Choosing the Right PPC Agency for Your Organisation: A Comprehensive Guide

PPC (pay-per-click) is often perceived as easy, with quick results accessible to anyone.

However, this myth needs debunking. While it does launch faster than SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or any other inbound marketing channel with its typical spend money to make money model, resulting in fast results – it isn’t a set-and-forget solution.

PPC demands expertise with ongoing maintenance, strategy adjustments, and continuous financial investment to sustain traffic and conversions.

But you’ll only see conversions if you know what you’re doing, and I’m sure if your searches have led you here, there’s a possibility you’ve hired a PPC agency before but they:

They were not the right fit.
Your communication styles weren’t matching.
You did not get the results you expected from your ads.

Or, you haven’t used a PPC agency before and you’re looking for more clarity on where to start when choosing a PPC agency for you. If you are not an expert it can be difficult to gauge which agency is actually good at what they do, or if they are just saying they are.

We hope this article allows you to:

Understand the important things to look for when working with a PPC agency.
Work better with an agency to get the results your business desires.

What is PPC advertising?

Taking it back to basics, as for some organisations PPC could be a foreign subject.

Pay-per-click (PPC) is a form of online advertising where an advertiser can pay a fee each time their ad is clicked on. This approach is essentially purchasing visits to your site, as opposed to gaining them organically through social or SEO.

PPC can be a powerful tool for driving traffic to your website, especially when targeting valuable keywords. However, with the spend money to make model of a PPC campaign, it can be costly without proper knowledge, you may end up spending a lot of money ineffectively.

Therefore, it is crucial to choose a PPC agency with expertise. A PPC agency with experience managing campaigns within your industry should be able to demonstrate those results to you, highlighting any example of what they’ve achieved for their clients.

So, you’re at the point where you are crawling the web finding it is oversaturated with articles on this topic. We hope this ultimate guide will provide you with the key factors to look for when choosing a PPC agency to work with.

Key Factors in choosing a PPC agency

Reputation

As we mentioned above, without any experience working with a PPC agency how do you spot a good one? The PPC market is saturated, and the ones at the top are usually there for a reason! This doesn’t mean you necessarily have to go for the big dogs, but reputation is vital.

Looking at their case studies is necessary, or simply asking them to show the results they’ve achieved for their clients.

You may discover they’ve worked with an organisation in the same field as you and shown them incredible results with their PPC campaigns (this is even better if you can find a PPC agency specialised in your industry vertical which we will go into more detail later.)

You may find that some agencies have a “one-size fits all, we have our fingers in all the pies” type of mission statement, covering social, design, PPC and SEO.

This overzealous approach can sometimes leave you with promises they can’t really fulfil with 100% dedication; these agencies may not even have an expert PPC team. Look for an agency that focuses on PPC with a dedicated and experienced PPC team, at least if you are a novice with PPC.

A customised strategy

It’s not a one–size–fits–all – a PPC agency should be able to tailor to you.

They will be willing to put in the market research to understand your business and get to grips with what you do, likely by having many conversations before they even start with any campaigns.

From this, they’ll curate customised campaigns aligning with your unique challenges and goals.

To do this a good PPC agency will inspect your:

Keywords – what keywords make the most sense for your campaigns and the bid prices.

Industry – thorough competitor research will inform them how much they’re spending – plus where your industry is most present and the platforms they are on.

Current campaigns – based on your historical data a good PPC agency will analyse how these are currently performing and make recommendations. This data will then inform your future campaigns.

Media Mix – ensure you are advertising across the media channels to effectively reach your potential customers, such as Google, Bing, LinkedIn, Meta, Connected TV, Netflix, or other relevant channels depending on your target customers and strategy/budgets.

Effective communication

Achieving effective PPC results requires consistent interaction. A successful PPC campaign depends on strong communication.

In simple terms, it is crucial to select a PPC agency that excels in communication. This relationship will involve timely responses, maintaining professionalism, being clear, open and demonstrating honesty. You’ll be collaborating closely with your PPC agency – sharing ideas, providing feedback, and working together – so elevating your marketing efforts, and finding a team you can have meaningful discussions with is crucial.

PPC backed with Data

In digital marketing, no decision should be made without the data to back it up.

The main topic of the discussions you will be having with your PPC agency is data, encompassing marketing reports and analytics. When choosing a PPC agency, focus on their ability to run data-driven campaigns and their dedication to analysing metrics.

The advantage of digital marketing and PPC over traditional marketing lies in the ability to gather and utilize data. You can track ad impressions, clicks and conversions, and use this information to optimize campaigns and improve ROI and overall business performance.

By working with an experienced PPC agency, this can be executed clearly and PPC can help directly tie revenue to ad spend. So, data and analytics are crucial to the success of your campaigns.

You’ll want to look for an agency that achieves maximum ROAS (return on advertising spend) by creating strategies based on detailed analytical insights. The more data the agency can collect, the better, as it indicates they are focusing their efforts effectively to make those data-driven decisions. While you might not want to dive into the numbers yourself, it’s important to know you have access to them if needed.

