The 9 best pay-per-click (PPC) tools to optimize your ad spend in 2024

Look, we've all been there. Shoveling cash into Google Ads, feeding it a hearty budget only to watch a conversion or two dribble out. Pay-per-click advertising can sometimes seem like a dark art, where only the initiated few know the incantations needed to unlock its true potential.

It doesn't have to be this way. With the right pay-per-click tool, you can finally get your ads to actually work and not just sit there looking pretty.

Whether you're a small business owner taking your first tentative steps into digital marketing or a seasoned pro looking to refine your strategy, I'll share the tools that will make managing your campaigns as easy—and profitable—as possible.

The 9 best pay-per-click tools for marketers

• Semrush for an all-in-one solution

• Adalysis for split testing ads

• AdEspresso for social media PPC campaigns

• ReportGarden for small agencies

• Optmyzr for agencies with large ad spend

• iSpionage for competitor research

• Channable for eCommerce feed management

• CHEQ Essentials for click fraud prevention

• ChatGPT for copywriting

What makes a great pay-per-click tool?

I considered a few fundamental factors during my extensive research and testing. These are the key criteria I used to evaluate and rank the best PPC tools on the market.

• Supported platforms: A great pay-per-click tool should play nicely with the major ad networks you're likely to use. To make the cut, a tool must integrate with at least two of the following major PPC platforms: Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising (this includes Bing and Yahoo!), Meta, or Amazon. If you're looking for platform-specific PPC tools, I've rounded up a few options for that too.

• Accuracy and reliability: Giants like Google often keep their direct data under wraps, ironically enough. Instead, I looked for tools with a solid track record of providing trustworthy, consistent estimates that marketers can confidently base decisions on.

• Usability: The best PPC tools have intuitive interfaces, clear workflows, and helpful documentation and support. If an app is more complicated than explaining the difference between broad match and phrase match keywords to your dad, it won't be on this list.

• Pricing and scalability: Does the cost of the tool align with the value it provides and the potential ROI? Some tools might be overkill for small businesses, while others aren't robust enough for large enterprises. The sweet spot is a tool that offers transparent, tiered pricing to accommodate growing businesses.

• AI capabilities: I gave extra credit to tools that incorporate artificial intelligence to automate tasks, surface insights, and optimize performance. I mean, if the robots are going to take over eventually, they might as well make themselves useful and help us get a better ROAS.

Now, I didn't just rely on my own experiences and opinions here. I also talked to a bunch of marketing experts who are in the PPC trenches day in and day out. I picked their brains on what tools they can't live without, what features really move the needle for them, and what they wish their current tools did better. 

Between my own hands-on testing and these insider insights, I feel pretty confident in my final rankings. But, of course, your mileage may vary. What works for me or the folks I spoke to might not be the best fit for your unique needs and goals.

One last thing—if you're already using a comprehensive marketing automation platform like HubSpot or Marketo, you might not need a separate, dedicated PPC tool. Many of these all-in-one platforms include built-in advertising features that can handle basic campaigns. But if you're looking for more advanced functionality, granular reporting, or multi-channel support, a specialized PPC tool is often the way to go.

The best pay-per-click apps at a glance

Best all-in-one PPC tool

Semrush (Google, Microsoft, Amazon)

Semrush pros:

• Generous free plan

• Automated reports

• Frequent updates and new features added

Semrush cons:

• Steep learning curve for beginners

• Higher pricing tiers for full access

Semrush is a global leader in the PPC SaaS space, and its presence on the New York Stock Exchange underlines its scale. The real draw, however, isn't its market share but the elaborate suite of tools it offers. These make Semrush much more than a singular utility—it's a comprehensive toolkit designed to address the many complexities of digital advertising.

The sheer versatility of Semrush's pay-per-click capabilities is truly impressive. Use it for:

• Keyword research

• Competitor/market analysis

• Campaign planning

• Analytics

• Reporting

• Paid search position tracking

• Ad optimization

And that's not even touching its SEO, display advertising, and social media management capabilities.

