5 key PPC areas to prioritize in 2025

The start of a new year signals more than resolutions – it’s a critical moment for PPC professionals to reset, refocus, and strategically realign. 

As the digital marketing landscape evolves, success demands a clear-eyed approach to account management, client objectives, and personal growth.

Here are five essential areas every PPC specialist must prioritize in 2025.

1. Master the fundamentals: Strengthen your foundation

We often rush to tackle advanced strategies without solidifying the fundamentals, whether in client work or our personal development.

No matter your experience level, revisiting the basics is essential for long-term success.

Now is the perfect time to refocus on foundational elements, both for your accounts and your own growth, such as:

Tracking

• Accurate and complete tracking is critical in the AI era. Your account’s performance depends entirely on the quality of the data flowing into it.
• Review your setups and identify any gaps, such as enhanced conversions, offline conversion tracking, or basket-level data.

Account hygiene

• This may not be the most exciting task, but it’s essential. If you were auditing someone else’s account, account hygiene would be one of the first things you’d examine. 
• Review ads, creatives, bidding strategies, campaign settings, and keywords to ensure everything is in order. 
• Over time, these elements can become out of place, so adjustments are likely needed. 
• For a starting point, check the Recommendations tab, then refine from there.

Account structure

• Ensure the account structure aligns with the client’s advertising goals and objectives.

Task management

• Review task management systems and service agreements to confirm they still match current needs.
• Peak periods can lead to workload overflows, which may carry into the new year. Assess your tasks to remove anything unnecessary or of little value to the client.

Personal habits

• During busy periods, morning account checks may be skipped, and weekly performance reviews or analyses might stretch to biweekly or even monthly. Make sure to get back on track.

Skill sharpening

• Keeping up with industry newsletters or completing a PPC training course might have taken a backseat. 

Reprioritize these activities to stay ahead in the field.

Dig deeper: How to create a roadmap for your PPC clients

2. Plan for success: Align goals and strategy

For the client side, start with an annual review or extended quarterly meeting with clients and key stakeholders to ensure objectives are communicated clearly and aligned.

The plan should focus on measurable goals and future strategy rather than revisiting technical basics. Key elements to include:

• 2024 performance overview: Evaluate performance against primary objectives with year-on-year or forecast comparisons.
• Channel analysis: Identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. For example, if direct and organic traffic is underperforming, diagnose the cause (e.g., reduced brand awareness) and explore solutions, such as upper-funnel activity in current or new channels.
• Realignment of 2025 objectives, goals, and targets: Use existing insights to set clear goals and define how to achieve them.
• List of strategic actions: For instance, if revenue grew year-over-year but profits declined, a 2025 objective might be to test profit-based bidding strategies.
• Strategy roadmap: Prioritize actions for the first two quarters rather than spreading them out over the entire year.

For personal development, take time to reflect on your goals for 2025 and collaborate with your agency or manager to create a development plan. 

Consider the following:

• Weaknesses or interests: Identify areas you want to improve or explore further this year.
• Strengths: Focus on skills you excel at and aim to become an internal leader in those areas.
• Portfolio review: Assess whether your current client portfolio aligns with your personal growth goals.
• Career progression: Define the position you want to work toward and ensure your objectives align with achieving that role.

Dig deeper: 5 ways to align PPC campaigns with business objectives

3. Resource readiness: Equip yourself and your team

Once planning is underway, assess the resources needed to implement your plans effectively. 

These requirements may evolve based on client feedback and internal discussions. Key areas to review include:

• Team capability
  • Can existing team members address any measurement or implementation gaps?
  • Will the client’s development team need to handle certain tasks?
  • If there’s a skills gap, is this an opportunity for you to upskill?
• Service contract alignment
  • Do the tasks and requirements fit within the current service agreement?
  • If additional channel management is needed, will the account require extra support?
• Creative process
  • Does the client’s creative process support new strategies or channels?
  • Are additional resources or adjustments needed to align with new goals?
• Commercial scope
  • If current delivery exceeds the original agreement, plan a review with the client.
  • Consider how this extra service aligns with your personal growth objectives.
• Upskilling needs
  • Identify any training or knowledge gaps necessary to meet both client and personal objectives.

Resource needs often overlap between personal and business goals. 

For example, if you aim to improve your skills in profit tracking and a client’s goal is to focus on profitability over revenue, this creates an opportunity to align personal development with client success. 

Prioritize areas that deliver value for both.

4. Learning and growth: Stay ahead in a fast-moving industry

In the fast-evolving digital marketing world, continuous learning is critical to staying relevant and achieving your growth ambitions. 

Whether refining your expertise or exploring new areas, upskilling offers several benefits:

• Fresh ideas and innovative thinking.
• Confidence from enhanced knowledge.
• Increased job satisfaction and motivation.
• A clear signal of career ambition and drive.

Both personal and business growth can be supported through targeted learning. Potential focus areas include:

• Specific skills: AI, attribution/measurement, multi-channel strategies, profit tracking.
• Broader development: Leadership, management, and client communication.

While personal and client objectives may not always align perfectly, both require dedicated learning plans. Shape these around the year’s strategic goals:

• For personal growth, focus on skills that help you lead in your specialty or explore new interests.
• For business growth, consider training that strengthens client understanding, such as PPC’s role in overall strategy or how AI (e.g., Performance Max) reshapes campaign structures.

Bridging gaps between roles – such as clients fixating on minor CPC changes instead of strategy impact – through education can reduce misunderstandings, improve efficiency, and foster stronger relationships. 

Empowering clients with relevant knowledge helps them better communicate results to stakeholders, benefiting both parties.

Dig deeper: Becoming a world-class PPC ad buyer: 8 key lessons

5. From goals to actions: Turning plans into progress

Planning is only half the battle; without action, even the best strategies fall flat. 

Whether it’s executing a 2025 paid media strategy or achieving personal goals, effort, and resources must be allocated to move forward. 

Here are effective ways to translate plans into progress:

• Break down objectives: Divide broad goals into smaller, actionable tasks for clarity and focus.
• Track progress: Create a weekly updated progression sheet to monitor goals and maintain transparency.
• Set deadlines: Assign clear timelines to keep everyone accountable and motivated.
• Communicate regularly: For client plans, track and report progress through regular communications and monthly updates.
• Invest in resources: Commit to necessary tools, training, or initiatives. Financial investment adds urgency and focus.
• Assign accountability: Clearly delegate responsibilities and deliverables to ensure follow-through.

By prioritizing these steps, whether individually or as a whole, you can set yourself and your clients up for a successful and productive 2025.

Dig deeper: PPC management checklist: Daily, weekly and monthly reviews