From the beginning of humanity, we’ve been crafting tools to help us navigate and conquer challenges. Even our primate cousins utilize tools to simplify their lives! Fast forward to 2016, tools are no longer just for survival; they’re a necessity for marketing professionals. Selecting the right PPC tools can save you precious time, offer invaluable insights, spark creativity, and ultimately, boost revenue for your company or clients. If you’re ready to embrace your own evolutionary jump, explore my list of 29 incredible PPC tools that deserve a try this year. Note: This list comprises tools I personally use and endorse. Some are part of my daily routine, while others are used less frequently or I’ve used in the past. However, each tool offers value and time-saving benefits. It’s important to note that none of the creators of these tools requested inclusion on this list or paid for the privilege.
Tools for PPC Management
1. Google Ads Editor
For those who manage large-scale campaigns or campaigns spread across multiple accounts in Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords), Google Ads Editor is indispensable. It provides almost everything needed for bulk edits and optimizations. Despite its resemblance to the familiar online Google Ads interface, the desktop version is significantly faster - perhaps three to five times! It’s an absolute must-have!
2. Bing Ads Editor
If you’re leveraging Bing Ads (and you really should be), then Bing Ads Editor is an essential tool in your arsenal. It serves as a robust all-in-one platform for managing your Bing Ads campaigns.
3. nexus-security Advisor
I must admit to a bit of bias here. As the CTO of nexus-security, my perspective might be skewed. However, don’t just take my word for it; here’s a genuine review from Sharon H. on G2Crowd: “nexus-security clarifies Google Ads and greatly reduces frustration and costs. nexus-security provides me with valuable feedback on crucial performance factors, making campaign adjustments and improvements a breeze.” We offer a free trial for both our basic platform and our new social ads offering. Find out more here.
4. Google Ads Performance Grader
The best part? It’s free! And impressively effective: The Google Ads Performance Grader delivers a comprehensive audit of your Google Ads account in a minute or less.
5. AdEspresso
AdEspresso proves invaluable for Facebook advertisers, enabling them to create, optimize, and analyze campaigns seamlessly. A 14-day free trial allows you to test it out, after which monthly pricing starts at $49.
PPC Keyword and Competitor Research Tools
6. SEMrush
Need a glimpse into your competitors’ strategies? SEMrush emerges as a top contender for uncovering detailed keyword and domain data. Their annual plan comes in at $58 per month.
7. Spyfu
SpyFu boasts unique features absent in other tools, including the ability to download all of your competitors’ keywords. Its sleek interface presents a wealth of crucial information at a glance. Annual plans start at $49.
8. iSpionage
iSpionage simplifies competitive intelligence with its user-friendly platform. It offers accurate and current competitive intelligence data, making it a great way to assess competing websites and their online marketing endeavors. Plans start at $59 per month.
9. Google Keyword Planner
It would be surprising if you weren’t already utilizing Google’s Keyword Planner. It’s a fundamental tool for PPC keyword research, and we even employ it for SEO keyword research.
10. Google Trends
Understanding search trend data is invaluable for aligning campaigns with seasonal demand. Google Trends provides an essential and free data source that astute PPC marketers should be consulting.
Tools for PPC Call Tracking
11. Invoca
Phone calls hold immense value for businesses, making it crucial to understand who’s calling and why. Invoca offers a solution to capture, manage, and track those critical calls. It integrates seamlessly with 30 platforms and is priced from $1,000 per month.
12. Twilio
Twilio presents an excellent choice for call tracking and analytics. It allows you to purchase local or toll-free phone numbers at affordable rates and record calls to those numbers. Their pricing operates on a pay-as-you-go basis.
13. Call Rail
CallRail serves as another robust option for phone call tracking, recording, and analytics. CallRail boasts integration with Google Analytics and Google Ads. Pricing begins at $30 per month, with a 14-day free trial available.
PPC Analysis Tools
14. Google Analytics
Google Analytics equips you with practically everything you need to monitor the effectiveness of your PPC campaigns and website performance. While free to use, a Premium option caters to the needs of large enterprises.
15. Twitter Analytics
Twitter Analytics is a data goldmine. Frankly, I’m a bit infatuated with the wealth of information it provides. You can uncover metrics like how many people actually see and engage with your tweets, the effectiveness of your Twitter campaigns, and valuable demographic data about your followers.
