Statista says 52 percent of global internet traffic is mobile. A third of all mobile searches on Google are local. Microsoft says the same thing — 53 percent of mobile searches on Bing have local intent. This is pretty big on its own. Then we see data showing that local searches are growing 50 percent …
The post How to Choose The Right Local SEO Agency first appeared on Online Web Store Site.
Statista says 52 percent of global internet traffic is mobile. A third of all mobile searches on Google are local. Microsoft says the same thing — 53 percent of mobile searches on Bing have local intent. This is pretty big on its own. Then we see data showing that local searches are growing 50 percent …
The post How to Choose The Right Local SEO Agency first appeared on Online Web Store Site.
The post How to Choose The Right Local SEO Agency appeared first on ROI Credit Builders.
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According to Unbounce, half of the people who click on your ads are more likely to make a purchase than those who came from an organic link.
That’s a bit surprising.
You’d think with 600 million devices running ad blockers —advertising would be less effective. Google Ads commands 73.1 percent of search advertising, roughly $40.3 billion. Advertisers couldn’t afford to continue spending that much money on ads if they didn’t work.
Google Ads are effective.
What’s tough for many companies is choosing the right AdWords Agency. Managing Google Ads takes a lot of time, effort, and energy. Most companies choose to outsource that hard work to a PPC agency. If you plan on doing the same, you’re going to need to know how to choose the right agency to manage your Google Ads.
Here’s how you do it.
Google Ads is a direct response platform where customers are searching directly for your product or service. To achieve profitable results with your Google Ads campaigns, you’ll need to have some concrete goals in mind. In general, companies focus their attention on a few specific goals, such as these listed on Google’s website:
The ultimate goal for each of these is revenue; each of the examples above would be considered a lead. Unlike SEO, where results require weeks or months of work, Google Ads is a direct response channel. A successful ad triggers immediate action from searchers.
The focus is on action.
Next, you’ll want to create specificity around your goals. This depends on a few factors like your budget, the keywords you choose, match types, etc. For example, if you’re running a service business, you know you’ll need a certain amount of leads. This means you’ll need to identify details like your:
There are more metrics you’ll need to track, but your agency can manage these for you and provide you with the reporting you need once you’re up and running. Providing your agency with these numbers makes it easier to set things up; you can use these to set your daily/monthly budget, identify profitable campaigns at-a-glance, or set goals to boost profitability.
It would be best if you had a rough idea of the numbers you need to be profitable — the number of leads, sales, and customers you need each month for the campaign to be self-sustaining.
Here are some things you’ll want to look for when vetting an AdWords agency. These characteristics are important must-haves. Use them to determine if the agencies you’re considering are a good fit.
The agencies you’re considering should have Google Partners status. Google explains this more, sharing why this is so important for your agency:
“Achieving Partner status means that your company has demonstrated Google Ads skill and expertise, met Google ad spend requirements, delivered company agency and client revenue growth, and sustained and grown its client base. Partner status gives your company access to a number of benefits, including the Google Partner badge that can be shown on your website and marketing materials.”
If you’re looking for an agency to manage Google Ads on your behalf, this is important for a few reasons. It shows prospective clients that:
If you’re looking for a clear indication that your AdWords agency is legit, this is it. You’ll also want to verify that each of the paid search strategists on your account are individually certified. You can verify your agency’s partner status with Google at this URL. Verification will provide you with a list of Google products your agency has received certification for, their partnership type, and the number of offices certified by Google. If they have a banner/badge on their website, you should be able to click to verify your agency’s status with Google.
If you’ve requested a proposal, you should receive links to the certification URLs for each of the strategists assigned to your account. The URL should be displayed in the following format:
https://academy.exceedlms.com/student/award/20xxxxx
Their certification should provide you with a completion identification number and the completion and expiration dates for their certification. Here’s what an individual’s certification looks like:
Some PPC agencies rely on a pay-per-lead model. Using this model, they drive traffic to a general landing page or advertorial that generates leads for their clients. The downside to this model is the fact that clients don’t receive the landing pages, creative, or assets that went into producing the landing page.
This arrangement is great for agencies but bad for clients.
It’s great for agencies because they’re able to use one landing page or ad with multiple clients in the same industry. Sure, clients receive the leads that they need, but they’re always dependent on the agency that produced them. They never really figure out how to make things work for themselves.
This approach can work.
If you’re only interested in the leads and you’re not interested in creating your own content, landing pages, or marketing in the future, there’s nothing to worry about. If you’re also interested in sticking with the same agency indefinitely, there’s no problem.
Change any of those things, and you may not be able to continue to receive the same amazing results you’ve come to expect in the long term. Insist that your agency provides you with the assets and creative they’ve produced for your business.
Google requires agencies to be transparent with their clients. This has been a requirement for some time, and it’s another reason why Google Partner and individual certifications are so important.
“If you work with another company to manage your AdWords campaigns, you should be able to find out how much of your advertising budget (cost) was spent on AdWords, how many times your ads appeared (impressions) and how many times users clicked on your ads (clicks). We’ll include these requirements in our legal terms and agreements.”
Google also mentions that almost all of its certified partners are already offering this transparency to its clients. Transparency isn’t common with non-certified agencies; most agencies won’t provide this if clients don’t know any better.
If you’re working with your agency, you should have access to all reports. You should also have access to metrics including impressions, clickthrough rates, keywords, account and ad group structure, and more. If you have questions about where or how your money is being spent, you should receive straightforward answers. Ask your agency about the information they provide to clients if you’re unsure.
