|
flevyblog
The Flevy Blog covers Business Strategies, Business Theories, & Business Stories.
|
Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Social Media Management (34-slide PowerPoint presentation). Social networks, blogs, web forums, and the like have influenced and disrupted almost every facet of life around the world. Smartphones and tablets have made it easy and cheap for users to create new content and share it with their contacts, as well as to review and comment on [read more]
* * * *
Hiring a PPC agency is a little like hiring an attorney. A polished presentation might create a strong first impression, but that’s only part of the picture. What matters is how the work is handled after the agreement is signed.
That’s why it’s worth slowing down before making a decision. A reputable law firm PPC agency should welcome thoughtful questions about its process, communication, reporting, and expectations. If those conversations feel rushed or vague, consider it an early warning sign rather than a minor inconvenience.
Many agencies know how to run Google Ads. Far fewer understand the realities of legal advertising. Ask whether they’ve worked with law firms before and how they approach competitive practice areas.
You don’t need confidential client information or bold claims about spectacular results. What you do need is confidence that the agency understands expensive legal keywords, local competition, lead quality, and the way prospective clients search for legal help. Experience should show up in the conversation, not just on a sales slide.
This question seems small until someone decides to change agencies. Some marketing companies create and manage campaigns under accounts they own. If the relationship ends, the firm may lose years of campaign history, keyword data, and performance insights.
Ask who owns the Google Ads account before anything is signed. If your firm is paying for the advertising, it should retain access to the account regardless of who manages it in the future.
Every agency promises reporting. The better question is whether those reports actually help you make business decisions. Ask for an example of a monthly report. It should explain campaign performance in plain language rather than filling pages with unfamiliar metrics. Look for information about lead generation, spending, conversion trends, completed optimizations, and the next steps the agency plans to take.
If the report creates more questions than answers, it probably isn’t providing enough value. Good reporting should make trends easy to spot. If lead quality drops or costs begin climbing, you should be able to see it quickly instead of searching through pages of data.
Campaigns perform better when conversations happen regularly. Before hiring an agency, ask who your primary contact will be and how often you’ll hear from them. Some firms prefer scheduled monthly meetings. Others want quick updates whenever meaningful changes happen.
There isn’t one correct approach, but there should be a clear plan. Long periods of silence often leave clients wondering whether anyone is actively managing the campaign.
Pricing deserves attention, but contracts deserve just as much. Ask whether there are minimum commitments, cancellation terms, onboarding fees, or additional charges for new campaigns, landing pages, or other services. A straightforward agreement usually reflects a straightforward working relationship.
Taking a few extra minutes to review the details now can prevent misunderstandings after the campaigns begin running. If basic pricing requires several follow-up conversations to understand, that should raise questions before the contract is signed.
Launching a campaign isn’t the finish line. Ask what happens during the weeks and months that follow. A strong agency should describe how it reviews search terms, tests ad copy, adjusts bids, refines targeting, and improves landing page performance over time.
The answer shouldn’t sound like a one-time setup. Ongoing optimization is where much of the long-term value comes from.
Different agencies focus on different metrics, which makes this conversation important from the beginning. Clicks and impressions tell part of the story, but they rarely explain whether advertising is producing valuable cases.
Ask which numbers the agency pays closest attention to and how those metrics connect to your firm’s business goals. A thoughtful answer usually focuses on qualified leads, consultation requests, conversion rates, and return on investment rather than traffic alone.
Choosing a PPC agency shouldn’t come down to the lowest price or the most persuasive sales presentation. The better approach is to ask practical questions, listen carefully to the answers, and look for transparency at every stage of the conversation.
The right agency won’t hesitate to explain its process, discuss expectations, or clarify how success will be measured. Those early conversations often reveal just as much about a future partnership as the campaign results themselves.
You can download in-depth presentations on Social Media Strategy and 100s of management topics from the FlevyPro Library. FlevyPro is trusted and utilized by 1000s of management consultants and corporate executives.
For even more best practices available on Flevy, have a look at our top 100 lists:
These best practices are of the same as those leveraged by top-tier management consulting firms, like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and Accenture. Improve the growth and efficiency of your organization by utilizing these best practice frameworks, templates, and tools. Most were developed by seasoned executives and consultants with over 20+ years of experience.
