How to Choose a PPC Agency You’ll Love Working With

Businesses don’t have to do it all themselves. Work with industry experts to move a few things off your to-do list and put your paid media campaigns in the hands of a dedicated team. Here’s how to choose a PPC agency that delivers results, strategy and data-driven insights to make a bigger impact with every buck spent!

What to Look for in a Good PPC Agency

While Oneupweb offers paid media services across all verticals, you might benefit from working with a specialized agency with experience in your industry. Market-specific knowledge is just one of the qualities of a good PPC agency.

We’ve put together five characteristics of a great PPC agency for you to keep in mind as you search:

1. Industry or category expertise. You could work with a totally green partner, but you probably won’t see the best results. Nothing beats the hours a seasoned professional has spent learning the tricks of the trade.
2. Ensures account transparency. You should have access to your own ad accounts to pull reports, monitor performance or update contacts as needed.
3. Relevant certifications and learning mindsets. Digital marketing changes quickly, and your PPC partner needs to know current techniques and trends to support your strategy.
4. Good “personality fit.” Make sure you really like the team you’ll be working with. The discovery call is a great time to meet the team and ask questions.
5. Expert knowledge of KPIs and reporting. Based on your goals, ask potential PPC partners what they think KPIs would be. This will gauge their understanding of attribution, reporting and how data informs campaign optimizations.

Still a little fuzzy on what a good PPC agency should be doing? Check out our paid media FAQ page to learn more.

How to Choose a PPC Agency in Four Steps

When you find an agency that checks all your initial boxes, take your due diligence further during exploratory interviews with prospective organizations. Throughout the process, watch for the qualities of a good PPC agency, including a willingness to listen, ask questions and make their services suit your needs. Ultimately, a PPC agency is an extension of your team. Prospects should solve problems and take things off your plate!

Related: Boosting a Post vs. Creating an Ad: What’s Better?

1. Establish Goals and Budget

Your internal team should align on goals and budget before you choose an agency. PPC experts will most likely inquire about these two details. An agency can – and certainly should – help you decide which KPIs will show success. The agency may also suggest a budget increase based on the audience you are looking to target – ask why! Discussing this information during the discovery phase will enable the agency to help determine the best strategy to support you and your campaign goals.

2. Research Carefully

Invest time to learn more about your prospective PPC partners. Plenty of agencies out there will guarantee “first page results” or “top-of-SERP ad placements,” but it’s not that simple. Go beyond the promises and find out what they do well, whom they have worked with and where their strengths lie.

Start the research process by tapping into your professional network. Research each company individually and create a list of pros and cons.

Here are a few things to look for on a company website:

• Reviews and testimonials
• Industry experience
• PPC case studies with performance data
• Reporting capabilities

3. Know What Questions to Ask Your PPC Agency Candidates

Digital marketing agencies are as varied as the clients we serve. So how do you find your perfect match? Ask questions! Little details can make or break a company’s position as the best PPC agency for you. Come into initial talks with a list of questions you need answers to before committing to a contract.

We’ve come up with a list of basic questions, but feel free to add your queries:

• What level of support do they offer regarding ad management and optimization?
• Will they hold weekly or monthly calls with you to review performance and strategy?
• How often can they provide reporting, and what does that look like?
• Who will your point of contact and project team be, and who will be involved in meetings?
• What industries do they typically work with? What’s their specialty?
• What’s their fee structure? Is it strictly retainer-based? Is it calculated based on a percentage of media spend?
• Do they have extensive experience in your target audience’s paid media channels?
• What happens if you’re not satisfied with the service? Do they have a termination period of 30 or 60 days? (This is important if you want to change agencies or take your efforts in-house.)

4. Know What to Expect

Make sure both teams align on ways of working and who is responsible for what assets or tasks. One important conversation should focus on data. Nail down a single source of truth to make sure goals, KPIs and conversations are based on the correct information. Are leads measured in Google Analytics or Salesforce? Is “real” revenue reported in GA4 or Shopify? These are important decisions to nail down early in your working relationship, making reporting calls much more efficient.

What deliverables do you expect from your PPC agency? Here’s a PPC report template that Oneupweb created. 

Accelerate Your Paid Media Success with Oneupweb

Extend your marketing department by partnering with us. Whatever your PPC needs are, the paid media experts at Oneupweb have the experience and creative skills to make it happen. We’ve worked with growing businesses across industries and always have a positive experience.

Find out what it’s like to work with a professional PPC agency. Start the conversion by reaching out online or calling (231) 922-9977 today.