I'm surprised by the low rating on Google Ads. I'm guessing many people had a bad experience because they tried it themselves, had no idea what they were doing, lost a bunch of money, then blamed Google.  Or, they hired the wrong agency. Google Ads doesn't work right away. It's a process of collecting data, making adjustments to find the right combinations of keywords, ads and pages that work well.  It's not the overnight, instant advertising solution that so many people expect.  Running your own Google Ads can be risky if you don't know what you're doing - sort of like cutting your own hair, or doing your own taxes.  Sure, you can do it, but it might not turn out the way you want. When an investment in time and expertise is applied, Google Ads can typically be a long-term, scaleable, profitable marketing strategy (if managed properly).