Table of Contents

SaaS PPC Agency Process: What to Expect in the First 90 Days

When you're responsible for marketing at a SaaS business, choosing to work with a specialized agency is a big decision. You're handing over campaigns that directly impact your pipeline—what exactly happens next?

Having managed over $30 million in ad spend, we know that understanding the typical SaaS PPC agency process is crucial for setting realistic expectations. Those first 90 days are make-or-break.

Quick Overview: Your First 90 Days at a Glance

Here's what to expect in the first 90 days of PPC when you partner with a specialized SaaS PPC management agency:

Timeline Focus Areas Key Activities Expected Outcomes
Days 1–30 Foundation & Discovery • Comprehensive account audit
• Analytics setup and tracking implementation
• Competitor analysis
• Customer journey mapping
• Landing page assessment
• Goal setting and KPI definition
• Complete understanding of current state
• Identified quick wins and major issues
• Strategic roadmap created
• Tracking infrastructure established
Days 31–60 Campaign Setup & Launch • Campaign architecture design
• Ad account setup across platforms
• Conversion tracking implementation
• Landing page optimization
• Initial campaign launch
• Daily monitoring and adjustments
• Live campaigns generating data
• Improved lead quality signals
• Initial performance indicators
• Stabilized cost per click
Days 61–90 Optimization & Scaling • Data-driven optimization
• A/B testing implementation
• Audience refinement
• Budget reallocation
• Advanced strategy deployment
• Scaling decisions
• 3x performance improvement potential
• Clear ROI visibility
• Scalable campaign structure
• Qualified lead flow established

Now, let's dive into what actually happens during each phase of the SaaS PPC management process.

Why Leading SaaS Companies Turn to Specialized PPC Agencies

Before we get into the SaaS PPC agency process explained, understand why over 30% of SMBs outsource their paid advertising—it's the most outsourced marketing service.

Most general agencies miss this about PPC for SaaS: It's not about driving clicks or leads. A specialized agency understanding how a SaaS PPC agency works knows customer lifetime value, churn rates, and that your ideal customer might need 47 touchpoints before starting a trial.

Agencies understanding the SaaS paid advertising process know that a $500 CPA might be brilliant if that customer has a $2,000 LTV.

Days 1-30: Foundation and Strategic Assessment

You've signed with your SaaS-focused agency, and now the real work begins. This first month lays the groundwork for everything that follows. Here's what happens during SaaS PPC agency onboarding.

Initial Account Audit: What Best SaaS PPC Agencies Look For

The first thing any decent agency should do is conduct a comprehensive audit. What separates the best agencies? They don't just look at ads—this is where the SaaS PPC onboarding process begins.

A thorough PPC agency onboarding for SaaS includes:

  • Website and Analytics Review - We determine where traffic comes from and what metrics need improvement. 70% of SaaS companies we audit target bottom-of-funnel keywords with top-of-funnel landing pages.
  • Existing Campaign Analysis - We dig into analytics to understand your funnel. Where do people drop off? How long does conversion take? Are campaigns targeting the right buyer journey stage?
  • Conversion Tracking Assessment - One critical step included in a full-cycle SaaS PPC process is ensuring proper tracking. Without accurate conversion tracking, you're flying blind.
  • Quick Win Identification - We once reduced a client's CPA by 68% in the first month by eliminating unnecessary ad spend.

Analytics and Tracking Infrastructure Setup

A crucial part of the SaaS PPC management process is proper analytics configuration. During days 1-30, we set up Google Analytics 4 tracking, configure conversion tracking across all platforms, implement event tracking for key actions, create custom dashboards, set up CRM integration, and configure call tracking if needed.

You need to know not just which campaigns generate leads, but which campaigns generate customers that actually stick around.

Competitor Analysis in the SaaS Market

Your agency should analyze your competitors during this first month—not just who they are, but how they're positioning themselves, what keywords they're bidding on, and their landing page strategies.

In the SaaS market, competitive intelligence is everything. Your customers are comparing you to 2-3 other solutions before deciding. The best agencies create competitor battle cards that your sales team can use and identify gaps in competitors' messaging you can exploit.

Setting Realistic ROI Expectations for B2B SaaS Companies

This is where a lot of relationships go south early on. You're expecting immediate results, and the agency is managing expectations.

The truth? B2B SaaS has longer sales cycles than almost any other industry. Your customers aren't buying on impulse—they're evaluating, comparing, and getting buy-in from stakeholders.

Most SaaS clients see initial results immediately upon campaign launch, with optimal results within 1-2 months. But "initial results" means qualified traffic and better engagement metrics, not CAC cut in half in week two.

