By James Sheldon
Want to know what it’s like to be a PPC Specialist? Here is a guide through a typical day in paid search.
Have you heard of PPC but aren’t too sure on what it is? Firstly, for those who are not clear on what PPC is, in its basic terms, PPC stands for Pay Per Click. Effectively this means you pay Google or Bing (or another Search Engine) whenever someone clicks on an ad which you have created, directing them to your website. This is different to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) in that once your ads have been created you can show up in search results almost instantly.
PPC is a valued and effective way to increase brand awareness and generate an ROI (Return on Investment). However, in order for it to work correctly, it has to be regularly tweaked, maintained and optimised.
Each day begins with checking through emails, answering any campaign queries or other client-related questions and general housekeeping of my workload.
Once this is complete I load up the individual PPC accounts to ensure there are no irregularities and everything is running according to plan. After a quick analysis, I then delve further into these accounts to find out why they may have had a good (or bad) day. Any areas of success or improvement are noted in Google Analytics, so I can keep a timeline and event of changes.
The bulk of the day is then spent managing PPC accounts and campaigns. This involves continuous ad testing, scanning for good keywords, researching new keywords, adding negative keywords, looking at customer search terms, analysing competitors, checking in with clients, and creating & analysing reports with a view to continuous improvement.
With every PPC client, we have a set of agreed goals and KPIs to aim for. I set time aside each day to monitor and analyse active keywords, ads, adgroups, and campaigns.
My role also involves setting up Google Analytics, Conversion Tracking, Google myBusiness, Bing Places for Business, YouTube etc for any new clients. By achieving accreditations and certificates from both Google and Bing also provides clients with the extra confidence that they are in safe hands.
By using Google Analytics to review and monitor the performance of clients websites I can identify any areas that are performing well or underachieving. When connected to Google Ads, it gives in-depth insights into the performance of Paid Search Ads.
Also, throughout the day I can expect to be multitasking. It’s very possible I may be doing some research, writing some ad copy, on the telephone to a client, working on Google Analytics, and writing an email at the same time. The role of a PPC Specialist is certainly never boring, and no two days are ever the same.
I also work closely with other areas of our digital marketing team, from website content to creating and writing blogs. It’s useful to be involved and have an understanding of how our Social Media and Email teams work as quite often we need to work together to reach our required goals and KPI’s
Attempting to stay at the forefront of Google’s trends is very challenging as they like to update their algorithms, products, and features frequently. It is important to be regularly doing research, reading blogs, and generally keeping up to date with industry trends.
A very important part of the job role is client relationships. It is crucial that a PPC specialist has good communication skills and can adapt to ever-changing circumstances. This may involve visiting clients in person or attending networking and social events.
I also compile and create monthly reports for each of our clients with forwarding projections, recommendations and suggestions for increased performance. The contents of the report differ from client to client, but they can be generally be broken up into the following steps:
In addition to these tasks, I regularly perform Free No-Obligation PPC Audits offering help, advice, hints, and tips to real estate agencies to ensure their PPC account is performing to the highest standards.
Some days everything seems to be running smoothly and life is great, but on other days it can feel that you are a digital firefighter with the digital equivalent of a water pistol. Having said that, it is a fun, interactive, and engaging position that is only in its infancy.
It’s a great feeling to be helping Real Estate Agencies reach their potential, and here at Property Webmasters, we have a team of dedicated and experienced staff available to help take your Estate Agency forward into the new decade.
