If your business wants to see increased web traffic, it’s hard to beat the gains managed pay per click advertising on search engines can offer. This kind of advertising (called pay per click because you pay a certain amount only when your ad/link is clicked on, rather than when the ad is displayed) capitalizes on the fact that almost all Internet users find what they need via Google and Bing. But how can you find the right PPC marketing agency to handle your campaigns? Here are the five top things you should be looking for:
- Years of Experience in PPC
Many PPC ad management firms will boast about being “pay per click specialists” or “PPC experts” without the experience to back that up. While the PPC landscape has changed drastically in the past decade or so, you’ll still want to choose a company that has weathered all those changes and learned enough to maximize your PPC investment.
- 24/7 Auto Software Monitoring
Anyone who has worked in PPC management can tell you that PPC campaigns can go off the rails extremely quickly. When each and every click costs you money, even a few hours can make a huge difference if something is wrong with your campaign. For that reason, it’s best to choose a PPC marketing agency that offers you 24/7 monitoring via some sort of software so you can rest easy at night.
- Personal Account Management
While software is a great tool, you don’t want to be working with an agency that relies on it too heavily. You deserve personal attention from a trained account manager who can help you customize your campaign and implement a robust PPC strategy.
- Optimized Ad Copy/Landing Pages
Make sure the PPC marketing agency you end up hiring does more than set you up on Google AdWords. The success of a PPC campaign depends heavily on optimized ad copy and website landing pages, and your agency should be at least involved in that process.
- Transparent Reporting Practices
One of the most important things to look for when hiring a PPC firm is how they’ll report progress. What metrics will be used? How often are reports issued? Can you request additional status updates? It’s your money that’s being spent and your business that’s on the line, so you should be able to get all the information you want.
Do you have any questions or tips regarding hiring a PPC marketing agency? Join the discussion in the comments.