Days 31-60: The SaaS PPC Setup Process and Campaign Launch

Month two is when the SaaS PPC campaign setup timeline kicks into high gear—strategic planning transforms into tactical execution.

Platform Selection: Why Best SaaS PPC Agencies Think Multi-Channel

If your agency is only talking about Google Ads, run.

The best SaaS growth happens when you're reaching your ideal customers wherever they are. Part of understanding the PPC agency workflow for SaaS is recognizing that different platforms serve different purposes:

  • Google Ads - For capturing high-intent searches. Our Google Ads management services focus on maximizing ROI.
  • Microsoft Ads - Lower competition and higher-intent audiences for SaaS keywords. Our Bing Ads management services deliver lower-cost, high-quality leads.
  • LinkedIn Ads - Where B2B decision-makers spend time.
  • YouTube - Effective for product demos.

At Aimers, we work across multiple platforms. The magic happens when you understand where your specific audience spends their time.

Campaign Architecture and Ad Account Setup

A critical component of the PPC agency workflow for SaaS is building proper campaign structure. During days 31-60:

  • Create Campaign Structure - Branded vs. non-branded separation, funnel stage-specific campaigns, product/feature campaigns, geographic targeting, device optimization, and strategic keyword research for PPC for high-intent opportunities.
  • Ad Account Configuration - Conversion tracking across platforms, audience list setup, remarketing tag installation, custom conversion definitions, and negative keyword lists.
  • Budget Allocation - Test vs. scale budget allocation, platform distribution, daily vs. monthly pacing, and emergency protocols.

Landing Page Optimization for SaaS Conversion Funnels

SaaS companies that spend thousands on PPC but send all traffic to their homepage frustrate us. Your homepage is not a landing page.

Your agency should build new landing pages or improve existing ones for each campaign. These need to understand SaaS conversion psychology:

  • Value propositions speaking to business outcomes
  • Relevant social proof for target personas
  • Clear calls-to-action matching your sales process
  • Trust signals (security badges, certifications, customer logos)
  • Multiple conversion options (demo, trial, pricing calculator)

The best agencies set up conversion tracking beyond form submissions—tracking video engagement, scroll depth, and button clicks.

Initial Campaign Launch and Daily Monitoring

Once campaigns go live, the real work begins. During the first weeks:

  • Daily: Bid adjustments, search query mining, ad copy monitoring, landing page tracking, budget pacing, auction insights analysis
  • Weekly: Performance trending, competitive changes, quality score improvements, conversion path analysis, attribution review

Your agency should check in daily without making massive changes constantly. PPC algorithms need time to learn.

Days 31-60: Early Performance Indicators

Ad Spend Efficiency in the First Month

In the first 30-60 days, look at leading indicators that suggest your campaigns are heading in the right direction.

Key metrics as part of your PPC Agency process explained: CTR, Quality Score, Conversion Rate, Cost-Per-Acquisition, and Lead Quality Indicators.

Lower CPC doesn't necessarily mean better business results. Your agency should focus on lead quality and customer LTV, not just surface-level metrics.

Common First-Month Challenges

  • Managing Long B2B SaaS Sales Cycles
    Your CEO sees ad spend increasing and asks where customers are. B2B SaaS buyers don't convert the day they first click on an ad.

Your agency should set up tracking and attribution systems showing the full customer journey. Without proper attribution, it looks like PPC isn't working. With it, you see that PPC was the first touchpoint in a customer worth $50,000 in ARR.

  • Ad Copy Testing for Complex SaaS Products
    Writing effective SaaS ad copy is challenging. You're communicating complex value propositions in 90 characters while competing against bigger budgets.

Your agency should run constant tests—not just headlines, but different value propositions, pain points, and calls-to-action. Best-performing SaaS ads focus on business outcomes, not features.

Days 61-90: Scaling and Strategic Refinement

By day 61, your agency has enough data for informed decisions. This is when the real magic begins—you see the full PPC agency framework in action.

The 90-Day Milestone

By this point—the PPC agency first 90 days—you should have enough data for informed scaling decisions. We typically see 3x performance improvement from month 1 to month 3.

What good looks like at day 90: Clear CAC understanding by channel, documented buyer personas, proven ad messaging, optimized landing pages, scalable campaign structures, and attribution models connecting PPC to revenue.

Month 3 is when campaigns either take off or plateau. The difference? Agencies understanding your business model vs. those treating you like e-commerce.

When to Increase Ad Spend: ROI-Based Decision Making

The question we get around day 60: "When should we scale our spend?"

The answer is based on performance, not time. Only increase spend when campaigns consistently generate customers at or below target CAC. Scale gradually—doubling budget overnight leads to higher costs and lower quality traffic.

