Top PPC Companies

Pay-per-click (PPC) is a popular advertising model that leverages paid ads to generate traffic and promote products or services. Effective PPC campaigns can expand a brand’s reach by leveraging various types and channels such as Amazon ads, Google ads, and display advertising.

PPC advertising is usually associated with search engine advertising, which is the typical ads browsers see on search engine page results (SERP). It works by bidding on ad placements on platforms and search engines like Google. If they win the bidding, they pay the amount agreed upon every time the ad is clicked, which is referred to as cost-per-click (CPC). If ads are targeted effectively, PPC can be a game-changer because it's easy to track, scale, and optimize.

Full-service PPC agencies are dedicated service providers that offer a wide range of services aimed at helping businesses plan, execute, and manage their paid ads campaigns. They have experience maximizing the best tools and creating bespoke strategies to reach different audiences.

When hiring a PPC agency, you can access services such as:

• PPC strategy development: Each business has its own target and goals, requiring tailored PPC strategies to achieve optimal results. Experienced agencies conduct thorough market research and analysis to identify business opportunities and weaknesses. They leverage the gathered data to create a clear plan and set achievable goals.
• Campaign management: PPC agencies offer three main services: campaign setup, execution, and management. They oversee every aspect of the PPC campaign, from creating accounts on Google Ads to optimizing landing pages.
• Bid management: The bidding process is a critical stage of PPC campaigns, and it’s important to have a bidding strategy in place. They can plan tailored bidding strategies to maximize the reach and effectiveness of the campaign. Agencies can also guide businesses in proper budget allocation across platforms and channels to ensure successful reach.
• Ad or content creation: Having the right content can turn good strategies into great campaigns. Agencies can develop, produce, and publish compelling ad content to attract browsers and convert them into clicks.
• Ad testing and optimization: The beauty of PPC is that it can provide real-time measurable results, allowing agencies to optimize efforts. Ad testing is crucial to knowing whether the strategy is working and reaching the right audience. Agencies offer A/B, comparison, audience, and multivariate testing.
• Retargeting: Otherwise referred to as remarketing, it’s the process of developing bespoke strategies to recapture the attention of potential customers who have previously shown interest in the product or service but were not converted into customers.
• Local PPC campaigns: A solution that focuses on driving local traffic and increasing sales by targeting specific geographic areas. Agencies can help businesses create customized ads and implement geo-targeting tactics.

5 Benefits of PPC Services

1. Measurable results that allow advertisers to gauge the success of their campaigns.
2. Effective audience targeting gives advertisers better control over their messaging.
3. Boost brand reach and awareness that can help brands establish their position in their respective markets.
4. Increased traffic by driving interested browsers and directing them to landing pages in order to complete the desired action.
5. Cost-effective solution compared to other forms of marketing if executed masterfully.

What to Consider When Hiring a PPC Agency

Finding and working with the right agency is crucial to unlocking successful results. To ensure compatibility, it’s important to carefully evaluate service providers before signing a contract. By clearly understanding your business goals and needs, you can streamline your search to identify the ideal partner for your project.

5 Factors to Consider

1. Experience and Expertise
2. Certifications and Credentials
3. Strategic Approach
4. Communication and Cultural Fit
5. Budget and Pricing Structure

Experience and Expertise

Each industry or market has its nuances that make campaign execution tough for the inexperienced. By filtering the agencies based on their respective experience and expertise, you ensure they understand your target audience and industry well. To assess this criterion, check the agency’s portfolio or track record working on similar projects. You can ask for their case studies to gain a deeper insight into how they tailor their services to reach specific audiences.

Certifications and Credentials

PPC is inherently more technical than other forms of advertising; thus, it’s an advantage to partner with an agency with relevant certifications such as Google Ads Certification, Microsoft Advertising Certification, and Semrush PPC Fundamentals Course. It’s important to note that certifications shouldn’t be your only basis for their effectiveness, but they are a good indication of their knowledge and training.

Additionally, you can inquire about their partnerships or affiliations with major platforms. Most big or successful PPC agencies have partnerships with platforms such as Google or Meta, which can be advantageous for your ad campaign.

Strategic Approach

In line with the first two factors mentioned, a strategic approach is critical for gauging how well they understand different needs and goals. Their ability to discern projects and formulate strategies can greatly indicate whether they’re the right team for your needs.

Moreover, PPC is as dynamic as the digital landscape. New trends and technologies constantly improve campaigns, and good agencies should know how to adapt their strategies to changes.

Communication and Cultural Fit

Compatibility is everything when collaborating and working with a service provider. The agency should be good communicators—transparent with their reports, consistent when updating, and open to communication.