The keyword research features alone are worth the price of admission. With Semrush's massive keyword database, you can quickly identify relevant search terms for any niche or industry. The Keyword Magic Tool is especially useful—just enter a seed keyword, and it spits out hundreds of related terms, complete with search intent, search volumes, competition levels, and cost-per-click estimates. Huy Nguyen, B2B web architect at LeadingResponse, told me he uses the wealth of additional phrases to improve his team's PPC and content strategies.

For eCommerce businesses, the PLA (product listing ads) research is a gold mine. Semrush reveals the product feeds and PLA keywords driving revenue for competitors. With that data, you can create new campaigns targeting their most profitable search terms.

As much as I love Semrush, I can see how its smorgasbord of features might be a bit much for smaller businesses that are just dipping their toes into the PPC pool. If you're a solopreneur or a mom-and-pop shop just looking to run a few basic Google Ads campaigns, you might find yourself overwhelmed by all the bells and whistles.

But if you're looking for an all-in-one solution to take your PPC game to the next level, Semrush is the tool for you. It's like having a whole marketing department at your fingertips.

Get more done with Semrush by connecting it with Zapier to keep track of PPC tasks across Semrush and your project management tool, automate campaign audits, connect with Google Ads goals, and more. Here are some examples.

Semrush pricing: Free for limited access; paid plans start at $129.95/month

Best PPC tool for split testing ads

Adalysis (Google, Microsoft)

Adalysis pros:

• Automated ad testing in bulk

• Quickly spots quick wins/low-hanging fruit

• ​​Estimates future ad performance

Adalysis cons:

• Linking accounts can be time-consuming

• Steep learning curve for beginners

Ever wonder if your ads are actually any good? Adalysis is PPC management software that takes the guesswork out of ad testing, providing data-driven insights to improve performance.

Adalysis's unique selling point is its ability to automate your ad testing workflow. Easily set up A/B tests across ad groups and campaigns to determine which headlines, descriptions, and other elements resonate best with your target audiences. Rather than manually comparing individual ads, Adalysis automatically surfaces winning ad copy based on metrics. It will even forecast the potential boost to clicks and conversions from pausing your weakest ads.

Beyond the A/B testing sorcery, I'm a fan of Adalysis's automated account health checks. The platform will ping you if there are any fires to put out, like keyword conflicts or unserved ads. Gabriel Lukov, head of inbound growth at Businessmap, raved about the convenient automation features that make routine checks and adjustments much more efficient. For example, the software's heatmaps allow you to see what's working (and what's not) at a glance. It's like having "Silence of the Lambs"-esque night vision goggles in a dark basement of data.

Is Adalysis perfect? No tool is. Does its name remind me of the word "dialysis?" Definitely. But its relentless focus on data-driven ad optimization through multivariate testing is incredibly valuable and something you can't really find anywhere else.

Adalysis pricing: From $149/month for $50K monthly ad spend

Best PPC tool for social media PPC campaigns

AdEspresso by Hootsuite (Google, Meta)

AdEspresso pros:

• Automated ad optimization

• Straightforward A/B testing

• Super quick setup

AdEspresso cons:

• Slow-to-respond customer support

• Few updates since Hootsuite acquisition

Born out of frustration with a certain Zuckerberg's notoriously clunky ad interface, AdEspresso by Hootsuite is a straightforward solution that promises to ease the convoluted world of Facebook, Instagram, and Google PPC advertising. The platform, designed to simplify the process of creating, optimizing, and managing ad campaigns, really lives up to its espresso-inspired name—it's speedy and effective.

AdEspresso's interface will feel instantly familiar to early Facebook users—the navigation is easy to maneuver and mimics the classic blue and gray palette. After connecting your ad accounts, simply set your campaign objective, and AdEspresso will guide you through the rest of the process with clear instructions and helpful tips from its outstanding knowledge database.

Yulia Saf, founder of the travel site Miss Tourist, points to AdEspresso's split testing as a favorite feature. With just a few clicks, you can effortlessly set up A/B tests to find the perfect ad creative and targeting combination. As the campaigns run, automation rules work in the background, dynamically reallocating ad spend toward your top performers based on customizable goals.

