The 5 finest PPC firms of 2020

Paid advertising offers a 200% ROI. For every dollar you spend, you get two dollars back. It's no surprise that nearly 80% of marketers find PPC profitable and beneficial to their business.

But it's not that easy to run ads, see what's in it, and hope that people will buy from you.

There is a reason PPC agencies exist: managing tons of moving parts and constantly updating the algorithm takes time. Plus … none of these things are easy to keep track of either.

To make matters worse, choosing the best PPC company for your business poses a number of new challenges. In this article, I'll describe my top recommendations, features to look for, and what to expect when working with an agency.

Let's start!

The 5 Best PPC Companies in the World

PPC is an exciting form of digital marketing because it allows you to quickly and directly evaluate your investment return.

Whether you are an excellent PPC manager looking to outsource or have no experience with pay-per-click advertising campaigns, choosing the right PPC agency is not always easy.

To help you out, I've put together this list of my top recommendations for different types of businesses.

Let's dive in!

1. Neil Patel Digital – Best Data Driven Multi-Channel PPC Agency

Search engine results aren't the only type of PPC advertising.

Other examples are social media, programmatic and Amazon, each with their own quirks and best practices.

At Neil Patel Digital, we specialize in running multi-channel PPC campaigns using first party data from our partners. In addition, we use this information to create high-profit, strategic campaigns that will hit your audience where they are.

While helping viewers make an informed purchase decision.

With our data-driven approach to digital marketing, we've helped companies like Intuit, GM, and Facebook make more money authentically.

2. Policy Advice – Best for B2B, SaaS, and corporate businesses

If you are a B2B, SaaS, or corporate company looking for consulting services or a dedicated PPC management partner, Directive Consulting is an excellent option.

They specialize in helping software companies around the world run high ROI campaigns with a dedicated team that runs and tweaks things behind the scenes.

According to Directive Consulting, one of the key differentiators is the predictability of their results.

They prove this by presenting numerous case studies that set out their findings. In one example, in the first three months they enabled a 91.1% increase in lead generation and reduced their customers' cost per lead by 21.8%.

So you can be sure that you are in good hands.

3. Stryde – Best for B2C and ecommerce businesses

B2C pay per click campaigns differ significantly from B2B campaigns. With different markets and trends, it is important to understand the specific advantages and disadvantages of your industry.

And who better than an agency specializing in e-commerce?

Stryde is an ecommerce specific digital marketing agency working with small and large companies around the world.

While they focus on other aspects of digital marketing like SEO and email marketing, PPC is a big part of their job.

They helped Lime Ricke, a swimwear brand, achieve a 5.2x ROI. Additionally, they helped Lucy Ave, a women's apparel company, achieve a 4.3 ROI.

With repeatable and impressive results like this one (and others featured in their extensive portfolio), you know you are making a wise choice.

4. Loud Mouth Media – Best small agency that gets big results

If you are looking for a skilled search advertising or paid social networking partner, Loud Mouth Media has your back. They are a small UK based agency specializing in PPC campaigns (specially paid search and social campaigns) for businesses of all sizes.

Loud Mouth Media has also partnered with Google, Bing and Facebook. So they know that on these platforms they are always up to date with the latest trends and research.

They are a small team of 23 seasoned marketers, creatives, and strategists creating impressive results for businesses of all sizes around the world.

With numerous awards for digital marketing and past clients like Volvo and BBC, their credentials and portfolio make them the best small PPC agency delivering massive results.

5. KlientBoost – Best for PPC management + landing page design

Powerful PPC campaigns go beyond great ad copy, design, and targeting. Wherever you send your targeted traffic issues.

For this reason, it's important to have well-designed landing pages that are optimized to convert visitors into leads or customers. At KlientBoost, they know how important conversion-oriented landing pages are.

Their in-house team of developers, conversion designers, and top-notch marketers give them the power to create great customer experiences from start to finish.

You have had repeatable results like:

300% increase in conversion rate for Juniper Networks
Lemon Stand click rates increased by 315%
97% less cost per acquisition for Caresync

So, if you are looking for help optimizing your landing pages and a dedicated PPC advertising team to find the right people and turn them into buyers, KlientBoost is for you.

7 qualities that make a great PPC company

Now you know my top PPC recommendations based on your needs.

Let's get to what makes these PPC companies what they do best. We'll also go over what to look for in your search for the best option for your business.

1. Extensive industry knowledge

The best PPC campaigns focus on the right audiences and the right keywords. However, not all audience segments or keywords are created equal.

Understanding what works and what doesn't is based on experience and in-depth industry knowledge. Without these two, you're relying on intuition.

Which … works sometimes, but you shouldn't expect that from a top PPC agency.

Take a look at who is part of the agency's team and take some time to evaluate their experience and expertise in your industry.

They can also check out the published case studies in different industries to see what types of results they get for their clients.

If you're unsure of their industry, contact an agency that feels better.

2. Advanced analysis and reporting

Analysis and reporting are essential aspects of any PPC campaign.

They will help you better understand which segments and copies work well in order to shift your budget towards high-profit ads while reducing ad spend on those that don't.

Therefore, your PPC agency needs to provide accurate and transparent reports so you always know where every dollar is going and the ROI it is getting.

In addition, top PPC agencies try to gather as much information as possible about everything about your campaign.