Some agencies prefer to lock you into a long-term contract (e.g., 12 or 24 months); this makes sense when you realize it takes a lot of time and resources to set up and launch a new client account. Most AdWords agencies don’t make money on the account until they’re a few months into the campaign.
This arrangement isn’t always what’s best for clients, especially if the agency fails to perform. Clients should be able to come and go as they please. When agencies focus on performing well for clients, the relationship is more stable.
Some agencies can offer month-to-month arrangements profitably. A compromise could be an initial three-month contract that switches to a month-to-month agreement afterward. Whatever you negotiate with your agency, it needs to be beneficial for both. If you’re unhappy with your agency, you should be free to leave.
Your agency should be able to provide you with references and case studies to validate their expertise. There shouldn’t be any doubt about your agency’s ability to perform. You should have the data you need to vet their experience and track record accordingly.
It’s not enough to prove that you’ve achieved amazing results for your clients. You need to demonstrate that you’ve been able to do it consistently over time.
Ask your agency for all of the data you need to validate their performance —references, case studies, anonymized campaign data, and before and after campaign data.
Your agency should have an established process for managing and maintaining your account. They should be able to tell you when they add keywords and create new ads, how they set and maintain budgets across keywords and ad groups, and the adjustments or changes they’ll need to make for various markets.
They should also be able to tell you which tests will be run, how they’ll be run, and the metrics or KPIs they’ll be using to validate performance.
I’m not talking about the Ads setting in your account. I’m talking about your agency’s focus on boosting revenue. It’s common for many agencies to focus their attention on impressions or clicks. Your agency should focus on helping you convert those clicks to revenue.
This means your agency needs to focus its attention on:
Google Ads is a direct response platform, so optimizing for conversions and revenue should be your agency’s primary focus. If they’re focused on anything else, they’re not a good fit.
Here’s a list of the things your agency will need from you. These requirements aren’t hard, but they do require some effort on your part.
Give your agency the permission they need to make important decisions on your behalf. Establish a clear point-of-contact so your account strategists can reach out when they need your help. Spell out your expectations and communication standards ahead of time.
If you want weekly communication, let your agency know.
You can use Google Marketing Platform Partners, HubSpot Agency Directory, or Clutch.co to find an AdWords Agency. We’ve added a few of the best agencies to make things easier for you.
My agency, NP Digital, is focused on conversions and revenue. While many agencies are focused on clicks, we focus specifically on driving immediate revenue for our clients. Many agencies focus specifically on PPC ads via Google or Facebook. We offer A to Z paid search support covering: paid media, paid search/shopping, paid social, Amazon, and programmatic advertising.
Adventure Media Group got its start as an AdWords training company, then they pivoted to Agency services, focusing specifically on AdWords and landing page design. They’ve grown quickly, shifting their focus to Enterprise AdWords Management.
Ignite Visibility lists WeddingWire, Tony Robbins, and Mission Federal Credit Union as their clients. Their agency model is focused on returns. They’re a full-service agency, but they have the experience to manage paid search campaigns across several channels, including — social, display, and programmatic advertising.
Disruptive Advertising focuses on something they call results-based relationships. Their agency has 152 employees and a high concentration of paid search consultants, something uncommon in the industry. They’ve been listed as a top agency by Clutch.co, Upcity, and others. Their agency focuses on brands with larger PPC budgets.
Voy Media focuses on client growth via paid advertising. They describe themselves as the Swiss Army knife of advertising. They’re Facebook Ad specialists as well, so their agency is a good fit for clients who are looking to optimize their ad spend and who also rely on multichannel advertising to grow.
They’re listed as the #1 PPC Agency in Phoenix. They offer clients paid search management and conversion rate optimization services that are backed by their data-driven model. As an agency, they focus on 100 percent transparency with clients. They’re experienced pros when it comes to promoting tech companies, whether they’re in SaaS, Ecommerce, Tech, or Transportation.
KlientBoost has a unique business model that works well with low/entry budgets. PPC is typically an expensive thing for agencies to ramp up, but KlientBoost can make it work consistently for their clients. Their agency works well with small or local businesses.
WebMechanix is a performance-based digital marketing agency for mid to large companies. They’re an award winning firm that’s focused on paid search advertising. They offer other agency services as well, but they focus on measurable results and financial impact for their clients.
Directive is a paid search agency for software and SaaS companies. They describe themselves as next-gen performance marketing for software. They focus their attention on increasing qualified leads (MQLs) for their clients, helping their sales and marketing teams hit their performance numbers.
JumpFly specializes in digital advertising focusing on PPC account setup and management for Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Facebook & Amazon. If you’re looking for a PPC specialist or you’d like PPC specialists to work with your in-house team, JumpFly may be a good fit.
Clicks on your PPC ads are more likely to lead to a sale. It sounds surprising, but paid advertising is still more effective than organic links, even with the growth of ad blockers.
Google Ads work.
But AdWords management is difficult, that’s why you need an agency. Use this post as a guide to choose the right agency to manage your Google Ads. Vet your agency carefully. Then, once you’ve found the agency that fits your needs, give them the tools and resources they need to boost your revenue.
The post How to Choose The Right Adwords Agency appeared first on Neil Patel.
Today, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of SEO agencies out there.
And each one of them is good for something.
Thus, your question shouldn’t be, how do I find the right SEO agency, but how do I choose an SEO agency that’s right for me?
I’m glad you made it here, as I’ll guide you through how to avoid choosing an SEO agency that’s right for something not relevant to growing your business.
Deal?