16. Certified Knowledge
Brad Geddes has curated a fantastic suite of tools at Certified Knowledge designed to simplify data analysis, facilitate mass ad creation, and optimize your Quality Score. Prices begin at $79 per month.
NEW!!! PPC Benchmarking Tools
Uncertain if your PPC metrics are hitting the mark? These free tools provide a quick and easy way to compare your CTR, CPC, CPA, and conversion rate against the average for your industry.
Tools for PPC Landing Pages
17. Unbounce
Enter Unbounce, your go-to solution for exceptional landing page creation. It offers over 80 templates spanning almost every landing page type imaginable, including products, sales, lead generation, ebooks, and more. Pricing starts at $49 per month, with a free trial available for exploration.
18. LeadPages
LeadPages presents a streamlined landing page builder, coupled with an array of landing page and minisite templates to choose from. Yearly packages start at $25.
Finding PPC Ad Copy Inspiration
19. BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is essentially a popularity contest for online content. all kinds of awesome. It reveals the most shared content across the web, allowing you to delve deeper by keyword, niche, site, author, and more. Remember, captivating article headlines that garner tons of shares and links can inspire equally compelling PPC ad headlines! BuzzSumo plans start at $99 per month.
20. Answer the Public
Answer the Public is a free keyword research tool with a unique twist: it returns keywords in the form of questions related to your chosen topic. This proves incredibly useful for uncovering your prospects’ pain points, which you can then address directly in your ad copy. (My colleague Elisa delves deeper into this tool and two other impressive new keyword tools here.)
Display Ad Image Inspiration and Creation Tools
21. Share as Image
While primarily marketed as a content marketing tool, Share as Image doubles as an efficient way to create stunning display ads. Just remember to verify image copyrights before launching your ad! Share as Image offers a free account alongside monthly plans starting at $8.
22. Canva
Canva is another excellent resource for effortlessly crafting eye-catching display ads. Upload your own assets for free, utilize the intuitive drag-and-drop interface for text modification and addition, or access their extensive image library for a small fee. (Canva is also a fantastic tool for social media management.)
23. Pinterest
In need of further inspiration for display ad visuals? Dedicate some time to browsing Pinterest. This platform excels at saving, organizing, and discovering captivating visuals to spark your creative genius.
24. Facebook Text Overlay Tool
Facebook imposes a somewhat frustrating rule limiting text within ads (including images and video thumbnails) to a maximum of 20 percent. To ensure compliance and prevent your ads from being rejected by Facebook and Instagram, leverage the Facebook Text Overlay Tool. If your text spills into six or more boxes within their grid, you’ll need to refine your ad and re-check it until it meets the requirements.
25. gifntext
Gifntext is an incredibly cool and underutilized tool. You can use it to create amazing GIFs for your social media and display ads! I’m almost hesitant to share this one, as I love its hidden gem status. So please, let’s keep this between us! 
PPC Automation Made Easy
26. Google Ads Scripts
Who doesn’t appreciate a good automation tool? Google Ads Scripts are a dream come true! They empower you to automate those tedious and time-consuming tasks, freeing up valuable time in the long run. Daniel Gilbert and Brainlabs have assembled an awe-inspiring collection of Google Ads scripts covering everything from advanced A/B testing and close variant matching to competitor tracking. This is pure gold – check it out!
PPC Apps for On-the-Go Management
27. Google Ads App
Need to manage your Google Ads campaigns from the back of a taxi or Uber? No problem! This sleek and efficient app for Android and iOS enables you to adjust keyword bids, toggle Google Ads objects like campaigns, ads, and ad groups, and act on recommendations provided by Google Ads. However, it’s worth noting that you can’t create new text ads or campaigns or manually add keywords.
28. Facebook Ads Manager App
The Facebook Ads Manager App (designed for iOS and Android) puts the power of Facebook campaign management in the palm of your hand. You can track ad performance, edit existing ads, adjust budgets, and even create brand-new ads – all from your mobile device. Two thumbs up!
29. Google Analytics App
Admittedly, the Google Analytics app is somewhat limited in its functionality. But if you’re constantly on the move and need a quick snapshot of your stats or reports, this app will get the job done.
Now it’s your turn! Which PPC tools from this list are your go-to favorites? Did I miss any hidden gems? This post originally appeared on Search Engine Watch and is republished with permission.