September 8, 2015
Life is full of choices. In a typical day, you’re constantly faced with making decisions. These decisions range from the mundane—like what kind of burrito bowl to get for lunch—to the important—like which digital marketing agency to choose—to the very big deal—like which Netflix series to start tonight. Side note: I recommend the second season of BoJack Horseman.
Because there are so many digital marketing agencies out there, it can be overwhelming to choose an agency and let it manage your website’s paid search and search engine optimization. Hiring an agency is not unlike hiring an internal employee—the people at the agency are working with you to achieve goals for your company. Choosing an agency is a big decision and you want to get it right. I’ve put together 3 things you need to look for when deciding on the right digital marketing agency for you.
1) Ownership of Accounts
Historical data is imperative to a good PPC campaign. If you’re looking to begin or continue a PPC account, keep an eye out for agencies who allow you to access your own account. This way, you can always be able to view your campaign’s landing pages, creative banners, and retargeted cookie pool and ultimately keep track of what’s been done for your PPC campaigns.
For example, at Perfect Search we request access to your account via your My Client Center (MCC) account. However, Google AdWords makes tools specifically for digital marketing agencies, so the agency will have complete ownership of the accounts. Still, the agency should consistently provide summary reports and communicate important updates so that you’re always in-the-know.
2) Certification
This is a basic requirement. Any agency that handles your PPC and SEO should be officially certified. After all, you wouldn’t trust a doctor who isn’t certified. Certification provides you with the confidence that the agency’s team is knowledgeable and knows how to use important industry tools.
However, there are a variety of certifications to look out for—Google AdWords, Google Analytics, and Bing. Make sure to do your research and ask questions before committing to any agency. Not-so-shameless plug: Perfect Search is a Google Certified Partner, and every one of our account managers are certified individuals. We also have many Google AdWords, Bing, and Google Analytics certified team members. Check out our team here.
3) Transparency & Reporting
A transparent agency is crucial in a successful partnership. Working with a digital marketing agency is kind of like being in a relationship: communication should be a two-way street and both parties’ goals should align. (Perks of a digital marketing relationship: you don’t have to debate over where to order take-out from. Probably.)
Because each month encompasses a significant amount of work for an SEO and PPC campaign, you should receive a monthly report on what was done, the significance of the past month’s actions, and next steps.
For reference, the Perfect Search PPC team has bi-weekly reporting calls with each client to stay engaged on the account while our SEO team has monthly client calls. Our monthly reporting can be customized to each client’s desires and needs, but we have a standard extensive report that we send out to clients each month. This report shows a high-level summary of the tasks completed, highlights, and next steps as well as a detailed report that analyzes more in-depth numbers.
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Do your homework when looking for a digital marketing agency. It’ll be a central part of your company’s business strategy, so you need to look for an agency that you can trust. If you’re interested, check out Perfect Search’s digital marketing services here.
Have any other tips for what to look for in an agency? Are you a BoJack Horseman fan? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us @perfect_search!