Well, then, keep reading.
First things first, why do you need an SEO agency?
Imagine you hurriedly booked a last-minute flight from New York to meet some business partners. Thankfully, the airplane you boarded flew fast with no delays.
And you land safely at the airport.
On arrival, the announcer congratulates you for a safe journey and welcomes you to Beverly Hills in Texas. Meanwhile, your intended destination was Beverly Hills in California.
You’ll regret the waste of your time, right?
Hiring SEO agencies is like boarding that airplane – each one could be great at flying your site’s organic ranking somewhere. Your first job before you start flying, therefore, is to ensure you choose and are on the right plane.
Thus, to choose and onboard an SEO agency that’s right for you, you must:
In SEO, where you’re going requires a different airplane (or agency). The main ones being:
And for outcomes?
You may need to:
Your target business goals and outcomes determine what SEO strategies and tactics you’ll need.
And because no SEO agency is a one-size-fits-all for all strategies, industry verticals, and company sizes, knowing these basics lays the foundation for who you’ll partner with.
Let’s take some hypothetical examples.
Pretend that your goal is to show up on Google’s 1st page when certain people use certain words to search for certain information relevant to your business.
And the outcome?
You want to attract this set of people, educate them with engaging content, and pull them into your sales funnels.
In this case, you’ll need an agency with expertise in SEO-optimized content marketing. And you’ll need one with proven results in helping other companies achieve similar results:
Okay, let’s assume you have freelancers creating excellent content pieces for your site. But you realize Google isn’t ranking them for your target keywords.
Instead, when people search, content pieces below the quality of what you’re creating keep showing up on the top pages while yours languishes on Google’s 17th page.
This situation indicates your competitors probably have higher domain authorities or more backlinks pointing to their website and high-ranking content pieces.
In this case, to increase your website’s domain authority, get relevant links pointing to your content, and boost ranking, you’ll need an SEO agency with expertise in link-building:
As you saw in both examples above, it’s easier to know what type of SEO agency is worth considering when you’re definite about your goals and outcomes.
Taking this first step to look at yourself in the mirror and know exactly what you need streamlines the selection process.
It also ensures you only shortlist agencies with expertise and experience driving other businesses to your intended destination.
But, it doesn’t end there.
Even with only a few dozen agencies to consider, choosing one that’s right for you still demands you look out for characteristics that prove they walk the talk.
Doing this further helps you vet and choose an SEO agency that’s perfect for you.
Regardless of the specific SEO needs you have, you’ll still find dozens, if not hundreds of agencies, vying for your business.
The search engine optimization service providers’ industry is valued over $65 billion.
Thus, expect anyone with a laptop and internet access to make wild claims of being an SEO agency, as they yearn for a slice of the industry’s billions.
There are characteristics great SEO agencies possess. And you’ll find these traits in all the best SEO companies.
I’ll list the fundamental ones below.
Use them to vet an SEO agency from the list you shortlist before choosing to work with any.
Excellent SEO execution follows a battle-tested process.
As an SEO agency gains experience working with numerous clients, they outline their winning process to give potential customers a peek into how they deliver results.
Thus, each company with practical SEO experience has its own process. And this makes it a characteristic of SEO agencies with proven results.
For example, at Neil Patel Digital, our process follows eight unique steps:
The next characteristic to look out for before choosing an SEO agency is the team to put their process and recommendations to work.
A lot of thought goes into SEO execution.
From strategic ideation and leadership to account management and execution specialists, ask for the team who’ll work with you to achieve your goals.
Again, experienced SEO agencies are proud to make their team public:
Results-generating SEO strategies are hard to manage from ideation to execution, but they also take time and commitment.
Thus, as exceptional SEO agencies work with clients to achieve results, displaying their clientele has become a common characteristic.
Doing this does two things.
It shows you they’re experienced. And it helps your decision to choose, using the type of companies they’ve worked with as a benchmark:
If an SEO agency helped increase your website traffic, leading to more sales, you’d be open to giving them a testimonial, right?
In the same vein, when choosing an SEO agency, scan their website for what past customers say about them.
A common characteristic you’ll find with the best SEO agencies is the proud display of what happy customers say about their service:
Exceptional SEO agencies are always on the forefront of the latest trends, especially how it impacts rankings, traffic, and business in general.
In most cases, you’ll find a top executive of the company sharing insights via blogs, social media, and research papers, which makes them maintain thought-leadership.
So, before you hire an SEO agency, check if they’re up to date and share recent trends about the SEO industry that help you keep pace with the market:
An SEO company may have the unique expertise you seek and all the characteristics listed above. Yet, their company culture may not fit with yours.
The truth is, exceptional SEO agencies don’t take on toxic clients; neither would you like to work with people whose values you don’t agree with.
To avoid this, top SEO companies have the characteristic of displaying their company culture, so potential customers can decide if working with them aligns with their culture:
Most SEO agencies work as an extension of your in-house marketing team.
Thus, there are steps to working with an SEO agency that’s right for you. These steps are essential, as they ensure your collaboration with them is successful.
Let’s explore the major ones.
Before you work with an SEO agency, get relevant teams in your company on the same page. Let them know why your company needs to hire SEO professionals and how working with them will impact your business.
Also, select those who’ll work directly with the SEO agency to drive the results you seek. The people you choose would help to bridge the communication gap between your company and the agency.
Doing this ensures that there’s always someone to keep the SEO agency in sync with your company culture, goals for working with them, expectations, and timeline.
Working with an SEO agency could be to rank higher for target keywords, generate more traffic, drive sales, or all three.
