How much do Google Ads cost for a small business?

Short answer: Google does not set a price. You choose how much to spend. For a small business we recommend an ad budget of at least $800 to $1,000 a month, plus the cost of whoever runs the ads.

How Google charges you

You pay when someone clicks. With search ads, showing the ad is free. You pay when a person clicks on it.
You set the budget. You tell Google how much you want to spend, and you can change it anytime.
The price of a click changes. It depends on what you sell and where. When many businesses want the same search, each click costs more.

The two costs

Your ad budget. It goes straight to Google, not to us.
Someone to run the ads. Setting them up, watching your money and fixing what is not working. You can do it yourself or pay someone to do it.

Our prices

Strategy Session: $300, one time. One hour with an expert and written next steps. Join Growth later and the $300 counts toward your first month.
Growth: $1,250 a month, plus your ad budget. For ad budgets up to $3,000 a month. $500 one-time setup. 2-month minimum, then month to month.
Custom: from $3,000 a month, plus your ad budget. For bigger budgets, more locations and startups.

See everything that is included in our prices.

Why not start with less than $800?

With a very small budget you get too few clicks to learn what works. The right amount depends on your type of business and your market, and we will tell you honestly what makes sense for yours.

How to keep the cost under control

Start with one service and one area, not everything you sell.
Read the report every month: what you spent and what you got.
Raise the budget only when the ads are bringing customers.

New to ads? Read how to start with Google or Facebook ads. Not sure Google is the right place? See Google Ads or Facebook Ads.

Quick answers

Is there a minimum spend on Google Ads?

No. Google does not require a minimum. We recommend an ad budget of at least $800 to $1,000 a month, because a very small budget brings too few clicks to learn what works.

Is my ad budget included in your price?

No. Your ad budget goes straight to Google. Our Growth plan is $1,250 a month for running the ads, plus a $500 one-time setup.

Can I change my ad budget later?

Yes. You pick the amount and you can change it anytime. Our Growth plan covers ad budgets up to $3,000 a month; bigger budgets go on a Custom plan.