… To Run Your SEM Campaign

Since we just introduced our new Yield Web Marketing Suite for Agencies, I thought it might be helpful to cover how to choose the right search engine marketing (SEM) agency for your business. Finding and interviewing agencies can be difficult and time-consuming, especially if you haven’t done this process before. But it doesn’t have to be.

Here are my five steps for finding the right SEM agency.  (Tip-of-the-hat to David Rodnitzky at Blogation and Mike Nierengarten at SEMpdx for their “choosing an SEM agency” tips.)

Step #1: Identify your SEM agency needs.

Do you want the agency to oversee SEO, PPC or both?

Will you want them to develop content based on the recommendations they give you?

Do you want them to do everything for you and just send you reports every month – or do you want a more collaborative relationship where you review reports, ask questions and make recommendations?

Are you willing to commit to a months- or year-long relationship or are you looking for month-to-month?

Do you want a big agency or a boutique one?

Does the agency need to be local or is across the country ok?

And finally, what is your ad spend and budget?

Step #2: Develop a list of potential agencies.

You can find potential agencies by asking other business owners, visiting SEM discussion boards, and attending industry conferences such as Search Engine Strategies or SMX. You can check out the AAAA’s website or check out SEMPO for resources.  Try subscribing to the MediaPost Search Insights email newsletter, where there’s always excellent information and comments from folks working in the field.  And you can also find them via search engines and by calling our office – we work with a number of SEM agencies and can recommend one or two to you.

Step #3: Research the agencies.

I highly recommend that you visit each agency’s site to confirm that the agency satisfies the criteria you established in Step One. You’ll also want to determine if the agency’s site is optimized (especially if they selling SEO services). You’d be surprised at how many SEM agencies fall flat when it comes to their own SEO.

Don’t forget to look for online reviews, too, on Yelp, Google and other sites. You can also use LinkedIn to search for agency profiles – these profiles will also list the names of employees (if they have a LinkedIn profile). Look for Recommendations, connections, and if the agency answers Questions or if it runs an active LinkedIn Group.

Step #4: Research the agencies’ clients.

I also recommend that you look at agencies’ client lists (usually available on the agency website) and then visit their clients’ sites. Are they optimized or not? Do their PPC ads appear when you do a search? You can even call these clients yourself and get a run-down on how they work with the agency and any results the company has realized.

Your goal with these last two steps is to cull your list down to three-to-five agencies.

Step #5: Call the agencies on your short list – and ask lots of questions!

The agency will ask you questions (which you’ll be prepared for due to your work in Step #1) — in turn, you’ll want to ask the following:

Who will do the work? Does the agency farm out work to freelancers and sub-contractors (either in the U.S. or overseas) or is all work completed in-house?

What percentage of the ad spend will you pay?

How will the agency provide reports and what information do these reports contain? Will you receive comprehensive dashboards each month and will someone from the company go over the data with you so that you understand it? Or, will you get cryptic reports via email with no analysis? Be sure to ask for sample reports.

Will they develop new content for you if necessary? Often agencies recommend that a client develop new content or landing pages in response to new keywords or campaigns. If they don’t have in-house content developers, whom do they use as content creators? Will the agency need to work with your Web designer to ensure new content is designed and uploaded to your site?

Does the agency specialize in a specific vertical? Some agencies specialize in just B2B or B2C while others combine both.

What is the length of the contract? If you’re unhappy with the work being performed, is there a way out of the contract? Does the agency guarantee its work? (Remember, no one can guarantee you top listings in any search engine, but you should see improved results – and increased sales – over time.)

What happens if you cancel? Will the agency charge you for “data transfer” or “transition costs?” Will you have access to your PPC or SEO campaign once you do cancel? Is this spelled out in the contract?

What results does the agency get for its clients? Don’t settle for “we get top results for all of our clients.” Ask for three to five client names and then call them. Don’t shirk this step!

Do you use SEM automation tools? Many agencies are now using automation tools, such as Yield’s Web Marketing Suite for Agencies, to help them cost-effectively manage their clients’ SEM campaigns. These tools are fine – but do ask if you have access to the tool so that you can see for yourself what’s going on with your account.

Finding a good SEM agency that fits all of your specifications can be time-consuming, but spending the time to perform due diligence will provide you with tremendous peace of mind down the road.

If you have any questions when looking for an SEM agency, please do call!  Someone here at Yield will be happy to answer your questions. And if you’re an agency and would like to add to your suite of services, consider  our Web Marketing Suite for Agencies. It allows you to offer a full range of SEM services without adding headcount. Sign up for a live demo – and see how Yield can save you time, money, and resources.