Got lackluster landing pages? This guide is for you.
If paid search was a basketball team, landing pages just might be the MVPs.
That’s because they do a lot to “carry the team” once your ad has successfully garnered a click. Landing pages are tasked with engaging the viewer, informing them about what you offer, and finally, getting them to take that next desired action.
Sounds simple enough, right? Well, not exactly.
Like much of digital marketing, landing pages are part art, part science. Along with a strategic design and targeted copy, you’ve also got to factor in things like form length, testing, optimization, and more. But don’t let the prospect overwhelm you.
Caroline is HawkSEM's content marketing manager. She uses her more than 10 years of professional writing and editing experience to create SEO-friendly articles, educational thought leadership pieces, and savvy social media content to help market leaders create successful digital marketing strategies. She's a fan of seltzer water, print magazines, and huskies.
Questions or comments? Join the conversation here!
Two of HawkSEM’s experienced marketing pros will break down key tips for creating a well-rounded marketing plan that’ll help you crush your goals, grow your reach, and boost your ROI....
Working with a winning PPC agency can help increase your search results visibility, boost your ROI, and more.
Here, you’ll find:
Steps for partnering with a PPC agency
What questions to ask during the vetting process
Red flags to watch for from agencies
What qualities make up a good agency
Paid search is an ever-changing field. For marketing professionals whose time is already at a premium, finding the time to stay up-to-date with the latest techniques and nuances can be challenging.
New to the SEM field, feel under-experienced to be running campaigns, or just not seeing the results you want? Hiring a PPC agency may be the best way to boost ROI and free up your time for other channels.
Agencies understand that to remain effective, their teams must stay on top of the latest trends and tactics. Account representatives are experts in their field, and they typically have access to systems that help them increase effectiveness for clients.
In the same way that no single marketing strategy fits all companies, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for PPC management. These tips will help you choose the right PPC service agency for your business and what to expect if this is your first time working with a PPC agency.
Whether it’s a percentage of your overall marketing budget or based on past ad spend, you should have a ballpark in mind for what you can spend with a PPC service agency. (Image via Unsplash)
1. Have a list of goals and objectives
Before you begin your agency search, make sure you know what you want to achieve, whether it’s building brand awareness, fueling your pipeline, launching a new product or service, increasing conversions, or improving online revenue.
The more specific you can be about your objectives, the better chance you have of partnering with a PPC service agency successfully. Goals are crucial for ensuring the strategies developed and tactics used are in line with your business needs.
2. Identify which services you need
Perhaps you want to run paid search ads or add content to boost your SEO ranking. When making the list of agencies to contact, make sure they have experience with the services you need.
You may want to screen out any that only focus on one area, such as SEO. A PPC company that integrates paid search with other online marketing services can work with you to a higher degree and help you understand customer behavior across various digital channels. Over time this can improve campaign results and increase ROI.
Services that paid search agencies typically offer, include the following:
Whether it’s a percentage of your overall marketing budget or based on past ad spend, you should have a ballpark in mind for what you can spend with a PPC service agency.
Questions you can ask a potential agency regarding budget to determine if they’re a fit include:
Is the budget adequate to obtain our objectives?
Is PPC the best solution for our goals?
Will our funds be better spent on different channels?
Are there more effective solutions that align with our budget while increasing ROI?
If they don’t think you’re budgeting enough to achieve your goals, make sure they fully explain their reasoning.
4. Know the PPC agency’s fee structure
When it comes to pricing, the terms should meet your budgetary requirements. There are several options to consider, such as:
Flat monthly fee
Percentage of the advertising spend
Hybrid approach
There are pros and cons to each. But what deliverables are included in the services you’re signing up for? Are there any hidden fees? Will you need to hire additional resources to get the job done? Discussing questions like this with each PPC agency you interview can help you decide which will work best for your business.
