How much does a Google Ads agency cost in Australia?
Australian Google Ads agencies typically charge a flat monthly retainer of $500 to $5,000, or 10–20% of ad spend. Carter Media charges a flat fee tied to a spend band, starting from $500 per month for small businesses, with no percentage-of-spend model, so management cost does not rise automatically when budget scales.
Key facts
- •Typical AU retainers: $500–$5,000 per month
- •Percentage-of-spend models: usually 10–20%
- •Carter Media: flat fee from $500/month, no % of spend
- •Setup or onboarding fees are common but not universal
Flat fee vs percentage of spend
Percentage-of-spend pricing rewards an agency for spending more, not for making more. A flat fee tied to a spend band keeps incentives aligned: the agency is paid for the work required at that account size, and a scaling budget does not silently inflate the invoice. Ask any agency what happens to the fee if spend doubles.
What should be included
A fair retainer includes campaign build and management, conversion tracking and GA4/GTM configuration, creative and copy iteration, negative keyword and search term management, feed or landing page recommendations, and monthly reporting against cost per lead or return on ad spend. Ad spend itself is paid directly to Google, never through the agency's markup.
Last reviewed 2026-09-03
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