PIPELINEGuide
What does Google Ads cost? Factors, process, and funding options
There's no credible flat rate for Google Ads — the projects behind them vary too widely. What actually drives the effort, how you get a concrete quote, and which subsidies are available in Austria.
A flat rate for Google Ads cannot credibly be quoted — it depends on the scope of the project, not the provider. Monthly management plus advertising budget; one-time setup. The actual proposal comes only after a short, non-binding initial conversation.
01 — Price
What it costs
- Price
- Individual based on effort
- Typical duration
- 1 to 2 weeks to launch
Monthly management plus advertising budget; setup one-time. A fixed price can only be quoted seriously after the initial consultation — send us a brief description of your project, and we'll send a proposal that fits the scope and effort.
02 — Factors
What drives the price
- Scope and number of integrations. Every additional system that needs to participate costs effort — regardless of how simple the core is.
- State of your starting point. Clean data, existing content and documented processes significantly reduce effort. Chaos is the most expensive cost factor.
- How much new material needs to be created. What you can contribute doesn't need to be invented by anyone. This is the biggest lever you have in your own hands.
- Requirements for design and customization. A solid standard system costs a fraction of a custom solution — and is sufficient more often than vendors admit.
- Operating model. One-time project costs or ongoing support: calculated over three years, this often gives a different picture than the quote comparison.
03 — Funding
Subsidies in Austria
For digitalization projects, there are several funding programs in Austria, such as KMU.DIGITAL or the aws digitalization funding. Whether and to what extent one of these is currently relevant for your project, we'll review with you individually. Current conditions: kmudigital.at, aws.at.
Which program is relevant, how high the subsidy currently is, and whether the budget for the current funding period is still open changes regularly — plus there are regional funding programs that vary by federal state. Only the information from the funding agencies themselves is reliable, not a fixed percentage stated here.
The most common mistake is always the same: commission first, then want funding. That doesn't work. Allow several weeks of lead time for application and approval.
04 — Scope
What's included
- Account structure by services and regions instead of one catch-all campaign
- Search term research including the terms that should be excluded
- Ad copy that matches the landing page — otherwise the click gets expensive
- Measurement through to the inquiry, with call and form tracking
- Regional targeting by service area, not by state
- Monthly reporting with cost per inquiry, not just per click
05 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much budget do we need?
That depends entirely on the cost per click in your industry — which differs by multiples between a regional service and a competitive field like insurance or law. We estimate this before launch based on real, current click prices for your search terms, not rough empirical values, and then give you a specific range.
Can we adjust the budget at any time?
Yes, at any time and without notice. Ads can also be paused completely, for example if you're fully booked and don't want additional inquiries.
Can't we do this ourselves?
In principle, yes. The point where it breaks down is measurement: without proper tracking of inquiries, the automation optimizes for clicks, and then it gets expensive. If you set it up correctly once, you can continue much of it yourself.
How quickly will we see results?
First clicks on the same day, reliable insights after three to four weeks. Before that, the numbers are too small to draw conclusions from.
Is it worth it alongside SEO?
Both together usually make sense: ads work immediately and can be turned off, SEO works slowly and persists. If you need inquiries today, start with ads; if you want to be more independent in two years, invest in content in parallel.
What are the most common budget drains?
Missing exclusions — search queries with “free”, “DIY”, “jobs”, or place names outside your service area. And ads that lead to the homepage instead of a relevant page.
What's the difference from social media advertising?
Google Ads reaches people actively searching for something — purchase intent is usually already there. Social media advertising generates interest among people who haven't searched for it yet. Both have their place, depending on the goal.
06 — Error
The most common mistakes
- Starting too big. Projects where nobody can use anything for months fail more often than average. A small, usable first step is almost always the better way.
- Not involving the people who work with it. Requirements that only come from management rarely match the actual work.
- Not defining a success measure. Without a metric defined in advance, you can't say afterwards whether it delivered anything — and the next decision will be made on gut feeling again.
- Overlooking operating costs. The project price is only part of it. What operation costs over three years belongs in the same calculation.
- Creating dependency. If you don't get access, documentation and source code, you're locked in. That needs to be clarified before commissioning, not after.
Next step
We'll look at your starting position.
Tell us what's eating up time today. That becomes an assessment with effort and benefit — and only then an offer.