Managing PPC campaigns that are budget-friendly and high-converting can be a challenging endeavor. This is especially true for business and individuals who don’t have a PPC advertising background or a dedicated marketing team. For many small businesses looking to take advantage of the benefits that PPC campaigns can bring, opting to work with a PPC management firm is an effective way to harness the power of PPC advertising without having to take the reigns for themselves.
However, choosing the wrong PPC management company won’t just leave you at square one — it can actually harm your business’ reputation and cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in wasted advertising spend. Want to make sure your PPC manager is the real deal? Here are the top five PPC management sales scams to watch out for to make sure that your campaigns are in the hands of experts, not scammers.
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1.They Guarantee You #1 Placement
By now you probably know that the first ad position generally has a much higher CTR than subsequent positions, so that top spot can seem like a great target for your campaigns. Some PPC managers will promise their clients nothing but #1 ad placement. However, a company who claims they’ll keep your ads on top is likely trying to scam you. While getting top ad placement can seem like a great idea, sometimes it can cost more than it’s worth to maintain. A good PPC manager will encourage clients to adopt a solid PPC strategy that leverages lower positions (as well as #1!) to garner solid results — without costing a fortune.
Additionally, great PPC managers know that CTR isn’t the only metric that matters to your campaigns. Look for PPC companies who will work with you to set realistic goals that will make a positive impact on your business, including conversion rate and cost per conversion. When a PPC manager understands your business goals, they’ll be able to craft campaigns that get you there.
2. They Don’t Keep You in the Loop
If you ask a PPC manager exactly what they’re doing to deliver the best possible results for your campaigns, they should give you a concrete (and detailed) answer. They will be able to explain why they’re allocating your ad spend the way they are, and how they developed your campaign strategy. And they should never keep your campaign status and performance a secret. PPC “experts” who keep their clients in the dark about how their campaigns are performing often aren’t experts at all.
Another important quality to look for in a good PPC campaign manager is a collaborative attitude. A good company will ask you for input on the keywords ideas. You’re the expert in your own industry, and PPC experts know that insider knowledge is critical for successful campaigns. If your PPC manager doesn’t seem interested in both keeping you informed and keeping you involved in your own PPC campaigns, you probably aren’t going to get great results from them.
3. They Don’t Talk about PPC Campaign Goals and ROI
A well-planned PPC campaign should have concrete goals from the start. But just as scammers often promise too-good-to-be-true ad placement, they also tend to avoid setting realistic campaign goals because they know they won’t be able to deliver. A good PPC company will always ask you about your advertising goals. If a PPC manager is chomping at the bit to get your campaigns up and running without discussing your short and long-term goals, they might not have your best interests in mind.
Another telltale sign of a PPC scammer is a failure to focus on budget. PPC experts know that advertising budgets can vary greatly from one client to the next. They also know that a successful PPC campaign doesn’t have to be an outrageously expensive one. PPC companies should be willing to work with their clients to set realistic budgeting goals to ensure that their campaigns yield the best ROI possible, without breaking the bank. PPC managers who don’t ask you about your budget up front might be trying to scam you.
4. They Don’t Give Suggestions to Improve Landing Pages
Experts know that PPC campaigns don’t exist in a vacuum of bids and keywords; successful PPC campaigns depend on considering every step in a prospective customer’s journey towards conversion. A good PPC company will always suggest some improvements to your campaigns beyond your keyword strategy. They’ll look at your landing pages and your ad copy, and give suggestions on how to improve those assets. PPC experts often have a wealth of advertising experience to draw from for every aspect of a digital ad campaign. If your PPC company is not open to advising you on how to improve your prospects’ experience from start to finish, they might not be the experts they claim to be.
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PPC managers should be able to see the big picture of your business and your advertising goals to help you make the best decisions possible. Don’t let PPC scammers convince you that fiddling with your bidding strategy and suggesting a few fresh keywords is enough to revamp your PPC campaigns. A good PPC manager will bring a holistic, strategic mentality to your campaigns to help give your advertising strategy an all-over facelift.
5. They Don’t Share Past Successes with You
Scammers lie about who their clients are. They will proudly name big companies like Nokia, Nike, Disney and an array of Fortune 500 companies, but if you ask them to put you in touch with satisfied customers, they’ll always come up dry. Good PPC managers are proud of the work they do, and maintain a degree of honesty and professionalism so that even former clients should be happy to provide positive feedback on their work.
A PPC manager might not be able to hand out every client’s contact information to anyone who requests it, but they should be able to offer concrete case studies and customer stories that illustrate how they approach building and maintaining PPC campaigns. It shouldn’t be challenging for a high-quality PPC manager to provide proof of successful campaigns they’ve worked on in the past.
Getting the Real PPC Deal with Webrageous
At Webrageous, we strive to provide the best possible PPC campaign results to all our clients, whether they’re new to PPC or more experienced advertisers looking to take their campaigns to the next level. We work with our clients to create customized PPC campaigns that help them achieve their unique business goals more effectively. Contact Webrageous today for a PPC consultation and we’ll walk you through our PPC management process from end to end.
