Not all is as it seems in the world of pay per click. Be sure to look out for these warning signs

So your search engine marketing needs a boost and you’re scouting for a new PPC agency that fits the bill. Great choice — there are hundreds of great agencies out there, and we’re sure you’ll find the perfect partner for your campaigns… provided you heed this advice.

See, not all agencies are created equal, and we’ve heard enough horror stories from clients (and lived through a few ourselves) to know choosing poorly can be a very costly mistake indeed. 

Thankfully, these rogue agencies tend to have a few things in common with one another — and that make them relatively easy to spot. Are you being pitched by an agency that matches one or more of these descriptions? Tread very carefully… or perhaps very quickly in the opposite direction. 

Red Flag #1: Refusing access to your accounts

This one’s simple — you should own your accounts, your agency should have access. If they insist on the reverse of this agreement, walk away. You want full oversight of your data, you want the ability to change agencies in the future should the need arise, you don’t want to find yourself locked out in the event of a dispute.

Red Flag #2: Poor or inconsistent reporting

Your agency’s job only begins with running your ad accounts. They also have a responsibility to keep you in the loop with developments, help you understand what’s happening, and give you the information you need to provide input on key decisions. If they can’t do all of this — and in a timely, regular manner — they may not have your best interests at heart. 

Red Flag #3: Counting conversions twice

It might sound oddly specific, but this has become increasingly common in recent years. We’ve been hearing more and more stories about agencies who “accidentally” set up tracking incorrectly in such a way that every conversion is counted twice. You know your business better than anyone else – if your conversions look too good to be true, they just might be.

Red Flag #4: The “seniority switcheroo”

This one’s particularly common, and it’s not at all limited to PPC agencies. It goes like this: the agency assigns you a senior account manager, one with many years of experience in the game, who impresses with their depth of knowledge and list of achievements. You sign their contract to find that your contact is fresh out of school and the intern is managing your accounts. 

As an aside, Muhlert Digital exclusively hires senior marketing experts.  

Red Flag #5: 'Guaranteed' results

We’ve all heard it before. An agency pitches you five-fold improvements on your current campaigns, qualified leads at an unbelievable price, or some other far-fetched dream. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, tread very carefully. You don’t want to find yourself tied to a contract with an agency that under-delivers on their over-promising. Our recommendation: Choose your agency based on experience or a proven track record, not empty promises.

Red Flag #6: A focus on vanity metrics

Perhaps they haven’t been doing as much as they can to keep you in the loop, but it’s possible your current agency does have a grand plan behind the scenes, right? Well, if they’re constantly reporting upwards trends and pleasant surprises for metrics you’re not interested in… don’t hold your breath. 

Let’s say you run an online shop, but your agency wants to tell you all about click volumes and CTRs. Ask them to talk you through conversions or conversion value instead. Similarly, if you’re focused on effective lead acquisition but your agency is obsessed with hitting that top spot on the search page to the exclusion of all else, it might be time to search out another partner. 

Red Flag #7: A lack of clear goals or strategy

A good agency will tailor their approach to your business, clearly defining which goals they’re working towards, how they plan to get there, and in what timeframe. Without this, you can’t effectively evaluate your agency’s performance — which would be rather convenient for them should it not be up to scratch.

Hopefully this list has armed you with all the information you need to start selecting your next PPC partner — or at least to trim a few red flags from your shortlist. Happy hunting!