What Should You Look for When Hiring a Lead Generation Agency?
- Fretchie Gay Monterde
- Mar 25
- 8 min read
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Introduction: Why Hiring the Best Lead Generation Agency Matters
Your business thrives on high-quality leads. Without them, your sales pipeline dries up, revenue slows down, and growth becomes impossible. But not all lead generation agencies deliver the same results. Some promise the world and burn through your ad budget with little to show for it. Others focus on vanity metrics instead of real, revenue-generating leads.
So how do you find the best lead generation agency for your business?
In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what to look for when hiring a lead generation agency. Whether you run a home service business, law firm, or financial advisory, these insights will help you make an informed decision that leads to real ROI.
Key Takeaways
The best lead generation agencies specialize in your industry and understand your target audience.
Expertise in Google Ads and paid search is essential for high-intent lead generation.
Transparency in reporting, lead tracking, and conversion data is non-negotiable.
High-quality leads matter more than quantity—a great agency knows the difference.
Custom landing pages and conversion optimization separate great agencies from average ones.
Proven case studies and real client success stories should back up any agency’s claims.
Avoid agencies that lock you into long-term contracts without delivering results.
Let’s dive in
1. Proven Experience in Your Industry
Not all leads are created equal. A lead for an HVAC company is vastly different from a lead for a personal injury law firm. That’s why industry-specific expertise is crucial when choosing a lead generation agency.
Why It Matters
An agency that understands your industry knows:
What your ideal customers search for online.
Which keywords drive conversions (not just clicks).
How to position your business effectively against competitors.
Common objections and how to address them in ad copy and landing pages.
How to Evaluate Industry Experience
Ask for case studies in your niche. If an agency has helped businesses like yours before, they’ll have data to prove it.
Check their client list. Have they worked with businesses in your field before? If so, what kind of results did they achieve?
Look at their approach. Do they tailor their lead generation strategy based on your industry, or do they apply a one-size-fits-all method?
Example: AmishCo (Construction & Contracting)
At Good Growth, we worked with AmishCo, an Amish-built structures company that needed better lead generation.
Because we understood the home services and construction space, we built a Google Ads strategy that:
Focused on high-intent "Amish-built" keywords.
Optimized landing pages for higher conversion rates.
Used a manual CPC approach first, then switched to max conversions after gathering data.
The result? A 46% decrease in cost per lead, from $216 to $117.
2. Expertise in Paid Search & Google Ads
The best lead generation agencies don’t just generate leads—they generate the right kind of leads. And the most effective way to do that? Google Search Ads.
Why Paid Search (Google Ads) Matters
High Intent: People searching on Google are actively looking for services. A properly optimized ad campaign puts you right in front of them.
Scalability: With the right bidding strategy, you can increase ad spend and scale your lead generation efforts.
Data-Driven Optimization: You get clear insights into what works and what doesn’t, allowing you to refine and improve over time.
Key Google Ads Strategies to Look For
Manual CPC for new campaigns. If you don’t have accurate historical data, an agency should start with manual CPC to ensure efficient spending.
Max Conversions bidding (only after 15-20 quality leads). Once an account has data, a good agency should leverage Google’s AI to optimize bids automatically.
Negative keywords and budget reallocation. Avoid wasted spend by cutting out irrelevant search terms.
Example: Byler’s Quality Construction
We helped Byler’s Quality Construction scale their leads without increasing ad spend.
Our approach:
Consolidated all service categories into one smartly structured campaign.
Used a mix of manual CPC and max conversions bidding.
Constantly optimized campaigns to focus on the highest-performing keywords.
The result? Monthly leads doubled while keeping ad spend the same.
3. Transparent Reporting & Lead Tracking
One of the biggest red flags in the lead generation industry? Agencies that hide their data. If you don’t know where your leads are coming from, how much they cost, or whether they’re turning into actual customers, you’re flying blind.
Why Transparency Matters
You need to know exactly where your ad spend is going.
If leads aren’t converting, you need insights into why (bad lead quality, poor targeting, weak follow-up process, etc.).
A trustworthy agency will share both the wins and the challenges and adjust strategies accordingly.
What to Look For in Lead Tracking & Reporting
Full access to Google Ads accounts. Some agencies hold clients hostage by not granting access to their own accounts.
Clear reporting on cost per lead (CPL) and return on ad spend (ROAS).
Call tracking and form submission tracking. You should be able to see exactly which ads and keywords are driving conversions.
Lead quality insights. Are the leads real potential customers, or just junk form fills?
Good Growth’s Approach to Tracking
At Good Growth, we focus on:
Tracking form submissions and phone calls separately to measure lead quality.
Reporting on ROAS and lead-to-customer conversion rates, not just raw lead volume.
Regular performance reviews to adjust targeting, ad copy, and landing pages as needed.
4. Conversion Tracking & Lead Quality Assessment
A great lead generation agency doesn’t just focus on quantity—they prioritize lead quality. If your inbox is flooded with unqualified leads that never convert into paying customers, you’re wasting ad spend.
Why Conversion Tracking Matters
A skilled agency ensures that every lead generated is tracked, categorized, and assessed for quality.
