If you’re finding yourself struggling with managing your own PPC campaigns on top of running an inbound marketing strategy, hiring an agency to do the hard work for you could be the best choice. If you have already begun doing research, you know choosing an agency to help with your Google AdWords campaign is not an easy task. This may be especially difficult if you’re new to this concept and are not up to date with the industry specific lingo.
You cannot simply go with the first company you ever talk to—you must do your homework and know what to expect from each agency you are considering. Very often, businesses hire an agency with a lack knowledge of the services and values that they are receiving. To prevent this from happening, you must evaluate more than just the agency’s background and reputation. You’ll want to consider several important questions before signing the contract.
Wasting Money On AdWords?
To make choosing an agency easier for you, we have compiled a list of questions that you can ask during your search to make sure you are hiring a top quality agency.
1. Is the agency a Premier Google Partner?
When choosing an agency you want to pick the best of the best, right? To make sure your account is in good hands, you’ll want to pay close attention to those agencies that are considered a “Premier Google Partner.” This Premier status is different from simply being a “Google Partner,” a status that thousands of companies have maintained. Only a handful of agencies have the Premier status, and these are the agencies that you should keep an eye on during your search.
These agencies are guaranteed to deliver the best results with your advertising budget because they have been recognized as hitting certain benchmarks within each account and maintain several certifications amongst team members. Choosing an agency that is a “Premier Google Partner” can make a huge impact on whether or not you’ll see a positive ROI for your efforts because of the time and effort that agency has taken to fully understand PPC advertising.
2. Is the agency willing to be transparent?
This is a key factor when considering an agency because you’ll want to choose one that is willing to share information and expertise with you. Your company should know exactly what the agency is doing in your account and how often they are working on it. The best way to do this is by maintaining administrative ownership over your account. Your agency should allow you complete transparency into each ad account, cost and performance of each campaign. If an agency lacks transparency, this could be a warning sign that the agency lacks expertise and is not devoting enough time to your campaigns.
3. How does the agency report their results?
You’ll want to work with an agency that will connect your AdWords and Analytics accounts. This will allow you to capture data on every action that was taken and see how that translates in the context of your other traffic data. It is important to receive a report with an analysis and an explanation of any possible data trends. A great agency will make a custom reporting for your business and show you how your performance stacks up on a day to day basis. You will also want to know their reporting cycle and the format in which they will deliver it.
Rather than providing monthly Powerpoint decks or Excel spreadsheets, a quality agency provides real-time access to data through a mobile app and flat-screen optimized dashboards. This allows clients to have daily visibility to how we’re managing their advertising budget, and how those efforts are translating to leads, deals and revenue.
4. What is the frequency of communication between you and your agency?
It is important to have a relationship with your agency in which your input is considered critical to the performance of your account. It is vital to make sure that you feel comfortable relating any changes to your account, new website updates, etc. Having weekly or monthly phone calls with your agency to discuss any updates or concerns is the only way that this relationship can guarantee success. Thanks to video chat software, having the agency in your local area is no longer a necessity for developing a strong level of trust—but regular communication is.
At our agency, we hold weekly check-in calls with all of our clients, regardless of size. These discussions are held over video conference, and all notes and action items are captured in Google Slides and our project management tool. The exact form of communication shouldn’t matter, as long as its frequent, easy, and provides some level of accountability.
5. What other companies has the agency successfully managed?
Though giving out client names may not be an option, the agency you choose should have reports of high level information about similar AdWords account that they have managed. It is always a good sign if your agency has had prior experience in your sector. If the agency has been able to handle similar needs and requirements of other companies, this indicates that they will be able to offer you the best value for your investment.
6. Does the agency itself spend money on Adwords?
If the agency itself is successful at using Adwords and has a proven record of creating campaigns to gain traffic for its own business, then the agency will treat your budget as its own. An agency that uses AdWords shows that they believe in its success and that the agency knows how to conduct campaigns. This goes back to some of the questions above regarding the level of expertise an agency has with the AdWords feature. When an agency knows how to use the AdWord system for its own company, it can prove to acheive great results for your business.
7. Does the agency specialize in the type of campaign you wish to run?
This may seem like an obvious thing to look out for but it is critical to finding the agency that will deliver the best results for your business. When considering an agency to run your AdWords campaign, make sure that agency has the right skillset to understand the motivations of the buyers your hoping to reach. Previous experience within your industry can be beneficial at times, but it shouldn’t be a requirement. Think of it this way: if they limit themselves to a specific industry vertical there’s a good chance they are also working with your competitors. Do you want the same person managing your competitor’s campaigns managing your own?
More important than industry experience is that they have strong expertise with the specific types of campaigns and advertising formats that your campaigns require. Some agencies do amazing work when it comes to Search ads, and others excel at eCommerce-focused shopping ads, and others are strong with video. Make sure their experience aligns with your needs.
8. Is the agency focused on the revenue or clicks?
A simple indicator of whether or not the agency is a good choice for your business is by asking what key performance indicators they use. If an agency is only focusing on the number of clicks, clickthrough rates, the position of ads or quality scores your campaigns generate, then this is not an agency that you should be working with. Rather, find an agency that will center their attention on your sales and revenue goals. If an agency wants to discuss how your campaigns will translate into revenue or how it can build out a full-funnel that will carry leads from clicks to customers, then this is the type of agency that will lead you to a successful decision.
The Bottom Line
By asking these eight questions, you can ensure that you are choosing the best quality agency to run your Google AdWords campaign. Remember to not take the easy way out by simply choosing the cheapest agency you find on your first search. Take time to look for an agency that meets your goals and understands your needs. This way, you can guarantee a positive experience and achieve the results you want.
