Nov 14, 2022

The 9 Best PPC Tools for 2023

The basic model for pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is really appealing. Only pay when someone clicks your ad? Sounds great, right? It can feel a lot better than shelling out thousands of dollars for an ad you’re not sure anyone will see.

illustration of computer mouse clicking on best ppc tools

PPC ads get results, they’re cost effective, and they help you target your ideal customer.

But like everything else online, PPC management and ad strategy gets complicated quickly. That’s why there’s a whole world of tools at your disposal to help you plan and manage your PPC campaign.

With that, here’s our guide to the 9 best PPC tools for 2023. We’ll tell you what they do, what’s new, and why you might want to use them.

  1. Google Keyword Planner
  2. Google Ads Editor
  3. Google Trends
  4. Semrush
  5. SpyFu
  6. Keyword Surfer
  7. AdEspresso
  8. Hubspot
  9. Ahrefs

We’ll start with three must haves from that 800 pound gorilla of online advertising, Google.


1. Google Keyword Planner

What is it?

Google Keyword Planner is a free tool that helps you research keywords for your search campaigns. You can use it to look up the search volume for keywords you’re planning to target, discover new keywords related to your business, and find out the bidding prices for each of them.

Google is the biggest name in online search, so their keyword information is as thorough as you can get. However, the user interface on some of their platforms isn’t as intuitive and beginner-friendly as some of the other tools on this list, like Semrush or Ahrefs.

Recent updates

Google recently introduced a new feature: an automated machine learning system that suggests which ad groups are the best ones for certain keywords. It could be a big timesaver if you’ve got lots of keywords and ad groups to sift through, but, as with any automation, it should be used with caution to start out.

Why you should use it in 2023

Google’s not going anywhere. It’s still the go-to keyword research tool for most paid search marketers.


2. Google Ads Editor

What is it?

If you’re looking to manage and make changes to a number of different ad campaigns all at once, Google Ads Editor is the way to go. It’s a free, downloadable application you can use to view campaign statistics and make bulk changes across multiple campaigns – all from a single dashboard. You can search and replace text in all your campaigns, undo or redo changes, move items, build and revise ads – and all this can be done offline.

Ads Editor is particularly useful if you’re working with a large group of coworkers and you’re managing multiple campaigns. Why? Because you can track changes from other team members, import and export files for other people to review, and preview edits to your campaigns in draft mode before they go live.

Recent updates

In July, 2022 Google updated Ads Editor version 2.1 to include a variety of new features including warning dialogue for cross-account copy and paste, table header recommendations, and custom questions for lead forms.

Why you should use it in 2023

Google Ads Editor is an indispensable tool if you’re part of a large organization running multiple campaigns. As customers expect greater brand consistency across platforms, the ability to manage all of your campaigns from a single dashboard helps guarantee your messaging is consistent.


3. Google Trends

What is it?

So much for finding keywords, but what search terms are peaking when? With Google Trends you can track your keywords to follow the twists and turns in online search volume. You can adjust the timeline and even the geographical region to find out when and where people are searching.

Google Trends is particularly useful for revealing seasonal and regional changes that might not be obvious. For instance, it makes sense people start searching for pumpkins around Halloween. But when exactly? Early October? Early September? How many are still looking in mid-November? Is the search volume as strong in Chattanooga as it is in Waikiki?

Why you should use it in 2023

Analyzing previous years’ data and keeping a close eye on Google Trends in 2023 will help you determine the best time to target specific keywords related to your business. As technology makes marketing more focused and hyper-local, the ability to research trends by region offers a valuable competitive edge that’ll help you anticipate demand for your specific market.


4. Semrush

What is it?

Semrush is another giant in the SEO and PPC advertising business. It’s an online suite of tools for managing your SEO and PPC strategies that lets you find and research the best keywords for your campaign.

In particular, you can use it to conduct research into your competitors’ keywords. Find out what they’re ranking for, determine where there may be gaps, and figure out how best to compete.

Semrush’s Keyword Magic tool is particularly useful for generating a list of the next best keywords related to your search terms. It’ll even provide you with visual graphs of how your competitors are performing.

Recent updates

Semrush just introduced a tool called FindThatLead that helps you identify key leads in an organization just by entering in the company’s domain name.

Why you should use it in 2023

Semrush offers a powerful set of keyword research tools that will continue to be relevant in 2023, whether you’re finding keywords for your PPC campaign or you’re looking to optimize your content for search engines. With their Keyword Intent metric you can determine which search queries correspond with different parts of the marketing funnel, whether they’re informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial.


5. SpyFu

What is it?

