Our PPC agency handles Google Ads management across Montana and the US

We’re a PPC agency in Billings, Montana, and we build and manage Google Ads and paid social campaigns for businesses across Montana and the country. Most clients hire us after their last agency set up the account and then stopped improving the campaigns.

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Brand strategy first
Senior-led accounts
Free account audit
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Our PPC management covers each part of your account

  • Account build or rebuild.
  • Keyword and audience targeting.
  • Ad creative across Search, Performance Max, Display, and video.
  • Landing page guidance and conversion rate optimization.
  • Conversion tracking in Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, plus server-side tracking where ad blockers cut into your data.
  • Monthly reporting and strategy calls.

We build your PPC on your brand strategy

Many agencies start with the ad platform, loading keywords into Google Ads and building campaigns around those keywords. Any brand thinking comes from whatever the logo and website already say.

We start with your brand strategy and the buyers you want to reach before we change anything in your account. That groundwork lets your ad copy make a specific case to those buyers, and the people who click arrive pre-qualified because the ad matches the brand they find on your landing page.

The Let’s Canoe Framework guides our brand strategy, and our paid media follows from that strategy. Many clients tell us their last campaign didn’t convert, and the fix usually lies in the ad’s message and the audience it targets.

Most PPC accounts stall for the same few reasons

These three problems show up in most of the PPC audits we perform.

  1. The agency sets up the account and walks away. The launch looks solid, but nobody keeps improving the campaigns, so bids drift and ads go stale. The account sits on autopilot and burns budget by month three.
  2. The tracking measures the wrong actions. Google Analytics isn’t set up correctly, and conversion events fire on the wrong action. The report looks great and has nothing to do with revenue, so the agency thinks the campaigns are working while the client wonders why sales haven’t moved.
  3. The targeting is too broad. Broad keywords and generic audiences without exclusions send the campaign to people who will never buy, and the budget goes to clicks that never convert.

We audit all three areas at the start of each engagement, before we change your campaigns.

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We fix your tracking so you can see which ads bring in customers

Most PPC accounts we audit have broken tracking. Google Analytics isn’t set up correctly, Google Tag Manager fires duplicate tags, and conversions count page loads when they should count form submissions. The reports look fine even though the data underneath them is wrong.

We fix the tracking before we change the campaigns. We set up Google Analytics with the right conversion events and clean up Google Tag Manager so each tag fires once. Server-side tracking comes in when iOS privacy settings or ad blockers cut into your data, and we add tracking tags that follow each click into your CRM, so you can see which keywords brought in which customers.

We get your conversion data right first, because nobody can improve a campaign without data they trust.

Most of the ad spend we manage goes to Google Ads

We manage campaigns across Search, Performance Max, Display, and YouTube, and we set the mix based on where your buyers convert. We also manage paid social when it fits your account.

Our PPC retainers follow a set schedule

Onboarding starts with an account audit and a tracking review. We then set quarterly goals and improve your campaigns each week, and each month you get a report written in plain English. You own the account, data, and campaigns, and our team manages the campaigns on your behalf.

We manage PPC for businesses in Billings and across Montana

We’re a PPC agency based in Billings, and we manage paid media for clients from Missoula to Kalispell and across the country. Montana businesses looking for Google Ads management or a local paid search team that answers the phone can call our office directly. Local accounts get on-site visits when a visit would help, and each client gets the same senior team on the account.

Clients ask us these PPC questions most often

These answers come from a brand agency that builds paid media on brand strategy. If your question isn’t here, book a free fit call for the fastest answer.

