Your Roadmap To Choosing an Excellent PPC Agency

If you’re looking to up your pay-per-click advertising game, hiring a PPC agency is often much more beneficial than employing someone in-house. Interestingly, 45% of small businesses do some form of pay-per-click advertising, and it’s usually those who hire an agency that perform the best. However, with an abundance of companies to choose from, you’ve got to make sure you choose the right one for you.

In this article, we’re going to run through a selection of the most important questions you need answers to before proceeding with your chosen PPC management company. While it's often incredibly easy to switch PPC agencies. For continuity, the greatest impact, and to not waste valuable time and money, this article will help you get it right the first time.

If you want to learn how Digital Authority Partners can increase your PPC effectiveness, watch this video!

How To Choose the Right PPC Company

   1. Are They Experienced in Your Industry with Successful Case Studies?

Before you delve into anything else, the most important question to answer is if they have worked with businesses like yours before. Often, if a PPC agency has worked within your industry before, it enables them to make a greater impact faster than those who haven’t. Rather than needing to spend time getting familiar with your sector, competitors, products, and services, they’ll already have established that knowledge.

In addition to their basic knowledge, they’ve already created, managed, and optimized PPC campaigns that will be similar to yours. This experience should mean they’re aware of the strategies that work and the content your customers engage with the most.

However, it’s one thing to have experience in your industry, but can they prove they were successful? Requesting case studies, reviews, and data is a crucial step not to be missed. You’ll want to see evidence of improved revenue and conversions, reduced cost per click, and any other metrics you consider important. Also, you may want to speak directly with their clients to ask about the working relationship.

   2. Do They Operate with a PPC Agency Pricing Model that Suits Your Budget?

PPC agencies operate with a selection of different pricing models. Some offer set monthly management fees, while others use incentivized structures focused on how much revenue they generate. Another alternative pricing model is a percentage of ad spend.

If you’re a business on a tight and inflexible budget, you need a pricing model that offers certainty. With both flat-rate pricing and the percentage of ad spend, you know how much you’ll have to pay your PPC agency every month.

Alternatively, if you have a larger budget to play with and want to improve specific metrics, you may opt for a milestone or incentivized pricing model. This rewards and motivates your chosen agency to exceed expectations, as they know they will be paid more the better they perform.

     Avoid Lengthy Contracts

When you hire a dedicated PPC expert, one of the most beneficial elements is short-term contracts that are easily terminated. You may decide to opt-out of continuing with a PPC agency because of a poor working relationship, marketing budget cuts, or the stats showing PPC isn’t working for you.

If you’re tied to a lengthy contract, you either have to cut your losses or keep it running until the end date — neither is preferable. Month-to-month contracts are the norm, but some agencies don’t provide this. Be sure to check.

   3. Have They Done an Analysis & Audit of Your Business?

A good gauge of how well an agency will perform for you is the quality of work they do for you before you’re their client. An agency that takes the time to conduct a thorough audit of your existing PPC efforts, formulate a brief strategy, and highlight opportunities for growth and improvement is worth considering as your final choice. This is an early sign that they want to take your account and would like to have you as their client.

On the flip side, if an agency is underprepared, offers little to no evidence that they’ve researched your business, and seems disinterested, it’s best to stay clear of them. If this is their work ethic prior to gaining your contract, it’s probable that it will decline even further if you sign on the dotted line.

If an agency is keen to get you on board, they’ll do what they can to impress you, usually with a free audit. If multiple agencies do this, you should cross-reference and analyze their audits and see which appears to be most detailed and accurate.

   4. How Do They Report on the Work They’ve Done?

Whether you’re a PPC expert or a complete novice, you need to remain in the loop and fully understand the work your PPC agency is doing and how they’re performing. Otherwise, you won’t be able to make a full assessment of their progress and decide if the relationship is working.

As someone inexperienced with PPC, you need to ask if they will take the time to have a meeting with you whenever a report is published, enabling you to ask any questions and allowing them to fully explain what every element is.

On the flip side, as someone with PPC knowledge, you will require information such as how detailed the reports will be, will you be able to give feedback, and how frequently will you receive detailed reports.

   5. Will They Listen to Your Ideas, Changes, & Requirements?

You know your business better than any PPC agency ever will; you’re working in it every day. This means that they won’t be in the loop on all changes such as product launches, new campaign ideas, budget changes, and more. What you need to establish is whether the agency is flexible to change or will they only stick to the agreed plan you made at the start of the contract or campaign. 

Additionally, while they’re the PPC expert, you probably want to have some input with ideas and account changes that can be made. Again, assess whether they seem receptive to honest communication and constructive feedback. You need to maintain as much control as possible, so bringing your own ideas to the table is preferred.

In Summary

If you get your desired answers to the questions above, you’ve likely found the best PPC agency for your business. Take your time, do your research, and arrange discovery meetings with your shortlisted candidates. Remember, you don’t have to get it right the first time. With month-to-month contracts, you can easily switch to a new agency, but we’d rather you didn’t have to keep going through the process. It’s predicted that $88.08 billion will be spent on search advertising in the US in 2022 — don’t be one of those businesses that unnecessarily overspends because they made a poor agency choice.