London's Guide To Hiring a Google App Ads Expert

Finding a proper Google App Ads expert in London is a nightmare, isn't it? The city is crawling with agencies and freelancers all claiming to be gurus. But when you're trying to grow an app, you can't afford to burn cash on someone who treats it like just another e-commerce campaign. It's a completely different game.

The truth is, most 'experts' are generalists. They might be decent at running search ads for a local plumber, but they'll get slaughtered in the hyper-competitive world of app downloads. They dont understand the nuances of bidding strategies for installs vs. in-app actions, creative testing for the App Store, or how to properly integrate with analytics platforms like Firebase. You end up paying for their education, and your growth stalls. I've seen it happen time and time again.

So why is hiring in London so bloody difficult?

London's a global hub, which is both a blessing and a curse. You have access to world-class talent, but you also have a world-class number of charlatans. The barrier to entry for starting a "marketing agency" is basically zero. Slap up a website, run some ads for yourself promising the world, and you're in business. They talk a good game, full of buzzwords, but when you look under the bonnet, there's nothing there.

The problem is amplified for app marketing. An app's success isn't just about getting a download; it's about acquiring a user who will stick around, engage, and eventually monetise. This requires a deep understanding of the entire user lifecycle, from the first ad impression to their 10th in-app purchase. A generalist sees "Cost Per Install" as the finish line. A true app expert knows it's just the starting gun.

Think about the London tech scene, especially in areas like FinTech or gaming. It's brutal. You're competing against companies with venture capital war chests worth millions. You can't just throw money at the problem and hope for the best. You need someone who can be surgically precise with your budget, someone who knows how to find those pockets of undervalued attention and convert them efficiently. That kind of talent is rare, and they're usually not the ones shouting the loudest.

What does a real expert actually look like then?

First off, ignore the badges and certifications. They're meaningless. Anyone can pass a multiple-choice test online. What you need to see is a track record of success, backed by real data. Don't be shy about this. Ask for case studies. And not just fluffy ones with vanity metrics like "10 million impressions." You want the nitty-gritty details.

A real expert will show you campaigns where they've achieved specific, measurable goals. I remember one app campaign we worked on for a client in the events space; we managed to get them over 45,000 signups at under £2 a pop. That's the kind of concrete result you're looking for. They should be able to tell you the Cost Per Install (CPI), the conversion rate to a key in-app event, and ideally, the Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) if it's an e-commerce or subscription app.

They also need to speak your language – the language of business. If they jump straight into talking about keywords and ad groups without first asking about your User Lifetime Value (LTV), your churn rate, and your business objectives, they're a tactician, not a strategist. You need a strategist. A good consultant will challenge your assumptions and act as a partner in growth, not just a button-pusher in the Google Ads interface. This distinction is probably the most important one to make.

So, what should I actually be paying in London?

This is the million-dollar question, or hopefully, a bit less. Pricing in London varies wildly. For a good freelancer or a small, specialised agency, you should expect to pay a monthly retainer. This could range from £1,500 to £5,000+ per month, depending on the scope of work and their experience. Some might also charge a percentage of ad spend (usually 10-20%), but this can incentivise them to just spend more, not smarter. Be wary of that model unless there's a performance component tied to it.

But the agency fee is only part of the equation. The real question isn't what the expert costs, but what you can afford to pay to acquire a user. This brings us back to LTV. If you don't know this number, you're flying blind. You have no way of knowing if your campaigns are actually profitable. You could be getting installs for £1 each, which sounds great, but if those users only ever generate £0.50 in revenue, you're just lighting money on fire.

Calculating a basic LTV isn't as hard as it sounds. Here's a simple formula to get you started:

LTV = (Average Revenue Per User Per Month * Gross Margin %) / Monthly User Churn Rate

Once you know your LTV, you can work backwards to determine your maximum allowable Cost Per Install (CPI). A healthy business model often aims for a 3:1 LTV to Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) ratio. This means if your LTV is £90, you can afford to spend up to £30 to acquire that customer. If it takes, on average, 2 installs to get one paying customer, your target CPI is £15.

Suddenly, you're having a much more intelligent conversation with potential experts. You're not just asking "Can you get me cheap installs?". You're asking "Can you get me qualified users for under £15 per install?". Use the calculator below to play with your own numbers.

How do I vet them without being an expert myself?