But, no business case and needs are precisely the same. And SEO strategies that worked for company A may not work for yours.
Thus, take the time to share everything about your business as it concerns SEO with an agency you choose to work with. Doing this helps them develop custom strategies and plans unique to achieving your goals.
Exceptional SEO companies allow you to share this information with them via a discovery session:
After you share your business situation, needs, and goals with an SEO company, be on the lookout for what they do next.
Top SEO agencies don’t jump into sending you quotes and invoices.
They delve into research, using what you shared with them to gain the right context about your business situation. Doing this brings them on the same page with your company, target audience, business goals, and competition.
After this research, they usually share recommendations of what needs to be done to get maximum results. They can send this recommendation via a report sent over email or talk you through it over a phone call.
After your discovery call and follow-up conversations, expect to receive a contract with deliverables from an SEO agency, if working with you looks like a good fit.
It’s best to share this contract with relevant members on your team, especially those working directly with the agency. Ensure to go down to the nitty-gritty of the contract’s terms and conditions.
Also, share it with your legal department to avoid signing an agreement that hurts or binds your company in the future.
To work with you, an SEO company would request access to some of your digital assets.
Depending on your work scope, such access could include your website or blog passwords, your analytics tools login codes, selected in-house staff, etc.
To kickstart a working relationship with your company, SEO agencies usually take you through a detailed onboarding process.
So, you should expect one.
Over this onboarding session, the scope of your project, delivery timelines, communication channels, and an understanding of how both parties manage your project is defined and communicated.
So far, I’ve outlined the characteristics of exceptional SEO agencies and walked you through some fundamentals steps to working with one.
But, as I established at the beginning of this guide, you don’t just need the right SEO agency, you need an SEO agency that’s right for you.
How do you find one?
To help you, we put together a list of companies that we believe to be the best in the business.
Also, we skipped SEO agencies who can’t even rank their site organically. Finally, we looked away from digital marketing generalists who do everything under the sun for a quick buck.
The result?
What follows is our vetted list of the five best SEO companies of 2020 by the types of projects they’re exceptional at working on.
At Neil Patel Digital, we’re great at SEO-optimized content marketing.
Our team of highly experienced SEO experts and content marketers brings decades of hands-on experience to the table. We believe brands can influence how their customers think through the creation of distribution of thoughtful, engaging content.
And we put this belief to work by partnering with forward-thinking companies to develop SEO-focused content, performance-based digital marketing strategies and programs that get the attention it deserves.
When you work with us, you’ll deliver content the right types of content to your target audience at the right time:
Voice SEO started as a small team of SEO experts. Initially, they focused on using their SEO skills to help businesses like them to grow online.
Through dedication and close observation of the ever-changing SEO industry, Voice SEO realized the growing use of devices such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Echo, to query search engines.
Seeing that 50% of all online searches in 2020 would be voice-based, a statistic in the upward trend, Voice SEO followed the highest standards in SEO to narrow its focus on helping companies with voice search engine optimization:
When it comes to executing best-in-class local SEO strategies, ReachLocal needs no introduction.
This SEO agency is responsible for generating over 201 million local leads for more than 19,000 clients across the globe.
Not only are they the go-to company for practical and strategic local SEO executions, but ReachLocal’s experience also spans over 15 years, and they have offices in five continents:
FATJOE comes highly recommended for acquiring backlinks for SEO. Turn to this SEO agency if you need help generating high-value backlinks.
And you can do this with the assurance that even other SEO agencies rely on them for the same.
FATJOE was founded in 2012. Today, they’ve grown to become one of the world’s biggest outsourced link building agencies, and they serve more than 5,000 clients:
OuterBox is our pick for eCommerce SEO.
They’re an SEO and performance marketing company focused on helping eCommerce brands drive growth through search strategy, design, and conversion rate optimization.
Irrespective of which eCommerce platform your business is built on—Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify, Drupal, or others; OuterBox’s eCommerce search engine optimization strategies and tactics are effective and reliable:
Choosing and partnering with an SEO agency, even one that’s perfect for you, isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme.
It takes time before you’ll start seeing results.
However, it is worth the wait because once things kick-off, SEO is like a flywheel that gets better by the day and works like a vicious cycle:
So be patient.
Only ensure you choose an SEO agency that’s right for you. And most notably, one with a diverse team of experienced experts who breathe SEO:
The post How to Choose The Right SEO Agency appeared first on Neil Patel.
In 2017, PPC advertisers invested over $10 billion dollars.
If you stacked that many $100 dollar bills on top of each other, you’d have a nearly seven-mile tall tower of money. So, that’s a TON of money.
But year after year, global ad spend across every major PPC channel is growing even higher.
Source: Statistica
And this explosive growth isn’t happening for no reason.
It’s happening because PPC works. It’s the classic “spend money to make money” model. From social media to paid search, PPC is a smart way to see quick results.
But that’s only true if you know what you’re doing.
Which… is where an experienced PPC agency comes in. They spend countless hours experimenting and learning everything there is to know so you don’t have to.
So if you’re looking to hire an agency to create and manage your PPC campaigns but aren’t sure where to start, you’re in the right place. In this article, I cover:
Let’s dive in!
PPC campaigns exist for a wide variety of reasons. And it’s crucial to have a clear picture of what you hope to achieve before you go through the process of finding the right PPC agency.
Without this essential set of information, you’ll have a hard time making an educated decision.
So before you get started, sit down with your team and set clear goals and expectations. There aren’t any right or wrong answers, but it’s good to understand this from the get-go.