So make sure you’re asking the right questions to your potential agency partner. You can ask things like:

How do you measure PPC metrics and what tools do you use?

What data will be shared with us?

Do I have independent access to my analytics?

How frequently will we receive reports?

Strategic partnerships and first-party data sources

The longer your business operates and the more campaigns you execute, the more valuable first-party data you accumulate about your audience and their behaviour. Top-tier PPC agencies also maintain substantial databases of their first party data.

Additionally, these agencies can leverage this data to forecast your audience’s purchasing behaviour by drawing insights from similar industries and previous clients. They may also connect with other first-party data sources to expand their information pool.

Beyond data, savvy agencies collaborate with major search and social platforms. These partnerships ensure they are the first to learn about the latest updates and changes, keeping them ahead of the curve, which is crucial considering how quickly things evolve. For example, an agency may have an established relationship with Microsoft and there are many benefits on working with a Bing PPC agency.

These strategic alliances will provide the PPC agency with deep insights that some agencies may lack. Check their websites for evidence of these partnerships or enquire if you’re unsure.

Pricing Transparency

You would expect an experienced PPC agency to be good with numbers and be upfront about how much a PPC campaign, that can meet your goals, will cost. If they ever feel they need to change your budget, they should always inform you before making significant decisions or change in strategy.

Understanding the cost of a PPC agency includes a few key expenses. Every agency may have a slightly different pricing model but, the big numbers to look for and ask questions about are:

Onboarding and campaign auditing costs – how much will it cost for them to audit your current accounts and then develop a strategy to meet your goals from the audit?

Ad costs – the cost of running the ads themselves. If the agency is experienced, they’ll be transparent in recommending which platform you should run ads on depending on your audience.
Campaign development & management costs – the money the agency gets for running the ads for your organisation. These are separate from the ad costs, this goes to the agency rather than Google, Bing or another platform.

Ideally, you want the PPC agency to be upfront about how much they will need to reach your goals, and where your money goes.

They specialise in your industry

From experience, most marketing methods don’t need a huge amount of experience to be successful, just for the marketer to have the right skill set in the industry, however, paid media is different. When choosing a PPC agency, if you can find one that specialises in your industry this can be a huge bonus for your campaigns and the success you’ll see.

This doesn’t mean, for example, if your organisation is in the legal sector that you need to find an agency that solely focuses on that (great if you can), but we understand you might not have access to an entire range of vertical specialist PPC agencies. Ideally, find one that frequently works with legal clients and understands your industry’s nuances to craft the perfect campaign.

PPC agencies that are experienced in your industry offer benefits, including:

They know your audience and how to appeal to them.

They have a lot of data on the advertising platform that works best for you.

They have industry-specific data they can use to judge how well your campaigns are performing.

They understand the nuances and changing trends of your industry and can optimize your campaigns with this knowledge.

If this is of interest to you, and you’re frustrated with generic marketing solutions that don’t suit your industry or budget, consider the Diginius PPC Agency Matchmaker. With partnerships with over 800 agencies across 60 different countries, this program connects you with expert agencies familiar with the unique challenges and opportunities within your industry. This specialised service ensures you choose a PPC agency you can trust to boost your ROI and increase traffic, all with the support from Diginius.

Agency Size

Another thing to consider when choosing a PPC agency, that might not cross your mind initially is Agency Size. Agency size can significantly impact the attention and resources your organisation will receive.

A larger agency has a wider breadth of offerings such as:

An extensive range of resources, which include advanced tools with a wider range of expertise. These can be beneficial for larger-scale campaigns which deal with bigger budgets.

Better relationship with platforms such as Microsoft, Google, or Facebook. Larger PPC agencies tend to work on larger budgets, this means they get more support from reps and often have partnerships with the platforms. An agency with a partnership with either Google or Microsoft can give your business early access to new features, and getting questions answered more quickly. There are even opportunities for your business to get training sessions on the latest features and best practices.

A larger team working on your account, within a larger agency, may assign you an account manager and a PPC analyst. The PPC account manager will liaise with you in creating a strategy and the analyst will carry out any data analysis and feed this to the account manager.

However, being a larger agency could result in a less personalised service because they have a high volume of clients.

On the other hand, choosing a smaller agency could offer a more tailored and hands-on approach, which includes:

Providing detailed attention to your campaigns. A smaller agency can provide your business with a more customised experience, allowing them to focus on the unique needs of the individual clients. However, they may lack the resources that a larger agency might have.

Less overhead – a smaller agency has fewer staff with fewer overhead costs. They typically have fewer clients and less complex campaigns, which allows them to be more efficient and cost-effective.

Collaboration – a smaller agency can act as an extension of your team, like a partner rather than a service provider.

