5 Questions to Ask a Paid Search Professional

Are you in the market for a paid search management professional? If you’re not sure where to begin, you’re not alone! Before you enter the exciting yet complex world of paid search, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with each of these questions. After all, selecting the right paid search professional will set the stage for your success.

Are you Google Certified?

Google recommends that you work with a Google AdWords Certified Partner when outsourcing the management of your account. To become Google Certified, PPC professionals have to pass a series of tests to prove proficiency in every area of campaign management; from setup to mobile optimization. If you are going to entrust your PPC account and marketing dollars to an adverting professional, make sure they have earned their stripes!

Who will be managing my campaign?

It is important to have an open dialog with the advertising professional that will be managing your account. To remain competitive in the paid search landscape, regular changes will need to be made to your campaigns, changes that will require collaboration. Be sure to select an agency that will facilitate a close working relationship between you and your account manager.

How will you measure success?

Success metrics are the cornerstone of paid search management. Your account manager should be prepared to work with you to set aggressive yet attainable campaign goals, goals which will drive their optimization efforts. Over time, as your campaign becomes more and more effective, together you will need to reevaluate and shift your success metrics accordingly.

Will you provide ongoing keyword development?

A paid search campaign should never stop evolving. Just as industries and verticals change overtime, so too does the supporting search landscape. Your account manager should be prepared to use analytics, including search query data, to continuously expand your keyword list as well as your campaign and adgroup negatives.

How often do you run tests?

The answer here should be, ‘we never stop.’ The campaign optimization process is a never ending cycle of testing, learning and implementing changes. Your account manager should be prepared to A/B test adcopy, landing pages, keywords, sitelinks and more. Be sure to select an agency that implements this fundamental practice day in and day out.

There you have it, ask these questions to ensure you're selecting an agency that is committed to the long term success of your paid search initiative. Did we miss any? We would love to hear from you! Let us know what questions you ask when vetting out a paid search professional.

Want to get in touch? Call us today at (206) 400-7724 or visit us online at www.connectionmodel.com.