Paid Search Consultant
25+ years experience. Google Premier Partner. Personal service — you work directly with me.
What does a paid search consultant actually do?
A paid search consultant manages your Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and other PPC campaigns — with the strategic oversight to make sure every pound you spend is working as hard as possible. The difference between a consultant and an agency is accountability: with me, you know exactly who is responsible for your account and you can speak to that person directly.
I'm Peter Empson. I've been working in paid search since the late nineties — before Google AdWords even existed. I'm a Google Premier Partner, which places me in the top 3% of Google Ads specialists in the UK. I work independently, which means I have no junior staff, no account managers, and no incentive to recommend anything other than what's right for your business.
When you hire me as your paid search consultant, you get my full attention, my 25+ years of experience, and a genuinely personal service that large agencies simply cannot offer.
Why hire an independent consultant rather than an agency?
With an independent consultant
- You work directly with the expert managing your campaigns
- No account managers acting as intermediaries
- No staff turnover disrupting your account
- Decisions made on what's right for you, not what hits an agency billing target
- Senior expertise on every conversation, not just the pitch
- Long-term relationships built on results
With a typical agency
- Your account manager may have two years' experience and 40 other clients
- Staff turnover means starting over every 12–18 months
- Senior staff pitch, junior staff manage
- Recommendations influenced by platform partnerships and targets
- Reporting designed to look good, not to tell the truth
What I cover as your paid search consultant
Google Ads Management
Search, Shopping, Performance Max, Display, YouTube — every Google Ads format, managed with the strategic depth that only comes from 25+ years of hands-on experience.
Including Performance Max optimisation and Google Shopping campaign management.
Microsoft Advertising
As a Microsoft Advertising Certified Professional, I manage Bing/Microsoft campaigns with the same rigour I apply to Google Ads. Often overlooked, often underpriced.
Strategy & Audits
Not sure if your current campaigns are performing as well as they should? I'll audit your account, identify the gaps, and give you an honest picture of what's possible.
Automation & AI
I've built bespoke AI tools that monitor and analyse my clients' accounts continuously. You get the benefit of enterprise-level analysis without the enterprise-level fees.
What clients say
“Peter has supported SevenYays since launch in 2021 and has added a great deal of value. He's extremely knowledgeable in the strategic and technical aspects of PPC, but also has significant real world experience of consumer/product/brand. The two together make for a really effective and commercially pragmatic business partner. He is proactive in spotting both issues and opportunities.”
Andrew Staal
Founder, SevenYays — former International Director at Quorn & Patak's
“I ran my own Google Ads campaigns for 13 years and considered myself to be somewhat of an expert. I have also spent over £300,000 of my own money on Google Ads over the years. I occasionally tried using agencies in the past but was never satisfied. I usually knew more than they did. I started using Peter last year and have been delighted. He really knows what he is doing.”
Jeff Seymour
Owner, OTC Ltd
“Baker Ross paid search revenues and profit contribution are up 103% and 323% respectively in the first year. For the smaller brand, Yellow Moon, the increases are a still respectable 33% and 19%. I look forward to continuing to work with Peter.”
Paul Giuffredi ACA, CFO
Finance Director, Baker Ross / Yellow Moon
“We have been fortunate enough to have had Peter managing our Paid Search for 3 years and always to great success. With Peter we finally found the perfect combination of straight talk and consistently great results Baker Ross had long been looking for.”
Sergi Vila
Google Ads Specialist & Co-Founder, AdSuccess
“A great partner to work with on all paid advertising channels. Vast experience, knowledge and commercial wisdom. Have worked with Peter over the last 3 years and can't recommend highly enough. He's a great guy too. Great integrity and work ethic.”
Jean Grant
Senior Manager, Find Me A Gift
“Peter is truly an expert in his field and we have used him constantly on our Google Ads campaigns with fabulous results. In fact just don't hire him at all as that will mean he has less time for me!”
Michael Robinson
Owner, Clear Prospects Ltd
Frequently asked questions
How much does a paid search consultant cost?
My fees are based on the scope of work, not a percentage of ad spend. I don't believe in percentage-of-spend models — they create an incentive to spend more, not to spend better. I'll give you a straightforward monthly fee based on what your account needs. The best way to find out is to have a conversation.
Do you require a minimum ad spend?
I work with businesses spending anywhere from £2,000 to £200,000+ per month on paid search. What matters more than spend level is whether there's a genuine opportunity to improve performance — and that's something I can assess quickly in an initial conversation.
How long before I see results?
It depends on the starting point. If an account has structural problems, fixing those can produce rapid improvements. If an account is already well-run, improvements tend to be incremental. I'll give you an honest assessment of what to expect and over what timeframe — I don't promise overnight transformations.
Do you work with businesses outside the UK?
Yes. I manage campaigns targeting the UK, Europe, and international markets. The principles of good paid search management are universal, even if the tactics vary by market.
What's the difference between a paid search consultant and a PPC agency?
With a consultant, you know exactly who is managing your account and can speak to them directly. With most agencies, your day-to-day contact is an account manager, not the senior expert. I manage all my clients' accounts personally — there's no-one between you and the person doing the work.
Do you offer a free audit?
Yes. If you're running existing campaigns and want an honest assessment of how they're performing and where the opportunities lie, I'm happy to take a look before we discuss whether working together makes sense. See the free Google Ads audit page for details.
Ready to talk?
The fastest way to find out if I can help is a phone call. No sales process, no proposal decks — just a straight conversation about your business and what's possible.