Should Someone Else Manage Your PPC Campaign?

Many companies actively engage in search engine or keyword advertising today.  Some go the DIY route using the tools the Google or Yahoo provide, while others outsource it to specialists in the Pay Per Click (PPC) arena.

The question of whether to keep it in-house or hire a consultant is not an easy one.  But George Michie offers an excellent analysis of the pros and cons.  He says it boils down to:

1. Can your in-house team do the job well?
2. Can someone else do the job better?
3. If the answer to 2 is “yes,” will the difference be enough to cover the cost of their services less your internal management savings?

George goes on to indicate one of the biggest warning signs you can have about a PPC consultant.  And, honestly, I would say it applies to any consultant just with different specifics: "If you find that you or your team has to direct the term expansions, testing initiatives, bidding strategy etc, that’s a red flag warning that you may not be with the right agency."

If you're engage in the PPC arena, the whole post is definitely worth a read.  Ironically, I read this on a morning when my own company's marketing team is scheduled to talk with our new PPC consultant.  This would be a great post for both teams to read.

For a different take on the search engine marketing arena, you may want to consider BL Ochman's post: "Why Keyword Advertising Will Soon Be a Thing of the Past For All But the Wealthiest Companies."

 

Technorati tags: George Michie, BL Ochman, PPC, SEM, advertising, consultant, Google, Yahoo, search ads, search advertising

Comments

[Jeff]

Was this written before our after our conversation? LoL