Victor Serban tops Manchester Experts' 2026 PPC and Google Ads rankings

Manchester Experts ranked Wigan-based consultant Victor Serban #1 in both its 2026 PPC and Google Ads shortlists for Manchester. The dual win stands out in a market where most firms are stronger in one channel than across paid search more broadly.

Why it matters: - Manchester Experts’ dual ranking signals a rare fit for ecommerce buyers who want one specialist to handle both PPC and Google Ads. - The result puts a solo practitioner ahead of larger agencies, underscoring the value of platform depth, pricing transparency and direct senior-level management. - For advertisers, the list highlights how paid search performance often depends on feed data, conversion tracking and account structure, not just bidding.

What happened: - Manchester Experts evaluated 26 paid media firms for its 2026 PPC shortlist and 22 firms for its Google Ads shortlist. - Victor Serban ranked #1 on both lists and received the publisher’s “Best Overall” designation in each category. - The PPC shortlist listed nine firms and the Google Ads shortlist listed eight firms, both updated in August 2026. - Serban is based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, serves clients UK-wide remotely and works only on Google Ads and Microsoft Ads.

The details: - Manchester Experts scored firms on Companies House verification, track record and credentials, reputation, a response test as an ordinary client and price transparency. - Serban is the only entry on either shortlist that is a single senior practitioner rather than an agency. - Serban declines paid social and marketplaces and focuses exclusively on Google and Microsoft Ads. - Serban is the only firm on the PPC list that publishes a starting price before a sales call. - Serban is a Google Partner and Google Ads certified. - Serban says he has managed more than £37M in ad spend since 2014, including individual accounts reaching £400,000 per month. - Case studies include a DTC Shopify store that grew from £625K to £6M over four years. - A published build case reports monthly net profit rising from £11K to £22.5K in three months for a building and construction retailer. - Serban keeps a deliberately small client book so the person briefed is the person running the account. - Published pricing starts at £1,500 per month for PPC management. - Audits, account builds and one-to-one consultations are sold separately as fixed engagements. - A free Google Ads audit is available before any proposal. - Serban’s specialties include Search, Shopping and Performance Max, Microsoft Ads, ecommerce and Shopify accounts, Merchant Center feed work, conversion tracking, account rebuilds and one-to-one consultation for in-house teams. - Trustpilot shows 15 reviews with a 100% five-star distribution on a company page claimed in June 2025. - Trustpilot displays a 4.5 TrustScore because it weights review volume and recency.

Between the lines: - The ranking favors firms that can prove depth in a narrow channel, not just breadth across many platforms. - Manchester Experts argues that a Google Ads engagement is a different skill set from a broader PPC engagement because much of the work sits in product feeds, Merchant Center diagnostics and conversion values. - The publisher also notes that brand search can distort performance reporting and that some accounts are broken by poor data structure rather than poor bidding. - Serban’s first-place finish on both lists suggests the market rewarded specialization, direct access to the senior operator and visible pricing. - The trade-off is capacity: a solo practice has no team bench and no multi-channel offering.

What's next: - Manchester Experts says both rankings are re-evaluated quarterly and do not have permanent seats. - Buyers who need breadth, regulated-sector experience or in-house development will continue to have other options among the firms ranked. - Ecommerce advertisers evaluating current accounts may use an audit as a first step before committing to a retainer.

The bottom line: - In Manchester Experts’ 2026 rankings, Victor Serban emerged as the clearest pick for buyers who want a senior specialist handling Google Ads and PPC without agency layers in between.