5. Identify the qualities you want in a PPC service agency
No two PPC agencies are exactly alike. And while you can’t predict how a partnership will turn out, your intuition should be able to help you discern which agency reps you will and won’t mesh well with.
Knowing what qualities to look for when you’re vetting PPC agencies will help you more easily weed out who’s not a good fit. Some qualities to look for include:
A history of meeting (and exceeding) expectations
Frequent communication
Industry expertise
Proactive ideas and vision
A long-term focus rather than buzzwords and numbers without context
Before partnering with a PPC service agency, you should discuss what your expectations are in terms of communication. (Image via Unsplash)
6. Determine if an agency will be a good culture fit for your team
Finding the right culture fit is essential for the success of your relationship with an agency. This is because not only will they work with you or your in-house team on some aspects of the campaigns, but a shared perspective enables effective collaboration.
Even if it looks good on paper, if you don’t share similar values, the teams may not mesh and work well together, which can affect productivity. You want a firm that is motivated and passionate about what they do and takes pride in the quality of work they provide.
7. Research the PPC agencies and ask for proof points
Any PPC agency will work to put their best face forward when meeting with you. However, doing your own research before the meeting can save you time. Aim to get an idea of their online reputation. Check out review sites to read what other customers have to say. (Just remember to take reviews with a grain of salt, since you don’t know the full story behind each client experience).
It’s also worth checking out the agency’s own site to see what kind of testimonials or case studies they’ve published that could be relevant to your industry or goals. If they don’t have anything published, you can request to speak to a referral or past client for more information.
8. Get to know their communication style
Before partnering with a PPC service agency, you should discuss what your expectations are in terms of communication. Is receiving a weekly email with updates enough, or do you prefer a phone call? Do you want specific information in the reports?
The firm should also make their preferences regarding communication clear. Do they recommend regularly scheduled meetings and updates? Is the whole team involved, or just the account manager?
You should also discuss what the agency needs from you and their expectations. Will they be partnering with you to strategize and execute, or simply providing recommendations for your team to carry out? When both sides communicate clearly, the partnership can proceed more smoothly.
9. Prepare strategic questions to ask potential PPC agencies
When you schedule a virtual or in-person interview with a PPC service agency, make the best use of time by having a handful of specific questions ready. The more pointed your questions, the less opportunity they’ll have to be vague or broad.
Questions you can consider asking include:
How would you make sure our leads are resulting in revenue for the company?
On what level is the structure and experience of the team we’d be assigned?
What successes have you had in our industry before?
What is your long-term plan to drive value for us?
How would you report on monthly or quarterly results?
While this is a good general list, it’s wise to also include questions focusing on your company’s specific goals.
10. Understand their experience and expertise
When discussing the possibility of retaining an SEM agency, find out who will connect with you regularly and learn more about who will be working directly on your account. The agency you hire must be able to navigate today’s complex landscape and have the chops to make your PPC campaigns successful.
Some agencies will have senior managers who own several roles, while others may use junior talent. It’s important to understand the level of expertise you’re getting so you can determine whether it’s commensurate with the fee.
Another factor to consider when choosing an agency is whether they’re Google Ad certified or a Google Premier Partner. This accreditation is earned by those who attend training and demonstrate proficiency in a broad range of Google Ads features.
There are certain red flags that you should pay attention to during your PPC agency search. (Image via Rawpixel)
11. Ensure you own your data
In the future, you may decide to find a new agency or build an in-house team to work alongside or in place of your agency. Prepare for that in advance by ensuring that things like the Google Ads accounts, landing pages, and creative assets are all yours.
A PPC service agency will not only bring experienced PPC management to the table, but your creative assets should also build. Because of that, you want to make sure the account is set up using your email account. You should also have full access to any paid ad accounts, but grant the agency full access so they can create and manage campaigns as needed.
Having historical data is crucial to optimizing your campaigns. If the Google Ads information isn’t yours, you’ll have to start over again, which wastes valuable resources. When the partnership with the firm ends, you should be able to take everything with you.