AdEspresso is a fantastic tool for beginners or small businesses looking for help launching PPC campaigns—but it might feel a bit limited for larger enterprises or those looking for very advanced features.

AdEspresso pricing: From $49/month for the Starter plan

Best PPC tool for small agencies

ReportGarden (60+ integrations)

ReportGarden pros:

• Cross-platform reporting

• White-label client portals

• Customer support is very quick to respond

ReportGarden cons:

• Data is sometimes slow to load

• Creating custom reports can be time-consuming

I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical about ReportGarden at first. I mean, how revolutionary can a reporting tool be? But after testing it out, I can confidently say that ReportGarden has won me over with its intuitive interface, powerful customization options, and integration with dozens of data sources.

One of the things that instantly won me over was ReportGarden's client portals. With just a few clicks, you can grant clients direct access to a custom-branded dashboard showing their most important PPC metrics. No more sending clunky spreadsheets or sharing login credentials.

A super useful ReportGarden feature is the ability to include agency fees in campaign costs. With flexible options to apply fixed, relative, or absolute margins, firms can accurately reflect markup costs and profits to clients. This brings transparency to campaign financing while underscoring ROI.

Like any good friend, ReportGarden has its quirks. It can occasionally be sluggish, especially when pulling multiple large ad accounts. Filtering by specific ads also requires some tedious widget tweaking. And I wouldn't recommend it for mega agencies or those looking to scale up quickly—it can feel a bit constrained when you're trying to handle a massive influx of data.

For small to midsize firms, though, ReportGarden punches above its weight. The sheer customization paired with those magical client portals makes reporting almost...fun?

Plus, you can connect ​​ReportGarden to other apps you use with its Zapier integration. Get started with one of these pre-made templates.

ReportGarden pricing: From $89/month for the Basic plan

Best PPC tool for agencies with large ad spend

Optmyzr (Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon)

Optmyzr pros:

• Rules Engine creates custom automations based on user preferences

• Fantastic customer support

• Easy-to-follow video-based product training

Optmyzr cons:

• Pricing unsuitable for smaller advertisers

• Interface can be difficult to intuitively navigate

From the moment I first logged into Optmyzr, I recognized its potential to be an absolute game-changer for how big spenders run their Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon ads accounts. What sets it apart is that it's a script-based solution, which means you can automate a ton of the tedious tasks that come with managing PPC campaigns at scale.

While Google Ads Scripts are available for free, they can be daunting for the average user. Optmyzr, on the other hand, provides no-code functionality that allows you to implement powerful automations without getting bogged down in technical details.

Its one-click optimizations are a massive time-saver, allowing you to make bulk changes across all your campaigns and ad groups, like adjusting bids, adding negative keywords, or pausing underperforming ads. Gianluca Ferruggia, general manager at DesignRush, uses Optmyzr to ensure effective PPC campaigns. He told me that it "offers a fantastic balance between automation and control."

My favorite feature is probably the PPC Investigator for its unmatched diagnostics capabilities. This powerful tool helps users rapidly surface root causes behind performance fluctuations in account health, whether it's a specific keyword, placement, or an entire network. This level of visibility lets you easily spot anomalies and opportunities that would be difficult to catch manually.

Another aspect I appreciate about Optmyzr is its centralized reporting. The customizable templates allow users to present cross-platform data in a visually appealing way, making it easier to communicate insights and tailor deliverables for each client's unique needs.

That said, I wouldn't recommend Optmyzr for freelancers or small PPC teams managing just a few accounts. Its pricing and extensive feature set make it excessive for lean operations. But if you're an agency or consultant juggling multiple sizable accounts, it's well worth the investment to elevate your efficiency and client services. As CEO and founder of DealA, Oleg Segal, pointed out, "Its superlative automation features make it easy to ignore the price tag."

Optmyzr integrates with Zapier, so you can connect it to the apps you use most. Manage new Optmyzr tasks by creating corresponding tasks in your project management app, set up new to-dos from new Optmyzr alerts, or try one of these pre-made workflows.

