Winning a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) account is an exciting accomplishment, but it also comes with great responsibility. Transitioning from the previous account owner to your management requires careful consideration and strategic planning. Building a solid foundation from the beginning can set the stage for a successful partnership with your client. In this article, we’ll explore critical steps to take when you find yourself in the fortunate position of winning a PPC account.
Establish a Strong Client Relationship:
The first step is establishing a solid and open relationship with your client. Schedule an initial meeting to understand their business goals, expectations, and any specific challenges they may have faced with the previous account management. Establishing clear lines of communication is crucial to building trust and ensuring that both parties are aligned in their objectives.
It’s also important to build rapport not just in a work setting but also in a relaxed setting. Be the kind of person your client feels comfortable around to share true insight into what’s going on in the company so you can help tackle their real issues. They look better to their boss, and you retain a long-term client as you truly understand their needs.
Verify and Restrict Previous Access:
Before diving into any changes, ensuring the previous account owners no longer have access is imperative. This protects the client’s sensitive information and prevents unintended interference with your management. Reset passwords, update security settings, and confirm that only authorised individuals can access the account.
You also want to clarify that your client owns their account at this stage! Some agencies have performed rogue tactics of convincing the client that the agency is the one to own the account. We advise against this – the billpayers of the account should have ownership of the account.
Conduct a Comprehensive Audit:
Performing a thorough audit of the existing PPC account is a critical step in understanding its strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Examine ad copy, keywords, targeting options, bid strategies, and historical performance data. Identify any anomalies, underperforming elements, or opportunities for optimisation. This audit will serve as the foundation for your strategic plan moving forward.
Communicate Discoveries with the Client:
Transparency is critical when managing a PPC account transition. Make sure that the audit you have done is thoroughly reviewed with your client. On an ongoing basis, as well, regularly communicate your findings with the client, detailing positive aspects and areas requiring attention on a weekly or monthly basis. Discussing your discoveries ensures that the client is informed and engaged in the decision-making process, fostering a collaborative and trusting relationship.
Preserve What Works:
While improvements may be necessary, it’s essential to recognise and preserve elements of the existing account that have been successful. In fact, at this stage, we advise that for the first few months of managing the account, you do not make any drastic changes, and that’s because of this point. Identify high-performing keywords, ad groups, and campaigns and incorporate them into your strategy. Building on successes can contribute to a smoother transition and maintain positive results.
Remove Bad Practices:
In your audit, you may uncover ineffective strategies, irrelevant keywords, or outdated ad copy that contributed to poor performance. Clearly outline your plan to remove these harmful practices, explaining the rationale behind each change. This plan should include a caveat of imbalance in performance whilst that change is being made. For a short period, performance may drop whilst you implement tactics that will be a winner in the long run. Communicate this clearly with the client so they do not panic when they see a drop in performance.
This proactive approach demonstrates your commitment to optimising the account and achieving better results for the client.
Maintain Ongoing Communication:
Continuous communication is crucial throughout the management of the PPC account. Keep the client informed about the changes you implement, performance updates, and any challenges you encounter. This transparency ensures that both parties are aligned and working towards shared goals.
Address Negative Performance Drops:
Despite careful planning, damaging performance drops can occur. There could also be a case of making an honest mistake – wrong copy in an ad that has gone live, setting the wrong CPC or daily campaign budget. In such instances, promptly communicate with the client, detailing the issues, potential causes, and your resolution plan. Discussing challenges openly demonstrates your accountability and commitment to rectifying problems promptly.
Try your best to catch the mistake early – so you can communicate what went wrong and plans to ensure the error doesn’t happen again. On the chance that the client sees the mistake first – when it’s brought up, be honest, own the mistake, and give a plan on how you will fix the error/ensure it will be sufficiently avoided in the future. Finally, have a process in place to refund money that has been lost. This all works towards building a great client.
This is what you do at the start, but ongoing, you will want to have a schedule of specific tasks you do to ensure you maintain the excellent performance you are working towards. Depending on your campaign type, there will be different tasks to run, but here is a top-view schedule that will give you an excellent idea of the tasks you should be running and how often.
Daily PPC Management Schedule:
Check your alerts/automation tools that give you information on:
- Any drastic drop in volume or performance
- Status change of keywords/ad copy
Weekly PPC Management Schedule:
Monday:
Morning:
- Review the previous week’s performance metrics (CTR, CPC, conversions).
- Identify any sudden changes or anomalies.
Afternoon:
- Conduct keyword research for potential new opportunities.
- Check and respond to any urgent emails or client communications.
Tuesday:
Morning:
- Analyse ad copy performance and make adjustments if necessary.
- Review and adjust bids based on the performance of key keywords.
Afternoon:
- Monitor and adjust ad scheduling and geographic targeting as needed.
- Check for any new industry trends or changes.
Wednesday:
Morning:
- Perform competitor analysis to stay informed about their strategies.
- Test and optimise ad extensions for better visibility.
Afternoon:
- Conduct A/B testing on ad creatives and analyse results.
- Check and respond to any client inquiries or concerns.
Thursday:
Morning:
- Review and optimise landing pages for better conversion rates.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of ad placements.
Afternoon:
- Evaluate the performance of the overall campaign structure.
- Implement any necessary negative keywords.
Friday:
Morning:
- Finalise weekly performance reports for internal use and client updates.
- Conduct a budget analysis and make adjustments if necessary.
Afternoon:
- Conduct a thorough review of ad spend and return on investment (ROI).
- Plan for upcoming promotions or events.
Monthly PPC Management Schedule:
1st Week:
- Review Monthly Goals:
- Evaluate the achievement of monthly goals set with the client.
- Adjust strategies and budgets for the upcoming month.
2nd Week:
- Competitive Analysis:
- Conduct a detailed analysis of competitors and adjust strategies accordingly.
- Identify any emerging trends or shifts in the industry.
3rd Week:
- Performance Audit:
- Conduct a comprehensive audit of account performance.
- Identify areas for improvement and implement necessary changes.
- Depending on size, you can make this a quarterly task
4th Week:
- Client Meeting:
- Schedule a monthly meeting with the client to discuss performance and future plans.
- Present insights, challenges, and proposed optimisations.
End of Month:
- Reporting and Documentation:
- Generate detailed end-of-month reports.
- Document successful strategies, lessons learned, and proposed changes for the upcoming month.
By following this schedule, you can ensure regular monitoring, optimisation, and effective communication with the client to achieve ongoing success in the PPC campaign. Adjust the schedule based on the specific needs and goals of the client.
Conclusion
Successfully managing a newly acquired PPC account requires a combination of strategic planning, clear communication, and ongoing collaboration with the client. By building a strong relationship, conducting a comprehensive audit, and transparently communicating changes, you can navigate the complexities of account transition and position clients for long-term success in their PPC endeavours.
