Adwords services: Is this the new normal?

Over time markets move from integration to modularization

Specialization increases as markets stabilize and profit margins erode.

Its perfectly possible to use someone who just does campaign management as long as there is someone overseeing the monkey and telling him what to do. If he is talented in that capacity thats fine - but you need a marketing manager telling him what to do.

He may be used to working for large operations with very tight job specifications. Its okay to use the guy as long as you have someone else on the team doing landing page optimization, and someone else segmenting and tracking for profitable keywords.

Really depends on how your organization is structured and how you plan to build success for yourself. He may be doing so much volume that his role as that is justified. For smaller operations people need to do many jobs. As the size increases, the need for specialized people for each task increases.

If your client is going to use this guy he should have a marketing manager overseeing everything. You can have a keyword researcher, a adwords campaign manager and a landing page optimization expert all working together.

There are varying degrees of specialization in the AdWords certification process, from basic advertising fundamentals to the more advanced search advertising, display advertising, or reporting and analysis certifications.

As maximumus242 says, the guy could be a specialist as part of a larger team - but if he is a search specialist, he should know about developing keywords, and if he is a reporting and analysis expert, he should know about website optimization and funnels based on analysis. It doesn't sound like he is a complete package.

There is room for specialization in the AdWords realm, but the entire marketing process needs to be cohesive from beginning to end to get the best results. It's like driving a car - we can have a driver that understands the entire process, or we can have a brake specialist, an accelerator specialist, and a steering wheel specialist. If the latter, they'd better be communicating really well. Unfortunately, clients don't always understand the need for a complete package.

I've had to help out with Adwords over the years.

I'm working with a client right now who plopped down $5000 for an Adwords Specialist... and got taken for a ride.

The Specialist only provided the bare minimum of services. (And none of it was about managing the campaign in response to the results.)

I ended up having to take the over the campaign (after suggesting what to do.)

The dude had everything set on broad and the copy he wrote for the ads were keyword dense garbage; they didn't even raise the quality score and get the C.P.C. down.

I researched and found different keywords. Niche, niche, niche.

I wrote some landing pages for each keyword (and tested those pages against simply putting prospects on the homepage.)

Got a high quality score. Lowered the C.P.C. Found specific locations where this product really sells. Cut the clicks by more than half. Raised conversions by more than triple. And now the campaign is on autopilot - generating a high ROI.

I'll be honest though; I hate doing stuff!

It brings me down.

I find it utterly shocking how much time and energy we spent on finally finding a good Adwords Specialist, only to discover he was horrible at his job.

I did everything for free - just so I could rest assured that my copy converted properly.

But man...

Never. Again.

I did see a lot of potential for someone to come into this market and light a fire.

And after talking with a handful of supposed experts, I can honestly say, this market NEEDS people to step up.

Mark

It sounds like the definition of Adwords Specialist (as described in the OP and by Mark) is someone who has learned how to spell "adwords" and the mechanics of putting up an adwords campaign in a vaccum after being given the information they should be responsible for finding..

Kind of reminds me of college days where the format of problems was frequently 1) Given information, and 2) Find an answer from that given information. Not a particularly good way to address the real world issue of finding the information needed to solve a problem.

Marvin

My intention is not to bash somebody (except for the mediocre copy comment, which is clinically accurate.) People can make their own rules about how they prefer to do business. The guy didn't ask and I'm not offering.

In this case, I just can't see this guy's business model being successful without constant babysitting by the Client. I just can't see the campaign performing at an effective cost.

- Rick Duris

PS: The guy is Adwords certified. Has an Adwords account manager. Been doing it since 2004. Great portfolio. Charges a pretty penny.

This guy didn't just fall off the turnip truck. But when I saw the campaign he put together, I cringed.

@Rick
Hiring someone like that makes no sense to me. Surely the ad and copy have to dance to the same tune and work together like a perfectly choreographed display of Torvill and Dean?

@Mark
If that's all legit, you have skills that set you apart from regular copywriters.

Skills that folks will pay for.

If a copywriter said to me he would tweak and optimise my PPC in order to help his own copy, he'd certainly be setting himself apart from other options.

I used to own the domain googleadwordshelper.com.

I sincerely enjoyed figuring out how people searched on Google for products and services.

I also got a high out of cutting my "bids" in half by doing simple things like changing my landing page's title, headline and tweaking the copy so I could raise the quality score (because Adwords isn't true bidding.)

Likewise...

I wrote and tested at least 6 different ads (some that prequalified prospects, while others were specifically designed to get as many clicks as possible) to see what connected with my ideal prospect.

There's a real science to making Adwords work hard for your business.

When I helped interview the people to run the Adwords campaign, I knew what to ask.

However...

When it came down to execution, it was frustrating to watch.

As Rick said...

It would have taken constant babysitting to make the deal work.

That's why I just decided to do it myself.

And yes...

This person also had a persuasive portfolio and numerous certifications.

Here's the deal...

In another thread here on the copywriting forum, Nick Nordstrom posed the question:

Who wins in a fight? Copywriters or marketers?

In the case of Adwords...

Copywriters are actually much more naturally capable of creating and managing a strong Adwords campaign.

Because ultimately...

The copy in the ads and website/landing page/squeeze page/sales letter is what determines whether prospects will read and take action.

Marketers typically tend to focus on getting clicks.

They follow that up with using analytics to see what specific keywords are performing well (based on how long prospects stay on the site and the amount of "content" they read.)

Personally...

I don't like getting involved in the traffic driving process.

I just want to write the copy and go on with my life.

That being said...

I think more copywriters should master Adwords - because it'll help maximize the kind of results their copy ultimately gets.

Mark

This model can work with high inventory clients that require scale.

This model also works in high margin/relationship businesses in which Adwords hasn't been embraced so the level or marketing to be a standard deviation better isn't that much.

This model also works in branded areas where the company that values presense over conversions.

I don't think this is a long term model.

The model that is emerging is where one firm has a team where one does each core function (ad copy, keywords, a/b testing, quality control, landing page, auto responder copy, infusionsoft automation, tracking to end sell, salesletter, ect)

Adam

The model you refer to Adam, is the model I am a part of. But not for this Client.

As for high traffic inventory, the Client is playing with 20,000+ clicks a month from various networks. Adwords is just a piece of the traffic puzzle. The product is $3500/unit. Definitely room for a healthy adspend.

But this Adwords expert is a solopreneur, so I don't quite understand how his business model is profitable for anybody, except Google. Seems like it's destined for Client disillusion.

- Rick Duris

Thanks, Harlan. I'll keep your offer in my back pocket.

Right now, this guy's working off the clock and that's pretty irresistible to the Client.

Thanks again.

- Rick Duris