Need a Local PPC Management Service? Here’s How To Hire the Best One

Unless you have an in-house expert, managing your PPC accounts is a long and tiresome task. Creating and executing a successful PPC campaign is a full-time job within itself. In fact, it is probably numerous full-time jobs if you're advertising across multiple platforms.

With this in mind, maybe you’ve decided to hire a PPC management agency to take the reins, but how do you choose the best one?

You will be searching within an incredibly competitive space, and just about everyone is sure to claim that they are the best thing to ever hit PPC management. Yet, we all know that this is not true. This article is here to help you narrow your search down.

Let’s get into our top tips on how to choose a PPC agency so you can start reaping the rewards from digital ads.

Do They Offer the PPC Services You Need?

This may sound like an obvious one, but there are many facets to PPC account management.

     1. Platform of Choice

First, do they know how to use the platform you want to advertise with? PPC covers Google, Bing, Facebook, Instagram, and many others. It’s important to find those who have deep expertise in your platform(s) of choice.

     2. Account Creation & Setup

If you are new to the PPC game, you may feel more confident allowing an agency to create your account and set up its initial structure. You will want to ask if they are comfortable working with a complete novice and see if they’re open to guiding you through the process if you hope to learn.

     3. Strategy Formulation

Many businesses don’t have a defined PPC strategy complete with goals and tactics. Ensure that any prospective PPC company plans to take the time to learn about your business, values, and objectives, so they can devise a clear strategy that’s aligned with where you want to go. It’s no use generating lots of traffic to your website if it’s the wrong traffic.

     4. Keyword Research

One of the most important services a PPC agency offers is keyword research. This is the act of uncovering the terms that your target audience is searching for and deciding which ones your business should be showing ads for. Keyword analysis should be ongoing as new phrases will appear, the ones they have previously chosen may not perform well, and users' habits are changing all the time.

     5. Campaign Optimization

PPC is an ongoing process of trial and error where you’re running tests to see what works and what doesn’t, learning from your mistakes, and implementing new ideas. An agency should be telling you how much optimization they’ll do per month and what work this will entail.

     6. Competitor Analysis

You can learn a lot from your competitors. You’re battling it out for the top ad spots, so not only do you need to stay on top of what you’re doing, you need to know the changes they’re making too. Your PPC agency should be equipped to handle this for you.

Do They Have Proven Results?

Before deciding on your local PPC agency, you need to hear from the other businesses they’ve done work for. A great way to do this is to ask for reference sites. The agency will then provide you with contact information for clients they’ve worked with, and you can ask them any questions you like. They may not give you specific numbers, but they will be able to vouch for their work ethic and customer service.

Alternatively, PPC is all about data, so any good agency will be happy to present performance data from businesses similar to yours.

What Contract Types Do They Offer?

Like any advertising budget, PPC spend can get cut at any point, so it’s best to avoid any agencies who specifically offer long-term contracts. It’s in your best interests to not be tied in for too long. A rolling monthly contract with a set fee works for most businesses. Some offer contracts based on the number of clicks or conversions they generate, but this tends to be reserved for clients with bottomless budgets.

Will They Set Goals With You?

Like any goal or KPI you set within your business, they give you ways of measuring your success and progress. You need to know a PPC management agency isn’t going to rest on its laurels once they’ve gained your business.

You need to set SMART goals around clicks, conversions, cost-per-click, budget, and other relevant metrics. This holds the agency accountable and enables you to monitor your PPC performance.

Do They Care About More Than Clicks?

Traffic brought through PPC advertising yields 50% more conversions than organic search, so you need an agency that cares about more than clicks. The go-to figure for underperforming PPC agencies is quoting the number of clicks they’ve generated.

While seeing an improvement in clicks is great, you should be much more interested in CTR (click-through rate), CPC (cost per click), and conversions. Generating clicks from irrelevant traffic isn’t helping your business make money.

Will They Provide Frequent Reports?

To keep on top of the progress of your PPC campaigns, you need to see reports frequently. Most providers will offer this monthly. This gives you an opportunity to consistently monitor ROI and be safe in the knowledge that the money you are investing into PPC is being repaid and then some.

In Summary

To find the best PPC agency for your business you need to ask the right questions. You wouldn’t hire an in-house employee without knowing they’re qualified for the job you need them to do, so don’t do it with a third party. According to Google, on average every business makes $2 for every $1 they spend on Google Ads, so choosing the right partner could be incredibly rewarding.

Here at Digital Authority Partners, our team of PPC experts are ready to discuss your project and guide you through the process of working with us. We look forward to hearing from you.