Ranking The Best PPC Agencies

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1. Ignite Digital

"We will develop a strategy that will meet and exceed whatever traffic or sales targets you require."

2. ClientFlo

"We know that almost every business today needs to compete online, and it doesn’t matter if you are running a small business or a global enterprise, we are the agency of choice."

3. 411 Locals

"411 Locals is the Internet Advertising Agency you need to improve your visibility and build a positive awareness of your business."

Our Top 50 Firms - Full Comparison Table

Important Questions To Ask PPC Agencies

Managing pay-per-click advertisements takes a lot of time and effort. Not only does it take time to set up campaigns, but it requires constant monitoring so strategic adjustments can be made. Trying to keep up with a PPC AdWords account on top of your other day to day responsibilities can be overwhelming. Because PPC requires attention and dedication, many companies choose to hire a PPC agency to manage their account.

When you’re looking for a PPC agency, you want to make sure that they can offer the services you need at a price you can afford. So, before hiring an agency, you should ask them questions related to cost and campaign performance. Doing so will help you narrow down your search until you find the best PPC agency for your company. It’s important to keep your options open since many agencies offer various, customizable packages at varying prices. It may help to keep a spreadsheet of all of the available options, so you can easily compare the advantages and disadvantages of each agency and each plan.

The two main areas of importance when comparing agencies are cost and results. Asking basic questions like “How much does PPC cost?” and “How long does it take to see results?” can help you understand what each agency has to offer. However, your questions should go a little deeper. We have compiled a list of cost-related and results-related questions that you can ask of PPC agencies before hiring one to manage your company’s account.

Asking the questions we have listed here is a good start, but consider adding a few of your own questions that are specific to your business to the list. PPC will have different costs and expected results from industry to industry, so there may not be a cookie cutter answer for every company. Because of the variable nature of PPC campaigns, asking questions up front can help you get a better idea of what to expect.

How Much Does PPC Cost?

The cost of PPC may be the most important factor in your decision because it determines if you can move forward with hiring an agency or not. PPC costs vary widely depending on industry, strategy, budget, and management fees. When you’re looking for a PPC agency you can afford, ask them questions about the overall expected cost.

Here are a few cost-related questions to ask a PPC agency:

  • What are your management fees? – The money that you allot for your PPC campaign is paid to Google through AdWords. So, agencies will charge you a management fee on top of your AdWords budget. The agency may just charge you a one time fee for setting up the account, or they could charge you on a regular basis for ongoing PPC management. Set up costs and management fees will also vary depending on the type of plan you choose. For instance, basic plans may cost around $1,000 while more intensive plans could cost around $2,500. Discuss management fees with a PPC agency before hiring them.
  • Is there a minimum budget? – While AdWords does not require a minimum budget, your PPC agency might. Monthly budgets vary greatly from industry to industry, but typically a monthly budget should be at least $150 – $250. You need to give the campaigns enough of a budget that they can build traction and get results. If budgets are too small, it can be very difficult to get significant results. Talk to your PPC agency about monthly AdWords budgets and see if they have a suggestion.
  • What cost-per-conversion can we achieve? – Cost-per-conversion, or CPC, is the amount of money it takes to get a conversion. Whether a conversion is a purchase, a contact form submission, a file download, or any other goal, you should set an ideal CPC for your company. To make a profit, you shouldn’t pay more for a conversion than the value of the conversion. For example, if you sell chocolate for $5 a bag and it takes $2 to produce, your CPC should be less than $3 for it to be profitable. Have an honest conversation about if your CPC goals are feasible.
  • What bidding strategies will we use? – AdWords offers several different bidding strategies from optimizing for conversions and optimizing for clicks. Bids can be set up manually or set to run automatically. Each bid strategy spends the allocated budget in a different way. Some will blow through your budget quickly, while other strategies spread your budget over a period of time. Ask your PPC agency about the various bidding strategies and which one they recommend for your company. That way, you can make sure your money is being spent effectively.

 

How Long Does PPC Take To See Results?

In addition to asking questions about the cost of PPC, it is also important to discuss results, goals, and campaign performance. Make sure you and your agency are on the same page about expected results from the beginning.

Here are a few results-related questions to ask a PPC agency:

  • How long will it take to see results? – Unlike SEO, which can take months, you can begin to see results from PPC almost immediately. As soon as a campaign is set up and approved, you will see information such as the number of impressions an ad received, clicks, bounce rate, and conversions. Depending on the industry and the strategy of your PPC campaigns, you may see conversions happening within days. However, because this is variable, talk to your PPC agency about how long you should expect it to take to see results.
  • What metrics will we measure? – AdWords and Google Analytics can give you a huge amount of data and metrics about your PPC campaigns. It is important to clearly define your business goals with your PPC agency, so they know which metrics are most important to you. Then, they will be able to strategize based on your goals and report on the most important metrics.
  • What happens if results are poor? – If you don’t see the results you expected from your PPC campaign, you should have a strategic plan to turn your campaign around. The great thing about PPC campaigns is that you won’t be stuck with a poorly performing ad or campaign. Instead, you can refine and optimize ads to make them better or even pause them altogether. Talk to your ad agency about strategic options for instances where performance is poor.
  • Do you have any case studies or examples of your work? – If the PPC agency you want to work with is credible and produces good results, they absolutely should be able to show you examples of their work or previous case studies. Ask to see these or browse their website to see if they are posted Looking at case studies can help you determine if an agency is capable of producing the level of results you need.

Picking the perfect PPC Company

When you’re looking for the perfect PPC agency to manage your company’s AdWords account, keep in mind the main areas of importance. Cost and performance should be your main concern when comparing possible candidates.

Use the questions we have listed here about overall PPC cost and expected performance to help you determine which PPC agency can best suit your needs. Keep in mind that cost and results vary widely across industries and PPC agencies. Be sure to do a thorough comparison to ensure you pick the perfect PPC company.