Aberdeen Google Ads Agency: Avoid This Local Trap

I see this question come up a lot, not just for Aberdeen but for cities all over the UK. The instinct to "shop local" is a good one, but when it comes to a specialised skill like Google Ads, it can be a massive, expensive mistake. Choosing a Google Ads partner is not like picking a local accountant or a builder. Thier postcode has absolutely zero bearing on their ability to make you money. It just tells you where they pay rent.

The hard truth is that most founders and marketing managers in Aberdeen are probably going about this the wrong way. They're searching "Google Ads agency Aberdeen" and picking one from the first page. This just means you've found an agency that's good at SEO for their own website. It doesn't mean they're any good at running paid ad campaigns for a business like yours. You need a partner who understands your industry, your customer, and your business model, not one who just happens to be down the road in the city centre.

So, is hiring a local Aberdeen agency always a bad idea?

Not always, but you're limiting your options massively. Aberdeen has a unique economy, heavily influenced by oil and gas, renewables, and a growing tech scene. But the pool of specialist ad agencies within the city is, frankly, quite small. An agency that spends most of its time running ads for local restaurants, estate agents, or tourism businesses is going to have a completely different skillset to one that specialises in generating leads for high-growth B2B software companies.

I remember one campaign we worked on for a medical recruitment SaaS client. We managed to take their cost per user acquisition from a painful £100 down to just £7. That wasn't because we were based in the same city as them; it was because we understood the nuances of SaaS advertising and how to reach niche professional audiences. An Aberdeen-based generalist agency would likely struggle to produce that kind of result because they lack the specific, hard-won experience. Your search shouldn't be for the best agency in Aberdeen, but for the best agency for *you*, wherever they happen to be.

You have to ask yourself: what's more valuable? Being able to pop into their office for a coffee, or partnering with a team that has a proven track record of, say, generating high-quality leads for UK B2B SaaS businesses and can show you the data to prove it?

What should I actually be looking for in a Google Ads partner?

This is the real question. Forget geography for a moment. Here’s what actually matters:

1. Case Studies. Real, Tangible Case Studies.

This is non-negotiable. And I don't mean vague claims like "we increased website traffic by 300%". That's a vanity metric. Traffic doesn't pay the bills. You need to see evidence of bottom-line results for businesses that look like yours.

Look for metrics like:

• -> Cost Per Lead (CPL) or Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
• -> Return On Ad Spend (ROAS)
• -> Revenue Generated (£)
• -> Number of Qualified Leads, Trials, or Demos Booked

For example, we show potential clients case studies like generating 3,543 users at a £0.96 cost per user, or as I mentioned earlier, reducing the cost per user acquisition for a medical recruitment SaaS client from £100 to just £7. This isn't bragging; it's proof. It shows we've been in the trenches and delivered real business outcomes. If an agency can't show you this kind of specific evidence for a niche similar to yours, you should be very, very sceptical.

2. The Free Consultation Test

Most decent agencies will offer a free initial chat or strategy session. This is your chance to test their expertise. You should walk away from that call feeling like you've learned something valuable, whether you hire them or not. We do this all the time – a free 20-minute audit where we dive into their account and give them actionable advice. It's the best way for them to see we know our stuff.

Pay attention to the questions they ask you. A good partner will ask about:

• -> Your business goals (not just ad goals).
• -> Your customer lifetime value (LTV).
• -> Your sales process and conversion rates post-lead.
• -> What you've tried before and what didn't work.

A bad agency will just ask about your budget and promise you the moon. Which leads me to...

3. Red Flags to Watch Out For

• Guarantees: Anyone guaranteeing a specific ROAS or a #1 ranking on Google is either lying or misunderstanding how paid ads work. It's an auction-based system with dozens of variables. You can't guarantee results. It's an instant red flag.
• Long, Inflexible Contracts: A confident agency will often work on a short-term or rolling monthly contract. They know they need to prove their value to keep you. Being locked into a 12-month contract from day one is a sign they lack confidence in thier own performance.
• Vague Reporting: If their reports are just full of clicks, impressions, and click-through rates, run a mile. You need to see the metrics that matter to your business. A core part of any competent management is ensuring you can track all your leads and sales back to the source. Without that, you're flying blind.
• Hesitancy to Share Failures: Ask them about a campaign that didn't work out and what they learned. A good agency has had campaigns fail. It's part of the process of testing and learning. Their answer will tell you a lot about their honesty and problem-solving skills.

