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PPC Audit Services by Foremost Media

Maximize Your Ad Spend Efficiency: Comprehensive Audits Unveiling Strategic Insights for Enhanced Performance, Cost Savings, and Superior ROI.

Copy of a Pay per click audit from Foremost Media

Frustrated with your PPC campaigns not delivering the results you were promised? You're in good company. Many businesses in pay-per-click advertising, only to find their expected return on investment remains just out of reach. The common causes? Stagnant conversion rates, overly complex campaign structures, and fierce competition that makes standing out almost impossible.

That's where a Foremost Media PPC audit comes into play. Our audits are far from a simple review, our PPC audit is a thorough investigation into your campaigns to identify where your money is well spent and where it's going to waste. We dive into the specifics of your strategy, from keywords to ad copy, and provide you with actionable insights that are designed to improve efficiency and boost performance.

Stop letting underperforming PPC campaigns drain your budget. It's time to get strategic, make every dollar count, and see the growth you've been aiming for.

 

What is a PPC Audit and Why Should You Perform One?


Screen shot of an email from google suggesting updates to ad campaignsA PPC audit is a thorough review of your pay-per-click advertising campaigns, aimed at evaluating their effectiveness and efficiency. Conducting an audit helps identify opportunities for improvement, such as increasing conversions, reducing costs, and enhancing overall campaign performance. It involves analyzing various elements of your PPC strategy, including keywords, ad copy, targeting settings, and conversion tracking, to ensure that you're not only reaching your target audience but doing so in a cost-effective manner. By avoiding common pitfalls like neglecting negative keywords or misaligning ad content with landing pages, an audit can significantly maximize your return on investment.


While platforms like Google make setting up PPC campaigns straightforward and offer many suggestions for optimizing your campaign over time, caution is advised when implementing these suggestions. Based on our experience, not all automated recommendations will align with your company's best interests, potentially leading to higher expenses and diminished ROI. For businesses that have been managing their PPC campaigns in-house or through other agencies, now might be the perfect time for an expert review from Foremost Media. Our expertise often uncovers opportunities for improved conversions and cost savings.

 

The Foremost Media PPC Audit Process

 

Step 1: Customized Onboarding for Precision Targeting

Our audit journey begins with a deep dive into your business during an onboarding call. This crucial step helps us grasp your unique challenges, goals, and business nuances, enabling us to craft a tailored audit strategy that addresses your specific needs.

Step 2: Comprehensive Campaign Analysis

Our approach to campaign analysis is thorough and multifaceted, focusing on key areas to optimize your PPC campaigns:
Account and Audience Configuration: We assess the foundational elements of your PPC campaigns, including account settings and audience configurations, to ensure your campaign structure effectively targets the right audience segments. This step is crucial for optimizing your campaign's reach and impact.

  • Attribution Model Exploration: By examining various attribution models, we identify how different touchpoints contribute to conversions. This insight allows for smarter budget allocation, ensuring your marketing spend is invested in the most effective channels.
  • AdWords Scripting Efficiency: Our analysis includes a review of AdWords scripts to pinpoint automation opportunities that enhance campaign performance. We evaluate the effectiveness of these scripts, ensuring they positively impact your PPC efforts.
  • Keyword and Ad Copy Excellence: We conduct a detailed examination of your keyword strategy and ad copy to identify areas for improvement. This includes addressing common pitfalls such as keyword cannibalization, underutilization of negative keywords, and misalignment between ad copy and landing pages. By refining your keyword use and enhancing ad copy, we aim to boost both engagement and conversion rates.

Step 3: In-depth Campaign Level Evaluation

Delving deeper into your PPC campaigns, we analyze:

  • Structure and Settings Review: We scrutinize the structural setup of your campaigns, including types and settings, to ensure alignment with your strategic goals. This step is vital for ensuring that your campaigns are structured for success.
  • Targeting Tactics: Our evaluation extends to targeting strategies across search, display, and social channels. We thoroughly review keywords, audience segmentation, and the alignment of ad creatives with landing pages. This comprehensive analysis aims to maximize reach and relevancy, steering clear of the pitfall of poor alignment that can dilute your campaign's effectiveness.