If you have a particularly low budget, you could also consider working with a freelancer. While you will not have the benefit of a team working on your campaigns, you’ll still have someone who is likely more knowledgeable than you. A freelancer is likely to have experience with smaller accounts, making them a viable choice for businesses with smaller budgets.

It is important to understand the trade-offs between the scale and the tailored approach that an agency can offer you and what will fulfil your needs.

Local or remote PPC agency

Once you’ve covered the above when choosing a PPC agency, another thing you and your team need to decide is the location of the PPC agency.

Will it be beneficial for your company to go with an online agency or local agency – where you’ll be able to meet face-to-face frequently? Or, maybe you’ll look for a blend of both.

The pros for an organisation to work with an online agency – where you’ll typically communicate on calls and email include:

Wider reach – you can pick an agency anywhere on the globe if you can line up your time zones at some point in the day and it works for both parties. Therefore, you have the opportunity to gain access to a broader range of expertise and specialised skills.

Convenience – there will be more flexibility regarding communication, using video, email, phone, and project management tools.

Cost-effective – the overhead costs are usually lower, which works well if you’re a smaller business or start-up with less budget to allocate to a PPC agency.

Expertise – the top agencies specialising in your particular industry are often located in a different city or country from where you are based.

Some companies, however, prefer a more traditional ‘pre-covid’ way of business – having meetings in person with a more local agency, the pros of this include:

Personal connection – face-to-face meetings typically build a stronger rapport between the client and the agency, facilitating clearer communication and discussion of strategy.

Local market understanding – working with a local agency where you can meet in person can offer better insights into market trends and consumer behaviour. For instance, if you’re a London-based coffee shop, a local agency will understand the nuances of the city, the neighbourhoods, and your target audience better.

In person support – working with a local agency, you’ll get in-person responses to urgent issues, even with troubleshooting in person if needs be.

Red flags to look for when choosing a PPC Agency

We hope this article has helped you understand how to position yourself when choosing a PPC agency but let us not forget the red flags to look out for. Like any partnership, it’s good to look out for these. Here are a few things you should avoid if they crop up when searching for a PPC agency to work with.

Poor communication

As we have mentioned, effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful business relationship. Poor communication can manifest in various forms, such as slow response times, vague answers, and a general lack of clarity in their explanations. These can lead to misunderstandings, missed deadlines and ultimately a campaign that doesn’t meet your expectations.

Lack of Transparency

Transparency is crucial, particularly when it involves the management of your advertising budget. A lack of transparency can include hidden fees, unclear reporting on performance, or a reluctance to share detailed information about their strategies. Without transparency, it is challenging to gauge the effectiveness and understanding of where your money is going.

Lack of Industry-Specific Expertise

Every industry has its challenges and opportunities when it comes to PPC. A lack of industry-specific expertise could be a significant red flag, this may indicate the agency doesn’t understand the nuances of your market or the behaviour of your target audience.

Bad Reviews

If anything, this is the most important red flag. Word of mouth is significant, and reviews from past clients can provide valuable insights into an agency’s performance and reliability. If a negative review is consistent this is a crucial red flag. While no agency will have a perfect record, an overwhelming number of negative reviews or a pattern of specific complaints should give you your answer.

Lack of testimonials and case studies

Like a negative review, testimonials and case studies can be powerful tools that demonstrate an agency’s ability to deliver results and their expertise in managing PPC campaigns. This could suggest that the agency either doesn’t have a proven record of accomplishment or is unwilling to highlight their work.

Overpromising Results

Be wary of an agency that promises things that sound too good to be true. These promises could include guaranteed top results on search engines or an extraordinary ROI, these could suggest a sign of inexperience or dishonesty.

Inability to achieve mutual understanding

A successful PPC campaign requires a deep understanding of your business goals, target audience, and overall strategy. If a PPC agency fails to achieve a mutual understanding, it is unlikely to deliver campaigns that align with your objectives.

Make sure you are being vigilant with these red flags when searching for a PPC agency.

What’s Next?

Hopefully, you now have more clarity on how to choose a PPC agency for your business needs, and what to keep an eye out for.

To conclude, working with a PPC agency is a collaborative effort you also get out what you put in so, take your time to research and evaluate potential agencies based on their data-driven approach, industry experience, customization capabilities, transparency, technology expertise, and flexibility.

Right from the get-go, sit down with your PPC agency and collaborate with them, be clear from the beginning about your goals and expectations, this can set the tone for the whole campaign as it allows the PPC specialists more scope on how to strategize and develop your campaigns.

Continue to ask questions and listen to them, you’ve employed them as experts, and there’s a good reason for every decision (but remember a good PPC agency will never make one without consenting with you first).

With our help today, by making these informed decisions you can establish a productive partnership with your chosen PPC agency to drive meaningful results, maximizing the ROI for your company.

Remember, the right PPC agency is not just a service provider, but a strategic partner invested in your business’s growth and success just as much as you are.

Contact Diginius about the Agency Matchmaker Program to find the best agency with the best technology and strategy to grow your business, get in touch today!