Twenty Questions to Ask When Crafting a Search Marketing RFP

Your organization has decided that it wants to outsource all or part of search marketing to an outside firm or agency. There isn't one search engine marketing company that is right for all organizations. Finding the right search marketing vendor depends on your needs, your preferences, your site, and your budget.

This article provides the basic questions to ask when evaluating search marketing companies. Our hope is that these sample questions provide you with the right perspective to help you select the right agency for your needs.

The following 20 questions provide a core RFP. If you are soliciting information on more than one subspecialty, you will want to repeat questions 4 through 20 for each subspecialty.

1. Company name, Web site and physical address

Review the agency's Web site. Does it manifest best practices? Is the site regularly updated or is it stale? Does it contain typos? Is it well designed and easy on the eyes? These seemingly small details provide a sense of a prospective agency's approach to marketing.

You might also consider the agency's location(s). Payroll and rent—the agency's largest expenses—depend on the agency's geographic location. An agency located in the heart of a downtown district may face significant cost disadvantages, which could be reflected in its pricing. Location plays a large role in employee hiring. Ask a prospective agency how they attract, train, and retain qualified professional staff. Finally, make sure an agency has locations and/or hours that satisfy your needs.

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Alan Rimm-Kaufman leads the Rimm-Kaufman Group (www.rimmkaufman.com), a direct marketing services and consulting firm founded in 2003.