July 6, 2015

What to look for in a PPC agency

Pay per click advertising management (paid search management) is a great addition to your current marketing strategies that is most effective when outsourced to an agency.  Keeping up with the changing landscape of PPC is though on it’s own.  The technology and market is constantly changing, which makes it even more important to outsource the service.  Here are some things to help you determine which agency will benefit your company the most.

What are your goals for your business?  Where is your business going? Is PPC the right service to get you there?

The main reason you’re looking at running a PPC campaign in the first place is because you want to achieve certain results and goals for your company.  It’s important to have realistic expectations.  For example, if you’re trying to make a big break into a competitive market, you’re going to need deep pockets across six to twelve months.  The results driven from a PPC campaign are mostly dependent on the budget if the search quantity and quality are there.  Make sure the agency your hire informs you of every aspect of the campaign before getting started.

What kind of relationship do you want?

It’s very important to find an agency that you can work well with.  Even if the agency has a great track record and the deal looks great on paper, if you’re not able to work with them and be on the same page, you’re not going to be happy.  You and the agency have to be excited about your PPC campaign.

What do you need to be ready for?

PPC doesn’t drive results overnight.  It takes time and input on both your side and the agency’s side.  It’s important to make sure you are realistic otherwise your expectations will cause the campaign to suffer.

Look for the full scope of success

Success in pay per click advertising is about much more than tweaking ad copy.  Some campaigns require a cohesive and functional user experience, and that means some serious work on landing pages, advertisements, optimization, campaign analytics, and conversions.  Before getting started, make sure you ask these questions:

  • How long will it take to get new ad copy written?
  • What kind of information and content will you be getting on your landing pages?
  • What kind of communication will be necessary on my end?

Don’t forget about your SEO!  That is in the same field as PPC, so it’s important to make sure they’re working together smoothly.  Consolidating your SEO and PPC into a single agency will lead to higher performing campaigns.