How customer interviews help a PPC agency shape paid search

What to take away

A PPC agency can use customer interviews to learn what triggered a search, which alternatives customers considered and what evidence influenced their choice.
Interviews must follow UK data rules: purpose limitation and a lawful basis under the UK GDPR, with consent requirements and PECR where relevant to calls or messages.
Five to eight interviews per audience segment can provide a workable starting point; use a consistent script and code findings promptly.
Findings can inform paid-search ad groups, headlines, landing pages, negative keywords and lead-quality scoring.
Choose interviewees and questions to answer a specific campaign or audience question, rather than interviewing only the best accounts.

1 Choose the audience for the paid-search question

Define who counts as a customer this round: recent buyers, a spend band, a sector, and whether you want England only or the wider UK. State the geography openly, because sector-specific rules can differ in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Match the segment to the paid-search question, such as search intent or account spend, rather than interviewing only your strongest accounts.

Customer inclusion rule

Recent buyers
Spend band
Sector
England only or wider UK
Screen from CRM then panel
Short screening script

Recruit from your own CRM first, then a panel. Keep a short screening script so every participant meets the same bar.

2 Check UK data rules before recruiting

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) publishes Direct marketing guidance and guidance on the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Apply the UK GDPR and PECR as relevant: establish a lawful basis before processing interview data, and check PECR requirements before direct marketing calls or electronic messages. Record only what you need, and tell participants how long you keep recordings.

Data handling before dialling

Settle lawful basis
Follow ICO consent guidance
Record only what you need
Tell participants retention time

3 Reconstruct the paid-search decision

Good interviews reconstruct a choice: what triggered the search, what they compared, and what made them hesitate. Ask what they typed, which ads and pages they noticed, and who else they spoke to. Avoid asking whether they like your service. Silence is useful; let them fill it.

4 Use paid-search data to choose the sample

Pull search terms and device splits from Google Ads or Microsoft Advertising, then use GA4 and CRM records to compare site activity and lead quality. Search Console can add organic-query context, but it is not a source of paid-search terms; keyword and negative-keyword lists can help identify topics to probe. Interview across the range rather than only the best accounts: a team paying £400 a month, for example, may describe a very different decision from one paying £4,000. Segment before you recruit, and ask customers which alternatives they considered.

5 Ask the same questions in each session

Opening and consent

Confirm the purpose, the recording, the opt-out and who will see the notes. Ten minutes maximum. If they withdraw consent, stop and delete.

Core questions and closing

Use the same core questions in each interview:

What triggered you to search for a solution?
What did you type, and what did you look at?
Which alternatives did you compare?
What made you hesitate or nearly choose something else?
What proof would have helped you decide?
What would you tell a colleague considering the same choice?

6 Code findings into usable PPC themes

Tag each transcript against a fixed set of themes: trigger, alternatives, proof needed, price reaction, friction. Two people should code independently and reconcile. Count how many participants raised each theme, and keep the quotes that explain it. Store the coded file where the media team can reach it.

7 Turn themes into paid-search campaign changes

Each theme should map to a search action: an ad group, a headline test, a landing page block, a negative keyword, or a lead scoring rule. If a theme has no owner, it will not ship. Set a review date and compare click-through rate and lead quality with the account's own pre-change baseline, using the same measurement definitions; interview comments alone do not prove campaign performance.

Keep recommendations specific to paid search rather than importing rules from other channels: TikTok's advertising policies govern TikTok ads, not search campaigns.

8 Keep a standing interview rhythm

One round per quarter beats a single large project. Re-interview a few customers after onboarding, then again after three months. Track whether the reasons for buying change as the account matures. Feed the pattern back into the brief you give copywriters and the questions your sales team asks on calls.

Common questions

How many customer interviews are enough?

Five to eight per segment usually surfaces the main themes. Beyond that, new interviews tend to repeat what you have already coded, so stop when two sessions add nothing new.

Do I need consent to record a call?

For this interview process, get permission before recording. Tell the participant what you are recording, why, how long you keep it and how to withdraw. Establish and document the relevant lawful basis as well; the ICO's Direct marketing guidance and guidance on PECR are useful reference points, alongside the consent and lawful basis guide.

Can interview findings change ad copy?

They should. Themes about proof, price and risk translate directly into headlines, sitelinks and landing page sections. Give each theme an owner and a test date.

Does this apply outside England?

The core UK data-protection framework applies across the UK, but sector-specific advertising rules can differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. State where you are recruiting and check the rules that apply to that sector before you begin.