PPC, or pay-per-click advertising, is one of the key tactics in digital marketing nowadays. PPC is a form of paid advertising where digital ads are placed on websites, apps, search engines, and other platforms to reach target audiences directly. As the name implies, the price of the ad is driven by how many people engage with or click on the ad. Of course, there is a bit more to it than that, which we will cover below.
The most important thing to realize first is that PPC is not as simple as it may sound. And that, in turn, is why there are several expert PPC agencies, firms, and consultants who offer a full suite of services designed to help businesses like yours navigate the digital advertising terrain. Let’s jump in and take a more in-depth look at PPC advertising, the kinds of questions that come up when investigating and investing in PPC campaigns, and some of the benefits of hiring a dedicated PPC firm.
What are PPC and Paid Search Services?
We’ll start by looking at what PPC ads and paid search advertising are, and how they work.
Search engines are perhaps the most popular places for hosting paid advertising because when a user types something into a search engine, the site knows exactly what they are looking for. Whether it is a specific type of product, or information, or just about anything you can search the internet for, Google, Bing, and others can parse that search query and learn what users are seeking out. This kind of information then allows them to serve ads with relevant ad copy to the user, and which likely connects to their interest or question.
The way search engines and social media sites decide what ad to show to a user is through “ad auctioning.” Search engines like Google determine which ads to display based on a set of criteria. Those criteria include your ad bid (the maximum amount you are willing to pay for each user who clicks on your ad), the quality of the ad (based on how useful and relevant the ad content is), and the expected impact the ad may have.
One of the important factors that affects the quality of the ad and the expected impact is keywords. You and your marketing team use these terms or select to target users based on specific searches, interests, and other information. Just like with other types of auctions for everything from cars to baseball cards, some keywords are more valuable than others. As a result, the amount that you would need to bid on those keywords for a higher ranking can be significant, but the payoff can also be very good.
However, a large bid does not guarantee that an ad will be displayed, and that is helpful for smaller companies or organizations to compete and benefit from search advertising. The factors listed above in the Google example, including quality of the ad and expected impact, are also important because a search engine like Google wants to serve the most relevant ad possible for any user who visits the site (and in turn increase the conversion rate for their advertisers).
What can an agency or consultant do for your PPC campaigns?
Again, those are just some of the basics of PPC or paid search advertising; as with every part of your advertising strategy, there is a lot that goes into making ad campaigns successful while staying within budget and meeting business needs.
And this is where a dedicated PPC agency or consultant can provide a lot of value. While there can be a lot to learn in order to jump into paid search advertising, an experienced PPC agency will already have a tremendous amount of expertise that they can bring to your business.
For example, PPC consultancies and agencies will have a wealth of SEO knowledge, which can help your business’ site rank higher in organic searches as well as the paid advertising placements. Added value for you and your company.
A PPC agency will also offer scalability. As your marketing campaign gets more successful, or as your business grows, PPC professionals will be able to ramp up your digital advertising and optimize your ads in coordination with your marketing strategy. That means a bigger audience for your business and an ever-increasing ROI for your campaign(s).
When Can You Benefit From Using a Marketing Agency?
While most businesses can benefit from the experience and knowledge that a true PPC advertising company brings to the table, the next most important question is “when?” When is the right time or best time to sign on the dotted line and put a PPC agency to work for you?
As with most outsourcing questions, there isn’t just one correct answer here. There can be many points at which hiring a marketing agency for your PPC needs can be beneficial. And, of course, if you ask your leadership or your in-house marketing personnel, they might tell you that the right time to bring in a dedicated PPC firm was “yesterday.”
Putting that aside, there are a few points at which it will be a good idea to contract with a PPC agency. A few examples include:
- The launch of a new product or service
- The public launch of your company
- When you see a decrease in website traffic or advertising effectiveness
- When you are launching a new brand or product advertising campaign
- Right before a big event or announcement
Of course, there are countless points in any business where you can benefit from expert PPC assistance; these are just a few examples. They should help you think about your specific company, though, and pinpoint when it makes sense to bring in the PPC experts. That answer might even be “today.”
What Best Practices Do PPC Agencies or Consultants Follow?
When it comes to interviewing and eventually hiring an outside PPC company or agency to help you handle your paid search and digital advertising, there are a number of best practices that genuine experts will incorporate. Some of the common practices to look for include:
Are they open to helping you find new platforms?
For example, there are opportunities for professional and business targeting, especially for B2B campaigns, on LinkedIn.
Do they look into or provide new ways to report relevant data?
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for campaigns – or for reporting on the results. The best marketing agencies will provide reporting that is relevant to your business, product, and campaign.
Are they open to helping you find new platforms?
For example, there are opportunities for professional and business targeting, especially for B2B campaigns, on LinkedIn.
Do they frequently review and optimize budgets as well?
Given the ever-changing nature of paid search and digital advertising, it only makes sense that adjusting and optimizing spend needs to be a big part of any agency’s work.
What are the qualifications?
Another key consideration when vetting any marketing or PPC agency is reviewing their qualifications. In other words, what kind of information helps you discover if this is the right advertising partner for you to work with?
The first rule, of course, is to not be afraid of asking questions—lots of them. While the specifics of your business and campaign are likely unique, you can start with a foundation of basic questions such as:
- Have you worked with clients in our industry or field before?
- How do you measure the success of a campaign?
- What are some of your success stories, and what is an example of a campaign that didn’t work?
- How do you communicate with clients?
- How often can we be in contact?
- What ad platforms are you certified in?
- Do your rates differ for types of campaigns, or is it based solely on spend?
