In digital marketing, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising remains one (of many) levers a brand can pull to increase its online presence and direct targeted traffic to its websites. A contentious strategy in this realm is whether or not to allow third-party agencies to siphon your PPC budget into branded search terms. While some tout it as a smart move, I firmly assert that it’s a practice fraught with pitfalls and inefficiencies. In this article, I’ll delve into why you should emphatically reject letting a third-party agency spend your PPC dollars on branded search terms, especially when it’s primarily about them wanting credit for leads you would have acquired anyway.
1. They Want Credit, You Want Results
When you let a third-party agency handle your branded PPC campaigns, it often boils down to their desire for credit, not your desire for results. They claim they can increase your brand’s visibility and capture leads, but they often ride the coattails of your existing brand recognition. Your brand is already known to your audience, and people are actively searching for it. Essentially, these agencies are like gatecrashers at a party, taking credit for showing up when they were never needed in the first place.
2. Wasted Budget on Self-Cannibalization
Paying for branded keywords is like buying your own name – it’s redundant and unnecessary. Your website likely already ranks high in organic search results for your brand name. When you bid on branded terms, you’re essentially competing with yourself. It’s a classic example of self-cannibalization that can drain your PPC budget, and guess who benefits? The agency, not you.
3. They Play with Your Money, Not Theirs
When third-party agencies manage your branded PPC campaigns, they play with your money, not theirs. This fundamental misalignment of incentives can lead to reckless spending. They may overbid on your branded keywords, as it’s not their budget that’s shrinking. If they don’t get you the desired results, they can move on to the next client, leaving you with the bill.
4. Click Fraud – You Pay, They Profit
Click fraud is a lurking danger in the PPC landscape. With third-party agencies, you may not have full transparency into where your clicks are coming from. This lack of transparency exposes you to click fraud, where unscrupulous sources generate clicks, wasting your ad spend. For them, it’s a hidden profit but a loss for you.
5. Missed Opportunities for Real Optimization
When you let a third party handle your branded PPC campaigns, you miss out on opportunities for real optimization. You’re at their mercy for making changes and improvements. And guess what? They might not be in a hurry to optimize because it’s your money they’re spending. While you wait for them to act, potential leads slip away.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that third-party agencies often want credit for leads you would have acquired organically anyway. They ride on your brand’s coattails, spend your budget recklessly, and expose you to the risk of click fraud. Plus, they might not act swiftly to optimize your campaigns. Instead of letting a third party take control, consider managing your PPC campaigns internally or with a trusted digital marketing team that makes PPC one of many tactics of a larger strategic approach and genuinely prioritizes your results over their credit. Your brand deserves results, not just an agency looking to pad its portfolio. Don’t let them spend your PPC dollars on branded search terms – it’s your money and should be invested wisely.