This means:
Accurate attribution – Knowing which campaigns, keywords, and ad groups are driving conversions.
Call tracking & form submission tracking – Identifying high-value leads vs. junk submissions.
CRM integration – Syncing lead data with your sales system to track the full customer journey.
For example, at Good Growth, we implement call tracking solutions that record and analyze phone leads. This helps our clients determine which leads are valuable and which ad campaigns are performing best.
Lead Quality Over Lead Quantity
Many agencies boast about getting hundreds of leads per month, but if most of them are low-intent or irrelevant, they aren’t worth much.
Instead, a top-tier agency will:
Filter out spam and low-intent leads.
Optimize ad copy and targeting to attract serious buyers.
Use negative keywords to prevent wasted spend on irrelevant searches.
Provide feedback on how leads are converting beyond the ad click.
If an agency isn’t discussing lead qualification and tracking, that’s a red flag.
5. Custom Landing Pages & CRO Expertise
A common mistake businesses make is driving traffic to their homepage instead of a targeted landing page. A dedicated, optimized landing page can drastically improve conversion rates and lower your cost per lead.
The Role of Landing Pages in Lead Generation
Your ads might be excellent, but if visitors don’t convert once they land on your page, the campaign will fail.
That’s why the best lead generation agencies offer custom landing page design focused on:
Fast loading speeds – Every second of delay hurts conversions.
Clear calls-to-action (CTAs) – Phone numbers, forms, and CTA buttons should be prominent.
Minimal distractions – A landing page should be laser-focused on driving a single action.
Mobile optimization – More than half of search traffic is mobile, so pages must be responsive.
How Good Growth Optimizes Landing Pages
At Good Growth, we design landing pages specifically for Google Ads lead generation. Through A/B testing, we’ve increased conversion rates by over 160% for some clients.
For instance, one of our construction clients saw their cost per lead drop from $52 to $40 just by refining landing page elements and testing different headlines.
Without a proper landing page strategy, even the best ads won’t drive results.
6. Proactive Campaign Optimization
A lead generation agency’s job doesn’t end after launching a campaign. Ongoing management and optimization are essential for success.
Continuous Campaign Adjustments
Google Ads campaigns are not set-and-forget.
The best agencies monitor and adjust on a daily or weekly basis by:
Adjusting bids based on performance data.
A/B testing ad variations to improve click-through rates.
Adding negative keywords to reduce wasted spend.
Refining audience targeting based on conversion data.
Why Data-Driven Adjustments Matter
A common misconception is that smart bidding alone will handle everything. But without proper data input, Google’s automation won’t optimize effectively.
A good agency will:
Start with manual CPC bidding to collect clean conversion data.
Only switch to Max Conversions bidding after at least 15-20 quality leads in 30-45 days.
Maintain manual bidding for brand campaigns for better efficiency.
If an agency isn’t regularly adjusting and improving your campaign, you’re likely leaving money on the table.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Hiring a Lead Generation Agency
Even with all the right criteria in mind, many businesses still fall into common traps when choosing a lead generation agency.
Here’s what to watch out for:
1. Choosing the Cheapest Option
While it’s tempting to go with the lowest-cost provider, agencies that undercharge often lack the expertise or resources to deliver quality leads. You might save on fees but lose far more in wasted ad spend and low-quality traffic.
2. Lack of Transparency in Reporting
Some agencies provide vague reports that don’t show actual performance metrics.
Make sure your agency offers:
Clear cost-per-lead data.
Insights into which ads and keywords drive conversions.
Access to ad accounts so you can verify data yourself.
3. Overpromising Unrealistic Results
Beware of agencies that guarantee a certain number of leads or promise overnight success. PPC takes time and data to optimize effectively. A trustworthy agency sets realistic expectations based on your industry and budget.
4. Poor Lead Qualification Practices
Not all leads are created equal.
If an agency focuses on volume over quality, you may end up with:
Spam submissions or bots filling out forms.
Leads that are unqualified, low-intent, or outside your service area.
Sales teams wasting time chasing poor leads.
5. Ignoring Conversion Tracking & Lead Attribution
If an agency isn’t setting up proper conversion tracking, you won’t know what’s truly working. Every lead should be tracked back to its source, whether it’s from Google Ads, organic search, or another channel.
Final Takeaways & Next Steps
Choosing the right lead generation agency is a critical decision that impacts your marketing ROI and overall business growth.
Here’s a quick recap of what to look for:
Key Takeaways:
✅ Prioritize agencies that specialize in your industry and business model.
✅ Look for proven case studies and client success stories.
✅ Ensure accurate lead tracking and conversion attribution.
✅ Demand transparency in reporting and campaign performance.
✅ Focus on lead quality over sheer volume.
✅ Avoid agencies that promise guaranteed leads or instant success.
Work With a Lead Gen Agency That Gets Results
At Good Growth, we specialize in helping service-based businesses generate high-quality leads through targeted Google Ads campaigns and optimized landing pages. Our expertise in conversion tracking and ongoing campaign management ensures your ad budget is spent wisely.
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