How to Find the Best PPC Agency for Travel Businesses

The travel and tourism industry is possibly one of the toughest markets in the world. From massive tour operators like Get Your Guide and Viator to huge flight agencies like Global Travel, getting a foot in the door is no easy feat.

This is where getting ahead of the rest with a targeted paid advertising campaign can make all the difference. That said, there are plenty of advertising techniques, with each offering different results at varying prices.

We’d still recommend establishing a powerful SEO marketing strategy first, but incorporating PPC advertising can give a competitive advantage. While you can do PPC yourself, it can be daunting. So, to help you make the most of your ads, we’ve provided an in-depth guide on how to find the best PPC agency for your travel business.

PS: We also offer tailor-made PPC services for your budget and needs.

Why PPC Campaigns Are Important for the Travel Industry

Everyone has specific business objectives they aim to achieve, and PPC marketing can help reach those goals. You probably know how saturated the travel sector is with options, so how does a local tourism business stand out from the crowd?

Aside from a robust SEO strategy, PPC marketing is one of the more affordable advertising techniques on the web. From finding prospective customers to driving quick results, this is a tool that every business can benefit from —- that’s if it’s done right.

Top Tip: Here’s our guide on PPC advertising for tour operators specifically, with more insights into this marketing strategy.

How the Removal of Third-Party Cookies Will Affect Google Ads

On the 4th of January 2024, Google began the first step towards a cookieless future. They started testing their new privacy features, including removing third-party cookies from 1% of its users.

You may be asking: what is the role of third-party cookies in search ads? Third-party cookies allow for cross-site tracking, helping advertisers better understand their target audience.

With that in mind, here are the top challenges marketing agencies and travel companies are going to face:

• First-party cookies — Businesses must optimise and use the data collected on clients from their websites.
• It will be harder to identify the target audience — As you will no longer have quick access to user data from multiple websites, pinpointing your target market will be harder.
• Adhering to the new privacy policies — Google wants to move towards a more secure, private internet experience for its users. As such, your data collection techniques will need to be in line with Google’s policies. As such, marketers will need to use Google’s new tool, The Privacy Sandbox.

Note: Google hopes to completely remove third-party cookies by the end of the third quarter of 2024. So, it’s best to start optimising your first-party cookies now, or our web dev team can help you with this process.

PPC Strategies | How to Create the Right One for Your Business

Before knowing how to find the ideal agency for you, it’s a good idea to figure out the best travel PPC strategy for your business. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to create a custom strategy.

1. Outline Your PPC Goals

First and foremost, you need to set the business goals you hope to achieve through this PPC campaign. When goal setting, ask yourself these questions and write down the answers:

• What are the most important metrics in my business, traffic, sales, visibility, etc?
• What am I hoping to achieve from this PPC campaign?
• Who is my usual target audience?
• What time frame am I hoping to achieve my PPC goals within?
• What aspect of my company am I looking to promote through this PPC campaign?

Once you have answered these questions, finalise your ultimate goal. The most popular goals include:

• boosting site traffic
• increasing your sales or leads
• improving your brand awareness

2. Choose Your PPC Channels and Set Your Budget

With your goals at hand, you can start looking at the channels you would like to target. The popular channels are Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, but there are other platforms you can use. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and even TikTok offer PPC-style advertising, but you must choose the right channel for your company.

The ad copy you produce needs to be in line with your brand. So, a standard Google or Bing PPC campaign may be better if your company doesn’t work with video.

Once you’ve decided on your channels, it’s time to set your budget. This can be a tricky part of your strategy, as PPC works on a bidding format, where you choose the maximum you’re willing to pay for a click.

Keep your marketing budget realistic to your company’s needs, and when you choose your PPC agency, ensure they are aware of your budget.

3. Choose Your Target Keywords and Create Effective Copy

The next step is identifying the target keywords you hope to advertise on. Remember that you’ll pay per click, so choosing super-popular keywords isn’t always the most cost-effective strategy.

You’ll want to complete a topic mine to identify good keywords and then use Google Ads Keyword Planner to find other relevant topics to target. A travel advertising agency like ours includes this service, offering in-depth insights and a more targeted ad campaign.

Once you’ve identified your target keywords, you’ll want to create compelling copy. Remember, the type of copy you make will depend on the channel you choose to advertise on.

Top Tip: We’ve also written a comprehensive guide to working with Google Ads, including creating successful copy.

4. Identify Strong, User-Friendly Pages

Before going gungho with your PPC ads, it’s essential you have strong, user-friendly pages. The last you want to do is pay for a click from an ad and for the viewer to leave immediately.

Not only is that a waste of funds, but it also doesn’t reflect well on your website’s overall performance. As such, you’ll want to ensure the page your advert links to is of the highest quality and answers the search intent immediately.

Make sure you pick a page that is in line with the ad copy, and if need be, optimise the page to get the best results possible.

Top Tip: We offer a wide range of optimisation services to improve your travel agency’s content.

5. Use Ad Extensions, Automation, and Track Your Results

Almost all PPC travel agencies will help set up your ad extensions, but it’s a good idea to understand what they do clearly. Search Engine Journal provides a complete list of the most used extensions and automations for Google Ads.

Ad extensions allow you to provide more information on your offers and increase your visibility in the SERPs. As extensions can help increase your click-through rate (CTR), they can also improve your cost-per-click (CPC).

Your PPC travel marketing agency will recommend the ideal extensions to use, and by tracking the results, you can keep tabs on what offers the best results.