12. Watch for any red flags
While you should feel like an agency’s No. 1 client, you should understand that they’re likely juggling dozens (or even hundreds) more. While no business is perfect, there are certain red flags that you should pay attention to during your search. Let these serve as warning signs that you may not want to continue discussions with this particular service agency.
Lack of communication: Barring holidays, it’s not a great sign if you go days without receiving a response to a voicemail or email when you’re trying to find out more about working with the agency.
Making vague claims: If an agency isn’t forthcoming about backing up its claim with facts or numbers, you may have trouble establishing trust.
Overpromising results: Especially if they don’t have the data or sourcing to back up their estimations.
History of unhappy clients: If you find tons of reviews from unhappy clients, it may be a warning sign that there are underlying issues at the company.
Other red flags to look out for? Poor retention, a sub-par or disjointed online presence, and any results or rates that sound too good to be true, given the company’s size and bandwidth.
13. Look for transparency
Reporting results can be subject to interpretation. The paid search agency you hire should be willing to share the complete, unaltered information related to your KPIs.
In addition, the reports they design should match your internal metrics so that you can get a consistent view of performance. The data they contain should be detailed and up-to-date, not weeks old.
The takeaway
Deciding to work with a PPC service agency could do wonders to enhance your paid search efforts.
For best results, don’t pick an agency swiftly or in a panic to fix your ad accounts. Rather, treat your agency as an ally. Sometimes new clients treat agency managers adversarially like they have something to prove.
Go into your new venture with an open mind, defined goals, and a clear communication plan to help ensure the relationship is successful and lasting.
This article has been updated and was originally published in July 2019.
Sam Yadegar
Sam Yadegar is the co-founder and CEO of HawkSEM. Starting out as a software engineer, his penchant for solving problems quickly led him to the digital marketing world, where he has been helping clients for over 12 years. He loves doing everything he can to help brands "crush it" through ROI-driven digital marketing programs. He's also a fan of basketball and spending time with his family.
Questions or comments? Join the conversation here!
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Partnering with an agency for your PPC service can get you more visibility in search results, boost your ROI, and more. Here’s what to expect from the partnership.
Here, you’ll find:
How to prepare for a PPC agency partnership
What questions to ask during the vetting process
Red flags to watch for from agencies
What qualities make up a good agency
The beginning of a new relationship is always a thrill. There are the initial back-and-forth conversations to get a feel for one another, the nervousness before the first actual meetup, and the hope that this will end up being The One.
Yes, we mean the relationship between your company and a PPC agency. (What did you think we were talking about?)
But, just like any good relationship, it takes work. That means preparation, knowing what you want out of the partnership, and open communication. Below, we’re highlighting the success secrets that’ll help you handpick the right PPC service agency for you.
Define what’s most important to you in an agency partner, whether that’s communication, size, cost, experience of managers, industry expertise, or something more. (Image via Rawpixel)
Do the proper legwork before beginning your PPC agency search
While it may be tempting to hit the ground running and start requesting consultations as soon as you decide you want to partner with a PPC agency, take a pause. To set up the process for success, there are a few steps to take first.
Namely, you need to clearly define what your needs, goals, and expectations are, and make sure these things are clear across your team. Determine what KPIs will be goal focuses, figure out your PPC budget (with an agency cost in mind), and finish any tracking or site updates before hiring an agency.
It’s also wise to plan for long-term results rather than short-term fixes, which the agency will likely point out to you as quick wins. Lastly, you want to define what’s most important to you in an agency partner, whether that’s communication, size, cost, experience of managers, industry expertise, or something more.
Know what qualities to look for in a PPC service agency
No two PPC agencies are exactly alike. And while you can’t predict how a partnership will turn out, your intuition should be able to help you discern which agency reps you will and won’t mesh well with.
