How to run successful PPC campaigns? Our step by step methodology

Below we listed 18 steps that define our unique methodology of running successful PPC campaigns at MTA. These can be used as a valuable source of knowledge to understand why the group of our satisfied customers, such as Novakid, Weber, and Caseking is constantly growing. Click on any of the steps below to learn more about it.

Step 1: Getting to know the client
Step 2: Answering onboarding questions
Step 3: Analysis of the client’s current website condition and social media accounts
Step 4: Access to platforms (after signing the NDA Agreement)
Step 5: Collaboration proposal
Step 6: Suggestion for a broader spectrum of digital marketing actions
Step 7: Project valuation
Step 8: Signing the contract
Step 9: Deciding on the payment model
Step 10: The beginning of the collaboration
Step 11: Connecting the analytical tools and launching the campaign
Step 12: The „test month”
Step 13: Constant optimization
Step 14: Always in the team of two
Step 15: Consulting the details and distributing work among team members
Step 16: The importance of reporting
Step 17: Our financial transparency
Step 18: Constant communication and total honesty

Getting familiar with clients’ problems and needs before our collaboration is important to us. To obtain that, we usually schedule a discovery video call, during which we can find out what the client already knows about PPC activities, whether they have previously carried out activities on platforms: Google Ads, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, whether they already worked with other PPC digital agency, etc.

To fully understand our clients’ needs and focus on goals to be achieved, together with the client we complete a short onboarding questionnaire. This is usually done during the first discovery video call when our specialist asks questions and makes notes basing on the client’s answers. All the information gathered allows the specialist to prepare an offer tailored to the individual needs of the client.

Along with processing information gathered after the first discovery video call with the client, we also analyze the current condition of the client’s website and the current status of the Google and Facebook accounts (for Google Ads and Facebook Ads), but also other social media, if needed. We gain access to information that will be crucial to proposing an optimal PPC strategy and financial estimates.

To complete the analysis of the current condition of the client’s website and Google, Facebook, and other social media accounts, we need access to platforms such as Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console, Google Ads account, and Ads account on Facebook Business Manager. These let us verify what activities were previously undertaken in the field of digital marketing and PPC actions and what their results have been so far. To make sure that everything is on the safe side, we sign the non-disclosure agreement which legally protects both parties. If the client does not have these accounts, we set them up by ourselves, however only after signing the contract and receiving the payment.

Based on the analysis performed by our specialists, we prepare a collaboration proposal, which we usually present to clients during a second video call. In the proposal, we include suggestions of specific actions to be performed within PPC campaigns, the main goals to be achieved with the campaign, the estimated working time of specialists engaged in the project, and the total valuation of the entire project.

At this stage, we often see a potential for the client to benefit from other solutions than just PPC campaigns. Since we specialize in many areas of digital marketing, we keep an open mind and suggest a broader spectrum of solutions, such as SEO, Copywriting, Analytics, Web Development, Graphics, UX/UI/CRO. If the client is interested in an additional collaboration, we prepare similar analyses from specialists in particular areas and include the recommendations in the final proposal.

A PPC project valuation is always determined by a specialist in a given area, who prepares an optimal strategy for a client. In the case of Google Ads campaigns, the pricing depends on the keywords for which the campaign will be conducted, as well as the analysis of competitors’ activities and the type of advertisement (display, video, or text).

In the case of Facebook Ads campaigns, the pricing depends on the complexity of the campaign structure, competition, and the possibility of promoting various services or products. Also, it’s worth knowing that the total cost of a PPC campaign always consists of the sum of the budget for the campaign itself and the cost of specialists’ work to support the campaign and manage the project.

When the client accepts the proposed collaboration strategy, we collect data for the contract and sign it via DocuSign (an electronic signature), according to our final findings. The contract, among others, includes information on the scope of activities which will be carried out in the exact time frame and a specific amount of money on which we agreed before.

At MTA there is no single, fixed payment model for conducting PPC campaigns. We are flexible and try to adjust the payment according to the client’s preferences. Not always do we have to wait for the first payment from the client to work on campaigns and launch them.

Sometimes, when clients themselves pay the budget to the advertising account (with their credit card) the payment of our agency fee takes place after the first month of providing the service. However, when we are paying for the actions on PPC campaigns from our account, then we need to wait for the first payment in advance from the client.

Usually, before starting the campaigns, we agree with clients on one of the following payment models:

• flat fee,
• % ad spend,
• flat + % ad spend,
• success fee,
• flat + success fee,
• hourly rate.

After signing the contract by both parties, confirming the payment model, and having access to the needed Google Ads and Facebook Ads accounts and analytical tools indicated by the specialist, we can start performing the first PPC activities for the client.

Some of the most important activities in the process of launching a successful PPC campaign include:

• setting the appropriate parameters in Google Ads or Facebook Ads,
• correct configuration and connection of analytical tools,
• setting the conversion tracking in Google Tag Manager and Analytics,
• creating audience lists to gather users for future remarketing campaigns.

Only when we have the entire campaign properly configured and well designed, with the client’s final approval, can we launch it.

The first month (or two) of our PPC activities is the so-called “test month”, during which we test and set different campaign parameters and check how they perform. During this “test month” we check different keywords and optimal target groups, we build an extensive list of negative keywords, start optimization for Smart Bidding 2.0, examine the obtained Quality Score (ad relevance) and try to improve it or tell the client what to improve on the website. We do this to see which advertising strategy works best for a client and is the most profitable.

Each subsequent month of our collaboration is a time for further optimization of the designed PPC campaigns, to achieve the best possible results. Our ongoing collaboration is based on reporting campaign results, adjusting bids, testing further keywords and target groups, and possible budget redirection.

We also value receiving constant feedback, which allows us to understand the client’s perspective and lets us find out what we should focus on in the subsequent optimization of the campaign.

To make sure that PPC campaigns for our clients are properly taken care of and supervised, we always engage two specialists, who excel in the given field (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, etc.). Dedicated specialists supervise the course of campaigns and actively communicate with the client about the results.

Meet our amazing Team!

The most important part of all the activities carried out at MTA during collaboration on a PPC project is real-time communication between our specialists and the client, which takes place all the time. For that, we use tools such as Google Chat, Google Meet, Skype, Slack, Asana, Zoom, etc. Together we consult all the details of conducted campaigns, distribute the work among our and client’s team members, report results as well as the blockers which occurred, and ask follow-up questions.

Daily, weekly, and monthly reports on one hand allow clients to control our activities on a PPC project. On the other hand, they are important to us, because they let us monitor the performance and results of the campaigns, which settings are responsible for better conversion, and why.

How we report all our activities performed on a PPC project, depends on the clients’ preferences. It can be as simple as regular (daily, weekly, or monthly) e-mail summaries, detailed reports prepared in a spreadsheet, Asana / Slack / Trello reports that the client can also view, Loom summaries, or via Google Data Studio.

As mentioned at the very beginning, we value financial transparency and believe that it’s crucial to honest, reliable, and long-time collaboration. For financial transparency, we can generate a Clockify report for the client once a month. Such a report indicates how many specialists have spent time on which activities within a given PPC project.

Thanks to that our clients know exactly what they pay for, per every hour of our specialists’ work.

We focus on the total honesty of our relationships with clients and believe that we can all benefit from acting as a part of the same team. This way, with a partnership approach, a problem-solving attitude, and sincere bilateral communication, we can collaborate more efficiently.