PPC management

What is PPC management? 

PPC management involves managing and optimizing online advertising campaigns where advertisers pay a fee each time someone clicks one of their ads. Essentially, it's a way of buying visits to your site rather than attempting to earn those visits organically.

A successful PPC campaign offers precise targeting, from keyword selection to audience demographics, ensuring that ads are displayed to the right people at the right time, ultimately generating valuable leads and sales.

PPC management can refer to Google Ads management, but it can sometimes refer to other types of online advertising people sometimes refer to as "PPC." Examples include programmatic advertising

What does a PPC management specialist/ agency do? 

As a general rule, PPC management specialists and agencies deal with the following:

Keyword research

Identifying relevant keyword ideas is crucial for campaign success as it ensures that your Google ads appear for relevant search queries. This process requires using various keyword research tools to find the best keywords, as well as performing keyword optimization to ensure your ads stay relevant to shifting trends.

Furthermore, the same process frequently involves in-depth keyword analysis and finding negative keyword lists, as well as running competitor keyword analyses regularly.

A good, advanced keyword strategy will include long-tail keywords, competitor keyword analyses, and other additional keywords that will help you reach a better audience with your PPC search engine marketing.

Channel strategy

A PPC management specialist or agency selects appropriate channels for your search ads (Google Ads, Bing Ads, etc.) or social media platform. They also devise strategies tailored to each platform to maximize ad campaign performance and ROI. They analyze where target audiences are most active and how they can be best engaged to ensure the highest visibility and conversion rates.

Campaign performance monitoring 

Campaign monitoring is a critical process where specialists track the performance of PPC campaigns in real time, making adjustments as needed to improve results. This involves analyzing metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and overall ROI to ensure campaigns are meeting their objectives efficiently.

Competitor analysis 

Competitor analysis in PPC management involves assessing your competitors' advertising strategies to identify opportunities and threats within the market. This includes evaluating their search targeting/ keyword choices, ad copy, and bidding strategies to refine and enhance one's own PPC campaigns for better performance.

Campaign strategy optimization

Campaign strategy optimization in PPC management involves the ongoing refinement and adjustment of the entire PPC campaign to align more closely with business goals and market dynamics. This includes revisiting search ads/ keyword selections, ad copy (and creatives when they're involved), bidding strategies, and overall campaign objectives to increase efficiency and return on investment (ROI).

Multivariate testing

Multivariate testing in PPC management means you test different versions of ad campaigns simultaneously to determine which combinations of elements such as ad copy, keyword selection, images, and landing pages perform best. This approach allows for data-driven decisions that refine campaign strategy, enhancing your search and social media ad campaign effectiveness (and increasing your ROI in the process.)

What is the main goal of PPC management?

The main purpose of working with a PPC team or professional is to ensure your paid ad money is well-spent, your campaigns are properly monitored, and your returns are maximized. Ultimately, the main goal of PPC management is to drive profitable leads and sales for your business.

Types of PPC management 

There are two main categories of PPC management:

In-house 

In-house PPC management means a company's internal team to strategize, execute, and oversee all aspects of its PPC campaigns. This approach allows for direct control over campaigns and can be beneficial for companies with the needed expertise and resources to manage PPC effectively. If you plan to invest a lot in search ads or other types of PPC ads,

Outsourced 

Outsourced PPC management refers to hiring external experts or agencies to handle the intricacies of PPC campaigns. It offers access to specialized knowledge, saves time, and can often lead to enhanced performance due to the agency's wide-ranging experience and resources.

Agency

Choosing an agency for outsourced PPC search engine marketing/ social media advertising provides expertise and leverages advanced tools and analytics to sharpen your advertising strategies. This option is best for businesses seeking to maximize their advertising efficiency without the overhead of expanding their in-house team.

Freelancers

Hiring a freelancer for PPC management combines the flexibility of working with an individual expert and potentially lower costs compared to agencies. This option suits businesses looking for specialized, yet budget-conscious, PPC campaign management.

Top 4 PPC management advantages 

The main advantages of hiring someone to help you with your PPC management include:

Better engagement 

Expert PPC management optimizes ad spend by targeting ads to the right audiences at the most opportune times, thereby increasing engagement levels. It leverages professional insights and sophisticated tools to refine and adjust campaigns for improved conversion rates and ROI.

This strategic approach ensures businesses get the most value from their advertising efforts, driving profitable leads and sales.

Cost-effectiveness

PPC management ensures that every dollar spent on pay-per-click advertising campaigns is used efficiently, leading to significant cost savings over time.

When they continually adjust and optimize each aspect of the campaign, from keyword selection to audience targeting, PPC experts help businesses avoid wasteful spending. This optimization results in a higher return on investment by directing funds towards strategies that are proven to increase engagement and conversions.

Better workflow 

Effectively managing a PPC campaign with professional help streamlines the advertising workflow, allowing businesses to focus their energies on core operations while experts optimize their ad performances.

This arrangement enhances productivity by reducing the burden of constant campaign monitoring and adjustment on in-house teams. Consequently, it leads to a more strategic and less stressful approach to achieving advertising goals, optimizing both time and resources.

Improved SEO 

While PPC management focuses primarily on paid advertising strategies, it indirectly supports SEO (Search Engine Optimization) efforts by increasing visibility and driving traffic to a business's website.

By targeting the right keywords and creating relevant ad content, PPC can complement organic search strategies, enhancing overall online presence. Furthermore, the data acquired from PPC campaigns, such as keyword performance, can provide valuable insights for SEO strategy adjustments, ensuring a cohesive and comprehensive digital marketing approach.

Should you hire a PPC management company or a freelancer? 

In short, if you run PPC campaigns and you can't dedicate yourself full-time to this, you should consider hiring a PPC management company or freelancer. However, the best approach for your specific business will depend on factors such as your marketing budget, expertise, and goals.

If you have a dedicated team with the necessary experience and resources to manage PPC effectively, in-house management may be a suitable option. On the other hand, if you are looking for specialized knowledge and support without expanding your in-house team, outsourcing to an agency or freelancer may be a more efficient and cost-effective approach.

Keep in mind that not all PPC freelancers have the same skillset. For instance, some paid search specialists will only focus on search campaigns on Google Ads (as Google is the largest search engine.) Others will focus on more than just search term-based ads (i.e., they might run Display campaigns or social media campaigns too.) And other search agencies might focus on all types of paid search (including Bing), but not on social media. Remember to ask about the specific areas they cover to make sure you're hiring the right people.