Cost and pricing

How much does PPC management cost?
We charge a percentage of your ad spend, and that fee covers our time, campaign management, ongoing improvements, and reporting. The fee falls between 13 and 15%, depending on your total spend, and the only separate cost is a one-time setup fee. Most of our clients spend $4,000 to $20,000 a month on the ads themselves, on top of our fee.
Do PPC agencies charge a flat fee or a percentage of ad spend?
Agencies use both models, and we charge a percentage of your ad spend. Our fee covers our time, campaign management, ongoing improvements, and reporting, with a one-time setup fee as the only other cost. The percentage falls between 13 and 15%, depending on your total ad spend.
How much should I budget for ads?
Many businesses put about 10% of revenue toward marketing, and a good target for paid ads is around 3 to 5% of revenue. Most of our clients spend between $4,000 and $20,000 a month on ads, depending on their size and how competitive their market is.
Is there a setup fee?
Yes, the one-time setup fee is usually $350. The fee covers account setup and permissions, along with installing and testing the tracking codes, so the account works correctly before we spend a dollar of your budget.
Is PPC worth it for a small business?
PPC pays off for most small businesses. Organic rankings for buying searches take a long time to earn, and paid ads put you at the top of the results this month. How fast your ads pay off depends on how competitive your market is, and paid media is the quickest way for most small businesses to start winning customers.

Results and timeline

How long until I see results?
Most accounts show meaningful movement within 60 to 90 days. We spend the first 30 days on bid learning, tracking fixes, and rebuilding weak campaigns, then spend the next 60 days scaling the campaigns that work.
What ROI can I expect from PPC?
Your return depends on your industry, your margins, and how competitive your keywords are, so any agency quoting a number before seeing your account is guessing. A healthy account returns several dollars for each dollar spent once it’s past the learning phase. We set targets based on your margins and sales data, then tune the campaigns to hit those targets.
How do you measure PPC success?
We measure success based on how your sales happen. We track cost per lead, cost per acquisition, and return on ad spend when there’s a clear conversion like a purchase or a subscription. Attribution gets murky when a sale takes weeks or months, so for those accounts we track marketing efficiency ratio, which compares your total marketing cost to total revenue over time. We fix the tracking first in both cases, so each report ties back to customers you can name.
Why isn’t my current PPC converting?
The keywords are rarely the problem. Most accounts we audit were set up and left on autopilot, track the wrong actions, or target audiences too broad to qualify buyers. Another common cause is an ad message that doesn’t match the brand on the landing page.
What happens in the first 30 days?
We audit the account and the tracking before we change a campaign. We set up Google Analytics with conversion events on the right actions and find the campaigns that waste budget. We then set goals and start rebuilding.

How we work

Who manages my account day to day?
Our senior team in Billings manages your account from start to finish, with no handoff to mid-level staff and no offshore queue. You talk directly to the people who build and adjust your campaigns.
What does your PPC management include?
Our management covers account builds and rebuilds, keyword and audience targeting, ad creative across Search, Display, and video, landing page and conversion guidance, conversion tracking in Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, and monthly reporting with a strategy call. We adjust your campaign data and creative throughout the week.
How often do you adjust campaigns and report?
We adjust your campaigns each week and send a monthly report in plain English, along with a strategy call. Each report shows what changed and what your ad spend brought in.
Do I own my ad account and data?
Yes, you own the account, data, and campaigns. We manage the campaigns on your behalf, and the account and its history stay with your business if we ever part ways.
Do you require a long-term contract?
Our PPC retainers go month to month after a 90-day minimum. The first 90 days give us time to improve your campaigns, and you can judge our performance month by month once those 90 days end.
How do you onboard a new account?
Onboarding starts with an account audit and a tracking review. We then set quarterly goals and adjust campaigns each week, with a report each month. We spend the first few weeks fixing the account’s foundation before we increase spend.

Platforms and channels

What advertising platforms do you manage?
We manage Google Ads, Microsoft (Bing) Ads, and paid social like Meta, plus YouTube and Performance Max campaigns when they fit your goals. We put your budget on the platforms where your buyers convert.
Do you manage Meta ads as well as Google Ads?
Yes, we manage Meta ads and Google Ads. We lead with Google Ads because buyer intent is highest there, and we add Meta ads when they fit your account and strategy.
Should I use Google Ads or Meta?
Google Ads reaches people already searching for what you sell, so buyer intent is high and campaigns usually convert faster. Meta works better for building demand among people who haven’t started searching yet. Many accounts use both platforms, and we split the budget based on where your buyers convert.
Do you manage Performance Max campaigns?
Yes, and Performance Max works well when the campaign has clean conversion data and the right exclusions. Performance Max spends fast and reports numbers that don’t match your sales when those pieces are missing, so we build the tracking first.
Do you manage Microsoft (Bing) Ads?
Yes, Microsoft Ads usually costs less per click and reaches an older, higher-income audience, so we add Microsoft campaigns alongside Google for the accounts that fit.