Step 4: Actionable Insights and Strategic Recommendations

Transitioning from analysis to action, we compile our findings into a detailed review that highlights the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities within your PPC campaigns. Our actionable recommendations for optimization cover every level of the campaign, from structural adjustments to creative enhancements, ensuring that you are equipped to elevate your PPC performance and avoid common pitfalls that could hinder your success.

This enhanced process underscores our commitment to delivering a PPC audit that not only identifies areas for improvement but also provides a clear roadmap for achieving optimal performance and efficiency in your digital advertising efforts.

Our Pay Per Click Experts Are Ready To Help You

Why This Process Matters

Tailored to Your Business: Our audit goes beyond generic analysis. By understanding your unique business context from the start, we ensure that our recommendations are not just data-driven but strategically aligned with your specific objectives.

Holistic Campaign Health Check: By examining every layer of your PPC campaign, from account setup to ad creatives, we uncover hidden opportunities for optimization that can dramatically improve performance and ROI.

Data-Driven Decision Making: Our in-depth analysis of attribution models and campaign settings informs smarter budget allocation, ensuring your marketing dollars are invested in channels that offer the highest return.

Strategic Partnership: We view our audit not just as a report but as the foundation for a strategic partnership, aiming to empower your business with the knowledge and insights needed to excel in the competitive digital landscape.

 

Insights into the Benefits of PPC Audits

 

Boost Campaign Performance: A PPC audit isn't just about cutting costs; it's about amplifying what works. By dissecting every aspect of your campaign, from keyword relevance to the precision of your targeting, an audit paves the way for enhanced performance. This could mean higher click-through rates (CTR), improved quality scores, and ultimately, a better conversion rate.

Cost Efficiency: The audit process helps in identifying wasteful expenditure within your campaigns. For instance, you might be bidding on underperforming keywords or targeting demographics that don't convert as well. Rectifying these can significantly lower your cost-per-acquisition (CPA), thereby increasing your overall ROI.

Stay Ahead of the Competition: Understanding your competitive landscape through a PPC audit can reveal gaps in their strategy that you can exploit. Additionally, by analyzing competitor ads and keywords, you can uncover new opportunities to capture a larger share of your target market.

 

Foremost Media Partner Badges from Microsoft, Google and Facebook

 

Who is an ideal candidate for a PPC Audit?


Our PPC audits aren't just a check-up; they're a transformative step for businesses ready to revitalize their digital advertising strategy. The companies that see the most significant impact from our audits typically share a few characteristics:

  • Consistent Investment: They are investing a minimum of $500 or more per month in your PPC campaigns.  This level of investment is where our expertise shines, offering the most significant opportunity for optimization and tangible returns. It's not about questioning commitment at lower budgets; rather, it's recognizing that a $500+ monthly spend allows for a richer analysis and more impactful optimizations.

    This budget threshold provides us with ample data to thoroughly evaluate your campaign's performance, enabling a detailed audit that covers everything from keyword effectiveness to ad copy resonance. It's at this level of investment that we can truly leverage our insights to fine-tune your strategy, ensuring that every dollar spent is working its hardest to achieve your marketing objectives. By focusing our efforts on campaigns with this depth of investment, we ensure that we're delivering the most value and demonstrating the true potential of your PPC endeavors.
     
  • Established Campaigns: Their campaigns have been active for over 6 months. This duration is crucial as it provides enough data for a comprehensive audit. It allows us to identify trends, understand campaign longevity, and pinpoint areas for improvement.
     
  • Openness to Expertise: They're open to external insights and recommendations. The willingness to consider outside advice is vital for implementing change and achieving significant improvements. Our audit goes beyond surface-level analysis, offering deep dives into strategy, execution, and optimization opportunities. By being receptive to expert guidance, businesses can unlock the full potential of their PPC efforts.

