Most agency roundups skip straight to the list. This one doesn't - because for a meaningful number of people reading this on Startups.com, the honest answer is: you're not ready for a dedicated PPC agency yet. And paying one before you're ready is one of the fastest ways to burn budget and lose confidence in the channel.
The good news is the readiness criteria aren't complicated. I've seen the same five failure modes over and over. Not "wrong agency." Pre-conditions not met.
If you clear the framework below, the agency list is for you. If you don't, there's a more honest path forward before you get there.
Before you shortlist a single agency, work through these six d...