How can I tell if they actually know what they're doing with Google Ads?

This is where you need to listen for a few key things. You don't need to be an expert yourself, but you should know enough to spot a novice. A real expert will talk about strategy and structure, not just "running some ads".

They should be discussing:

Campaign Structure: They should have a clear opinion on what campaign types are right for you. Will they use Performance Max? Is a standard Search campaign better? Should they segment campaigns by service line or customer intent? For B2B, it's often a case of deciding between platforms, and you'll find a good agency can advise on the pros and cons of using Google Ads versus a more targeted platform like LinkedIn for finding decision-makers.

Keyword Strategy: Listen for talk about keyword match types and, crucially, negative keywords. A rookie will use broad match for everything and spray your budget everywhere. An expert will talk about targeting high-intent keywords (e.g., "emergency commercial plumber aberdeen") and using negative keywords to filter out irrelevant searches (e.g., "-jobs", "-training", "-courses"). This precision is where the money is made or lost.

Conversion Tracking: This is probably the most important technical element. If they aren't obsessed with setting up robust conversion tracking from day one, they are amateurs. You cannot optimise what you cannot measure. They should be able to explain how they'll track not just form fills, but phone calls and other valuable actions on your site.

Here’s a look at what typical Cost Per Lead figures can look like for different B2B sectors in the UK. As you can see, it varies massively. An agency that doesn't understand these benchmarks for your sector is going in blind.

But what if my business isn't ready for ads?

This is a contrarian point, but it's probably the most valuable piece of advice here. The best agency in the world cannot fix a bad offer. I've seen so many founders, in Aberdeen and elsewhere, burn through tens of thousands of pounds trying to advertise a product or service that is confusing, has no clear value proposition, or is aimed at everyone and no one.

Before you even think about hiring someone, you need to have a brutally honest look at your own business. Your offer’s only job is to deliver a moment of undeniable value.

The classic B2B mistake is a big "Request a Demo" button on the homepage. This is a high-friction, low-value offer. It asks a busy prospect to give up their time to be sold to. It's arrogant.

Instead, you must solve a small, real problem for free to earn the right to solve the whole thing.

• -> If you're an Aberdeen-based IT consultant targeting local SMEs, don't just say "book a call". Offer a "Free 10-Point Cybersecurity Health Check" that provides instant, tangible value.
• -> If you're a software company targeting the renewables sector, don't just offer a demo. Create a free "Project Efficiency Calculator" that helps them see a potential ROI.

If you get this right, your ads don't have to do all the heavy lifting. The offer sells itself. Wasting money on ads before you've nailed this is the single biggest reason why businesses fail with paid advertising. It's a foundational issue that many business owners overlook, and it's why we always insist on talking strategy before we even touch an ad account. For any founder in the UK, understanding this is the first step to stop wasting money and start seeing a real return.

How much should I be paying? DIY vs. an Agency

This is the final piece of the puzzle. Founders often balk at agency fees, thinking they can save money by doing it themselves or hiring a junior marketer. This is almost always false economy.

The real cost of DIY isn't just the time you spend learning Google Ads (time you're not spending running your business). It's the "stupid tax" – the money you will inevitably waste on rookie mistakes. I've seen DIY accounts waste £5,000-£10,000 in a few months on the wrong keywords, poor targeting, and no conversion tracking. An agency's fee for that same period would have been less than the wasted ad spend, and they would have actually generated results.

Deciding between building an in-house team or hiring an agency is a major strategic choice. Early on, an agency almost always makes more sense. You get instant access to a team of experts for less than the cost of a single full-time hire.

Here’s a summary of the framework you should use to make your decision:

Ultimately, choosing a Google Ads partner is one of the most important marketing decisions you'll make. Don't let geography dictate your choice. Focus on finding a true specialist who can become an extension of your team and drive real, measurable growth for your Aberdeen business.

If you're an Aberdeen-based business and this all feels a bit overwhelming, we offer a completely free, no-obligation 20-minute strategy session. We'll take a look at what you're doing, give you some straight, actionable advice, and help you understand your options. It’s not a sales call; it’s a chance for you to get some genuine expert guidance.