These days, being found on the internet is essential to any business or institution. Most people that would be interested in university are internet proficient and would use search engines to locate one. For this reason, paid search is a very effective marketing tool to use for advertising job vacancies, recruiting students, course marketing.
The cost can be broken down into two parts (the cost of the adverts/clicks, the management fee to the agency) both of which are variable. The cost per click is dependent on what the search engine is allowing for bids, but also how relevant the landing page is to the keyword or phrase. PPC prices can be high, so care needs to be taken in choosing the keywords to target.
There are thousands of them around the UK, ranging from freelancers working from home, up to top London firms. It is advised to select one that has experience in the education industry, that way they will have a better idea of what is involved from the beginning and there should be no learning curve. Marketing for universities is something that needs to be asked about. Care needs to be given to agencies claiming to be ‘recommended partners of google‘ or ‘award winning’. This does not mean they will be able to produce you results better than a small local agency.
It is wise to get a few quotes before deciding who to use, that way you should find the best company for the best price.