PPC Agency in Cardiff: What Google, Meta and ChatGPT Ads Really Cost.
Honest numbers on paid ad budgets, management fees and what a Cardiff business should expect back from Google Ads, Meta Ads and the new ChatGPT ad placements.
If you are searching for a PPC agency in Cardiff, you are usually trying to answer two questions before anything else. What do I need to spend, and how quickly will I know if it works? This guide gives you the numbers we actually work with at Rha Marketing, so you can budget properly before you speak to anyone.
The two costs in any PPC campaign
Ad spend
The money that goes directly to Google, Meta, LinkedIn or OpenAI. This buys the clicks and impressions. It is paid on your own card, in your own ad account, and you keep ownership of it.
Management fee
What the agency charges to plan, build, write, track and optimise the campaigns. Typically a flat monthly fee for smaller accounts and a percentage of spend for larger ones.
Any agency that will not separate those two clearly, or that insists on owning your ad account, is worth walking away from. You should always own the account, the data and the pixel history.
Realistic monthly budgets for a Cardiff business
Local service business (trades, clinics, professional services)
From around £500 to £1,500 a month in ad spend on one channel, usually Google Search. Enough to hold visibility on high intent local searches without wasting money on broad terms.
Growing B2B or multi location business
Around £1,500 to £6,000 a month across two or three channels, with retargeting and proper conversion tracking behind it.
E-commerce
From around £2,000 a month upwards, because Shopping and catalogue campaigns need volume before the platform can optimise. Below that, focus on the strongest product range only.
What clicks cost around Cardiff
Competitive commercial search terms in South Wales typically run between £1.50 and £6 a click depending on the sector. Legal, financial and trades terms sit at the higher end. That means a £750 monthly budget buys roughly 150 to 400 clicks, which is enough to test an offer but not enough to carry a whole business.
Where ChatGPT ads now fit
Paid placements inside AI assistants are the newest addition to the mix, and they behave differently to search ads. People arrive mid conversation, already part way through a decision, rather than typing a two word query. That rewards clear, factual, well structured landing pages over keyword stuffed ones.
Treat it as a test line, not a replacement
We usually allocate a small percentage of an existing budget rather than moving spend away from proven Google Search campaigns.
Your website has to be readable by AI
If your pages do not clearly state what you do, where you work and what it costs, AI placements will underperform regardless of budget.
Measure it separately
Different intent, different conversion pattern. Blending it into your general paid reporting hides what is really happening.
What you should expect in the first 90 days
- 1
Weeks 1 to 2: tracking, conversion setup and account build. No meaningful spend until measurement is proven.
- 2
Weeks 3 to 6: learning phase. Data collection, search term cleaning, negative keywords and early creative tests.
- 3
Weeks 7 to 12: optimisation. Cost per enquiry should start settling and you should be able to see which campaigns pay for themselves.
Judge a paid campaign on cost per qualified enquiry, not on clicks, impressions or click through rate.
Questions to ask any Cardiff PPC agency
Who owns the ad account?
It should be you, always.
How is conversion tracking set up?
If they cannot explain how a form fill or call is recorded, they cannot prove results.
What happens to leads after the click?
Speed of follow up usually affects results more than bid strategy does.
What is the notice period?
Long lock ins usually protect the agency, not the client.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a PPC agency cost in Cardiff?
Management fees for a small local account typically start around a few hundred pounds a month, with larger accounts charged as a percentage of ad spend. Ad spend is separate and paid directly to the platform. At Rha Marketing we work with budgets from around £500 a month upwards.
How long before Google Ads produces leads?
Well built Search campaigns can produce enquiries in the first few weeks, but cost per enquiry usually settles between weeks 8 and 12 once there is enough conversion data to optimise against.
Should a small business run Google Ads or Meta Ads first?
If people already search for what you sell, start with Google Search. If your offer needs to be explained or shown, start with Meta. Most businesses eventually run both, with Meta retargeting the traffic Google brings in.
Can you run ChatGPT ads for a UK business?
Yes. We include AI assistant placements as part of a multi channel paid strategy, alongside making sure your website is readable by AI tools so those placements convert.
Want a straight answer on your budget?
Tell us your monthly budget and what a good month looks like for your business, and we will tell you honestly whether paid ads are the right first move or whether something else should come first.