Scaling criteria: CPA at or below target for 2-3 weeks, positive sales feedback, accurate tracking, profitable campaigns to scale, maxed-out best performers, and knowing how to calculate PPC budget for growth.

Advanced Strategies in the SaaS PPC Management Process

By day 90, specialized agencies implement strategies general agencies haven't heard of:

  • Retargeting competitor pricing page visitors, customer lookalike audiences based on highest-LTV customers, sequential messaging by funnel stage, cross-channel attribution modeling, and predictive bid adjustments.
  • AI and machine learning automate bidding and targeting. Explore our guide on AI tools for SaaS PPC for efficiency. The magic happens when combining AI efficiency with human SaaS strategy.

Your PPC campaigns should feed data back into your CRM, email platform, and product analytics. This closed-loop system separates good agencies from great ones.

What to Look Out for When Finding a PPC Agency to Work With

Before onboarding, ensure you're choosing the right partner. Check out our list of SaaS PPC agencies to compare providers.

Make Sure Your Values Align

Work with an agency sharing your values. If you prefer a formalized approach to PPC, you may find a casual agency frustrating. An agency recognizing your needs is more likely to understand your goals and deliver results.

Look for an Agency That Specializes in SaaS

Work with a company experienced in SaaS. They'll understand your unique challenges, pain points, and the importance of customer lifetime value.

Your Next Steps

The right agency won't just run your ads—they'll become an extension of your growth team, building a sustainable, profitable customer acquisition engine.

Understanding what is the typical SaaS PPC agency process helps you set realistic expectations, hold your agency accountable, and maximize partnership value. From initial audit through campaign launch to scaling optimization, every phase builds a comprehensive, data-driven growth engine.

If you're ready to treat PPC like the growth driver it should be, those first 90 days with the right agency might change everything.

Ready to Transform Your SaaS PPC Results?

Every SaaS business is different. Your customer acquisition costs, sales cycle, and growth challenges are unique.

We offer a free PPC audit to see where your campaigns are hemorrhaging money and missing opportunities. No sales pitch—just straight conversation about what's working, what isn't, and what we'd do differently.

Ready to see what's possible?Book a free strategy call. We've helped hundreds of SaaS companies get their PPC right.

Button Text

FAQs

How long does it really take to see results from a specialized SaaS PPC agency?

Most SaaS clients see some improvements within the first 30 days - better quality traffic, improved engagement metrics, maybe some early qualified leads. But real, sustainable results? That usually takes 60-90 days. B2B SaaS has longer sales cycles, and it takes time to gather enough data to make smart optimization decisions. Anyone promising dramatic results in week one is probably not being honest about how SaaS PPC actually works.
Icon - Elements Webflow Library - BRIX Templates

What should I expect to pay for professional SaaS PPC management?

It varies wildly based on your ad spend and complexity, but most specialized SaaS PPC agencies charge between $3,000-$10,000+ per month in management fees. Plus your actual ad spend, obviously. Seems expensive? Consider this - if an agency can cut your CPA by 30% while increasing lead quality, they've probably paid for themselves. We've had clients where the improved performance saved them more in wasted ad spend than they paid us in fees.
Icon - Elements Webflow Library - BRIX Templates

How do I know if a PPC agency actually understands SaaS businesses?

Ask them about customer lifetime value, churn rates, and trial-to-paid conversion optimization. If they start talking about "brand awareness" and "impression share" without mentioning MRR or CAC payback periods, they probably don't get it. Also, look at their case studies—are they showing SaaS-specific metrics or just generic conversion improvements?
Icon - Elements Webflow Library - BRIX Templates

Should I pause my current campaigns when switching to a new agency?

Generally, no. A good agency will audit your existing campaigns first and gradually transition rather than starting from scratch. Pausing everything means losing all your historical data and audience insights. However, if your current campaigns are completely broken and burning money, sometimes it makes sense to pause and rebuild. This is something to discuss during your initial strategy call - every situation is different.
Icon - Elements Webflow Library - BRIX Templates

What's the difference between a general PPC agency and one that specializes in SaaS?

General agencies treat every click like a potential sale. SaaS-specialized agencies understand that your buyer's journey might involve 47 touchpoints across 6 months before they even start a trial. They know how to set up proper attribution, optimize for lead quality over quantity, and structure campaigns around your specific sales funnel.
Icon - Elements Webflow Library - BRIX Templates
Join the community — Get Updates and Tips

Regular updates ensure that readers have access to fresh perspectives, making Poster a must-read.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. By clicking “Accept all’, you agree to the use of all cookies. More information