Definitive guide to selecting a PPC vendor for google search campaigns

Google AdWords is a complex beast. It’s constantly changing, and what works today may not work tomorrow. That’s why it’s important to partner with a PPC vendor who knows their stuff. Marketers know how to market themselves very well, so it’s important to arm yourself with a few basics before getting too excited about their sales pitch. But how can you tell if they really know what they are doing? By asking them the right questions, of course! In this blog post, we will outline some questions that you need to ask your PPC vendor in order to determine if they are the right fit for your business.

Don’t be too impressed by impressions

One of the common strategies that digital ads vendors use to sell is showing you examples or even forecasts of what they think they can accomplish with a google search campaign. Know that the larger numbers are usually impressions which are simply a number that represents the instances that an ad or campaign is seen. Impressions are a nice metric but impressions don’t always translate into sales. How many times have you driven by a billboard and done nothing about it? Billboards get millions of impressions that mean nothing, and so do many digital ads on poorly managed google search campaigns. So before getting too impressed by promises that your ads will be seen, ask about other metrics. 

Ask vendors how they will reach the right audiences to get them to convert

Impressions are great when they are followed by a decent number of people reached and conversions. Reach is simply the number of people who see an ad or campaign. If a campaign reaches a single person 10 times, the reach is 1. If a campaign reaches a single person 20 times, the reach is still one. If that person takes action because of the ad and decides to click, call, fill out a form, visit your store, etc., then that person represents a conversion. You should always ask about impressions, reach, and conversions together so you can get a sense of how good a campaign or forecast is really.

Avoid this common pitfall regarding actual sales you can expect from ads

Know that it is nearly impossible to guarantee sales from ads in a google search campaign. But it is possible to forecast potential qualified customers. Many business owners get confused when they see conversions and assume that that means actual customers but usually, it refers to potential customers from a campaign. What can be even more confusing is that you can have a profitable campaign with fewer impressions, reach, and conversions than a less profitable campaign because the more profitable one spends more money on fewer leads that were more qualified. Some of the best pay-per-click vendors may not get you as many impressions or reach per dollar but get the max amount of qualified leads that are more likely to become customers.

Your sales strategy can make your campaigns more successful

While an effective campaign may get you a lot of leads, you need to have a sales strategy that complements the marketing you are going to be doing. Even the best marketers will fail at delivering leads that turn into customers if you do not follow up properly with automated emails, calls, or other sales and customer service strategies. Leads from google search campaigns are some of the most valuable leads you can get because they are people who were actively looking for what you offer and decide to take action. But you must have a plan for what happens after the lead comes in order to close them as a customer or client. If you don’t, they will simply move on to the next competitor they find online. I have audited many campaigns for clients who thought their ads were not working, and it turned out that the campaigns were fine, but the follow-up was just not there. If you are running ads for a service-based business that generates calls, you can download my free guide to best practices for phone calls here.

Make sure you own your google search data

Your pay-per-click vendor may or may not get into the weeds about your sales strategy with you. Some are now offering all-inclusive packages where they assist you with automated emails, call centers, and other follow-up support. This can be a nice added value for you, especially if you are looking to scale and don’t want to add additional overhead. But buyer beware. Make sure that you ask who will own the data that is collected from your campaigns. I have been many instances where business owners buy these all-inclusive packages only to find out later that all of their data collected from google search campaigns is owned by the vendor. When in doubt, license your own CRM and make sure that you own the rights to all of the contact data, call recordings or anything else that is collected.

Ask about where the ad campaigns will be housed

Many pay-per-click vendors will not talk about this unless you ask, but I think it’s important to know where your ads will be housed. It is a common practice for Google Search campaigns to be housed in ad accounts that agencies and freelancers set up for you. While this may seem nice and convenient, it also means that you will not likely have full access to your own campaigns. So you may not be able to audit them to make sure the ads are being run as agreed and that your money is being spent. I recommend that you ask for your ads to be housed in ad accounts that you can access, preferably accounts that you own.

Make sure Google isn’t penalizing your vendor

One of the dangers of working with an inexperienced PPC vendor is that they may not know all of Google’s rules and regulations. Google is constantly changing its policies, and if your PPC vendor is not keeping up, they could be inadvertently breaking the rules, which could result in your ads being taken down or even your account being suspended. This would obviously be a nightmare scenario, so make sure to ask your PPC vendor how they stay up-to-date with Google’s policies. The best answer you want to hear is that they have Google Ads certified staff on their team and that they are actively taking the Google Ads certification exams themselves.

These are just a few of the fundamental aspects of what goes into an ad campaign that can help you vet vendors for your google search campaigns. If you need help screening your PPC vendor before signing on the dotted line, you can get in touch for a free consultation. Pay-per-click can be an extremely effective way to generate leads, but only if it’s done correctly. Asking more questions will help ensure that you are getting what you expect from your PPC vendor.

Do you have any other questions that you think should be added to this list? Let me know in the comments below! And if you’re looking for a PPC vendor who can deliver results, feel free to contact me. I’d be happy to connect you with a few options to fit your needs and budget.