This is the tricky part. How do you judge a pilot if you've never flown a plane? The key is to test how they think. The best tool you have for this is the initial consultation or chemistry call. Most good agencies or freelancers will offer a free one. This isn't just a sales pitch for them; it's a critical interview for you.

Tbh, we offer a free initial consultation where we'll actually review a potential client's ad account and strategy. It's a great way for them to get a taste of our expertise and for us to see if we're a good fit. Look for someone who does something similar. If they're not willing to give you some value upfront, what makes you think they'll deliver it once you've signed a contract?

During this call, come prepared with questions that probe their strategic thinking, not just their technical skills:

• -> "Walk me through a Google App Campaign you managed for an app in a similar niche. What was the biggest challenge, and how did you overcome it?"
• -> "What's your process for creative testing? How do you decide what videos or images to run?"
• -> "How do you approach scaling? Once we find a winning formula, what's the plan to grow the budget without tanking the performance?"
• -> "What's your opinion on platform diversification? Should we also be looking at Apple Search Ads or TikTok?"

Pay close attention to how they answer. Are their answers specific and backed by examples, or are they vague and full of jargon? A real expert will be honest about the challenges and won't promise you the moon. In paid ads, you can't really promise anything because performance can be unpredictable. Anyone who guarantees results is either lying or inexperienced.

What results should I realistically expect in the UK market?

Let's be brutally honest: anyone who gives you a specific CPI or ROAS target without knowing anything about your app, your market, or your creative is just guessing. The first month or two of any new engagement should be about testing and data collection. The goal is to find a baseline, not to hit a home run on day one.

In the UK market, CPIs can vary dramatically. For a hyper-casual game, you might be aiming for a CPI under £1. For a B2B SaaS app with a high LTV, a CPI of £20-£30 might be a fantastic result. It all comes back to your own unit economics. A good expert will work with you to establish a realistic target based on your LTV, and then build a testing plan to see if it's achievable.

The campaign lifecycle usually looks something like this:
Month 1: Testing & Learning. Spend is relatively low. The focus is on testing different audiences, creative angles, and bidding strategies. CPI will likely be high and volatile as you gather data.
Month 2: Optimisation. You've got some initial data. The expert will start doubling down on what's working and cutting what's not. You should see the CPI start to stabilise and decrease.
Month 3+: Scaling. You've found a profitable formula. Now the focus shifts to carefully increasing the budget while maintaining the target CPI/ROAS. This is where a true expert earns their fee, as scaling is much harder than it looks.

This process is foundational to any good app marketing playbook. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient, and trust the process. If an expert isn't communicating this to you clearly, they're setting you up for disappointment.

OK, I'm ready. What's the plan?

Hiring the right expert is a process, but it's one that will pay for itself many times over if you get it right. Don't rush it. The time you invest now in proper due diligence will save you a fortune in wasted ad spend and months of frustration down the line. It's one of the most important decisions you'll make in your app's growth journey, so treat it with the seriousness it deserves.

If you're a founder in London, you have a huge advantage in being able to potentially meet people face-to-face, but don't let geography be the only factor. A brilliant app marketer in Manchester is better than a mediocre one down the road in Shoreditch. Focus on expertise, track record, and strategic fit above all else. This process can be daunting, but breaking it down into manageable steps makes it much easier. To find the right partner, a good first step is to learn more about the process of vetting agencies in London, so you're better prepared for those initial conversations.

I've detailed my main recommendations for you in the table below. Follow this, and you'll be in a much better position to find a genuine expert who can help you scale.

Why you might want to consider expert help

Look, you could try to learn all this yourself. You could spend the next six months becoming a half-decent media buyer. But is that really the best use of your time as a founder? Your job is to build a great product and a great company. The opportunity cost of you trying to manage the complexities of Google's ad platform is enormous.

Hiring a genuine expert isn't an expense; it's an investment in speed and efficiency. They've already made the mistakes you're about to make, but on someone else's budget. They bring a level of strategic insight that can only be gained from running hundreds of campaigns across dozens of apps. They'll help you avoid costly errors, scale faster, and ultimately achieve a much higher return on your marketing spend.

If you're serious about growing your app and want a strategic partner to help you navigate the London market, we offer a free, no-obligation 20-minute strategy session. We can review your current efforts, discuss your goals, and give you some actionable advice you can use right away, whether you decide to work with us or not. Feel free to book a consultation if you'd like to chat.