Your goals may include:
Right now, you need to set an overall goal for your next campaign. Understanding your expectations makes it easier to communicate what you’re after and ensures everyone’s on the same page.
The idea is to reach a high-level agreement on why you want to hire a PPC agency.
You should also consider the level of participation you want to have throughout the process. Do you want to be super hands-on, or are you hoping for someone to completely take over?
Lastly, don’t worry about the finer details just yet. You can work through the specific metrics and KPIs you want to measure later when you actually sit down with your new PPC partner.
Now you have a crystal clear picture of your goals, expectations, and level of participation. So it’s time to start talking about what characteristics to look for.
Not all PPC agencies are equal. Some excel at specific advertising types, while others specialize in creating excellent customer experiences across every platform.
One isn’t necessarily better than the other, but it ultimately depends on what you’re looking for.
So use these characteristics as a baseline for creating a list of viable options. They’ll help you narrow your choices down to those PPC agencies that are worth every penny.
From there, you can sit down with them before making a final decision.
Let’s get started!
PPC is an exciting form of digital marketing because you can directly tie revenue generated to ad spend. So data and analytics are crucial to the success of future campaigns.
The best PPC agencies understand how to use numbers to strategize new ideas that improve your overall ROI. They use what they already know and what they learn about your target market to develop high-yield campaigns.
Furthermore, they also understand the importance of collecting as much information as possible as well as sharing that data with you.
If it’s not clear on their website, be sure to ask questions to help you gauge this before working together. You can ask things like:
The longer you’re in business, and the more campaigns you run, the more first-party data you gather about your specific audience and how they behave.
But the best PPC agencies have an extensive database of their own first-party data as well.
Furthermore, they know how to use it to predict your audience’s buying behavior based on similar industries and past clients. And they may also connect with first-party data sources to tap into their pool of information as well.
Aside from data, smart agencies partner with leading search and social media platforms. Partners are the first to know about new changes and updates.
This means they’re ahead of the game when things change.
Which… seems to happen by the second. So, these strategic partnerships give PPC agencies in-depth insight non-partners don’t have.
Look for indications of this on their website or ask about it if you’re unsure.
82% of smartphone users turn to search engines to find businesses close to them. They use phrases like “near me” to decide where to eat lunch, go shopping, and find entertainment, among other things as well.
Furthermore, 76% of those searches lead to an in-store visit on the same day.
Source: Think With Google
So, local search isn’t something your business can afford to ignore if you want to drive foot traffic to a physical location.
Whether you use your business to sell products or meet with clients, it’s crucial to show up in search results at the right time.
Make sure to choose an agency with a strong knowledge of local search (both paid and organic). You may not be able to find this information on their website, so be sure to ask questions.
During your first call, it may help to ask things like:
Mobile devices account for over half (53%) of clicks on search ads. The era of designing creatives and writing copy for desktop first… is over.
It’s more important than ever before for PPC ads to be easily accessible on devices of all sizes.
And the world of mobile optimization is tricky, especially when combined with ever-changing search and social algorithms. So it’s crucial to hire a PPC agency that knows how to tackle this transition to on-the-go browsing.
Some agencies may highlight this as a feature on their website, while others may not. So be sure to ask questions during your initial phone calls to ensure they know their stuff.
To gauge this, you can ask things like:
Whether you’re interested in search, social, programmatic, shopping, or multi-channel PPC campaigns, it’s essential to find a PPC agency specializing in the platforms you want to use.
There’s no right or wrong marketing channel. But it does depend on your end goal.
Some agencies may only manage search campaigns while others may consult, design, and manage paid social media campaigns. No two campaigns are alike, nor are two PPC agencies.
So first, you have to understand what you’re looking for.
What channels are you considering? Do you need help with design or ad copy as well? Maybe you want a collaborative project, or perhaps you prefer entirely hands-off.
Decide what you need and expect from a PPC agency and use that to guide your decision.
Be sure to sare your expectations and goals during your first meeting to ensure they’re a good fit.
The quickest way to see a return on your investment is by targeting commercial-intent (transactional) keywords. People searching for things like “Buy iPhone X” or “best web hosting services” are ready to buy.
But making more money isn’t the only goal behind PPC advertising. Maybe you want to grow your email list to add more leads into your sales funnel. Or raise brand awareness. Or drive traffic to help increase ad revenue.
Regardless of the end goal, your PPC agency must understand your campaign’s purpose and help you choose appropriate keywords to target.
This isn’t something you can usually find on their website. So you’ll have to do some digging.
Here are some great questions to ask during your first call:
PPC advertising doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
It’s usually a small piece of a broader digital marketing strategy.
And the best PPC agencies know this and work to create effective campaigns and PPC strategies to support your high-level business goals.
Sure, PPC requires strong keywords that target the right audiences. But it goes much further than that as well.
Great agencies understand the big picture and oftentimes can help improve other pieces of your digital marketing system because they’re great marketers themselves.
Now you know what to look for in a PPC agency.
But if you’ve never worked with one before, you may feel unsure of what to expect going into your new partnership. And there are several things you can do as a client to enhance the overall experience.
Doing these things helps put both your business and your agency in a strong position for success.
We talked about this briefly at the beginning of this article, but I want to come back to it again because it’s so important.
Your goals and expectations set the stage for the rest of your partnership.
It’s critical to understand your goals and communicate them with your PPC agency. The best agencies use your goals and expectations to develop a strategic plan that works well for both of you.
