A trustworthy PPC case study shows the actual numbers, not just a percentage, states the exact timeframe the result happened over, and gives enough context, like ad spend and business size, to judge whether the outcome is meaningful. A case study missing any of those isn’t necessarily fake, but it isn’t proof either, it’s a claim you haven’t verified yet.
A case study is the easiest piece of marketing collateral to make impressive and one of the hardest for a business owner to actually verify.
Before you compare PPC management options based on the results an agency is showing you, it helps to know what a genuinely strong case study looks like next to a padded one, since the two can look almost identical at a glance. It’s one piece of a longer list of red flags worth watching for, but it deserves a close look on its own.
What a Misleading Case Study Actually Looks Like
The problem is rarely an outright lie. It’s usually a true number with everything that would let you judge it left out.
| What They Show You | What’s Missing | What to Ask For Instead |
|---|---|---|
| “We generated $50,000 in revenue for this client” | No context on ad spend, timeframe, or business size, so there’s no way to judge if that’s actually a win | The actual ad spend, the timeframe, and the return on that spend, not just the headline number |
| “300% increase in leads” | The starting number. A 300% increase means something completely different going from 1 lead to 4 versus 50 to 200 | The actual before-and-after numbers, not just the percentage between them |
| “Results improved significantly” | A date range. There’s no way to know if this happened over 2 months or 2 years, which changes what the result actually proves | A specific start and end date for when the result happened |
Picture two agencies both pitching a Queens auto repair shop on their results. One says, “We generated $50,000 in revenue for a similar client.” The other says, “For a similar auto repair client in Queens, we grew monthly leads from 12 to 34 over four months on roughly $1,800 in monthly ad spend, with cost per lead dropping from $95 to $53.” Same general claim, a completely different amount of proof behind it.
How to Actually Verify What You’re Being Shown
Ask to See the Real Numbers, Not Just the Graph
A screenshot of a results graph can be cropped, edited, or pulled from a different account entirely.
Ask to see the actual dashboard, whether that’s Google Ads or Google Analytics, live on a call, or ask for a report you can open and check yourself. An agency confident in its results has no real reason to hesitate.
Understand That an Anonymized Case Study Isn’t Automatically a Fake One
Plenty of legitimate agencies work under confidentiality agreements, especially with larger or more established clients, and genuinely can’t use a company name or logo publicly. That part is normal. What isn’t normal is an agency that goes vague on everything else too, the industry, the general size of the business, the actual numbers, the timeframe.
A real case study can protect a client’s identity and still be specific about everything around it. One that hides behind anonymity for the details too is the one worth questioning.
Case studies are one piece of the picture. If you’re putting together the fuller vetting conversation, here’s the full list of questions worth asking before you hire anyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many case studies should an agency be able to show me?
There’s no magic number, but an agency that’s been operating for a while should be able to show more than one or two, ideally something close to your industry or business size. If an established agency can only point to a single result, or keeps steering you back to that same one case study no matter what you ask, that’s worth noticing.
Should I contact the client mentioned in a case study directly?
If the agency offers it, take them up on it, and if they don’t offer it, it’s a reasonable thing to ask for. A brief conversation with a real past or current client tells you more in five minutes than another polished slide will. An agency that’s proud of its work is usually glad to make the introduction.
What if an agency says they can’t share any case studies due to client confidentiality?
Confidentiality can explain why a specific client’s name or logo isn’t public. It shouldn’t explain why an agency has nothing at all to show you. A results overview with the identifying details removed, industry, general account size, the numbers themselves, is still possible without breaking any agreement. An agency with real results can usually find a way to show you something.
Does a case study from a completely different industry still tell me anything useful?
It tells you less about your specific market, but it still tells you how the agency thinks: how they approach a new account, how they report, and what they consider a meaningful result. It shouldn’t be the only case study you’re shown, but it isn’t worthless either, especially if your industry is narrow enough that a perfect match might not exist.
