How to Find the Right SEM Agency
Published on 27.05.2026 by Chizoba T
If you need your website, business, or brand to gain instant visibility in search engines, you should create a strong search engine marketing strategy. Unlike SEO, where you need to put in a lot of effort and wait for results, SEM ensures your business is instantly visible in search engines.
If you are a beginner in SEM marketing, it's easy to spend a lot on Google ads but with poor results. To improve your return on ad spend (ROAS), you can consider working with an SEM agency. However, SEM agencies, like any other businesses, aren't made equal. This is why you need to understand how to choose the right SEM agency. In this article, we will guide you on everything you need to get one.
What is a SEM Agency?
A Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Agency is a digital marketing firm that boosts a business's online visibility, brand awareness, website traffic, and conversions through paid advertising. They help you place PPC ads on platforms such as Google Ads. They also handle keyword research, bidding strategies, and ad copy creation to ensure a higher ROAS.
Benefits of Working with a SEM Agency
If search engine marketing is all about placing an ad on Google and appearing at the top of the organic search results, is it really worth working with an SEM agency? If this is your question, here are some benefits you need to know:
Experience in Digital Marketing
Many SEM agencies already have experience in search engine marketing and managing SEM campaigns. That means they have a good understanding of the types of campaigns they should target to drive traffic to your site and get your business to the top of the SERPs. They also understand the best type of Instagram content for driving maximum engagement.
If you don’t have this knowledge, you might bid on the wrong keywords, wasting your time and ad budget. However, when you work with a SEM agency, you will have access to the talent, tools, and experience to help take your company online.
Save Time and Money
Unless you have a large digital marketing team, you should understand that it takes a lot of work. As Google evolves, SEM marketing is becoming more complex. That means you may not have the time and resources required to run a strong SEM campaign, especially in an ever-changing digital world where you need to keep up with numerous trends.
Therefore, outsourcing your SEM work can be beneficial, as it helps you save time and resources while providing access to industry expertise. You can then use that time to focus more on what really matters, such as reaching out to leads.
Understand the Scale
If you want to run a large search engine marketing campaign or several small campaigns, you can rely on the tools and expertise of the SEM agency to assist. The top SEM agencies can help you gain greater economies of scale by running multiple ads simultaneously. These agencies also have the tools and software to track your campaign's progress, conversion rate, and site reliability. It will also offer you control over the scope and size of a campaign. They will guide you on the best frequency for checking analytics data.
Steps in Finding the Right SEM Agency
Now that you understand the benefits of working with a SEM agency, let us look at the steps to follow when searching for one.
Determine Your Goals
Like any other social media marketing strategy, you need to begin by determining what you are trying to achieve with the SEM campaign. In fact, when negotiating with the SEM agency, this is one of the details they will want to find out. When you have the same goal, you will be on the same page with the agency, increasing the chances of success.
Consider your current SEM strategy and the following:
- What part of your campaigns have you been successful in and what parts need improvement?
- Do you want to improve your organic traffic from qualified keywords in the SERPs?
- Are you looking to improve your ROI while meeting certain metrics by a particular percentage?
Research Different Agencies
Use the following tips to research them further.
Check them out on Google
When you go to Google and select the first agency that comes up on the SERPs, you will fail in your goal to get a good one. That's why you need to research further to shortlist the agencies you feel best align with your goals and have experience in your industry. After shortlisting a few, you can research deeper into each.
Read Customer Reviews and Testimonials
You can visit their websites, read customer reviews, and check testimonials. Go through their portfolios and see if they have any referees. You can go ahead and reach out to past clients to determine whether they got the results they were looking for and were satisfied with their work ethic.
How They Respond to Customer Complaints
Consider their years of experience and whether they have received sample reports and case studies. When you encounter negative reviews online, check if they responded. While any urgency will at times leave clients unsatisfied, how they respond to those clients matters more.
Worked with Businesses in Your Industry
Pay attention to whether they have worked with other similar companies in your industry. If they have, it's a clear advantage because it means they have knowledge and experience with what works for businesses like yours. This is important because SEM campaigns can vary by industry.
Check if You Click with Them
Remember that you want a SEM agency you can work with in the long run, so ensure you click with them right from the beginning. From the agencies you shortlisted, take time to interview them. Ask them questions about their process and the team you will be working with to determine whether their mentality and values match yours.
Consider whether they are transparent or whether they seem to withhold information. If you ask the same question and they are reluctant to answer, it could be a red flag that they aren't completely honest. No matter how good their responses are, if something feels off, follow your gut.
Any good agency should answer questions about its process and be clear about pricing. They shouldn't mind providing you with their referral. Check how they communicate and whether they are friendly and accept criticism. Ask them how often they will be conducting meetings, check-ins, and phone calls.
Discuss Deliverables
You also want to ensure that the agency shows you whether their efforts pay off. Ask them how often they will be providing you with reports and what will be contained in these reports. You can ask them questions such as:
- How will you be tracking our brand awareness and web traffic from different sources?
- What attribution models will you be using?
- How will you track our ROI?
Regular reporting and communication will help you establish strong relationships, so feel free to ask any questions you may have.
Break Down the Specific
Remember, a good SEM campaign isn't a one-off affair. It involves regularly maintaining your strategies. Consider if you will be working as an accounts manager, the number of employees in each team, and their locations. Check the experience of the different team members who will be working on your project.
In Conclusion
Your choice of a SEM agency will determine the success level of your campaign. If you choose the right one, you can take your campaign to the next level. Therefore, whether you are a beginner in SEM or an experienced SEM professional, make sure you follow the steps above to select the right SEM agency.