These are just a handful of examples of common questions, but they should provide you with a good start when considering a PPC firm to contract with.
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Should I Hire an Agency or Handle PPC Campaigns In-House?
By this point, many small businesses and even some larger companies might consider creating an in-house PPC team. And there are, of course, positives and negatives to handling things yourself.
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Pros One of the most obvious benefits is that an in-house PPC team or group will be a part of your organization, meaning they will be in the key meetings and they’ll be knowledgeable about the company from the inside and out. |
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Cons On the other hand, an in-house PPC manager or even a team can become overwhelmed with responsibilities. Many organizations, especially startups and small businesses, do not have the budget to hire dedicated employees for each area including SEO, PPC, digital marketing, CRM, email marketing, and so on. As a result, even an in-house PPC team is often splitting their efforts and has a reduced amount of time available for your campaign. |
Why You Should Hire an Agency for PPC and Paid Search
Costs aside, there are many great reasons why you should consider hiring a digital advertising firm or dedicated PPC agency for your business.
The number one reason is expertise. There is no better or faster way to put expert-level knowledge to work for your campaign than contracting with a paid search agency or PPC firm. Agencies not only hire experts in paid search and PPC advertising, but they ensure that their personnel stays up to date on the absolute latest information in the field. From small changes to platforms to new reporting methods, audience breakouts, and more, a PPC partner will definitely help you jump-start or optimize your campaigns effectively.
Speaking of knowledge, a PPC firm will also have experience gained from working with numerous clients across numerous advertising campaigns. In turn, they may be able to see new ways of approaching the field, segmenting audiences, and utilizing available tools that you or your team had not thought of.
Additionally, many PPC firms assign dedicated personnel to your account, ensuring that they learn as much as possible about your business, your goals, and the digital strategies that will work best for you.
Hiring a Marketing Agency for Paid Search
There are a few considerations and preparatory steps you can take before hiring a paid search consultancy or PPC advertising firm. They include:
- Have at least a rough outline of your campaign ready
What this means is that you should have at least the basic information – what are we saying, who is our audience, and what are our goals? - Have some questions ready to ask
You can use the examples above, and of course add your own questions based on needs, strategy, etc. - Be open to changes and shifts in strategy or approach
While you want to have the basics laid out, don’t rule out new options that an agency may be able to offer.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Outside Consultant for PPC?
This is a bit of a tricky question because there are multiple ways that PPC and digital marketing firms may structure their rates for services. There are three common options among most firms, however: 1) flat-rate contracting; 2) a percentage of your ad spend; 3) performance-based pricing.
For the flat rate option, the range of pricing can vary dramatically. Some firms may charge just a few hundred dollars for a campaign (e.g. $400-$600), while others may go as high as a couple thousand dollars ($1,500-2,500). The pricing in these cases is often influenced by goals, budget, key metrics, how much setup will be required to get things started, and so on.
The percentage-of-spend model is very common among PPC consultants and agencies. As a general rule, their fee may range from 10% to 20% of your ad spend budget. So, if your PPC budget for a campaign was $2,500, the agency’s fee may range from $250 to $500. The larger the budget and the more involved the campaign, the more these rates may climb.
Finally, with performance-based pricing, a digital marketing firm may charge a flat amount per conversion. This is a truly results-based pricing model – the more successful their campaign management is in driving purchases, the more they get paid. These rates will likely vary dramatically based on product, price, budget, and so on.
Skills to Look for When Finding Help with PPC Campaigns
Regardless of pricing structure, there are some skills to look for when hiring a PPC firm to help your business. These generally apply to almost every industry and product and should be a part of your review process.
These are just a couple of examples of important skills to look for, but they are three of the keys to a successful partnership and good results for your business.
Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a PPC Agency
Some words of caution and pitfalls that you should avoid when you decide to hire a PPC agency include:
Not looking into their certifications and expertise
Make sure to find out about an agency’s certifications and experience with platforms. A good agency should be upfront about their certifications, whether displayed prominently on their website or presented to you when they are asked for.
Signing long-term contracts
Until you know how well a PPC company can do, you shouldn’t lock your business into any long-term commitment. Terms should be flexible, with opportunities for more partnership and growth as things go well.
Hiring a company that doesn’t test frequently
Testing is critical to finding out what works and what doesn’t. A good agency should be testing your campaign, their own website, everything! And doing so frequently.
Hiring a reactive agency instead of a proactive agency
You are looking for experts to help you, and the best PPC companies are staying on top of their clients’ campaigns. That means finding opportunities for you and optimizing to help you make the most of your budget, not waiting around until you ask for changes.
Post-Hiring Expectations for PPC Companies
Once you have found the right PPC advertising company to work with, you should expect to get the same level of service and expertise they offer to all of their clients. That includes full transparency on the process AND with your data.
Not only that, but you should expect to have an account manager who can really explain the data and the process to you in a meaningful way. Not all of us spend our days in spreadsheets and graphs, but we all need to understand where our campaigns are succeeding and where they aren’t.
Additionally, and as we mentioned above, communication is key. You should expect to have a partner who is eager to answer any questions you might have, and who takes your business’ success as seriously as their own. That way you know that the PPC agency you have chosen is helping you get the most from your ads and your budget.
Success with a Click
While there is a lot to consider when searching for and hiring a PPC marketing firm or digital marketing agency for your business, following some of the advice and steps laid out here can make the process easier. Additionally, they can help you find the right partner for your company; one that will focus on your goals and apply their skills and knowledge to help you reach them. Putting the power of the latest PPC tools and outlets to work for you is part of their job, and there are several excellent firms and agencies ready to take your business to the next level.