Stop Leaving Money on the Table: Ask Google to Fund Your Ads

How to Get Google to Help Fund Your PPC Tests (Yes, It’s Possible)

If you’re running Google Ads and not asking about funding opportunities, you’re leaving money on the table.

A lot of advertisers don’t realize this, but Google will often help co-fund tests—especially when you’re trying newer products like Demand Gen, Performance Max enhancements, or beta features.

And no, this isn’t just for massive brands. I’ve seen mid-sized and even smaller advertisers qualify too.

What Does “Google Funding” Actually Mean?

This usually comes in the form of:

Credits from Google to offset your spend Matched investment (you spend X, Google contributes Y) Incrementality studies fully or partially funded by Google

The goal on their end is simple:

They want you to adopt newer products and prove they work.

When Can You Ask for Funding?

You don’t need to wait for Google to offer it. You can (and should) ask when:

You’re testing something new (ex: Demand Gen campaigns) You’re increasing spend to unlock incremental growth You’re running a structured test (A/B, geo split, lift study) You’re open to trying beta features or new campaign types

Good example:

“We’re considering a Demand Gen test focused on net new users. Is there any Google support or funding available to help us scale this?”

Keep it casual. No need to overcomplicate it.

What Google Typically Looks For

Not every request gets approved. Google usually prioritizes:

Clear test plan (what you’re testing and why) Defined success metrics (CPL, conversions, lift, etc.) Sufficient budget (enough to generate meaningful data) Willingness to scale if results are strong

Translation:

They want to know this isn’t a random experiment.

Real Example: Demand Gen Test Funding

Let’s say you want to test Demand Gen.

Instead of fully funding it yourself, you could structure it like this:

Total test budget: ~$125K Google contributes: ~$75K Your investment: ~$50K

Or in some cases, Google may just provide credits after hitting certain milestones.

Either way, your risk goes down, and you still get the learnings.

Pro Tip: Position It the Right Way

This is where most people mess up.

Don’t say:

“Do you have any free money for us?”

Instead say:

“We’re planning a structured test to drive incremental growth. Happy to partner closely—are there any opportunities for Google to support this initiative?”

Same ask. Completely different perception.

What to Do Next

If you’re running Google Ads right now, here’s what I’d do this week:

Identify 1–2 tests you’ve been holding off on Outline a simple plan (budget, timeline, KPI) Reach out to your Google rep and ask directly

Worst case? They say no.

Best case? You get thousands in support.

Final Thought

Google isn’t just a platform—it’s a partner (when you push them a bit).

If you’re already spending money there, you should absolutely be exploring ways to make that spend go further.

And funding support is one of the easiest wins most advertisers overlook.