Optmyzr pricing: From $249/month for $10K monthly ad spend

Best PPC tool for competitor research

iSpionage (Google, Microsoft)

iSpionage pros:

• Easy-to-use interface

• Proprietary Keyword Effectiveness Index and Ad Effectiveness Index

• SEM performance tracking and historical SERP snapshots

iSpionage cons:

• Not as agency-friendly as other tools

• Very limited free account

While SpyFu is the more well-known competitor research tool for PPC (and one I've used extensively in a previous role), I ended up choosing iSpionage for a few reasons.

First, iSpionage includes data from Microsoft Advertising. Having that extra data source can give you a more complete picture of what your competitors are up to, especially in industries targeting an older demographic.

I also find iSpionage a bit easier to navigate than SpyFu. The dashboard is clean and intuitive, which is important when you're trying to dig through a mountain of data. The data visualizations make it simple to quickly uncover insights and identify opportunities to improve your campaigns.

That said, I'll acknowledge that iSpionage doesn't have quite the same depth of data or breadth of features as some other enterprise-grade PPC tools. If you're a big agency managing huge budgets, you're probably better off investing in a more robust tool like Semrush that can handle that level of complexity. But for a smaller in-house marketing team, iSpionage is a great fit.

One of my favorite iSpionage features is Campaign Watch. Enter the domains of key competitors, and iSpionage will email weekly reports highlighting any changes in their PPC campaigns, ad copy, landing pages, and A/B test results. It's an easy way to keep tabs on the competition without having to monitor them manually.

But the landing page surveillance is where iSpionage really shines compared to other tools I've used. It shows you exactly how your competitors are optimizing their post-click experience to maximize conversions. You can even set up alerts to get notified whenever they make changes to their pages. I don't know about you, but viewing actual ad copy and destination URLs helps inspire new ideas for my own campaigns.

iSpionage strikes the right balance of depth and simplicity for smaller teams. The learning curve is reasonable, the data is reliable, and the insights I've gleaned have made a real impact on my campaign performance. If you're in a similar boat, I recommend giving iSpionage a try.

iSpionage pricing: From $59/month for the Starter plan

Best PPC tool for eCommerce feed management

Channable (2,500+ integrations)

Channable pros:

• Integrates with shopping channels popular in 40+ countries

• Keeps listings organized and ensures stock accuracy

• Online learning center with videos, tutorials, and courses

Channable cons:

• Initial data stream setup can be finicky

• Reports of slow customer support

I stumbled into the world of eCommerce completely by accident. As a creative outlet, I jokingly developed a clothing line inspired by my dog. Little did I know the world was hungry for mastiff-themed streetwear. Orders started pouring in, and my side hustle was suddenly very real. Though my days actively managing an eCommerce business are mostly behind me, if I were to rekindle my entrepreneurial flame, there's no way I'd do it without Channable.

Managing product feeds and PPC campaigns can be a real headache, especially when you're dealing with multiple channels and platforms. That's where an app like Channable comes in handy. It's a feed management tool that lets you create, optimize, and export your feed across a multitude of platforms and marketplaces. In other words, it's the ultimate multichannel strategy wingman.

Channable's smart product categorization has got to be my favorite feature. Instead of manually schlepping through endless category taxonomies, just map your products once, and Channable does the heavy lifting. Its AI analyzes your product titles, descriptions, and specs to automatically slot them into the most relevant categories. In a matter of seconds, your items are properly bucketed and syndicated with Google Shopping, Amazon, TikTok Shop, or even Wine-Searcher, in which case, hit me up.

I also love how it creates tailored PPC ads drawing from product feed data. By utilizing dynamic variables, you can craft customized ads for your entire product lineup, making targeting customers a breeze. And Channable's API connections keep your inventory perfectly synced across channels, helping prevent the overselling of hot items.

Channable pricing: From $69/month for the Core Standard plan

Best PPC tool for click fraud prevention

CHEQ Essentials (Google, Microsoft, Meta)

CHEQ Essentials pros:

• Many filtering options

• Beginner-friendly

• Outstanding customer support

CHEQ Essentials cons:

• Only worth it if you're already experiencing click fraud

• Dashboard can be overwhelming at first

If you've ever been on the receiving end of shady clicks that drain your ad budget, you know how frustrating it can be. CHEQ Essentials is effective for those who find themselves frequently targeted by fraudulent clicks. If you're in this boat, it could very well be a lifesaver. If not, you might want to think twice.