 

If you find your efforts align with these points, our PPC audit service is designed for you. We're here to transform your PPC campaigns from just another line item into a strategic, high-ROI investment. Let us show you how.


 

Client Success Stories

Transforming PPC Performance: A Foremost Media Case Study

 

Case Study On PPC Audit

At Foremost Media, our mission is to deliver strategic PPC management that drives significant growth and efficiency for our clients. Our expertise in conducting detailed PPC audits and implementing targeted strategies has consistently led to outstanding results, as demonstrated in our work with a leading national manufacturer.

The Client's Challenge

Our client was investing over $170,000 annually in PPC campaigns with the goal of enhancing their online presence and increasing sales. Despite this substantial investment, they sought to improve their campaign efficiency and effectiveness, aiming for higher conversions and a reduced cost per conversion.

Our Strategic PPC Audit and Its Impact
After conducting a thorough PPC audit, Foremost Media implemented a series of strategic changes that led to remarkable improvements in the client's PPC campaign performance:

  • Decreased Annual Spend: By refining the campaign focus and eliminating inefficiencies, we reduced the client's annual PPC spend by $6,867, reallocating resources more effectively.
  • Increased Conversions: Our targeted strategies led to a significant increase in conversions, soaring by 112.63%, thereby enhancing the return on investment.
  • Reduced Cost Per Conversion: Through the optimization of campaigns, we achieved a 54.87% decrease in cost per conversion, making each marketing dollar work harder.
  • Boosted Click-Through Rates: By improving ad relevance and targeting, we increased clicks by 96.84%, driving more potential customers to the client's site.

Key Audit Discoveries and Implementations

 

The success of our PPC management stemmed from several critical insights and actions that were uncovered during the audit:

  • Restructuring Search Campaigns: By narrowing the focus to a smaller group of highly relevant keywords, we significantly improved budget efficiency and reduced the cost per conversion.
     
  • Expanding Display Campaigns: Increasing the number of display campaigns with a focus on state-level brand awareness led to an uptick in traffic and conversions, particularly in underrepresented states.
     
  • Search Strategy Refinement: We have shifted the search campaign strategy to intensively target qualified leads. This refined approach is designed to attract prospects with a higher likelihood of conversion, thereby maximizing the return on investment from the campaigns.
     
  • CRM Integration for Enhanced Lead Insights: Achieved through the integration of PPC campaigns with the client's CRM, this enhancement enables a comprehensive analysis and tracking of lead quality. By establishing a feedback loop that feeds high-quality lead data back into Google Ads, we're able to refine targeting and bidding strategies. This approach not only tailors our PPC efforts more precisely but also optimizes resource allocation, focusing on leads that significantly contribute to the client's business goals, ensuring improved campaign performance and outcomes.
     
  • Comparative Campaign Testing for Optimized Performance: Testing "Performance Max" vs. "Dynamic Search" Campaigns: In our pursuit of excellence, we conducted a head-to-head test between "Performance Max" and the existing "Dynamic Search" campaigns. This comparison was aimed at identifying which method delivers better reach and performance, ensuring that the client's campaigns are utilizing the most effective strategies to enhance visibility and drive conversions.

 

Beyond the Numbers

 

This case study exemplifies our commitment to not just meeting but exceeding our clients' digital marketing objectives. Through our PPC audits and strategic management, we unlock new levels of efficiency and growth, demonstrating our role as a catalyst for digital success. Our work with this national manufacturer underscores the potential for any business to transform its PPC campaigns into powerful tools for achieving their marketing and sales goals.


 

Ready to unlock the full potential of your PPC campaigns?

Reach out to Foremost Media today.

Complete the form below to schedule a call with one of our PPC specialists. During our conversation, we'll dive into your campaign goals, discuss your aspirations for the audit, and clarify pricing and timelines. It's our chance to truly understand your business and tailor our audit to meet your specific needs. Let's collaborate to unlock the full potential of your PPC campaigns.

