PPC That's Managed for Cost-Per-Lead, Not Just Clicks.
Karben runs Google Ads campaigns around the economics of the lead: what it actually costs to earn a qualified customer, not around click volume or impression share alone.
Wix Legend Partner
Google Ads Certified
17 Google reviews
Chicagoland Established 2013
What's included in a Karben PPC engagement
Google Ads Campaign Management
Full day-to-day management of your account by a Google Ads Certified team: structure, bids, budgets, and ongoing optimization.
Keyword & Audience Targeting
Targeting built around the searches and audiences most likely to convert, not the broadest possible reach.
Conversion Tracking & ROI Reporting
Real conversion tracking set up correctly from day one, so every report shows cost-per-lead and ROI, not just clicks and impressions.
Budget & Bid Strategy Management
Budgets and bid strategies adjusted against real performance data, not left on autopilot after the initial setup.
Clicks are not the same as customers.
A lot of PPC management is optimized for the metrics that are easiest to report (clicks, impressions, click-through rate) because they always go up with enough spend. We optimize for the metric that actually matters to your business: what it costs to acquire a qualified lead, and whether that cost is going down over time.
That means conversion tracking has to be set up correctly before a campaign launches, not audited after the budget is already spent, and it means we'll tell you honestly when a campaign isn't working rather than just asking for more budget.
"We report cost-per-lead first. Clicks and impressions are supporting evidence, not the headline."
From Karben Marketing, on-page positioning statement
How a PPC engagement actually runs
01
Account Audit
We review your existing account (or your competitive landscape, if starting fresh) for wasted spend and missed opportunity before touching a single bid.
02
Campaign Structure & Targeting
Campaigns rebuilt or structured around real commercial intent and qualified audiences, with conversion tracking verified before launch.
03
Launch & Optimize
Ongoing bid, budget, and ad copy optimization driven by actual performance data, not a set-and-forget schedule.
04
ROI Reporting
We report cost-per-lead and return on ad spend first, with clicks and impressions shown as supporting detail underneath.
Real Client Results
PPC results, by the numbers
“
18,167% growth in paid search sessions as part of a broader SEO and paid search strategy that also grew total website sessions 138%.
AMK Counseling, Chicagoland Behavioral Health Practice · SEO + Google Ads
1,644
Paid Search Sessions
9 → 1,644
+18,167%
Paid Search Growth
9 → 1,644
+138%
Total Session Growth
11,041 → 26,303
Karben built AMK Counseling's Google Ads program from the ground up as part of a broader SEO and paid search strategy. As demand increased, AMK added therapists to help accommodate the additional volume, a business outcome of the broader engagement, not paid search alone.
How to evaluate a PPC management company
A lot of PPC "management" is a rebranded autopilot campaign with a monthly retainer attached. Here's what we think is actually worth checking before you hire someone, including us.
A buyer's checklist, not a competitor comparison
What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
Google Ads Certified, with your own account access | You should always own your own ad account and data. No exceptions. |
Conversion tracking verified, not assumed | Most "great CTR" campaigns with broken tracking are quietly losing money. |
Reporting tied to cost-per-lead, not just clicks | Clicks and impressions always look good. They don't always mean qualified demand. |
Honest reporting when something isn't working | A partner who never recommends pausing spend isn't optimizing for your ROI. |
What Chicagoland clients say
"We notice a difference.
AMK Counseling
"If you want results and less talk. Give them a call."
Jerry Freund
"One of the best decisions we have ever made as a business."
Supreme Courts
Frequently asked questions
Most ongoing PPC management engagements begin at $1,500 per month. The final cost depends on the number of campaigns, competitiveness of the market and the amount of ongoing optimization required. This is separate from your Google Ads spend, which goes directly to Google. We review those factors before recommending a strategy and budget.
It depends on your market, competition, and the value of a lead in your industry. We'll give you a realistic, honest ad-spend recommendation specific to your business during your Strategy Call, separate from what we charge for management.
PPC can produce leads faster than organic SEO, but the first few weeks are typically spent gathering data and optimizing. We'll be upfront about that ramp-up period.
Full day-to-day management (bids, budgets, ad copy, and optimization) with your account ownership and full visibility preserved at all times.
Yes. Karben is based in Chicagoland, but Google Ads management isn't limited by geography the way local map-pack SEO is. We manage campaigns for clients outside the immediate area, including multi-market accounts.
SEO builds organic visibility over time and keeps working without a per-click cost, while PPC (Google Ads) puts you in front of customers immediately by paying for placement in search results. SEO tends to compound as a long-term asset; PPC gives you control over volume and timing, but visibility stops when spend stops. Most businesses benefit from some mix of both, weighted differently depending on the goal.
Yes, we can manage them independently or as an integrated program. The right mix depends on your goals, your competition, how much organic visibility you already have, and how quickly you need leads. AMK Counseling is one example of an integrated SEO and Google Ads engagement, where both channels were built together as part of the same search strategy.
Let's talk about your PPC opportunity.
A real conversation about your cost-per-lead, not a canned pitch.