In addition to communication style, the agency’s culture, values, and vision should align with your business’s own. Good compatibility can help nurture a strong partnership and a harmonious working relationship.

Budget and Pricing Structure

Budget is always a concern for any project, but PPC projects can be more intimidating for some because of ad costs. Remember, their agency fees should be separate from ad costs when looking for a PPC agency. If you’re running on a tighter budget, distinguish your agency budget from the ad budget.

PPC agencies should be upfront and transparent with their pricing — whether they follow hourly, fixed project, or retainer-based pricing. Find the best fit for your budget and needs.

At first glance, PPC may seem costly, but when executed correctly, it can produce a strong return on investment (ROI). When evaluating a potential partner, ensure you see through their budget management. Learn how they allocate resources for bidding, daily ad budgeting, and content development.

Match With a Partner With The Right Expertise

PPC advertising leverages various platforms that may require similar and/or different skills and knowledge. Each platform is unique, with its own features, algorithm, targeting capabilities, and functions. When choosing the right PPC agency, ensure they possess the necessary expertise to execute your project:

• Amazon Advertising: Amazon is one, if not the most popular e-commerce platform globally, making it ideal for strategic paid ads. Amazon PPC is highly valuable for consumer products as it allows businesses to amplify visibility, reach more customers, and drive traffic and potential sales.
• Baidu Advertising: Baidu is a multinational technology company offering a range of internet services and dominating China’s search engine market. Baidu PPC is a specialized service that leverages Baidu Search and other offerings. Companies targeting relevant consumers can benefit greatly from running tailored PPC campaigns on Baidu.
• Bing Advertising: Also referred to as Microsoft Ads, Bing Advertising is a common paid ad solution that’s impactful in various markets. While Google is the most popular search engine, Bing caters to a different audience, enabling businesses to reach new potential customers.
• Display Advertising: Rather than focusing on a single channel, display advertising is a form of paid promotion that maximizes visuals and displays such as banners, native ads, and video ads. Often, display advertising leverages Google Display Network (GDN), making it easier for brands to reach different audience segments and promote their products on whichever websites within the GDN.
• Google Ads: As the biggest search engine in the world, Google Ads is the go-to tool for marketers who want to lose their visibility and reach potential customers. The advertising platform is a good fit for businesses of all sizes because of its vast reach, customization capabilities for various types of campaigns, and extensive options for extensions.
• Retargeting Advertising: A marketing strategy that focuses on recapturing the attention and re-engaging with browsers who have previously visited your website or have shown interest in making a purchase. It's a dynamic strategy that works by tailoring content different from the initial ads they've encountered when discovering the brand.
• Spotify Advertising: As the largest digital audio platform globally, Spotify is for brands that want to have a direct line into the ears of millions of listeners. Compared to other channels, Spotify is considered one of the ideal channels for executing creative and ingenious ad campaigns because listeners or users tend to be engaged when using the platform.
• Yahoo Advertising: Once the largest player on the internet and search engine market, Yahoo is still a powerful tool for businesses that want to promote their products or services. Yahoo Search Ads can be used to appear higher on Yahoo SERPs and reach audiences through its targeting features based on location, device, and even time.
• YouTube Advertising: With more than 2.70 billion active users, YouTube is one of the biggest platforms on the internet, making it prime real estate for businesses looking to promote their products or services. YouTube advertising is an effective tool for connecting with target audiences and boosting brand awareness.

4 Questions to Ask a PPC Agency Before Hiring

PPC can be costly if you don’t have an effective bidding management and allocation strategy. It’s important to partner with an agency with a proper strategy to maximize ROI. You can gauge their integrity, knowledge, and understanding of your project by ensuring they can budget wisely.

Keywords are essentially the foundation of your ad campaigns. Having the right keywords is the first step to planning and executing a successful PPC campaign. Inquiring about their approach to keyword research and selection gives you an understanding of their processes. Their answers should give you confidence in their capabilities and knowledge.

Content is a crucial component of every ad campaign, and matching with an agency that doesn’t just execute the technical side of PPC and delivers on a creative front is massively important. By asking about their creative and content capabilities, you get a good feel of their work and get assurance that they can produce engaging content that can convert, not just attract, customers.

The internet is incredibly dynamic, and marketers must always be on their toes if algorithm changes, trends, or practices affect the PPC landscape. Agencies are responsible for upskilling themselves and keeping up with new tools to continue performing at an optimal level.

How Much Should PPC Services Cost?

The beauty of PPC is that it’s more cost-effective than other marketing channels while delivering tangible results. The thought of paying every click your ad sees may be intimidating but if you’re prepared, PPC can be a compelling solution that’ll bring invaluable ROI.