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Pay Per Click Audit FAQs

How do you get access to my data for the PPC Audit?

For us to conduct a comprehensive PPC audit, especially for platforms like Google Ads or Bing Ads, we'll need access to your advertising accounts. This access allows us to analyze your campaigns thoroughly and provide you with actionable insights. 

For Google Ads:

Gaining access is a straightforward process:

  • Linking an Existing Google Ads Account: You'll need to share your Google Ads Customer ID with us. This is a 10-digit number visible in the top corner of your Google Ads dashboard upon logging in. With this ID, we can request access to your account. You'll then receive a notification from Google Ads to approve our request, ensuring a secure connection between our accounts.
  • Setting Up a New Google Ads Account: If you're new to Google Ads and don't yet have an account, we can create one for you. After setting up the account, we'll send you an invitation to join. Before any campaigns go live, you'll need to enter your billing details directly within the platform.

For Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads):

Accessing your Microsoft Advertising account allows us to perform an in-depth audit of your PPC campaigns on this platform. Here’s how we can get started:

  1. Share Your Microsoft Advertising Account Number: Please provide us with your Microsoft Advertising account number. This is essential for us to initiate the access request process. You can find this number in the top right corner of your Microsoft Advertising dashboard once you're logged in.
  2. Approval of Access Request: After you've shared your account number with us, we'll send a request to access your account. You will receive a notification from Microsoft Advertising asking you to approve our request. By confirming this, you grant us the ability to review your campaigns and gather the necessary data for your audit.

This process ensures a secure and efficient way to begin our audit and optimization efforts on your PPC campaigns. Rest assured, your account security and privacy are paramount throughout this process.

How often should I conduct a PPC Audit?

We recommend a PPC audit at least once a year or upon noticing significant shifts in campaign performance. Regular audits are crucial, but the ultimate goal is to establish an ongoing engagement that allows us to continuously manage and strategically improve your PPC efforts.

Engaging for Continuous Improvement:

Our PPC audits are designed not just as a one-time service but as the first step towards a strategic partnership. Here’s why regular engagement is beneficial:

  • Continuous Optimization: Markets evolve, and so do the strategies of your competitors. By engaging with us on a regular basis, we ensure your campaigns are always at the forefront of PPC best practices, adapting to changes and capitalizing on new opportunities as they arise.
  • Cost Efficiency and ROI: While initial audits often pay for themselves by identifying cost-saving measures and lead generation improvements, ongoing management can multiply these benefits. We continuously monitor and adjust your campaigns, ensuring every dollar spent is optimized for maximum return.
  • Proactive Strategy and Improvement: With us actively managing your PPC campaigns, we can drive your strategy forward, rather than simply reacting to market changes. This proactive approach includes exploring new keywords, refining targeting techniques, and testing ad copy to consistently improve performance and outpace competitors.
  • Deepened Understanding of Your Business: Continuous engagement allows us to gain deeper insights into your business, market, and objectives. This familiarity enables us to tailor strategies more effectively, aligning our efforts closely with your long-term goals.
  • Reporting and Insights: Regular reports and insights provided by us will keep you informed about the performance of your campaigns, highlighting successes and areas for improvement. This transparency ensures you're always aware of how your investment is working for you.

In essence, while a standalone PPC audit can provide valuable insights, the true potential of your PPC campaigns is unlocked through ongoing partnership. By engaging with Foremost Media on a regular basis, you benefit from continuous strategic guidance, optimization, and the peace of mind that your PPC efforts are driving your business towards its goals.

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What will I receive at the end of the PPC Audit?

At the end of the audit, you will receive a detailed report that includes an analysis of your current PPC campaigns, identification of areas for improvement, and actionable recommendations. Additionally, we offer a follow-up consultation to discuss our findings and how to implement the suggested changes.

What makes Foremost Media’s PPC Audit different?