So if you’re hesitant or unsure of what you’re after, sit down with your team and revisit this. And make sure you know how to communicate what you want.
Any first-party data you have can significantly impact the outcome of future campaigns.
Think back to previous partnerships or campaigns you’ve run and gather that information into a clean and easy-to-understand report.
Then, share it with your agency.
Hard data is the best way for them to learn more about your audience’s attributes and behaviors as well as what worked, what didn’t, and why.
This way, they don’t have to reinvent the wheel or start their research from scratch.
To avoid confusion, choose one central point of contact for communications from your agency. This ensures there are no miscommunications or wasted time from several people managing that relationship.
You can certainly have a team working on the project but limit communications to one person.
It also helps simplify things for your agency as well. They always know who to talk to, and they don’t have to worry about waiting too long for your response.
PPC agencies are excellent at what they do, so it’s essential to listen to their advice and suggestions. This could be advice on improving your home page for conversions or redesigning landing pages to increase sales.
Perhaps it’s a suggestion to improve your ad copy or headline.
Always remember they’re the experts, and you hired them for a reason — they know their stuff. So take the time to listen and keep an open mind throughout the process.
There’s no such thing as a stupid question. And there’s no such thing as too many questions, either. If you’re unsure or confused about anything, the best thing to do is ask.
There’s nothing wrong with not knowing, but there is something wrong with not asking about it.
This helps you learn, and it also helps clear up any confusion about the project. You can rest easy every day, understanding the hows and whys of your campaign.
There are hundreds (if not more) of PPC agencies to choose from. And choosing the right one is often the hardest part of getting started.
But the best PPC agencies for you specialize in the types of campaigns you’re interested in. They should also have in-depth knowledge of your specific industry. These characteristics combined help pave the way for the best results.
It may also help to make a list of your expectations and requirements before starting your search.
From there, list the companies you’re considering. Be sure to include:
Then you can use your requirements and expectations to cross off agencies that don’t match what you need. Lastly, schedule a call with the remaining agencies on your list.
This is your chance to interview them just as much as it’s their chance to interview you.
So ask all your questions and take notes throughout the meeting so you can come back to them when making a final decision.
Now you know what to look for, what to expect, and how to decide.
Here are my top PPC agency recommendations for different business types and sizes to kick off your search.
At NPDigital, we leverage our first-party data and search partners to create multi-channel campaigns designed to meet potential customers wherever they hang out online.
Furthermore, we focus on using data to design an excellent customer experience regardless of how and where they interact with your brand.
And now more than ever, consumers are researching before they buy.
We care about giving shoppers the content and information they need to make informed decisions, all while helping you conquer your PPC goals.
From paid search and social media to Amazon and shopping ads, your PPC campaigns are in good hands.
Hiring a partner close to your time zone can have a massive impact on the type of communication you have as well as how long it takes to get a response.
If you’re in Europe or the UK, Loud Mouth Media is an excellent small PPC agency serving big clients like Volvo and BBC, as well as small businesses around the world.
And there’s a reason Loud Mouth Media’s won the “Best Small PPC Agency” in the UK two years in a row — they’re phenomenal at what they do.
With the data and results to back it up.
Plus, they’re Google, Bing, and Facebook partners, so Loud Mouth Media is an excellent choice if you’re interested in those channels.
If you’re a B2C business or running an eCommerce store, Stryde is a superb choice because they specialize in eCommerce digital marketing for businesses of all sizes.
Furthermore, the B2B and B2C industries couldn’t’ be more different when it comes to PPC.
And there’s no one better to strategize and manage your product-focused campaigns than an agency that solely works with eCommerce and B2C businesses.
Plus, they have an extensive portfolio of case studies that prove they’re great at what they do.
PPC ads drive traffic, and landing pages (typically) convert that traffic into revenue or leads.
So it’s no surprise that landing page design and optimization are crucial to successful PPC campaigns regardless of your industry and business type.
If you don’t have an in-house designer or struggle with creating conversion-focused landing pages, KlientBoost is an excellent PPC partner for your business.
Aside from PPC and social media management, they also specialize in designing new landing pages and optimizing existing ones to help you reach and exceed your PPC goals.
Their in-house team of designers and developers is ready to help you craft excellent customer experiences from their first click to their last.
B2B businesses and SaaS tools face their own set of unique challenges when it comes to PPC campaigns. After all, you’re targeting other businesses… not individuals.
So you need a PPC strategist and partner that understands how to overcome those challenges.
Directive Consulting specializes in helping software companies conquer every marketing channel from paid search and shopping ads to SEO and CRO.
Whether you’re looking solely for PPC or interested in an entire digital marketing plan from one of the top agencies around, Directive is a fantastic choice. Plus, they offer digital marketing education, and they have a pool of first-party SaaS data you can tap into.
Choosing the best PPC agency for your business is just as important as crafting the perfect copy, designing eye-catching creatives, and publishing conversion-focused landing pages.
There’s no doubt you have a powerful message and life-changing products for the right audience. Plus, you owe it to them to put it in front of them when they need it.
The right PPC agency helps you do just that while helping you generate more leads, make more money, and get more eyes on your brand. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.
The good news is that you now know what to look for throughout the process. So next time you’re looking for your dream PPC agency, use the tips, tricks, and characteristics we talked about.
And remember: an excellent PPC partner and reliable results can make a world of difference for your business. You deserve it and your customers do too.
What do you look for when hiring a PPC agency?
The post How to Choose The Right PPC Agency appeared first on Neil Patel.
