The first thing you need to ask is how much experience they have. This is an interesting one because you’re not looking for years of experience. You’re looking for answers that show they understand PPC beyond the basic structure. You’re looking for examples of how they worked with similar clients to get great results. Look for them to share their stats, such as Cost-Per-Click (CPC), Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA), and general return on investment information for previous clients. Look for answers that talk about the challenges that they’ve faced and how they may link to challenges that your campaign will face. You’re looking for experience. But the number of years does not always make an experienced PPC practitioner. It’s how they can relate their experiences to your project that really matters.
Next, you should look for certifications. Did you know Google Adwords has its own certification program? A Google Certified Partner qualification shows that the agency takes itself seriously, the agency has actively learned more about the platform, which means you get a better experience. Someone without the certifications won’t necessarily do bad work. But they also haven’t gone above and beyond to learn about the platform they’ll use to promote your business.
Then, you should ask about their strategy. It is one of the most important questions that a potential PPC partner must answer. You’re looking for them to start talking about your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These include: Cost-Per-Click (CPC), Conversion Rate, Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA). Are they talking about those benchmarks? More importantly, are they talking about the steps they’ll take to improve those metrics? Or what the average benchmarks are for each of them based on your industry? If they’re not, they aren’t creating a deep enough strategy. You’re looking for a transparent and data-driven response. Just talking about keywords and ads isn’t enough. You need to know why that’s important and how the agency will use that data to create and refine your strategy.
Ownership of the AdWords account is one of the most important things to discuss. More specifically, you need to make sure the agency gives you full ownership of the account. This is important from a transparency perspective. Plus, the data that your ad campaigns generate can inform other marketing efforts. Great ads can show you where your audience is. They can show you what keywords to target and help with strategy elsewhere. Then there’s the practical aspect. What happens if you were to end your relationship with the agency? If they own the account, they’re keeping all of that data. Make sure that you’re an Administrative Owner of the account. They can create the account, but you need to have those access rights.
Finally, you’re looking for an agency that is actually client-centric and delivers results. Too many PPC advertising companies give their analysts too many accounts to manage at the same time. You want to make sure that this doesn’t happen with the agency of your choice. If your analyst has to manage too many accounts at the same time, they won’t be able to devote enough time to your business. That’s how you end up with subpar results. For this reason, you need to ensure you're gaining a consultant who will dedicate the time to your account. Great agencies know that efficiency is the key, so they’ll know how to reduce excess spending. Look for them to talk about using negative keywords to ensure you don’t spend on traffic has no chance of converting. They’ll mention how they target different demographics and how they tailor ad copy to where the intended audience is in your sales funnel. If you’re working in Google AdWords, they should also mention Quality Score. Every ad you create has a Quality Score. The higher this score, the less you have to bid to get clicks.
There’s a lot to consider when you’re looking for the right PPC agency. It all starts with a conversation. Talk to one of our Growth Gurus today!
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