Whether it’s finding a recipe, looking at operating hours for the grocery store, or forgetting the address for your hotel, we’ve all searched for something online at one point or another. 

That means you’ve probably also seen a search engine ad. 

Search engine platforms like Google and Bing are an amazing opportunity for your business to reach new users, just like you! And there are a ton of agencies out there willing to work with you on those ads.

If you’re ready to expand your digital marketing plan into the world of search engine marketing, it’s important to know that the agency you’re working with (or want to work with) is ready to achieve your goals.

Are You Experienced with SEM?

How many years has the agency worked in Google Ads or Microsoft Ads? Does that agency have SEM specialists? 

If the agency you’re considering mostly focuses on social media advertising or print advertising but dabbles in SEM ads, it’s worth digging into just how good of results they can deliver. 

At our agency, we have a team of experts who specialize in SEM (with nearly two decades of experience working in Google Ads put together) and who do regular certification courses to keep up with everything Google Ads related.

Is the Agency a Google Partner?

Maybe you’re not familiar with the Google Partners program — and that is A-okay. But when it comes to Google Ads, a good agency should be very familiar with the program.

Google Partners must meet several standards to receive this accreditation. Don’t be afraid to ask the agency about their certification — and if they’re not, ask why! If they’re just not interested, you may want to look for another agency that is a Google Partner.

Why does that matter? If the agency you’re considering isn’t accredited, they might not be in tune with everything Google Ads have to offer.

Google Partners are offered educational videos, courses, and certifications to help them continue to develop their skills and keep their company up to date on the latest Google Ads improvements. Partners also have direct access to product support, the Google Advertiser Community, the Google Help Center, and more.

How Do You Measure Success with Search Engine Marketing?

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again — any trustworthy agency should be offering you some kind of report to show you how their work is performing. Don’t just take their word for it and hope everything is going well. 

When it comes to reporting for our SEM clients, what you should check depends on your goals. We often include results for metrics like:

• Overall budget spend for the time period (how much of your budget was spent)
• Total impressions (how many users saw your ad during the time period)
• Click-through rate (how many users clicked to your site from the ad)
• Cost-per-click (how much you paid for each user to click through)

We also include data that we pull directly from Google Analytics so our clients can see how their ads are impacting their website. This includes things like average session duration (how much time your users spend on your site) and bounce rate (the percentage of users that leave before taking an action). Plus, you want to make sure your tracking key events — the actions that make a difference to your business’s bottom line, like form submissions and phone calls.

Are you set up on Google Analytics? We can get you there! We offer a Google Analytics set up package to make sure that you’re not missing out on important data.

The agency you work with should also be able to offer benchmarks so you can see how your results compare to others’. These could be internal or external, but having some kind of a basis gives you an idea of what to expect from your ads.

Marketing ROI Packages: Don’t waste your budget.

How Much Do You Think I Should Spend on Google Ads?

Unlike other advertising platforms, there’s not a minimum required spend for search engine advertising — but that doesn’t mean you should only spend $1 per day. 

The agency you’re working with should be able to suggest a budget recommendation that fits your finances and advertising goals, and provides you with great results. 

It’s also important to note that most agencies charge a setup fee to get your advertising accounts up and running. Others may also charge a commission on the ad spend you agree on. Asking your agency about these fees up-front keeps you from being surprised when the first bill comes.

At 9 Clouds, we put all of your ads budget towards your ads. We choose to not work off a commission of ad budgets because we believe you should receive the same amount of attention from our team, regardless of how much you spend.

Why We Don’t Charge Commission on Your Ad Spend

How Often Will You Check on Our Ads?

The agency you’re working with should spend regular maintenance time in your account to keep your campaigns running at full force. Some things they might work on include:

• Check ad budgets and weekly spends
• Researching keyword costs
• Checking the search terms you’re showing ads for
• Adding negative keywords
• Optimizing ads and keyword rankings

Don’t be afraid to ask your agency about their processes to find out whether or not your expectations are compatible with their practices. At 9 Clouds, our SEM specialists check on our clients’ SEM campaigns at least once a week — and check on budgets 2x a week! — to ensure things are running smoothly.

Close the Tab! Your Agency Search Ends Here.

If 9 Clouds sounds like the agency you want to work with, let’s talk. We can help you identify if SEM campaigns are right for your business — or if there are other platforms you should consider. We’ll also give budget recommendations and help you develop a plan that’s right for your goals. 

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