You have decided to hire a PPC agency to help grow your business. But you’re unsure of where to start. Searching for advice online, there are some common steps and tricks many recommend following.
These include:
- Look for website case studies to identify industry experience.
- Read reviews and ask for client references.
- Compare fees and contractual commitments.
- Identify five to seven agencies and narrow down to the top three.
These are great tips, and you shouldn’t neglect them. In this article, we will, however, dive a bit deeper and look at a few considerations that might not be as obvious.
What Size PPC Agency Do You Need?
When it comes to agencies, many people think that bigger means better. Larger agencies are more established, have more impressive client lists, and can usually provide everything you need under one roof. Although this is great, there is much more to consider. Let’s look at a few things that determine what agency size is best for your business.
Budget
Big agencies usually charge hefty fees. If you’re a small business and your marketing budget isn’t fantastic, bigger and more established agencies will likely price themselves out on purpose. When you’re in this position, looking for smaller agencies is often a better use of your time.
A large agency willing to work with your small budget could also be a red flag. Many established PPC agencies sometimes take on smaller clients as practice for junior staff. Agencies could use your PPC account as cannon fodder, allowing inexperienced campaign managers to learn and practice on with limited oversight.
“What’s become evident when working with large agencies is the pervasive overreliance on junior talent for most tasks, particularly across PPC accounts with smaller budgets. Because smaller clients are less lucrative for larger agencies, their accounts are often used as ‘training wheels’ for inexperienced staff.” – George Prodanov, Google Ads Expert and Founder of PPC Consultancy
Internal Competition
When the PPC agency you are considering boasts impressive brands as clients, it’s essential to consider how your business will stack up. When there is a crisis and your agency has to take resources away from other companies to assist you, will they do so if their other clients are Puma, BMW, or Samsung?
Digital Marketing Needs
If your business is looking for a full-service agency that includes web design and development, SEO, Paid Social, PPC, and everything in between, a large agency that offers all of this under one roof might be a good choice. If your needs are more specific, for example, you have a great internal team and just need some help with PPC management, smaller agencies, consultants, and freelancers might be able to provide you with more specialist help.
Smaller PPC agencies sometimes have partnerships with other agencies to provide add-on services. The advantage is that you generally get access to a collaboration of specialists as each agency partner focuses solely on one service, and does it well. Small agency partnerships typically have a history of cooperation, so they can vouch for each other’s work and have established integration to help efficiency.
Is Location Important To You?
Most agencies will work remotely and be unwilling to work from your business premises. It’s generally an accepted fact, and one of the key distinctions when creating an internal team vs hiring an agency. Even with this in mind, it doesn’t mean your PPC agency’s location shouldn’t matter to you. Here are a few things to consider.
Face-to-face meetings:
There is nothing wrong with being a bit old school. If you are looking for that in-person service with a warm handshake and real eye contact, the location of your agency might be important. Consider how often you’d like to have face-to-face meetings. The more often, the closer to home you should look for your agency. If fully remote is fine, you can probably work with anyone worldwide. It comes down to personal preference in the end.
Local Businesses:
Very few companies operate worldwide, and many don’t serve nationwide either. If your market is very local, there might be a benefit in hiring an agency that understands your market well. For certain businesses, like plumbers and fitness centers, it’s essential that their PPC agency understands the local culture, demographics, and behaviors.
For example: As someone who has a PPC agency in Manchester, United Kingdom, I know that a large percentage of the city centre’s population is students due to universities, and that South Manchester is wealthier than North and East Manchester. An agency from London or the United States might not have this local knowledge.
If your business has a narrow geographical market, consider looking for a PPC agency in your country, region, or city that understands your location well.
PPC Agency Cost By Location:
The location of the agency you approach will likely be a significant influence on the fee they quote you. Agencies in larger cities incur higher expenses, such as office rental and staffing costs, which are passed on to their clients.
For example: In England, there is a notable difference in the cost of PPC agencies between the North and the South. A PPC agency in Manchester will cost you, on average, £950 per month in management fees, compared to £1,200 per month in London.
Who Will Take Responsibility For Your Account?
Looking at case studies, reading reviews, and following up on client references might indicate the agency has an extensive record of success in your industry, but does your future account manager? Here are some vetting tips to ensure you’re assigned to the right people.
Ask who specifically will be responsible:
This might sound obvious, but ask your prospective agency who will manage your account. Make sure you understand the entire structure. Get the name of the campaign manager, their overseeing manager, and the person who will be client-facing if they’re someone different.
Look them up online:
Most people have a digital footprint, especially in the digital agency space. It’s time for some good old-fashioned online detective work. If you search platforms like LinkedIn, you will usually find some helpful information.
- Look for things like graduation dates. Ask yourself questions. Is three years’ work experience enough to trust them with your PPC account? What if half that time was spent as a barista at Starbucks?
- Search for industry-specific expertise. Have they personally worked with similar brands and companies to yours? Are they experienced in specific digital marketing channels like Google Ads or Paid Social?
- Look at their historical responsibilities and their training and education. Is it all relevant to the job your agency plans to trust them with?
I hope it goes without saying, do your research as much as you’d like, but ensure you don’t cross any ethical lines.
Request to meet them:
Another somewhat obvious way to get a feel for the people taking responsibility for your account is to have a conversion with them. Prepare some industry-specific questions and ask them during the meeting or call.
These could be questions like:
- What keywords have you generally found to work well in our industry?
- Tell me about a challenge you overcame while managing a similar account?
- What would you do first on our PPC account?
Make sure that the right person answers the question. Someone else jumping to the rescue should be treated as a red flag and challenged.
I know this sounds a lot like doing an interview, but it sort of should be. A confident agency that knows what they are doing will be willing to entertain you during this process. A PPC agency that does not appreciate your probing will likely have something to hide or is only looking for passive clients who don’t question their actions much.
Bonus tip: A PPC agency recommended by someone you know and trust is usually worth twice any other. Like any service, word of mouth is a great way to find a good fit for your business. So, tap into your network first when starting your search.
Conclusion
Sometimes, finding a good PPC agency is easy, and using your gut feel, you stumble onto a great fit on the first try. Other times, businesses can burn their fingers and go through multiple agencies before finding the right one. When looking for an agency, there is no right or wrong way, but using some tried and tested methods can increase your chances of finding the right one.
On top of all the common advice available online, consider the agency size that will work best for you, consider if the agency’s location is important, and understand who will manage your PPC accounts. Tap into your network for referrals if that’s an option for you.