Deciding to hire a digital marketing agency is easy. The hard part is deciding which digital marketing agency to hire. In today’s world, anyone with an internet connection can create a website and start offering services as an entrepreneur. The barriers to entry are slim to none. Which… is what makes choosing the right digital …
The post How to Choose The Right Digital Marketing Agency appeared first on ROI Credit Builders.
Deciding to hire a digital marketing agency is easy.
The hard part is deciding which digital marketing agency to hire.
In today’s world, anyone with an internet connection can create a website and start offering services as an entrepreneur. The barriers to entry are slim to none.
Which… is what makes choosing the right digital marketing agency so tricky.
However, I know a few things that can help simplify the decision-making process. In this article, I cover what to look for, things to avoid, how to make the most of your digital marketing agency, and my top recommendations.
But first, let’s start at the beginning.
Every business is different, as is every digital marketing agency.
Digital marketing agencies usually specialize in one or two areas. And while many of them are “full-service,” they typically prefer projects within their specialty.
So the first step in choosing the right digital marketing agency is understanding your goals and what you hope to achieve by working with one.
It may be easier to break this down into deliverables, the goal of those deliverables, and the outcome you hope to achieve. Knowing these things helps you communicate what you wish to get out of the project.
And when an agency knows what you’re looking for, they know whether they can actually help you without wasting anyone’s time.
Here are some examples to get your wheels turning.
Pretend you want to hire an agency to help you develop a content marketing system. You ultimately want a blog that continuously runs on autopilot with no work required by you.
From there, you can start looking for companies that fit the bill because you know exactly what you’re looking for and how to communicate your desired outcomes.
Maybe you’re interested in creating a series of marketing videos you can use on social media and your website, but you don’t know how to do it or where to start.
You also want someone to coach you through the process.
Now, you can actively look for digital marketing agencies that are willing to coach you through it. Coaching is more hands-on, so not all video marketing agencies can do this.
But because you know what you want, you can find the right fit for you.
Imagine the disappointment of hiring someone and realizing they can’t or won’t give you what you were really looking for.
This is why it’s essential to pinpoint your goals and desired outcomes before doing anything else.
Now you know what your goals and desired outcomes are. So, it’s time to talk about what makes excellent digital marketing agencies… great.
So, look for these characteristics as you go through the process of deciding who you want to work with. They’ll help you vet out top-notch service providers from those who say they’re the best without proof to back it up.
Let’s dive in!
Smart digital marketing agencies are proud of who they work with and the work they do. Furthermore, they typically display their partnerships for the world to see.
You don’t necessarily have to know who their past clients are (bonus points if you do). But if you can’t find a list of previous clients or examples of their work, that may mean they haven’t worked with anyone.
Which… is fine if you’re on a budget. But not okay if you’re looking for the best of the best.
That said, some types of services aren’t easy to display, like content marketing and SEO. So, agencies specializing in those areas may not be able to showcase their work in a portfolio.
However, a client list is a good indication of their experience.
Note: with services like graphic design or website development, you should see a well-put-together showcase of the type of work they do. If you can’t find any examples, move on to a service provider with a portfolio that matches your expectations.
Regardless of the type of services you’re after, it’s essential to make sure the agency you hire has the right team-members to suit your project.
For example, you wouldn’t hire someone to design a logo if they don’t have a graphic designer.
Look through their about page to see if they list their team members there.
And if not, LinkedIn is also a great place to look. Start by searching for the agency.
Then click “People” to see a list of everyone who works there.
Note: this typically won’t show you any freelancers or contractors they work with, so it’s not always 100% indicative of who’s on their team.
Furthermore, some of their team members may not be on Linkedin at all.
But this is an excellent place to start. You can always ask questions during your consultation if you aren’t sure.
Social proof, like testimonials and previous client reviews, can give you deep insight into what working with that agency is like.
Furthermore, smart marketers understand the importance of displaying social proof on their website. So, if you can’t find any, they may not have any previous clients, or they may not understand the industry as well as you’d like them to.
Besides positive reviews, negative or neutral reviews can also shine a light on areas that agency struggles with to get a clear understanding of their work.
Lastly, you can search for in-depth reviews on Google to see what others in the industry (and their past clients) say about their experiences with the agency.
Take a moment to revisit your company’s core values and culture.
Why? Because it’s crucial to work with a digital marketing agency that values the same things and operates in a similar environment.
Doing so ensures they mesh and work well with your team. Ultimately, an agency is an extension of your business. Choosing an agency with the right values and culture is just as important as considering the quality of their work.
The last thing you want is the stress of working with a group of people who don’t value the same things or operate in the same way.
Look at the words and phrases an agency uses to describe what they do. Does this align with your core values and the results you expect to see?
If not, move on to an agency that feels like a better fit.
Your website is like a cozy entryway that makes the right people feel welcome.
The best digital marketers know how essential a well-designed website is. So, if they’re not executing internal projects well, why would you expect them to deliver something better for yours?
This is especially true if they offer website development or design services.
So, look through their website and listen to your instincts.
If it doesn’t feel right or appears low-quality, you’re better off moving on to an agency that values good design and delivering exceptional user experiences.
The type of results an agency promises on their website is a strong indication of how well they understand the industry.
For example, anyone claiming to fast track your way to the number one spot on Google doesn’t know that SEO is both a long-term and short-term marketing strategy. Or that it requires continuous work to maintain.
So, that’s probably not someone you should hire to help optimize your website.
Pay close attention to the claims and promises they make.
Make sure they align with what you know about the industry. And remember outlandish or seemingly impossible promises are a huge red flag.