PPC vs SEO and strategy

What is PPC management?
PPC management covers the day-to-day handling of paid advertising, including campaign builds, targeting, ad creative, bidding, conversion tracking, and reporting. The goal is to turn ad spend into qualified leads and sales and keep improving your return over time.
What’s the difference between PPC and SEO?
PPC charges you for each click, and traffic starts the day a campaign goes live and stops when you stop paying. SEO takes months to build, and organic rankings keep bringing in traffic without a per-click cost. Many businesses use PPC for leads now and SEO for long-term traffic.
Should I do PPC or SEO first?
Start with PPC if you need leads within weeks, and invest in SEO if you can wait a few months for organic traffic. Doing both works best, because PPC data shows which keywords convert, and your SEO can then target those keywords.
What makes a brand-led PPC agency different?
Many agencies open the ad account and start with keywords. We start with your brand, including your buyers and your message. Buyers who click an ad that says something specific and matches the landing page arrive pre-qualified, so your ad spend goes further.

Choosing a PPC agency

How do I choose a PPC agency?
Look for senior people managing your account, clear pricing, reporting tied to revenue, and experience with accounts like yours. Ask how they would handle your account and whether they would ever tell you to skip PPC, because a good agency will say so when PPC doesn’t fit.
What questions should I ask before hiring a PPC agency?
Ask who manages the account day to day, how the agency charges, how they track conversions, how often they adjust campaigns and report, and whether you keep ownership of the account. Ask for examples from accounts like yours, and pay attention to how they handle the hard questions.
What are the red flags in a PPC agency?
Watch for an agency that promises a return on ad spend before seeing your account, reports on clicks without tying them to revenue, gives vague answers about who manages your campaigns, or locks you into a year-long contract. The biggest red flag is a report whose numbers never match your sales.
Can you guarantee a specific return on ad spend or number of leads?
No, and be careful with any agency that makes that promise. Your margins, your market, and your offer all affect performance, and no guarantee can control those factors. We commit to fixing your tracking and managing your account hands-on, and we tell you plainly what your data shows.
Why do most PPC accounts underperform?
Most underperforming accounts we audit were set up and left on autopilot, track conversions incorrectly, or target audiences too broad to qualify buyers. We check for all three problems before we change your campaigns.
Do you work with my industry?
Our team manages paid media for consumer products, ecommerce, B2B services, healthcare, nonprofits, and local service businesses. The platforms and our process stay the same across industries, and the message and audience change for each client.

Montana and local

Do you offer PPC management in Montana?
Yes, we’re a PPC agency based in Billings, and we manage Google Ads and paid social for businesses across Montana, from Missoula to Kalispell. We visit local clients on-site when a visit would help their account.
Do you offer Google Ads management in Billings?
Yes, Billings is our home base. We manage Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and paid social for Billings businesses and clients across the state, with the same senior team on each account.
Do I have to be in Montana to work with Let’s Canoe?
No, about half of our retainer clients are outside Montana. We work with those clients remotely and hold strategy reviews each quarter.
Do you work with clients outside Montana?
Yes, about half of our retainer clients are outside Montana. We work with them remotely, and each client gets the same senior team and weekly campaign adjustments.

Getting started

How do I get started with PPC management?
Start with a free account audit or a short fit call. The audit shows what’s working in your account and where your budget is leaking, and you keep the audit even if you never hire our team.
What is the free PPC audit?
The free PPC audit reviews your ad account’s structure, tracking, wasted spend, and quickest wins. You keep the findings with no obligation to hire our team.

Start with a free audit or send us a message

Get a free PPC audit that shows what’s working in your account and where your budget is leaking. The audit is yours to keep, even if you never hire our team.

A brand agency in Billings, Montana. We set the brand strategy, then build the marketing on top of it, with one senior team from strategy through production.

406-998-7901
team@letscanoe.com
119 N 29th St, Billings, MT 59101

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