The average cost of PPC projects reviewed on Clutch ranges anywhere from $10,000 - $49,000. Typically, PPC services agencies ranked on Clutch charge between $100-$149 per hour.

However, it’s worth noting that several components affect costs. Factors such as type of services, range of services, and volume of content all impact pricing.

Moreover, it’s important to know that agency fees are usually separate from PPC management fees, the cost to run your paid ads campaign. Discuss this with potential agencies carefully, especially before signing an agreement.

Shortlist Companies by Industry Experience

Like the type of PPC services and expertise listed above, different industry verticals have significant nuances influencing how marketers should approach the project. Every industry requires specific experience with targeting strategies, budgeting, and even content development. Matching with the right agency with industry experience can help you navigate those nuances and achieve optimal ROI.

PPC Services for Business Services

The business services realm targets a distinct type of audience, corporate professionals, decision-makers, and key heads within organizations. Tailored PPC services can help companies drive high-quality leads, reach specific audiences, and increase conversion rates. Additionally, the data they’ve gathered can be maximized to improve other marketing and business strategies.

PPC Services for eCommerce

PPC plays a pivotal role in driving crucial traffic in the e-commerce industry. When executed successfully, businesses can boost their sales, establish their brand in their market, and stay competitive even in saturated markets. Most eCommerce companies rely on digital marketing, including PPC services, to attract potential customers. PPC also allows them to better understand their customers’ search behaviors, preferences, and purchasing power.

PPC Services for Advertising & Marketing

The advertising and marketing spaces are somewhat similar to business services as they target key business owners. PPC can be used as a tool to showcase the services and expertise offered by agencies, attracting new clients and improving their reputation. A successful PPC campaign can also demonstrate their ability to run impactful campaigns, assuring potential clients they have the skills and knowledge to generate quality results.

PPC Services for Consumer Products & Services

Arguably one of the most crowded spaces, the consumer products and services landscape is abundant with customer options; a huge headache for competing brands. By investing in effective PPC services, businesses can have a leg up on their competitors by precisely targeting their consumers and boosting their digital presence. PPC also enables companies to better understand their customers — what attracts them, their interests, and why some fail to convert into customers. Their gathered data can be maximized to improve their campaigns and other marketing promotions.

PPC Services for Medical & Healthcare

One of the biggest advantages of PPC over other forms of marketing is its geotargeting capabilities, which medical and healthcare companies leverage to reach patients. By appearing in relevant SERPs, patients learn more about the company and its offerings. Any medical provider, regardless of the medical field, can use PPC to educate patients and build a trustworthy reputation in the industry.

Evaluating PPC Services

Reviewing their portfolios and case studies can help you gain deeper insights into potential PPC agencies' impact. They should have a good track record of producing notable campaign results. Here are some key performance indicators (KPIs) for evaluating PPC agencies:

• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Gauges the impact of your PPC campaign and ad copy. A high CTR means that the ad is relevant and engaging to your audience.
• Cost Per Click (CPC): A crucial KPI that determines how effectively you manage your PPC budget. Low CPC and quality leads are great indicators of strong ROI.
• Conversion Rate (CVR): Measures the success of your landing pages and the overall performance of your PPC campaign. Having a high conversion rate means that your customers are following your ad’s desired action such as making a purchase or signing up.
• Cost Per Conversion/Acquisition (CPA): Indicates how much you spend to acquire each customer through your PPC campaign. The lower the CPA, the better it is for cost-efficiency and profitability.
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Measures the profitability of your PPC campaign and how much revenue it generates compared to how much is spent. Good ROAS supports better decision-making and budgeting.

Finding the ideal PPC agency that fits your needs is the key to unlocking PPC's benefits. The right service provider will not just work on your project but can also guide you through the ever-evolving PPC landscape.

Clutch has data-driven rankings for the leading PPC agencies from all over the world. Browse through our list to find trusted companies and read more about their profiles, client reviews, and case studies. Each profile on Clutch contains all the information you need to vet your options and identify which agency matches your needs.

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PPC Expertise

PPC services agencies on Clutch are highly skilled and vetted. They are certified in various PPC platforms, strategies, and other digital marketing disciplines. Their specialization extends to Google Adwords, Bing Ads, Amazon Ads, and YouTube Ads.

In addition to review ratings, you can view awards, a portfolio of past work, clients, and industry recognitions. Clutch verification also provides an additional layer of data to help you make the right purchasing decision, which goes into business details, payment, and legal filings. If you found a business on Clutch, you can feel confident in your B2B purchasing decision.