CHEQ Essentials works by using AI and machine learning voodoo (I'm assuming) to sniff out and block invalid traffic in real time. This includes bots, VPNs, sketchy IP addresses, and other unsavory characters that can drain your advertising budget without any return. The integration with Google, Microsoft, and Meta means you're not stuck juggling multiple tools or leaving any gaps in your defenses.

I appreciate its simplicity. The set-and-forget nature means once CHEQ Essentials is up and running, there's little need for ongoing adjustments. While the user interface can be a bit overwhelming at first, I quickly got the hang of it and now find it quite intuitive. The dashboard provides insightful analytics, helping you understand where your traffic is coming from and which parts might be harmful. Especially when you're scaling up campaigns and need to ensure every dollar counts.

But it's important to mention that if you're not currently battling click fraud, investing in CHEQ Essentials frankly doesn't make any sense. It's kind of like the time I got a job working from home and then bought a new car just to drive to Dunkin' twice a week. Nice to have, but completely unnecessary.

But if you are getting hammered by fraudulent clicks, CHEQ Essentials is your best bet. It's like having your own Ghostbusters Ecto-Containment Unit to trap the ghouls that haunt your PPC campaigns. No more lying awake at night, wondering if your ad budget is being siphoned away by some dude in his mom's basement. Or Zuul.

CHEQ Essentials pricing: From $149/month for the Core plan

Best PPC tool for copywriting

ChatGPT

ChatGPT pros:

• Can produce a large volume of ad copy variations

• Supports more than 50 languages

• Adaptable to different brand voices and campaign needs, and you can build your own custom version

ChatGPT cons:

• Prone to hallucinations

• Output quality is heavily dependent on the prompt

As a (human) content marketer, I'll admit there are times I agonize over the thought of AI usurping my craft. But OpenAI's ChatGPT has been more aid than replacement. It excels at busting through writer's block and generating a swack of fresh ideas to riff on. In the past, I hounded the group chat for fresh perspectives and ad variations with little success. But now, ChatGPT has become my go-to brainstorming partner. (Note: While there are plenty of marketing-specific AI tools, most of them use an OpenAI API on the back end.)

Rafi Friedman, president of Coastal Luxury Outdoors, leverages ChatGPT for PPC campaigns. "We've managed to hone our prompts to the point where we can use the same ones every day, and since we use ChatGPT for other internal organization tasks, it means that we have one less software license to pay for."

What I love about ChatGPT is how quickly it can crank out variations on a theme with just a simple prompt. By feeding it a seed phrase or details about the product or offer, it returns an assortment of relevant options containing the info I provided, most of which are surprisingly on-point.

Of course, ChatGPT's capabilities extend far beyond generating ad copy. It can help create detailed buyer personas, adapt the tone and style of existing ad copy, suggest keyword strategies, optimize bidding tactics, or automate the creation of ads at scale, saving time and resources while ensuring consistency across campaigns.

I cannot overstate how invaluable this is for pushing past creative ruts. Having a bottomless idea generator on call lets me explore frameworks and messaging angles I'd never consider on my own. And it perfectly supplements my knowledge of any client and industry. If ChatGPT isn't quite right for you, it's worth trying other AI chatbots—Claude, for example, is another one that's known for its high-quality output.

You can also connect ChatGPT to thousands of other apps using Zapier. Learn more about how to automate ChatGPT, or try one of the following pre-built templates.

ChatGPT pricing: Free; paid plans start at $20/month

Platform-specific PPC software

While the list above covers the multi-platform heavy hitters, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention some of the specialized PPC tools out there. They may lack cross-compatibility, but they pack a powerful, platform-specific punch.

