9 Things to Consider When Choosing a PPC Marketing Agency

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is an excellent way to generate some immediate traffic and sales revenue for your business. Though the majority of ad clicks should turn into sales opportunities, there may be some that don’t.

Placing paid search ads effectively is key to making the money you spend on those ads pay off. Not every digital marketing agency has the skills needed to do this. Carefully selecting an experienced PPC ad agency will ensure that your investment produces the healthy return you are looking for.

The following questions are an excellent way to start this process. Each has been carefully formulated to help you uncover more information on a specific aspect of that agency’s services, allowing you to come to an informed decision on whether you want to hire them.

9 Questions to Ask Your Prospective PPC Advertising Agency

1. What If We Do Not Already Have a Google Ads Account?

Many businesses begin their PPC marketing journey without so much as a Google Ads account to start with. A good PPC agency can open one for you and set up all the necessary parameters, including:

• Your business’s name and details
• Your campaign structures and settings
• Any payment options you expect to use
• Tracking configuration

They should also explain the basics of the Google Ads platform to you to help you better understand what they will be doing for your business.

2. Are You a Google Partner?

Google offers a partner program for PPC ad marketers and agencies to help businesses find reputable and experienced PPC service providers.

It is important to remember that membership in this program is not directly reflective of ad management skills. Nevertheless, if you have the choice, it makes sense to choose a PPC agency that has taken the time to become a certified Google Partner. This gives you an easy, objective way to gauge their skills and knowledge.

3. Do You Have a Monthly Minimum Ad Spend?

Most PPC ad companies require their customers to spend at least a certain amount on ad placements each month. This is to ensure that it is worth their while to take on the work of managing the account. Be sure to ask about what they expect you to spend each month before committing to anything with any particular agency. Some have lower minimum monthly spend thresholds than others, so you should be able to find one that meets your needs even if your budget is small.

4. How Are Your Management Fees Structured?

Before you agree to work with a PPC agency in Toronto, you must take the time to figure out what you are paying for. Agencies may charge their clients a flat fee every month, a fee based on ad spend, or an amount dictated by project hours. Ask which one most closely describes your partner agency’s fee structure and how any variable factors will be tracked. This lets you get essential pricing considerations out in the open and better understand how the agency’s PPC ad services will fit into your budget.

5. What Type of Management Do Those Fees Include?

In addition to clarifying what will determine how you are billed each month, you should also ask about what you will be getting in return for that money.

Some standard services that a PPC ad agency might include in their fee structure are:

• Keyword management
• New ad creation
• Management of existing ads
• Campaign monitoring and reporting

The more services they offer, the more effective their assistance will be. Look for an agency that handles as much of the PPC campaign process as possible while still staying within the bounds of your budget.

6. What Happens to Any Extra Funds Left Over After Each Month’s Ad Spend?

If you do not pay your Google Ads bill directly, it is important that you know where any unspent money goes at the end of each month. For the most part, any money left over that was earmarked for ad spending will be rolled over into the next month.

However, some agencies may pocket that money, incentivizing them to spend as little as possible on your campaigns. Look for agencies with explicit policies about leftover ad spending to ensure there are no competing incentives at play when they work on your case.

7. Do Your Provide Full Reporting, Either as Part of Your Service or for an Additional Fee?

Since PPC ad placement is fully computerized, it is easy to create detailed reports about how well your ads perform. This is information you will want to know, so be sure to ask about how your agency handles reporting before you agree to commission work from them. Does this agency perform reporting at all? If so, is the cost of this service built into the basic fees? How detailed are the reports they provide?

It is important to note that Google Ads provides plenty of data on your marketing activities by default, so the information needed to provide this service is easily accessible if the agency wants it. If they do not offer reporting or only provide basic indicators of campaign progress, it is not because it would require more work to keep you adequately informed.

8. What Type of Strategy Would Align with Our Business Goals?

PPC ad campaigns require as much strategy and tailoring as any other form of digital marketing. You will need a custom PPC strategy to achieve optimal success in this area. This is where your paid search advertising agency’s expertise should come into play. Ask the agency you are considering hiring to give you a rough outline of how they would expect to achieve the results you want for your company.

They should be able to talk generally about which approaches will work best for your business. They may even suggest a few additional digital marketing activities to build on your initial strategy, demonstrating the breadth of their advertising expertise.

9. Can You Tell Us About Your Bidding and Budget Management Practices?

Managing clients’ Google Ads budgets is a significant part of a PPC ad agency’s work. Your agency should have a specific, detailed process in place and be happy to discuss it with prospective clients like you. If they do not seem open to discussing how they conduct their work, they will probably not be very forthcoming with other things either.

For the best possible experience, look for an agency that values transparency. If they have nothing to hide, there is no reason for them to conceal key aspects of their work from you.

Get Cost-Effective, High-Conversion PPC Ads from an Agency You Can Trust

Finding a PPC agency that can satisfactorily answer all these questions might seem like a daunting prospect. At the same time, compromising on the quality of your partner agency is not an option.

If you want to be sure that your business’ PPC campaigns are in good hands, look to WSI Comandix today. We are an award-winning PPC agency in Toronto with over 20 years in the industry and a full roster of satisfied clients to show for it. Contact us today and ask us how we can help with your PPC management services; we will happily demonstrate why we are the best choice for your paid ad needs.

Also Read:

How to Find the Best Digital Marketing Agency in Toronto

How Digital Marketing Works: What You Need to Know