Stick to digital marketing agencies that offer transparency and realistic promises.
The best digital marketing agencies make it as easy as possible for potential clients to get in touch with them.
Navigating their website shouldn’t feel like a maze,
In a perfect world, their contact information isn’t more than one click away regardless of what page you’re on. And they provide a clear call to action, so you know what to do next.
Furthermore, your first step should be painfully clear. Do they want you to schedule a consultation? Maybe you’re supposed to fill out a contact form for more information or a custom quote.
If it isn’t obvious or you’re struggling to figure out how things work, consider choosing a digital marketing agency that simplifies the process.
There are quite a few things you can do as a client to maximize your results and get the most out of your strategic partnership with a digital marketing agency.
Doing these things helps set the stage for effective and successful collaboration through every phase of the project.
It’s essential to have everyone on the same page. So, have a meeting with your team and let them know the extent of your new project or partnership with plenty of time to get ready for it.
If you owe the agency anything, be sure to spend time on it and do it well. They need to learn the ins and outs of your business, and this is your chance to put it all out on the table.
This sets the precedence for the rest of the project, so don’t rush to get it done.
Before the project starts, make sure every person with a stake in it agrees on the scope and timeline before moving forward. This is just as much your job as it is your agency’s.
Furthermore, most digital marketing projects go through these four phases:
Layout the details of each step with your team and agency so everything is crystal clear before the project begins.
The best digital marketing projects are highly collaborative.
Furthermore, your input, thoughts, and ideas help move the project forward in the right direction to match your desired outcomes.
Some agencies and projects are more collaborative than others. So make sure you understand what they need from you throughout the entire project.
It may help to have a dedicated point of contact and a team or team member ready to manage the project. Having someone readily available helps ensure you’re not holding things up on your end.
It’s important to remember that the agency you hired is excellent at what it does, and you hired them for a reason — their expertise.
This means giving them complete control over certain aspects of the project to let them do what they do best. It’s also important to listen to what they say.
If they have a reason for doing things a certain way, remind yourself they’re the experts.
You don’t necessarily have to agree, but it’s worth keeping an open mind.
If you’ve never worked with a digital marketing agency before, you will see and experience a lot of new things.
And it’s completely normal if you don’t understand everything that’s happening.
The best thing to do is ask questions.
Maybe you don’t know why they chose this color over that one. Or there’s a piece of data you don’t get. Perhaps someone said something that doesn’t make sense to you.
There’s nothing wrong with not knowing. However, asking about the things you’re unsure of is an excellent opportunity for everyone to learn more. It also helps clear up any uncertainties.
There are countless “full-service” agencies offering every type of service you can imagine under one roof. Which… sounds great, but I don’t recommend hiring them.
Why? It makes more sense when you think about other industries.
Example #1: Would you rather hire a general contractor or a custom porch specialist to build a custom-fit back deck for your house? The specialist, right?
Example #2: Who do you see when you have specific medical issues that need attention? A specialist for that particular problem. Or you get referred to one by your general care physician.
The best digital marketing agencies excel at one or two things with their other services being add-ons or secondary options.
So, choose a niched digital marketing agency specializing in the types of services you’re looking for to get the best results and the most bang for your buck.
Now you know what to look for and how to choose the right digital marketing agency for your next project. To help you get started, these are my top agency recommendations for different types of projects.
Neil Patel Digital is a holistic digital marketing agency specializing in content marketing and SEO for brands interested in disrupting their industry.
Our goal is to change the way brands think about the content they produce.
And we also care about helping that content get the attention it deserves.
Our team of highly-skilled content marketers and SEO experts are equipped with my tried-and-tested digital marketing strategies to help your business deliver the right types of content… at the right time.
Storm Brain specializes in helping brands of all sizes generate more leads and leverage social media through organic and paid campaigns.
They go the extra mile by looking at clients through the lens of an audience member to help craft and deliver long-term experiences that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.
From workshops and online courses to full-scale email campaign creation services, Action Rocket is a go-to expert for all things email marketing.
Their team specializes in email strategy, design, and coding so you don’t have to worry about planning your campaigns or designing them.
Plus, you can rest easy knowing your email code aligns with today’s best practices.
Pop Video is a visual content marketing agency specializing in video and visual content marketing as well as matching visual assets for digital brands of all sizes.
They understand the importance of deep collaboration between clients and their team, which is why they call themselves video partners… not video producers.
At Pop Video, they consider themselves an extension of your team that works in parallel to supply iterative content for every step of the customer journey.
Online stores and eCommerce businesses deal with different challenges. So, you need a digital marketing agency who things differently to help you overcome those roadblocks.
The Mad Mind team understands the importance of visual brand and product development from the look of your website and social media profiles to the intricate details of product packaging.
In a perfect world, your website is your #1 salesman. But it’s no secret we aren’t all be web developers with a keen eye for design.
But that’s why we hire experts, right?
Cubicle Ninjas is a digital marketing agency specializing in custom app and website development. They use modern design, humor, creative thinking, and the latest technologies to create excellent customer experiences.
Every project, big or small, deserves the attention of a true industry expert. However, choosing the right digital marketing agency often feels overwhelming.
With tens of thousands of agencies to choose from, that’s no surprise.
But now you know what to look for, what to avoid, and how to prepare your team. Use the tips and characteristics we talked about next time you’re on the hunt for a niched digital marketing agency ready to bring your ideas to life.
What do you consider before hiring a digital marketing agency?
The post How to Choose The Right Digital Marketing Agency appeared first on Neil Patel.
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