If you’re a business owner or marketing manager, you’ve probably been approached multiple times with offers of a “free” audit of your company’s paid search accounts.
You might be tempted to accept one of these offers. After all, what have you got to lose?
And you’re right, getting a free outside audit isn’t exactly high risk. But it’s not exactly free, either. Inevitably, you’ll have to spend some time making arrangements and reviewing the final report. (You can also expect a sales pitch once the report is submitted. In this case, “free” comes with strings.)
If you do decide to move forward with a free PPC account audit, it’s worth the extra effort to make sure the end product is useful. And as I outline in a recent Search Engine Land column, that means making sure your PPC auditor is asking the right questions.
Because if your external auditor doesn’t have a strong understanding of your business—and the context of your paid search strategy—he/she is basically flying blind.
And in the end, you’ll get what you paid for.
