Google App Ads Expert: Why Local is a Mistake

I see this search all the time: "[service] expert in [city]". On the surface, it makes sense. You're in Seattle, a massive tech hub, and you want someone local you can meet for a coffee. But when it comes to hiring a specialist to scale your app with Google Ads, it's probably the most expensive mistake you can make before you've even spent a penny on ads. The truth is, you're not looking for a neighbour; you're looking for a very specific type of expertise that almost certainly doesn't live down the road.

The right person for the job could be in London, Lisbon, or Lithuania. In the world of digital advertising, geography is irrelevant. Results are everything. So, let's reframe the question. Instead of asking "Who is the best Google App Ads specialist in Seattle?", you should be asking, "How do I find a specialist with a proven, repeatable system for profitably scaling mobile apps, regardless of where they are?" That's the question that leads to growth. This guide will walk you through how to answer it.

So, why is 'Google App Ads specialist in Seattle' the wrong search?

Simple. Your app isn't competing with other apps in South Lake Union. It's competing with every other app in its category on the App Store, globally. The talent pool you need to draw from should be global, too. By limiting your search to the Seattle metro area, you're fishing in a pond when you have an entire ocean of talent available.

Think about the tech scene you're in. It's home to giants like Amazon and Microsoft, and a huge number of ambitious startups. The competition for qualified local talent is fierce, and it drives up costs. A decent in-house media buyer in Seattle will cost you a fortune in salary and benefits, and there's no guarantee they have the niche skills for app campaigns.

An agency or consultant's value isn't in their physical address. It's in their accumulated experience across dozens of accounts. They've seen what works and what doesn't for apps in different verticals. They've already made the costly mistakes with other peoples' money, so they won't make them with yours. While you might find a perfectly competent Google Ads agency in Seattle, chances are they're generalists, running campaigns for local plumbers and dentists alongside their one or two app clients. That's not what you need. For app ads, local targeting is often a huge mistake anyway. We've written a whole piece on why you should avoid a local focus for most app campaigns.

You need a specialist. A team that lives and breathes app marketing. Their location is the least important detail about them.

What should I be looking for instead of a local postcode?

Right, let's get into the practical stuff. You need to become an expert at vetting other experts. Here’s what you should be laser-focused on.

1. App-Specific Case Studies

This is non-negotiable. Don't be fobbed off with impressive-sounding results for an eCommerce store or a B2B lead gen campaign. You need to see evidence that they have successfully scaled mobile apps. Ask them to walk you through their wins.

For example, one campaign we worked on for an events and sports app had the task of driving growth. We ended up getting them over 45,000 signups at under £2 per signup by using a mix of Meta, TikTok, Apple and Google Ads. A generalist agency wouldn't know how to balance those platforms for an app-specific goal. Another B2B software client of ours got 4,622 registrations at just $2.38 each on Meta. These are the kind of specific, relevant results you're looking for. Vague promises are a red flag.

When you review a case study, you want to see:
-> The Challenge: What problem were they hired to solve? (e.g., high CPI, low user retention, couldn't scale past a certain spend).
-> The Solution: What did they actually *do*? What platforms did they use? What was their strategic approach?
-> The Results: Hard numbers. How many users? At what cost? What was the return? If they can't show you this, walk away.

2. A Consultation Call That Feels Like a Strategy Session

The first call shouldn't be a sales pitch; it should be a free consultation where they give you actual value. A good specialist will ask you sharp questions about your business, your users, your monetisation model, and your goals. They should be trying to understand your business, not just sell you a package.

Tbh, if by the end of that call you haven't learned at least one thing that makes you rethink your current approach, they're probably not the right fit. We offer a free initial review where we look at a potential client's account and strategy. It gives them a real taste of the expertise they'd be getting. Look for that dynamic. Are they educating you or are they just trying to close you?

3. Reviews and Reputation

Of course, check their reviews. But read them carefully. Are they from other app founders? Do they talk about specific results? Vague testimonials like "They were great to work with!" are useless. You want reviews that say "They helped us lower our CPA by 70% and scale our user base by 5x." That's proof.

A word of warning: if you've seen detailed case studies, had a great strategy call, and checked their reviews, and *then* you ask for references to call one of their current clients, it can be a bit of a red flag for the agency. It signals a lack of trust that probably won't lead to a good partnership. The proof should already be there in the work they've shown you.

How do I know if their 'results' are actually any good?

This is the big one. So many founders get fixated on the wrong metric: Cost Per Install (CPI). An agency might boast about getting you a $0.50 CPI, and you might think that's amazing. But it's meaningless, and potentially disastrous, without context.

What if those $0.50 users open the app once and never return? What if they never make an in-app purchase or subscribe? You've just paid to acquire a database of worthless users. The real question isn't "How low can my CPI go?" but "How high a CPI can I afford to acquire a user that actually makes me money?"

To answer that, you need to understand two things: Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) and your target LTV:CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) ratio. LTV is the total profit you expect to make from a single user over their entire time using your app.

Let's break it down:

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU): How much you make from a user each month. Let's say it's $10.
Gross Margin %: Your profit margin after app store fees, etc. Let's say it's 70% (since Apple/Google take 30%).
Monthly Churn Rate: The percentage of users you lose each month. Let's say it's 20%.