Unlike automated or software-generated audits, Foremost Media’s PPC audits are conducted by experienced PPC specialists. Our audits provide deep, actionable insights tailored to your specific business needs, going beyond surface-level analysis to offer strategic recommendations for substantial improvement.

How long does a PPC Audit take?

The duration of a PPC audit can vary based on the complexity and size of your campaigns. On average, our audits are completed within 1-2 weeks from the initial consultation, ensuring a thorough and detailed analysis without unnecessary delays.

What happens if I decide to engage Foremost Media for ongoing PPC management?

If you choose to continue with Foremost Media for ongoing PPC management, the cost of the audit will be credited towards your future service fees. This not only offers value from the audit itself but also provides a seamless transition to enhancing your PPC campaigns with our expert team.

Can Foremost Media implement the recommended changes from the audit?

Absolutely. After presenting our audit findings, we can assist with implementing the recommended changes. Whether it's refining your keyword strategy, optimizing ad copy, or adjusting campaign settings, our team is equipped to carry out these improvements, ensuring that your PPC campaigns are optimized for success.

What happens if I have multiple PPC accounts across different platforms?

If you have PPC accounts across various platforms, we conduct a comprehensive audit for each account to ensure a holistic approach to your digital advertising strategy. Our audits cover Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and other platforms, providing a unified strategy that aligns with your overall marketing objectives.

How can I measure the success of changes made after a PPC audit?

Success is measured through key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to your specific goals, such as increased conversion rates, lower cost-per-acquisition (CPA), higher click-through rates (CTR), and improved quality scores. We also provide regular reports and analyses post-implementation to monitor progress and make any necessary adjustments to ensure continued optimization and performance enhancement.

What benefits do your partnerships with Google and Microsoft offer to clients?

As an official partner of both Microsoft Advertising and Google Ads, we bring a host of advantages to our clients through these strategic relationships. These partnerships affirm our expertise and commitment to excellence in digital advertising, offering several key benefits:

  • Advanced Training and Certifications: Our team undergoes rigorous, continuous training and certification processes with both Google and Microsoft. This ensures that we are always up-to-date with the latest advertising tools, techniques, and best practices, enabling us to optimize your PPC campaigns for peak performance.
  • Dedicated Support: Our partnership status grants us direct access to dedicated support teams within Google and Microsoft. This means we can quickly resolve any issues, gain insights into new features and updates, and apply the latest advancements in PPC advertising directly to your campaigns.
  • Exclusive Insights: We receive valuable insights and data from both Google and Microsoft, which aren't readily available to non-partner agencies. These insights allow us to make informed decisions, identify new opportunities, and stay ahead of industry trends, giving your campaigns a competitive edge.
  • Beta Features and Tools: Being a partner also means we often get early access to beta features and tools before they are released to the general public. This allows our clients' campaigns to leverage cutting-edge technology and innovations, setting them apart from the competition.

In essence, our partnerships with Google and Microsoft enhance the quality and effectiveness of our PPC audit and management services, ensuring that your campaigns are not just current but ahead of the curve.

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Will changes be made to my account during the PPC audit?

No, we do not make any changes to your account during the PPC audit process. Our approach is to conduct a comprehensive review and analysis of your PPC campaigns, which culminates in a detailed audit report. This report outlines our findings, including areas of strength, opportunities for improvement, and actionable recommendations for optimizing your campaigns.

The purpose of the audit is to provide a strategic roadmap for enhancements without altering your current campaigns during the review. Any changes suggested as part of our recommendations are discussed with you first, ensuring that you have full control over your PPC strategy and implementation

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Is the initial consultation call free?

Yes, the initial consultation call is completely free. This call is an essential part of our process, allowing us to understand your goals, discuss your current PPC efforts, provide pricing details, and ensure that our services are a good fit for both parties. It's an opportunity for us to learn more about your business and for you to ask any questions you may have about our PPC audit services and how we can help optimize your campaigns for better performance. Our aim during this call is to establish a foundation for a successful partnership that meets your digital advertising needs.