These insights will help you customize and create higher ROI campaigns with first party data straight from your company.

You may not find much about it on an agency website. Hence, it is important to ask questions about the data and metrics they are measuring to influence their proposals and future campaign strategies.

3. Intentional keyword selection

The best PPC marketers know that the best way to improve ROI and reduce wasted ad spend is to focus on transactional keywords rather than informational keywords for paid search marketing.

Why? Because people who search for transactional terms are more likely to spend money.

And good PPC strategists know that this is the best way to get your business in front of the right people at the right time, without wasting ad spend on irrelevant terms that don't lead to purchases.

You may have a hard time finding out about this on the website. So be sure to ask questions and measure your knowledge of intent-based searches before moving on.

4. First party data sources and strategic partnerships

Search engines and social media platforms are constantly updating their algorithms to be as human as possible and provide their users with the best possible experience.

The best PPC companies to work with are on top of these continual changes.

Search and social partnerships offer deep insights and industry trends that non-partners don't have.

In addition, with a pool of first-party data sources, agencies review the attributes and behavior of your target audience firsthand to make strategic decisions regarding your campaign before using your ad spend to test the market.

Check their website for partnership badges for major search engines and social media platforms. You can also search for clues about first-party data sources.

5. Mobile optimization

Fifteen years ago there was no mobile surfing and searching. Today, mobile devices account for more than 50% of all searches performed worldwide.

But there is something more interesting. Mobile devices account for 53% of paid clicks, which means there is a great opportunity (and need) to tweak your paid mobile search strategy.

In addition, there are nearly 3.5 million mobile social media users worldwide. The possibilities for mobile-optimized paid social media campaigns are also huge.

This is a great case for mobile PPC campaigns. And the best PPC companies know that. So make sure the company you choose is ready to strategize and optimize your campaigns for mobile devices.

You may need to ask questions if you can't find this information on their website.

If you're not sure what mobile features are available, switch to a different PPC agency.

6. Local PPC functions

90% of shoppers turn to search engines when looking for information about local businesses, and 33% do this type of search on a daily basis.

Combine that with the fact that 40% of total clicks for transactional keywords go to the top three commercials, and you have a strong case for local paid search marketing.

If your business is in specific fields or you have a physical location to sell products or meet potential customers, the paid search experience and skills on the spot are a must.

Some PPC agencies specialize in local PPC, but that doesn't mean those that don't get impressive results.

So be sure to ask questions to make sure you are a good match.

7. Multi-channel PPC services

If you are looking for any particular type of PPC marketing this isn't necessarily a deal breaker.

However, if you are interested in cross-channel marketing, it is easier to have all of your campaigns run through a single agency.

And the more you work with them, the better they'll adapt to your company, your industry, and your specific campaign goals. You also have the advantage that you can communicate and coordinate with one agency instead of managing several at the same time.

Plus, you don't have to worry about misaligned messages from one platform to the next.

So think carefully about where your target audience is. Don't forget to consider search engines, social media, paid shopping, and programmatic advertising on websites they visit frequently.

Then choose a PPC agency with experience in these areas.

What to Expect from a Great PPC Company

If you've never worked with a PPC company before, it's hard to know what to expect. Now that you know what to look for, let's talk about what it's like to work with one of the best PPC companies out there.

The details of each stage will look different depending on the company you work with, but the general approach is usually the same.

Phase 1: Discovery

The best PPC companies go out of their way to find out everything there is to know about your business and what to look for. The first step to a new PPC project is discovery and onboarding.

During this phase, you and your agency should find out:

Your budget (including monthly ad spend)
The goals for your PPC campaign
What sets your company apart from your competitors?
Here's how to improve your landing pages to increase conversions
Specific details about your company and your target group, e.g. B. where they are online, when they tend to shop and where they live
What happens next

This is your chance to share anything you can think of with your PPC agency. Even if it doesn't feel relevant, it can be critical to your success. So come into this stage as an open book with an open mind.

Phase 2: planning and testing

Once the agency understands your company, target audience, and marketing goals, it's time to start planning your upcoming campaign. This also includes defining critical metrics and KPIs.

This phase can also include running a small, low-budget pilot campaign to test different audience segments, copies, and overall execution.

The more information you know about your target audience, the easier it becomes.

By the end of this phase, you will have a plan to fully execute and a deeper understanding of how you will work together in the future.

Phase 3: Complete execution

Now it's time to start the full campaign. The details of this will depend on the type of advertisement and the agency you are working with.

Your project can be short term, long term or ongoing. During this time, however, you should receive regular feedback and in-depth reports detailing everything about your campaign.

And when your campaign comes to an end, you should have a clear picture of your results.

Phase 4: Next steps

Finally, your agency will guide you through the collected data and explain what it all means. They are also likely to provide suggestions and feedback on what they can improve if you want to keep working together.

This phase should also cover what happens next.

Strategy + creative + the right target group segments = high ROI

Hiring a top PPC company is a smart choice if you want to save time, strategize with experts in your industry, and get short term results (versus SEO).

However, choosing a PPC agency that you can trust is more difficult than it sounds.

Whether you're looking for advice or someone to take over and manage your campaigns, use these tips and recommendations as you make your decision.

Do you have experience reviewing and hiring a PPC agency? Which criteria did you take into account in your decision?