Having the right tools is crucial for agencies navigating the dynamic PPC landscape.
In this article, I will provide an in-depth look at the top 10 tools that have been indispensable to the growth of my agency.
These tools have streamlined our processes and been instrumental in driving successful digital marketing campaigns.
1. Suite of Google products
Google’s product suite covers many products, but we use Slides, Sheets, and Docs more. I felt that these suites could be classified as one tool, although technically there are multiple ones.
Google Sheets is a standout among Google’s offerings, and its impact on our daily operations cannot be overstated.
The real-time collaboration feature has been a game changer, eliminating the hassle of managing multiple versions of Excel documents.
In the early days, we struggled with confusing file names like “example_excel_doc_FINAL_11-14”, which led to potential errors. Google Sheets has eradicated these frustrations, enabling seamless collaboration and simplifying data management.
Google Docs allows us to collaborate instantly, both internally and externally. Having a digital document allows us to create a digital paper trail for all status documents, reports, etc.
Google Slides is a no-brainer. We always use it for reports and ad hoc requests and have a custom theme for our internal use. It’s a great way to visualize and control the conversation track.
2. DataSlayer
DataSlayer has emerged as a robust alternative to SuperMetrics, especially its integration capabilities and overall functionality. Leveraging the Google Sheets product, we seamlessly connect channels like Meta, Google, TikTok, and Shopify into a unified dashboard.
This improves efficiency and allows us to create customer-friendly dashboards, simplifying the reporting process. There are many reporting tools out there, but none that offer the level of customization we need.
We leverage many different platforms that must be aggregated to get a complete view of all managed marketing channels. DataSlayer is one of the most affordable and flexible solutions we’ve found.
Dig deeper: 11 free tools for managing PPC campaigns
3. Zapier
Often overlooked, Zapier is an automation powerhouse. Its wide spectrum of built-in functionality has consistently impressed us.
From seamlessly automating repetitive tasks to establishing connections between disparate tools, Zapier has become an integral part of our streamlined workflows.
One of its standout features is its support for an expansive digital ecosystem of over 5,000 apps, allowing flexibility to customize workflows to fit our unique needs.
We’ve used it to integrate with CRM systems, sync data between platforms, and send automated emails. It’s a tool that deserves more attention and recognition in the PPC community for its transformative impact on efficiency.
4. Google Analytics 4
Critics can voice their opinions, but Google Analytics remains a standard in the analytics field. Its tracking capabilities and seamless integrations provide businesses with a wealth of data, especially small and medium-sized businesses.
Understanding where traffic is coming from, devices and locations from a holistic perspective can help drive business results.
5. DownNotifier
DownNotifier is especially valuable for agency owners. As part of our onboarding process, we’ve implemented automatic alerts that notify us when a customer’s website is down.
This proved critical during a recent Shopify outage, allowing us to quickly inform the customer and stop PPC campaigns to mitigate wasted spend.
The proactive approach to downtime management has proven to be a strategic advantage. The best part is that it is a completely free service and takes virtually no time to set up.
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6. Change
Canva has become an indispensable tool for a team that is geared more towards platform experience than creative style.
Its highly intuitive platform serves as a game changer, allowing us to create visually stunning ads tailored to clients with limited creative capabilities.
Canva’s role extends beyond simple design—it catalyzes initial social campaigns by offering a wide variety of templates, graphics, fonts, and AI customization options. All this speeds up our process of launching new campaigns.
7. Rich data tester
Coming from Google, Rich Data Tester is a valuable asset for troubleshooting Google Merchant Center or SEO.
Those familiar with structured data find this tool useful for gaining insight into how Googlebot perceives a website. It helps fine-tune critical elements for visibility and performance.
Google Merchant Center often gives errors like price mismatches, and when we use the Rich Data Tester, we can see what the bots see.
In many cases, structured data is displayed in a way that confuses robots. Your website must be converted into standardized languages that search engines can read. This will help you in all facets of marketing.
8. Google Keyword Planner
Keyword Planner has stood the test of time as an essential tool for anyone managing PPC campaigns. Although it has evolved over the past decade, it remains one of the most trusted keyword research tools.
In the era of broad match keywords, it’s a critical resource for identifying high-volume keywords and measuring their relevance.
We often use this tool to target keywords with a certain level of volume and forecast performance for clients using a combination of Google data, customer data, and industry benchmarks.
This often creates a somewhat accurate prediction of investment and performance.
9. ChatGPT
It is challenging to underestimate the value of ChatGPT in our daily operations. The buzz around this AI tool is well founded as it has been a true game changer.
As teams become comfortable with the prompts, ChatGPT accelerates the creation of entire accounts, generating keywords, creating ad copy, and designing landing pages in remarkably short periods of time.
We are exploring how to connect ChatGPT to other platforms like Zapier to grow the power exponentially.
Dig Deeper: How to use ChatGPT to boost your PPC efforts
10. Google Tag Manager
One of the biggest challenges we face, especially when we integrate, is making sure we’re tracking and measuring the success of our campaigns.
Google Tag Manager is a godsend, especially if you know how to use it. You can track pretty much anything and everything that happens on the site. We can create condition specific triggers and fire specific conversions.
Even now, we still see many customers who don’t have the proper tracking setup. In some cases, businesses spend and report on impressions, clicks and costs. One thing we always try to push our customers is measurement. Holds marketers directionally accountable for the investment and performance of their campaigns.
These tools have been fundamental in the growth of our agency. We use all these tools every day. These platforms allow us to deliver, manage and scale our business and customers.
I wonder how the rapid growth of AI and the exponential capabilities of technology will further enhance and possibly replace some of the need for these tools.
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
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