TPE #65: Google Ads tools to save time and increase profits
Oct 23, 2023Read time: 3 minutes
Hey, Bob & Miles here — we hope you had an awesome weekend!
People often ask us about our favorite Google Ads tools.
So we figured: let’s share our list of tools in this issue of The PPC Edge.
These tools help us save time, and increase profits for our clients.
You might be familiar with some of them, while others might be new.
Let’s dive right in!
Quick note: some of the links are affiliate links, but not all of them. As always, we only recommend tools we actually use ourselves.
1: TrueClicks
TrueClicks helps you stay on top of your accounts. It's a no-brainer if you have a lot of different clients.
The benefits of using TrueClicks:
- Automated account audits.
- Get notified when something breaks.
- Never miss an optimization opportunity again.
2: Stape.io / Taggrs.io
Stape and Tggrs are great tools to help you set up server-side tracking.
The benefits of server-side tracking:
- Prevent data loss due to client-side issues.
- Faster load times and improved UX.
- Track more conversions.
3: Unbounce
We sometimes take control of our clients’ landing pages, which we typically build in Unbounce.
The benefits of using Unbounce:
- Test landing pages without a developer.
- Easy to use drag & drop builder.
- For Lead Gen, Ecom and SaaS.
4: ProfitMetrics.io
ProfitMetrics is an absolute no-brainer for all of our ecom accounts, because it allows you to track (and steer on) profit.
The benefits of using ProfitMetrics:
- Track profit, not just revenue.
- Steer on POAS, not just ROAS.
- Measure more conversions with the Conversion Booster.
- ProfitMetrics also uses server-side tracking.
And they have outstanding support.
5: ProductHero
ProductHero is another no-brainer for ecom clients.
The benefits of using ProductHero:
- CSS: get 20% off Shopping clicks (EU).
- Enable Performance-Based Bucketing with the Labelizer.
- Optimize your product feed with their title Optimizer tool.
- Scrape, compare, and benchmark product prices with Pricelizer.
6: Third-party attribution tools (Northbeam, Rockerbox, Hyros, TripleWhale)
Third-party attribution tools are crucial for analyzing performance across the entire marketing mix, especially for advanced advertisers with a lot of spend on various channels.
The benefits of using third-party attribution tools:
- Analyze performance across the entire marketing mix.
- Build custom attribution models for your business.
- You no longer rely on in-platform data.
You can't solely rely on Google Ads (or any platform) data — and that’s where Northbeam, Rockerbox, Hyros and TripleWhale come into play.
You could use GA4 as a free alternative… But remember that you’re still relying on attribution by Google, instead of an unbiased third-party tool.
7: Cookiebot
If you track users online with the proper consent/compliance, you are liable for fees. Cookiebot CMP helps you make your online (cookie) tracking compliant. We use Cookiebot for ppcmastery.com and it works really well.
The benefits of using Cookiebot:
- Track users with the proper consent.
- You are compliant with all the boring legal stuff.
One important note: this is not legal advice. Always consult a legal professional to see if you're truly compliant and following the law.
8: Click fraud prevention (Lunio/Cheq)
Click fraud is a potential danger of automated campaign types like Performance Max. Luckily for us, there are click fraud prevention tools.
The benefits of using click fraud prevention tools:
- Reduce wasted spend on invalid traffic.
Lunio tends to be cheaper and easier to use, while Cheq is more expensive but has great customization.
Side note: these tools are never 100% foolproof. We’ve seen cases with false negatives, which lead to to exclusion of real traffic. Always be aware, test for yourself, and be critical of the data these platforms give you.
9: Channable
Channable is one of those tools we can't live without. If you have a feed, you need Channable. It's simply the best feed management + campaign automation tool in the world.
The benefits of using Channable:
- Easily manage your Shopping feed.
- Connect any source you want.
- Automate campaign creation.
10: ShoppingScraper
Do you have a lot of different products, and do you regularly compete on price? Well, then you'll love Shoppingscraper!
The benefits of using ShoppingScraper:
- See real-time Google Shopping prices.
- Scrape prices from various sources.
- Compete on price.
If you’re looking for a free alternative, you could use the price benchmarking functionality within Google Merchant Center.
11: Loom
Loom helps us reduce useless meetings.
The benefits of using Loom:
- Save time by sending clients small updates with a quick Loom video.
- Increase the frequency of checking in with your client.
- Reduce time spent on useless meetings.
12: Canva
Canva is truly one of the best tools in the existence of the world. If you’re a design-noob like Miles, this tool is perfect for you.
The benefits of using Canva:
- Create anything without the need for Photoshop skills.
- Create banners/videos based on templates.
13: Sweetcode
Sweetcode is a Pixel Manager and makes it really easy to set up conversion tracking for WooCommerce stores!
The benefits of using Sweetcode:
- Set up and manage your conversions for WooCommerce in one central place.
14: Google Ads Editor
We looooove the Google Ads Editor. You’re probably familiar with it, but we wanted to mention it anyway.
The benefits of using Google Ads Editor:
- Speed up campaign creation.
- Save time by making bulk edits.
- Make changes in draft-mode, and publish whenever needed.
This is one of those tools that you truly need to master to make yourself 10 times as productive.
15: Brain.fm
Miles can’t live without Brain.fm.
The benefits of using Brain.fm:
- Listen to music that’s designed to help you focus better.
- Choose from a wide range of genres.
After a while, your brain becomes accustomed to the music and you instantly get into focus-mode by association.
And the Lo-Fi beats are just amazing.
16: Creatopy
We wish we would’ve found a tool like Creatopy earlier in our careers.
The benefits of using Creatopy:
- Quickly and easily create banners based on templates.
- Design conversion-optimized ads without design skills.
17: Adalysis
Last but not least: arguably the best ad copy testing tool out there: Adalysis.
The benefits of using Adalysis:
- Advanced RSA testing.
- Advanced RSA insights.
- PPC automation.
But wait, there’s more…
So that’s it: 18 of our favorite Google Ads tools that can help you save time and increase profits.
Did you know there’s a big database of PPC tools, created by Wijnand Meijer from TrueClicks?
It’s called ppc.software — check it out here (hundreds of tools).
Hopefully this shortlist was valuable.
If you have any tools we should add to the list, just reply to this email.
That’s all for today — we’ll be back on Friday with the Friday Roundup :).
Have a great week!
Cheers,
Bob & Miles
