When it comes to choosing a PPC agency, there are many things you need to take into account. Not all agencies are created equal, and finding the right one for your business can make a world of difference in your advertising results.
If you end up choosing an inadequate PPC agency, you run the risk of messing up your initial PPC campaigns. That can be costly in terms of time and money. This article will help you avoid those mistakes and provide information on what PPC agencies do, the benefits of hiring one, and the best practices for vetting them.
What does a PPC agency do?
A PPC agency is responsible for managing your pay-per-click campaigns. That includes developing strategies, conducting keyword research, setting up ad groups and targeting, writing ad copy, managing bids, and budgets, tracking results, and performing optimizations.
PPC agencies generally specialize in one or more areas of paid search marketing. For example, some focus exclusively on Google Ads, while others may have expertise in Amazon Advertising or Facebook Ads. Therefore, it’s essential to choose an agency with experience with the platform you want to advertise on.
What are the benefits of hiring a PPC agency?
First, they can save you a lot of time. Developing and managing a successful PPC campaign while working a full-time job is challenging. You’ve got to be on top of the copy, analyze the data, and manage the campaigns. When you outsource or partner with a PPC agency, they save you the time and headache of managing that campaign. In addition, the experts get to focus on what they do best while you focus on running your business.
Second, they have the tools and resources to do the job right. There are a lot of paid search platforms and a variety of tools to manage them. Unless you’re working in the marketing industry, it’s unlikely that you have access to all of the paid search tools out there. A good PPC agency will have licenses to the best ones and know how to use them to get you results.
Third, they keep up with the latest trends and changes. The world of digital marketing is constantly evolving, and it can be hard to keep up with all the changes. So when you partner with an agency, they make it their business to stay on top of the latest trends, so you don’t have to. That way, you can be confident that your PPC campaign is getting done correctly.
How do I vet and choose a PPC agency?
Look at past clients, testimonials, and case studies
The first step in your vetting process is determining which agencies to book a consultation call with. That means you must use the information available to you on their site. According to Digital Authority Partners, the three most important pieces of information you’re looking for are past clients, testimonials, and case studies.
A good PPC agency will be proud to showcase its work and will have no problem sharing references with you. However, if they don’t have any past clients listed on their site, that’s a huge red flag. Similarly, if they don’t have any testimonials or case studies, that also causes concern.
When looking at an agency’s past clients, make sure they’re in a similar industry as you. For example, if you’re a B2B company, you want to ensure the agency has experience working with other B2B companies. The same goes for B2C companies. You also want to make sure they have experience working with companies of a similar size as yours.
As you look at testimonials, pay attention to the language used. Are they generic statements like “They’re great to work with” or “They get results?” Those are fine, but they don’t tell you much. Instead, you want to see specific examples of how the agency helped their clients succeed.
When reading case studies, pay attention to the results achieved. For example, did the client see an increase in conversions? A decrease in cost per conversion? Please note those numbers so you can ask about them later.
Ask the right questions.
The next step is booking a call or beginning an email thread to ask questions. The goal here is twofold: first, you want to see how they communicate, and second, you want to get a feel for their process.
To start, ask about their experience with your industry and the type of business. As we mentioned before, it’s important to choose an agency with experience working with companies like yours. If they don’t have any experience in your industry, that’s not necessarily a dealbreaker. But it is something you should take into consideration.
Next, inquire about their team. Who will be working on your account? Make sure to get the names and titles of each team member. Then, you can check their LinkedIn profiles if you’d like. That will give you a sense of their experience and what they offer.
It would help if you also asked about the tools they use. As we mentioned, there are many paid search tools out there. A good agency will have licenses to the best ones and know how to use them to get results.
Finally, inquire about their process. How do they approach paid search? What kind of deliverables can you expect? When will you receive reports? The more transparency they can provide, the better.
Understand how much you’ll be spending.
Lastly, it’s vital to understand how much you’ll spend with the agency and the PPC ads themselves. There’s no magic number here – it all depends on your budget and goals. But you should have a good understanding of what you’ll be spending before signing a contract.
To get an idea of ad spending, ask the agency for a few examples of past clients who had similar budgets to yours. Then, you can look at those clients’ accounts to see how much they’re spending. That will give you a baseline to work from since managing PPC campaigns is difficult.
Takeaways.
When choosing a PPC agency, it’s essential to do your research. Look at their website, read their case studies and testimonials, and book a consultation call. During the call, inquire about their experience, team, process, and tools. And finally, understand how much you’ll be spending on ads before signing a contract. By following these steps, you can be confident you’re choosing the right PPC agency for your business.
