$15,000.

3. Retainer-Based Pricing. This is a fixed monthly fee for ongoing support.

• Small Business: Generally $1,500–$5,000/month.

• Midsize Business: $5,000–$10,000/month.

• High-Growth/Enterprise: $10,000/month and above.

4. The Focused Diagnostic Call: Your $350 Lifeline. This low-commitment option is my most popular starting point. You get senior-level strategy, a clear next step, and the assurance that you are on the right track for a flat, pre-defined investment.

Prioritizing ROI: Why The Cheapest Consultant is Rarely the Best Value

Beyond the price tag, you have to ensure that you are paying for value. Good marketing is not cheap, but bad marketing is expensive. The cheapest consultant is rarely the best investment, because you must focus on the potential return, not just the upfront cost.

Here are three crucial things to prioritize beyond the price tag:

1. Prioritize Expertise in Their Channel. A specialist that knows their channel deeply—the way that I know Paid Search, Google Ads, and Microsoft Ads—is going to save you time and money from trial and error. I have been doing this for seventeen years.

2. Evaluate the Model, Not Just the Rate. An efficient consultant with a project fee of $10,000 may be a better value than an inefficient one charging $150 an hour who takes one hundred hours to do the same thing.

3. Do Not Be Afraid to Negotiate. Good consultants expect some negotiation. However, if they are at the top of their industry, they may just walk away, so be prepared. Sometimes, they offer guaranteed pricing for longer-term engagements.

Navigating Storms: Where Things Can Go Wrong

It is important to understand where things can go wrong when you hire a consultant.

Here are four common challenges and how to solve them:

• Challenge: Resistance to Change. Internal teams or partners may resist new strategies and deviate from tradition. Solution: Involve key stakeholders early in the process and clearly communicate the benefits of the proposed changes.

• Challenge: Budget Constraints. This is viewing a consultant as a cost rather than an investment. Solution: Work with consultants to prioritize strategies that offer the highest and fastest Return on Investment (ROI). This is why paid media is lucky, as ROI can be high and fast if done right.

• Challenge: Implementation Gaps. A great strategy fails if it is not implemented correctly. Solution: Ensure your team is well-trained and has a clear plan for executing the consultant's recommendations. I experienced this early in my career consulting on SEO; we could not execute the strategy if the client did not have a writing and execution team.

• Challenge: Hiring the Wrong Fit. This is a challenge between experience, leadership style, and industry expertise. I have made it clear that I am a Google Ads Paid Search expert. I do not do Meta or other solutions. I work well with people who handle other channels, but I am the person to go to when you want that paid search strategy to really take off.

Final Step: Choosing Your Partner

The ultimate solution is to vet candidates thoroughly for alignment on culture, experience, and business stage.

I recommend using a scorecard to thoroughly evaluate marketing consultants. A strong partner should score well across all categories so they can be balanced and effective for your business.

Checklist for finding a strong consulting partner

Final Step: Stop Guessing, Start Growing

You've read the guide and understand the value of a strategic paid search partner. The next step depends on your urgency and budget:

Option 1: The Quick Fix ($350 Investment)

• Best For: Fast, high-impact answers; clarifying an urgent issue; or testing my expertise.

• Offer: A dedicated 60-minute Focused Consulting Call. We will deep-dive into your biggest paid search challenge and deliver an immediate action plan.

Option 2: The Deep Dive (The Audit Service)

• Best For: Companies unsure where their budget is being wasted or who need a clear roadmap before full-scale implementation.

• Offer: A comprehensive Paid Search Account Audit using my proprietary 6-step framework. You receive a full report on missed opportunities, cost leaks, and a path to ROI.

Option 3: The Full Transformation (Build & Train Service)

• Best For: Businesses with high-growth potential that need a system built from scratch and want to empower their internal team for long-term success.

• Offer: My flagship Account Build & Team Training program. I build the strategy, implement the systems, and train your team to take the reins.