Knowing what qualities to look for when you’re vetting PPC agencies will help you more easily weed out who’s not a good fit. Some qualities to look for include:
A history of meeting (and exceeding) expectations
Frequent communication
Industry expertise
Proactive ideas and vision
A long-term focus rather than buzzwords and numbers without context
Research the agencies and ask for proof points
Any PPC agency will work to put their best face forward when meeting with you. But it’s up to you to do your own independent research to see what kind of reputation the agency has online. Check out review sites and see what other customers have to say (though take reviews with a grain of salt, since you don’t know the full story behind each client experience).
It’s also worth checking out the agency’s own site to see what kind of testimonials or case studies they’ve published that could be relevant to your industry or goals. If they don’t have anything published, you can request to speak to a referral or past client for more information.
While no business is perfect, there are certain red flags you may come across during your search. (Image via Unsplash)
Prepare the right questions to ask potential PPC agencies
When you schedule a phone or video call with a PPC service agency, make the best use of time by having a handful of specific questions ready. The more pointed your questions, the less opportunity they’ll have to be vague or broad.
Some questions you can consider asking include:
How would you make sure our leads are resulting in revenue for the company?
On what level is the structure and experience of the team we’d be assigned?
What successes have you had in our industry before?
What is your long-term plan to drive value for us?
How would you report on monthly or quarterly results?
These are generally good questions to ask. However, you should also ask additional questions that are focused on your company’s specific goals.
Be on the lookout for red flags
Though an agency should make you feel like you’re their No. 1 client, the facts are that they’re likely juggling dozens, hundreds, or more. But while no business is perfect, there are certain red flags you may come across during your search. Let these serve as warning signs that you may not want to continue discussions with this particular service agency.
These signs include things like going days without receiving a response to a voicemail or email, making claims not based in facts or numbers, and promising outcomes without the data or sourcing to back it up. You also want to look out for a history of unhappy clients, poor retention, and any results or rates that sound too good to be true, given the company’s size and bandwidth.
The takeaway
Deciding to work with a PPC service agency could do wonders to enhance your paid search efforts. When you’re entering into one of these partnerships, make sure you negotiate a deal that works for you, especially if you’re a smaller company.
For best results, don’t pick an agency swiftly or in a panic to fix your ad accounts. Rather, treat your agency as an ally. Sometimes new clients treat agency managers adversarially like they have something to prove. Go into your new venture with an open mind, defined goals, and a clear communication plan to help ensure the relationship is successful and lasting.
Caroline Cox
Caroline is HawkSEM's content marketing manager. She uses her more than 10 years of professional writing and editing experience to create SEO-friendly articles, educational thought leadership pieces, and savvy social media content to help market leaders create successful digital marketing strategies. She's a fan of seltzer water, print magazines, and huskies.
Questions or comments? Join the conversation here!
Social media is one of the strongest tools for food & beverage brands. Here are 6 tactics for leveraging paid social to enhance your F&B marketing plan....
Customer reviews can boost brand loyalty, credibility, and authenticity. Here are some effective ways to leverage reviews in your marketing initiatives....
Here's what you need to know to create successful content marketing that adds value, educates your audience, and frames you as an industry thought leader....
A recent eMarketer survey found that companies leave agency partners for a variety of reasons that can be chalked up to misaligned expectations about anything from pricing and value (33%) to being unhappy with the strategy (%13) or needing different capabilities (14%).
Ensuring you’re on the same page from day 1 can make or break the relationship.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for PPC management, but the tips in this guide will help you hire the right agency for your unique business needs.
This guide covers:
Phase 1: How to prepare for your agency search
Phase 2: How to interview agencies with your goals in mind
Phase 3: Getting started with your new agency
Plus a handy checklist to leverage during your evaluation!
Claim Your Free Guide
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Questions or comments? Join the conversation here!
Two of HawkSEM’s experienced marketing pros will break down key tips for creating a well-rounded marketing plan that’ll help you crush your goals, grow your reach, and boost your ROI....
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