Search engine marketing is vital in driving new customers to the site. However, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Moreover, it will make you bound as you will need time to invest in other essential business tasks. Since it is a full-time job, it’s better to leave it to the experts. At the same time, you must ensure that the PPC expert you hire can successfully run your campaigns. Thus, you should keep a list of essential questions ready to put different PPC specialists to the test. It will help you shortlist those deserving and skillful enough to handle the job effectively.
Here are eight crucial questions you must ask a PPC specialist before deciding to hire them.
How Long Have You Been in the Business?
SEO is a highly demanding and competitive industry. Before hiring a PPC specialist, ask them about their relevant experience in the field. They must be familiar with the business’s needs and requirements to do their job efficiently. If they have successful experiences with other clients in the past, they will likely help you achieve your desired results. You can directly ask them to provide references from past clients or share their success stories with proper evidence and facts.
How Much Will It Cost Me?
While hiring the PPC specialist, make sure you talk numbers with them to understand how much everything will cost you. Be open in discussing your budget plans. Genuine PPC specialists don’t keep any hidden charges. If you feel like they are reluctant to share the actual cost with you, consider it a huge red flag, and start searching for a better option. You can also compare the prices of different PPC specialists or agencies to understand what suits you better.
Who Will Have Ownership of the Account?
It’s one of the most important questions to ask. You must have ownership of the account to be able to have access to it. Some PPC specialists may set up campaigns under their accounts. This way, they can take control over the entire campaign process to run it in whatever way they want. Moreover, you lose access to your campaigns if the partnership ends. So, make sure that the PPC specialist you hire is willing to set up the campaign under your personal or business account.
What Do Your Past Clients Say About Your Service?
Reliable PPC specialists try to keep all their clients happy to improve their Client Retention Rate (CRR). It is a great way to make future clients satisfied with their services. So, you can directly ask the PPC specialists you are interviewing about their past client’s experiences. If they have an excellent CRR, they will share it with you immediately. They might also get you into direct contact with their past clients. This way, you’ll know how long they have been using the same service. If the clients have been sticking around a particular specialist or agency for more than 2 years, you can also rely on them in the long run.
Who Will I Contact Whenever Any Need Arises?
Knowing who will be managing all the significant tasks of your PPC campaign is essential. PPC specialists mostly have a huge team working with them. You can ask them about the person you can contact to get updates about the budget, ad copy, research, or ad performance. The PPC specialist you hire must provide you with the contact details of a specific person who will be available for your assistance 24/7.
What Metrics Do You Have to Keep Track of Success?
All PPC specialists have different KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). The PPC specialist you hire must have the same set of metrics to measure the success of your campaign. Here are a few metric examples:
- Click-through rate
- Return on investment
- Cost per click
- Conversion rate
Since you must be on the same page with your PPC specialist, you should make a calculated and informed hiring decision.
Will We Have Any Written Contract?
Repeat after me, GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING.
It’s something that can keep you safe from a lot of conflicts and disputes later. No matter how perfect a PPC specialist may seem, you must avoid falling prey to good words and ensure you get everything in writing. You can directly ask the specialists whether they will provide you with a written contract.
It is like a filter test that would help you find PPC specialists who are more genuine. If you feel any PPC specialist is reluctant to have a written contract, walk out and look for other suitable options. You must also review the agreement before signing it to ensure that you agree to every point in the contract.
How Much Control Will I Have Over the Campaign?
Consumers are losing control over their PPC campaigns nowadays. However, things should work differently. You are the customer whose opinions and suggestions should matter. So, make sure you have a say in day-to-day operations. The PPC specialist you hire should give you enough room to keep the check and balance on the performance level of the campaign.
