You want to win at Adwords. However, you know that's not an easy thing to do. You have to be strategic
between setting bids, choosing keywords and creating the ad. You need someone that understands the
logistics behind all of this and how to apply them.
Who wants to flush money down the toilet because an Adwords agency failed to deliver on its promise?
Look at the seven deadly sins and how to spot them to assist with finding the right Google Ads agency.
The Seven Deadly Sins
These are indicators that should deter you from dealing with an agency::
● Always saying yes
● Miscommunication
● Conservatism
● Superficial Strategy
● Unversed
● Personality conflicts
● Lack of accountability
So let’s look at these areas in more detail so that you know how to screen an Adwords agency.
Always Saying Yes
A good Google Ads agency knows that they have limits on what they can do for their clients between
client expectations and Adwords limitations.You don’t want an agency always saying yes—commonly
referred to as yesaholism. The right agency will ask the right questions, to make sure that the potential
client will mesh well with the agency.
Here are some questions that should be asked of you during the sales process:
● Have you worked with a previous agency? If so, why do you no longer use them?
● What are your business goals?
● What is your budget?
You need an agency that’s not afraid to tell you what is and isn’t feasible. This tells you whether they
suffer from Yesaholism or not.
Miscommunication
If you have to question the performance of your campaigns, then there is an issue. This is a
miscommunication with you and your agency. You as the client have the right to know how your Adwords
campaigns are performing.
An example of good communication would be to collaborate with the agency on a short term goal and
what the plan is to achieve that goal. During this time you should have regularly scheduled meetings to go
over the performance of the campaigns, as well as any modifications that need to be made to the plan.
Conservatism
A good Adwords agency needs to be able to put forth a plan based on a multitude of techniques, rather
than simply write ads and research keyword- then hope for the best. A good Google Adwords agency will
not oppose change if the current technique is lacking optimal results. Your Adwords management
resource needs to be versatile in order for your campaign to be fully optimized.
Superficial
A superficial strategy is one of the most costly of all 7 “sins”. The success of your campaign should not be
measured by superficial metrics (i.e. click-through-rate). The problem with these metrics is that they are
very wishy-washy and inconclusive. Your local NZ agency or international PPC specialist needs to be
able to set up tracking based on pertinent metrics, such as overall profitability and revenue.
An agency that can recognize and account for the end result of your goals, is worth keeping around.
Unversed
An agency that is unversed with your industry, lack awareness of the industry-specific factors that
contribute to Adwords success. Despite the fact that it is a lesser “sin”, you should still want to look at an
agency that is somewhat knowledgeable of your industry. Ask the agency a few questions that correlate
to your industry, to determine the level of knowledge.
Personality Conflicts
There will be times when personalities clash, however, if it happens from the start this could be a sign. No
one can predict the future, however, you can prepare for it. Start by interviewing your prospective account
holder, the responses will help determine if you and the agency will mesh well together or if you need to
keep looking.
Lack of Accountability
There are times when mistakes will be made (i.e prematurely running a campaign). A good agency will
recognize and own up to their mistakes. If an agency can’t own up to an error made regarding your
campaign, how do you know it won’t happen again? You
don’t want an agency that “passes the buck”
when a mistake is made. You want an agency that acknowledges a mistake, takes action and learns from
it.
Bottom Line
Having the right tools and management resource is a contributing factor for you to win at Adwords.
Finding the right Google Ads agency to manage your account requires work, but is a necessity. Knowing
the seven deadly sins and how to spot them within an agency will save you money searching for the right
fit, whether you are running ads in New Zealand or Worldwide.