SpyFu is specifically for researching your competitors’ keyword search strategies. You can use their tools to find every keyword your competitors have ever bought on Google Ads and review every ad test they’ve run. Like Semrush, it’s a great way to learn from other company’s marketing and to determine where there may be gaps in their strategy and opportunities for your business.

As with Semrush, you can also use SpyFu to keep track of every domain bidding for your keywords on Google Ads. This is a great way to watch out for new competitors and monitor changes in ad spending over time so you can stay ahead of the trends.

Recent updates

Recently SpyFu introduced new sets of pre-made templates that you can download from the site and upload to Google Ad Words to minimize time spent on research and prep. They feature niche keywords organized into groups, covering a wide range of industries. They’ve also launched a new API for determining the top paid and organic competitors in your space.

Why you should use it in 2023

Of the tools on this list, SpyFu is the one most specifically focused on researching your competitors’ PPC strategies. It’s not enough to just focus on your own keywords anymore – the competition for your SEO ranking and your cost per click for PPC campaigns will only get hotter in 2023. You need to stay on top of the competition to learn from their mistakes and target the gaps in their ad strategies.


6. Keyword Surfer

What is it?

True to its name, Keyword Surfer is an extension for Google Chrome that allows you to see the search volume, cost per click, estimated traffic, word count, and even the total number of keywords used on a page as you’re browsing the internet.

The advantage? It makes comprehensive keyword information visual and interactive right there in your Google Search window. No need for jumping between tabs; you might even discover some data worth investigating.

Recent updates

Keyword Surfer recently introduced a feature called Grow Flow that uses AI to make weekly suggestions for tasks that improve your website’s performance.

Why you should use it in 2023

Keyword Surfer is particularly valuable for speed and ease of presentation. One of the biggest trends in online marketing is the incorporation of AI – Grow Flow’s automated task prompts can help you build your domain’s authority and corner the keywords that’ll help you rank.


7. AdEspresso

What it is

But maybe surfing sounds too leisurely – maybe what you need is a quick jolt of caffeine. In that case, there’s AdEspresso, an all-in-one platform that allows you to create, analyze, and manage ad campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and Google all from the same dashboard. It’s integrated with Canva, the online web design tool, and it uses a lot of visuals, which makes it particularly user friendly. As with some of the other tools on this list, it helps you cut down on time spent toggling between different tabs and different platforms.

Why you should use it in 2023

AdEspresso is particularly useful if you’re looking for a user-friendly tool for managing PPC campaigns on Facebook and Instagram. The Canva integration makes it easier than ever to design paid posts that’ll really pop on social media.


8. Hubspot

What is it?

Don’t forget about Hubspot. Hubspot offers CRM software with features that help you create targeted paid search campaigns by segmenting audiences and personalizing ads based on different stages of the buyer’s journey. It also helps you track ROI for your PPC campaigns and generate leads based on the accruing data.

Recent updates

Hubspot’s new suite of engagement hubs unifies and simplifies the platform. Their software allows you to roll out new campaigns through their interface and immediately connect them to CRM data. They even have a new tool for examining customer journey analytics, so it’s easier to create appropriate messaging for different audiences.

Why you should use it in 2023

In 2023 there’s going to be an even greater push for personalized experiences that seamlessly integrate marketing and customer service. Hubspot’s tools help you manage and automate tasks between platforms to make those transitions as smooth as possible.


9. Ahrefs

What is it?

Ahrefs’ Keyword Generator helps you discover new search terms relevant to your business, produce new keyword targets, and identify gaps and queries to go after. Ahrefs’ dashboard presents an array of metrics for each term, including keyword difficulty, global search volume, traffic potential, cost-per-click, and recent trends on search engine results pages.

Recent updates

Ahrefs is one of the most comprehensive and frequently updated suites of tools on this list. Recent new features include charts that display the ranking history for organic keywords and a new local pack filter in both Site Explorer and the Keyword Explorer reports.

Why you should use it in 2023

By combining filter settings on Ahrefs, you can find neglected keywords with high potential for organic traffic and low keyword difficulty scores in order to maximize your ROI. Finding your competitors’ gaps will keep you competitive as the market tightens in 2023.


Expert PPC Management

PPC campaigns are complicated and require a lot of work. There’s been a proliferation of online tools that simplify the process, but it’s easy to get stuck in a rut when you don’t have professional guidance.

At Cordelia Labs, our team combines advanced methodologies, industry expertise, and best practices to ensure your PPC strategy is aligned with your business goals and top ROI. We more than doubled ROAS for a client that was already getting great returns – and we decreased their Cost Per Conversion by over 20% at the same time.

If you’re tired of overspending and underperforming, contact us to schedule a discovery call. We’re excited to show you what we can do.