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Matt Alderton

Guide to Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Consulting Services

Get the most from your online ad dollars when you hire help to spend them

By Matt Alderton, Writer, Editor and Media Consultant, Logolepsy Custom Content and Communications

With banner ads, pop-ups, skyscrapers and rich media, the options for advertising online are endless, and choosing from among them daunting. Save yourself from guessing by investing in a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign, which experts agree is among the most effective means of advertising online.

PPC ads – also called cost-per-click (CPC) – allow you to pay only for click-throughs (the number of times a consumer actually clicks on a link to your Web site) rather than impressions (the number of people who see the link, whether they click it or not). PPC is effective, but it’s still tricky. Make sure you do it right by hiring a PPC consultant to help orchestrate your ad buys. The consultant can help you decide how best to:

  1. Get more traffic
  2. Attract better traffic
  3. Convert visitors into customers
  4. Profit from your advertising investments

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done


Evaluate your needs

PPC advertising has grown tremendously in recent years. And with that growth has come a more complex web of choices and greater competition for potential customers. Hiring a consultant to help you make the most of your Web ad dollars is a good idea.
I recommend: SEO consultants often handle PPC campaigns, so start your search for a consultant at the SEO Consultants Directory, which lists a select group of 155 Internet marketing professionals worldwide and includes tips on selecting one that's right for you.

Search the Internet

The best place to begin your search for a PPC consultant is online, where the smartest consultants are practicing what they preach.
I recommend: Search for consultants nationally at Verizon's SuperPages, or locally at Switchboard or YellowPages.com.

Get referrals

Ask for suggestions from an industry peer or a colleague who already uses a consultant.
I recommend: Contact the International Internet Marketing Association or the Internet Marketing Association for their recommendations on finding and choosing an Internet marketing professional.

Compare candidates

Get the most for your money by actively comparing consultants' services and rates.
I recommend: Compare PPC consultants by soliciting free price quotes from VendorSeek, which allows you to search online for the services of pre-qualified vendors that suit your business needs.

Set goals – then ask for results

Ultimately, successful PPC campaigns rely on careful measurement of ROI. Select a consultant who can help you set realistic goals and who will help you track results.
I recommend: Find out what solid PPC ROI looks like by playing with the Pay-Per-Click Advertising ROI Calculator at Bplans.com.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

  • Before settling on a consultant, ask for — and check — references.
  • Select a consultant with whom you can work closely to execute your ad campaign; the best consultants will include you in every decision, from selecting keywords and search engines to making Web site revisions and redesigns.
  • Make sure your consultant understands the difference between quantity and quality; the goal in PPC advertising is "quality" traffic, which translates into more visitors who actually become customers.
  • Make sure your consultant builds unique ads for each search term you purchase; ads that are aligned with specific search phrases receive more clicks.

The official source of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Consulting Services is
the Pay-Per-Click page at Business.com

Pay-Per-Click Management
Provides internet marketing and search engine marketing services including site promotion, pay-per-click ad management, and site traffic tracking.
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Recommended Solution Providers

Top SEOs: Pay-Per-Click Management
International internet marketing directory with descriptions and reviews.

Hostway: Pay-Per-Click
Advertising management service for small and medium businesses.

Weboptimiser: Pay-Per-Click Search Engine Marketing
Marketing campaign and bid management service.

AvocadoConsulting: Pay-Per-Click
Advertising services and marketing consulting.

PlanetMagpie: Pay-Per-Click
Manages PPC campaigns or provides training to monitor and maintain a campaign.

Working Planet Marketing Group
Consulting firm specializing in quantitative-based pay-per-click management methodology.

Illumination Consulting Group
Pay-per-click management and internet marketing for small businesses.

We Build Pages: PPC Management & Consulting
PPC campaign management service.

PageCafe.com: Internet Consulting
Pay-per-click search engine marketing.

Vision Marketing: Pay-Per-Click Management
Search engine optimization consulting.

Benchmark Pay-Per-Click
PPC traffic management service.

Best Sites to Learn More

About.com: Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Basic information, articles, tips, benefits and guide to programs.

Pay-Per-Click Analyst
News, articles, search engine reviews and discussions of pros and cons of services.

Small Business Brief: Pay-Per-Click
Marketing articles, resources, news and directory.

Microsoft: Pay-Per-Click Ads
Tips, advice and online marketing guide.

Opentracker: PPC Advertising
Articles with basic information and advice on pay-per-click advertising and campaign management.

Search Engine Promotion Help: Pay-Per-Click
Articles and tips with an encyclopedia and a PPC word combination tool.

ClickQuick.com: Pay-Per-Click
Strategies, tips and program reviews.

WilsonWeb: Pay-Per-Click Search Engine Techniques
Database of articles, reviews, websites, blog entries and resources.

Search Engine Guide: Pay-Per-Click
Small business marketing guide with advice, articles and directory.

Self SEO: PPC Advertising Articles
Extensive archive covering range of topics.

Best Blogs and Forums

Search Engine Solutions Blog
Pay-per-click topics archive.

Small Business Ideas Forum: Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Discusses PPC online marketing options.

Ineedhits.com: Search Engine Marketing Blog
Experts share search engine marketing news and views on industry developments.

Internet Marketing Blog: Pay-Per-Click
News, research and statistics.

Ask Dave Taylor: PPC Blog
Addresses questions posed about PPC programs.

High Rankings Forum: Pay-Per-Click Search Engine Advertising
Search engine optimization forum.

ABestWeb Affiliate Marketing Forum: Pay Per Click Search Engines
Sharing information about networks, merchants and best practices.

Search Engine Forums: Pay-Per-Click
Discussion on marketing, traffic building and advertising.



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