How to Identify the Best Travel PPC Agency for You

With the ideal PPC strategy for your company, it’s time to look for an agency that fits your needs. Here are the questions you need to ask when picking the PPC agency for you.

1. Do They Have Industry or Category Expertise?

You must check if they have a proven track record of successful campaigns. The last thing you want to do is put the fate of your ads in the hands of the wrong digital marketing agency.

Check if they have case studies (like we do). If not, maybe there is a better fit for you.

2. Do They Provide Account Transparency?

First off, make sure they are transparent about their prices. The last thing you want is an unexpected bill well above your budget at the end of the month.

This refers to more than just pricing, as it’s essential you have access to your own ad accounts. This way, you can monitor performances and pull reports (not just the ones they send you) when needed.

3. Do They Have the Right Learning Mindset?

PPC and advertising as a whole is a never-ending learning curve. It helps to know your agency of choice always adapts to new techniques and current trends within the advertising world. This is especially true as Google looks to do away with third-party cookies.

4. Are They a Good Personality Fit?

After the first consultation or a few rounds of emails, you’ll start to feel if the agency matches your vision. You will be working with them a fair bit, so it’s crucial to know you can talk with them openly and establish a good working relationship where everyone feels comfortable.

5. Do They Have Expert Knowledge of KPIs and Reporting?

Using Google Analytics is great, but it’s not the only tool your PPC agency should use for reporting. Ensure they are fully transparent with their findings, showing you the wins and the losses.

Also, double-check they have expert knowledge. For example, see how well they can identify target audiences, if their keyword research is thorough, or if their recommended ad formats align with your company.

The Different Platforms for PPC Advertising

Here’s a quick look at the top channels to target:

• Google Ads — You can utilise various ad formats, from text and responsive ads to video and images. A bidding format determines pricing.
• Microsoft Ads — Bing offers similar ad formats to Google and a competitive pricing plan.
• YouTube — They mainly work on a cost-per-view format, with the possible content you can advertise primarily being video-based.
• Facebook — Advertising formats vary, much like Google, and the pricing can also change depending on what you wish to get from the campaign.
• Instagram — Advertise with single images, video, or carousel formats. They also offer a varying pricing plan depending on your budget.
• Twitter (X) — You can advertise within people’s feeds with a CPC pricing format.
• TikTok — This is a great platform if you’re looking to reach a younger demographic. Primarily video-based ads and offers pricing plans depending on your business type.

The Benefits of Working With an Internet Marketing Agency

Once you’ve chosen the right tourism advertising agency for you, there are some fantastic benefits you can start to see. Not all of these are guaranteed, but most, if not all, of them are possible.

1. You’ll Get Fast Results

Travel PPC services will take your business to new heights. You’ll notice an uptick in website traffic almost the day after you begin the campaign. Just manage your expectations, as not every impression and click results in a sale.

2. There’ll Be Increased Online Visibility of Your Travel Business

One of the biggest advantages of PPC advertising is the increased visibility of your brand. PPC is the way to go if you want to improve brand awareness. You’ll need to ensure your adverts stick in your audience’s memory, so high-quality copy and imagery are essential.

3. You’ll Be Reaching Your Target Audience

Another perk is the fact you’ll be reaching your target audience. As you can target particular keywords, you’ll be one of the first things the user sees, which is great for your brand.

4. It Can Be Cost Effective if Done Right

If your PPC agency targets the right keywords, this is a very cost-effective way to earn new leads and reach potential customers. The keyword with the highest views isn’t always the best target. If your agency understands that, you can make the most of your budget.

5. There Is Flexibility Within Your Ad Campaigns

You can change something throughout your PPC campaign if something isn’t working. This is as long as your agency of choice is transparent about what is working and what isn’t. Changing the targeted keyword or adjusting the bidding price is fairly easy if something isn’t working.

6. It’s a Measurable Digital Marketing Strategy

Last but certainly not least, PPC advertising is a measurable marketing strategy. You’ll be able to get access to up-to-date information on the keywords that are working, if you are overspending, and much more.

FAQs About Finding the Best Tourism PPC Services

Before we bid you farewell, here are some quick answers to the most asked questions about travel advertising agencies and PPC.

How Much Does It Cost to Do PPC?

As bidding-based, it depends on how much you are willing to spend during the campaign. That said, the average cost of a PPC campaign is between $100 and $10,000 per month. The usual bidding range is between $0.51 – $1.00 per 1,000 impressions and $0.11 – $0.50 per click.

Does PPC Work for Small Businesses?

PPC is one of the most successful forms of advertising for small businesses. As long as you target the right keywords, you’ll be able to save money, expand your brand’s visibility, and reach your target audiences.

Are PPC Campaigns a Viable Long-Term Strategy?

PPC can be a viable long-term strategy for boosting leads and traffic, but it can become pricey after a while. A much better long-term strategy is working on your website’s content, as it improves your overall website and can lead to a consistent influx of organic traffic.

Top Tip: If you plan on consistently working on your website’s content, we offer a range of content writing services for every budget.

Final Thoughts on Finding the Best Travel-Focused PPC Agency

And just like that, you know how to find the best travel marketing company for your next PPC campaign. From increasing traffic to finding new leads, this form of advertising can be a cost-effective way to give your company the boost it needs.

We offer PPC services that will cater to your budget and overall strategy. So, if you’re interested in teaming up with us, you can always book a call with one of our experts today.