Google

As the most popular search engine, Google offers a suite of free tools that are great for optimizing PPC campaigns. Nick Valentino, VP of market operations at Bellhop Atlanta Movers, relies on Google's built-in management tools to stay aligned with Google's latest algorithm updates. Here are some to consider:

• ​​Google Ads Editor: A free, downloadable program that allows you to manage your Google Ads campaigns offline and make bulk changes efficiently

• Google Analytics: A web analytics service that works hand in hand with Google Ads to help track and analyze your website traffic, user behavior, and conversions

• Google Keyword Planner: A keyword research tool within Google Ads that assists in researching and discovering relevant keywords, estimating their search volume, and determining potential cost-per-click (CPC)

• Google Merchant Center: An eCommerce platform that allows users to manage how their product inventory appears on Google.

• Google Trends: A tool that shows the popularity and search volume trends of keywords over time, helping you identify seasonal or trending keywords for your PPC campaigns

• Opteo: A third-party tool that provides automated PPC optimization suggestions, saving time and improving campaign efficiency

Microsoft

Don't sleep on Bing. Microsoft Advertising often yields a higher ROI for many advertisers since CPCs are lower due to less competition versus Google Ads.

• Microsoft Ads Editor: A free desktop application that allows you to efficiently manage your Microsoft Advertising campaigns offline by making bulk changes and edits

• Microsoft Advertising Scripts: Codes that automate repetitive tasks and apply changes across multiple Microsoft Advertising accounts, saving time and effort

Meta

Run streamlined ad campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and the wider Meta audience network with these platform-specific tools:

• Meta Ads Library: A tool providing transparency into active ads running on Meta platforms, allowing analysis of competitors' Facebook and Instagram ad creative and messaging

• Meta Pixel Helper: A Chrome extension that helps detect and troubleshoot Meta pixels installed on websites to track conversions from Meta advertising campaigns

Amazon

As an eCommerce behemoth, it's no surprise that an entire ecosystem of  Amazon-specific third-party PPC tools exists. Here are a couple:

• Viral Launch: An all-in-one platform providing services and software to assist with product launches and marketing on Amazon

• Helium 10: A suite of tools for sellers on Amazon, including advertising tools to help manage and maximize the performance of Amazon PPC ads

Other pay-per-click solutions

While paid search software provides the foundation, there are a plethora of tools beyond the usual suspects that can supplement your PPC campaigns.

• Keyword research tools: Keyword research tools help uncover high-value search queries and analyze historical metrics to inform targeting strategies and set bids.

• Landing page builders: These platforms allow marketers to quickly create and optimize dedicated post-click landing pages for PPC campaigns. By providing templates, drag-and-drop interfaces, and built-in best practices, landing page builders help increase conversion rates and improve quality scores.

• Heatmap software: Heatmaps and session replay tools provide visual insights into how users interact with your PPC landing pages, revealing scrolling behavior, click patterns, and potential friction points.

• Ad design tools: These apps streamline the process of creating visually compelling ad creatives for PPC campaigns across various platforms. Ad design software often provide templates, stock imagery, and intuitive design tools.

• Generative AI tools: Emerging generative AI technologies can assist with various aspects of PPC campaign creation, such as ad copywriting, image generation, and even landing page content.

• Automation tools: Platforms like Zapier allow you to connect and automate workflows between various PPC tools, marketing platforms, and business applications.

Maximize ad performance by integrating with Zapier

PPC tools can be incredibly powerful for driving targeted traffic and generating leads for your business. But managing multiple PPC campaigns across different platforms can be time-consuming and complex. With Zapier, you can automate many of the repetitive tasks associated with PPC management, freeing up your time to focus on strategy and analysis.

For example, you can use Zapier to optimize your PPC campaigns by automatically adding new leads to your CRM, sending personalized follow-up emails, or creating custom reports. You can also automate your Google Ads bid adjustments, budget management, and keyword optimization. And if you're running social media PPC campaigns, connect Zapier with Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, or LinkedIn ads to streamline your lead nurturing process and improve conversion rates.

Related reading:

• All 9 types of Google Ads, explained

• 6 Google Ads mistakes that will drain your ad spend

• 11 Google Ads examples and strategies

• AI in advertising: Examples, tools, and what to expect next

• The best digital asset management software

• What are Google Local Services Ads?