Pay-per-click advertising (PPC advertising) is a method of paid advertising that can deliver huge benefits for businesses of all sizes.
From achieving instant traffic directly to your website to boosting brand awareness to using data to improve other aspects of your business – there are plenty of advantages to implementing a PPC strategy. Although PPC marketing is a highly successful form of advertising in today’s digital landscape and drives revenue for 74 per cent of businesses, many companies are intimidated by it.
Effective PPC, whether on search engines or social media, is highly complex and requires certain skills and expertise, which is why so many firms aren’t leveraging it to its full potential. If this rings true for your business, you might consider bringing in an experienced PPC consultant. In this article, we take a look at the benefits of PPC consulting services to help you understand whether or not bringing in an expert is the right decision for your business.
The first step to understanding whether or not your business would benefit from hiring a PPC consultant is to know exactly what they do and the advantages this can bring.
PPC is a model of internet marketing that involves advertisers paying a fee each time someone clicks on one of their ads. With this form of digital advertising, businesses bid on keywords to have their adverts shown in the Google search results and increase the chance of visitors clicking on them.
Simply put, with PPC advertising you pay if your ad is clicked. It’s a method of buying visits to your website instead of trying to earn them organically.
A PPC consultant is an expert in creating and managing PPC advertising campaigns. They might work freelance, for a dedicated PPC agency or for a digital marketing agency that offers PPC management services.
Their role involves various tasks, including planning the strategy and design of ads, search engine optimisation, implementing campaigns and analysing their performance.
Along with a general understanding of how PPC fits into digital advertising and marketing as a whole, a PPC consultant, along with other jobs in this field such as a PPC manager or PPC executive, should possess expertise such as:
As mentioned, a PPC specialist is responsible for handling various tasks as part of their service. The services offered will depend on the unique business in question and what its needs are.
Some PPC specialists focus on setting up accounts and handing over the reins, which is a good option if there is someone in the company who has experience in managing and optimising campaigns.
Alternatively, they might set up the accounts and continue to manage them, providing a more comprehensive service that involves a range of tasks and responsibilities. Here’s a closer look at what a PPC consultant will do if you bring one into your business.
The PPC consultant will take ownership of their client’s PPC strategy. Developing an effective strategy involves deciding which type of campaigns to run for clients, which platforms to use and which types of ads to publish.
A vital part of any PPC strategy is keyword research. The PPC consultant will know how to target their client’s audience by determining which words and phrases they are searching for. The PPC specialist will also identify which platforms – such as Google Ads, Microsoft Bing, Facebook ads and LinkedIn ads – are best suited to a certain client’s business,
Another important step when it comes to developing a PPC strategy is identifying and monitoring competitors. The consultant will look into what your direct and indirect competitors are doing, whether or not their strategy is working and what kinds of keywords they’re choosing to target customers.
Having a well-prepared strategy that’s informed by an expert’s opinion and insight will set a good foundation for how your PPC campaigns will perform moving forward.
The job of a PPC expert isn’t finished once the strategy is outlined. A big part of PPC consultancy involves launching campaigns and monitoring their performance. Throughout the campaign, the consultant will modify and optimise when necessary. This involves tasks such as:
This part of the job entails ensuring every action aligns with the long-term goals of the strategy and the business to manage client expectations.
Once a campaign is live, the PPC specialist will track and report its performance to provide insights into the results being generated and the value it offers. If you’re working with a consultant, it’s a good idea to establish regular check-ins so you can monitor progress and ensure they are delivering the value you expected.
An important part of monitoring and managing PPC campaigns is identifying new opportunities as they arise. Consumerism and marketing are constantly evolving, with trends, technologies and shifting expectations shaping the success of advertising campaigns.
To stay relevant and ensure audiences are being targeted with the right keywords and kinds of ads, the PPC consultant should take a creative approach that focuses on ensuring every advertisement, whether it’s a Google ad or a Bing ad, delivers the most value possible.
To measure the performance of campaigns, PPC consultants will track a variety of metrics, including:
Essentially, it’s an analysis of a PPC strategy that looks at how it can be optimised for better return on investment.
PPC is a complex process that involves constant analysis, so undergoing regular audits is crucial if you want to ensure the effectiveness of your PPC efforts.
Along with regular monitoring, the consultant can bring all of these indicators together in a PPC audit before they start managing a new account and, ideally, every six months or so.
When deciding if hiring an experienced PPC consultant is the right fit for your business, there are a number of factors to consider.
Fundamentally, it all boils down to your unique business needs and whether you already have the skills to manage your PPC advertising in-house, or whether you’d benefit from bringing someone in who has the experience and expertise to handle it for you.
Bear in mind that running a PPC campaign is a complicated process. For a small business, investing in a PPC consulting service can ensure your PPC ads are set up correctly, ad copy is optimised with the right keywords, and that they perform successfully to achieve the desired results.
Before hiring a PPC marketer, it’s a good idea to ensure you outline some relevant information so that you are both on the same page. Some things to keep in mind include:
With this information, the PPC consultant can define a strategy that aligns with your needs and expectations to drive results.
Some of the many benefits of working with PPC professionals include:
If you want to use PPC to increase your website traffic, attract leads and drive revenue, working with a marketing agency that offers dedicated PPC consultancy can help.
Whether you just want to consult with a PPC expert or you’re seeking a full service to take care of all your digital marketing needs, get in touch today to find out how Axonn can help you implement a paid search advertising strategy that gets results.
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