The calculation is simple:
LTV = (ARPU * Gross Margin %) / Monthly Churn Rate
LTV = ($10 * 0.70) / 0.20
LTV = $7 / 0.20 = $35

In this example, each user is worth $35 in gross margin. A healthy LTV:CAC ratio is typically 3:1. This means you can afford to spend up to $35 / 3 = ~$11.67 to acquire a single customer (your target CAC).

Suddenly, that $0.50 CPI looks different, doesn't it? If those users are worthless, it's a waste. But if an agency tells you they can get you high-quality, paying users for a CAC of $8, you know that's a profitable, scalable engine for growth. This is the math that unlocks intelligent scaling. Reducing your cost per install is one thing, but you need to be maximising the lifetime value of those users.

Use this calculator to get a rough idea of your own LTV and what you can afford to spend.

What kind of numbers should I expect for my app in the US market?

This is a tough one, as costs can vary wildly. It depends on your app's category, the competition, and the quality of your ads. But I can give you some ballpark figures from what we see in the market. The below chart shows some typical Cost Per Install (CPI) ranges for different app categories in a competitive market like the US. Remember, this is CPI, not CAC. Your CAC will be higher if not every install converts to your desired action (like a subscription).

These are just industry averages. A true specialist's job is to find the pockets of efficiency and beat these numbers for your specific app. They do this through relentless testing of creative, audiences, and bidding strategies. This is the core of what we call strategic user acquisition – it's a playbook, not just throwing money at Google and hoping for the best.

Okay, I'm talking to a potential agency. What questions should I ask?

You need to go into that first call prepared to grill them. You're not there to be sold to; you're there to conduct an interview. Here’s a simple flowchart to guide your thinking, followed by some killer questions to ask.

Here are the questions to get you started:

-> "Walk me through the most similar app campaign you've scaled. What was the starting CPI and LTV, and where did you get them to? What was the biggest obstacle?"
-> "How do you approach creative strategy for Google App Campaigns? What's your testing methodology and how do you find winning assets?"
-> "Beyond the install, what's your philosophy on user quality and retention? How do your campaigns contribute to that?" This is a massive topic; a good agency should have a solid strategy for app retention.
-> "What's your process for scaling a campaign once you find something that works? How do you maintain profitability as spend increases?" This is the key to everything; this is how you scale your app's user acquisition without going broke.
-> "What data and access would you need from us, and what would your reporting look like? How often would we communicate?"

Their answers will tell you everything you need to know. Are they confident and specific, or vague and full of jargon? Do they sound like they've done this a hundred times before, or are they figuring it out as they go?

Are there any red flags I should watch out for?

Absolutely. The world of paid advertising is full of cowboys. Here are some of the biggest red flags that should have you running for the hills:

• Guarantees of Results: Anyone who guarantees they can get you a "#1 ranking" or a specific number of downloads is lying. Paid advertising is about testing and optimisation, not fortune-telling. There are far too many variables to make promises.
• Focus on Vanity Metrics: If they get excited talking about "impressions," "reach," or "clicks," be very wary. These metrics are mostly meaningless. The only things that matter are the metrics that impact your bottom line: installs, trials, subscriptions, revenue, and LTV.
• Lack of Transparency: If they're cagey about their process, won't show you real (even if anonymised) results, or won't give you access to your own ad account, it's a huge red flag. It's your money; you should have full visibility.
• One-Size-Fits-All Packages: Your app is unique. Your user acquisition strategy should be, too. If they try to push you into a pre-made "gold" or "platinum" package without deeply understanding your business, they're a factory, not a partner.
• Pressure to Sign Long-Term Contracts: A confident agency will be happy to start with a shorter-term agreement or a trial period (e.g., 3 months) to prove their value. If they're demanding a 12-month commitment from day one, it's often because they know their performance won't keep you around.

Finding the right person can be a minefield, especially in the US market. That's why we put together a detailed guide on how founders can vet and hire paid ads help in the US. It goes into even more detail on what to look for.

So what's the verdict? How do I find my specialist?

Let's bring this all together. The goal is to find a partner who can build a profitable, scalable user acquisition engine for your app. Their physical location is completely irrelevant. What matters is their specific, proven expertise in your niche.

You need to shift your mindset from "hiring a local vendor" to "recruiting a world-class specialist." It's a big decision, and it deserves a proper process. Don't rush it. The right partner can be the difference between stagnating and hitting exponential growth. A bad one can burn through your funding with nothing to show for it. In a competitive market like Seattle, where ads often get clicks but don't convert for various reasons, having a true expert is even more critical. We actually have a specific analysis on why Google Ads often fail to convert in a market like Seattle.

Here is a final summary of my main recommendations for you to follow:

Ultimately, this all comes down to finding a partner you can trust to manage a significant part of your growth budget and strategy. It's not just about setting up a Google Ad and hoping for the best. It's a complex process that involves understanding your audience, optimising targeting, creating compelling ads, and constantly fine-tuning your entire funnel for profitability. If you're just starting out and need to figure out the basics, our guide on getting those first crucial app downloads with Google Ads is a good resource. But if you're ready to scale, you need a specialist.

That's where a professional consultancy can make a huge difference. With years of experience and a deep understanding of the app advertising landscape, we can help you bypass the common pitfalls and build a scalable growth machine. If you're at this stage, finding the right help is critical, and we've even put together a guide on how to find a genuine app ads expert to help you on your journey.

If you'd like a second pair of eyes on your app's growth strategy, we offer a completely free, no-obligation 20-minute strategy session where we can audit your current efforts and give you some actionable advice. It's a good way to see if we might be the right fit to help you reach your goals.