11 PPC bid management tools to consider, and how to choose the best fit for your agency
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a key pillar of any serious digital marketing strategy, helping clients get in front of their target audiences and grow their revenue. But it can also be a challenging component of marketing to DIY, especially when running ads on multiple platforms. That’s where PPC bid management tools come in handy.
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These powerful solutions can fast-track your clients towards their business objectives while liberating them—and you—to focus on more pressing tasks.
Ready to supercharge your approach to PPC management? Let’s take a look at some of the top PPC bidding software SMBs and agencies alike.
Things to consider when evaluating PPC bid management tools
Choosing the best PPC bid management software is much easier when you know what to look for. Keep these must-have features and considerations top of mind when evaluating any PPC bidding software.
Seamless integration
Integration is one of the most important factors when it comes to finding PPC bid management software that you, your clients, or your white-label team can effectively use. The whole point of using PPC bid management tools instead of working directly in each PPC platform is to centralize the management of all campaigns under one convenient roof. For this to work, your solution of choice should seamlessly connect to Google Ads, Facebook Ads, YouTube Ads, and more.
Another dimension of integration to pay attention to is the ability to integrate with other marketing tools you offer. As a PPC reseller, chances are you offer a variety of other digital marketing solutions. Variety is great, but if your different reseller solutions don’t work together, things can get messy and unusable both for you and your clients.
For example, let’s say you offer local SEO services and want to bundle them with digital advertising services. If your PPC and SEO solutions integrate and are accessible from the same user dashboard, you’ll incentivize clients to stick with you as their one-stop-shop and provider of multiple well-integrated digital marketing solutions in a single convenient tech ecosystem.
User-friendly UX
A trusted rule of thumb for digital solutions like PPC bid management tools is that if something is difficult or unpleasant to use, it’s far more likely to gather digital dust and go unused. By the same token, an attractive and intuitive interface can enhance productivity by simplifying complex processes and making them enjoyable to complete.
Ease of use factors to consider when evaluating any pay per click bid management software include:
- Setup: is it easy to set up and start using the PPC bidding software right away?
- Navigation: Is the layout of the PPC bid management tool easily and intuitively navigable without having to go deep into the support documentation to learn how to use it?
- Campaign creation: Can new campaigns, ad sets, and ads be created within the platform?
- Bulk editing: Can updates and changes be made en masse to support a quicker workflow?
The bottom line: A high-performing PPC bidding software should bolster your team’s ad management efforts by making the job easier, leading to increased productivity and improved campaign outcomes.
Ability to scale with your needs
As your agency grows, the best bid management tools will easily grow with you. Look for a solution that can effectively handle a large volume of client accounts and campaign complexity, particularly if you plan to use white-label PPC management solutions that can grow your client list exponentially.
When considering the scalability of a PPC bid management tool, keep in mind that it isn’t just about being able to manage lots of clients with complex needs. You should also be able to easily manage SMBs with smaller budgets who might be just getting started with digital advertising. The best PPC bid management software will enable you to deliver an affordable solution for them, as well as that big-budget enterprise client.
Robust reporting and analytics
Keeping your clients up to date on how their ad campaigns are progressing is an important best practice, and with the right reporting and analytics features, it takes minimal time.
Look for a PPC bid management tool that includes:
- Easy to generate detailed performance reports
- Precise metrics of key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Visualization tools to generate easy-to-understand graphs, charts, and other data representations for your clients
- Customizable dashboard so you can control which metrics and KPIs are visible first in each client account
- A variety of export options for your reports so you can send clients the format most convenient for them
With the right reporting and analytics tools, all you have to do is schedule a regular interval at which you’ll check in with clients, and your PPC bidding software will do the heavy lifting for you.
Future-forward automation and AI capabilities
The future is automated. The best PPC bid management software will come equipped with sophisticated automations and AI-powered features to give your agency a competitive edge and help you achieve more.
AI can power features like:
- Bidding algorithms to optimize how your client’s ad budget is spent
- Machine learning that interprets data and patterns to produce more effective campaigns
- Predictive analytics to provide insights for future strategies
These automations can significantly cut down your team’s manual workload by freeing you from repetitive tasks and leaving more time for strategic decision-making and sales. They can also produce better ROAS, setting your agency up for serious growth.
Top 11 PPC bid management tools
We’ve done the legwork for you to come up with 11 of the best PPC bidding software tools available on the market. Read on to find the perfect solution for your agency’s needs.
1. Vendasta’s Advertising Intelligence
Advertising Intelligence is a powerful all-in-one PPC bid management software that brings your clients digital ad campaigns under one convenient roof. Use it to create and manage campaigns in Facebook, Instagram, and Google and more for clients large and small, including multi-location businesses.
Advanced reporting capabilities make campaign management a breeze, and built-in smart comparison tools make complex data intelligible even to absolute beginners.
Advertising Intelligence is created with the needs of agencies in mind, so you’ll find it packed with features that make your job easier, like the ability to quickly set your markup for each client for effortless profit management.
Features and capabilities:
- Simple, easy integration with Google, Facebook, Instagram, and more
- An all-in-one customizable dashboard where all campaigns and key metrics can be viewed and quickly compared
- Limitless scaling capacity through access to white-label advertising experts who can work on your agency’s behalf to manage client accounts
- Advanced reporting for easy real-time data and client updates
- Freemium version available to get clients familiar with the platform before committing
- Integration with Vendasta’s suite of digital marketing solutions to support your agency in being a one-stop shop
2. SEMRush
SEMRush is best known for its SEO tools, and those keyword research capabilities come in handy when it comes to its PPC bid management software. Users can identify the best keywords to use for search-based PPC, monitor competitors, and create and manage campaigns across platforms like Facebook and Google.
Pros:
- Excellent keyword research functionality and keyword suggestions
- Built-in competitor analysis and monitoring tools
- Provides insights specific to Google Product Listing Ads
Cons:
- Some features are unavailable on the most affordable plan, the Pro plan
- Geared more toward Google ads since that is the platform it draws keyword research data from
- Cramped user interface with many features that may not be required or used by most SMB clients
3. Skai
Skai, previously known as Kenshoo, is a PPC bidding software for platforms spanning search, social media, and retail media (such as Amazon). Thanks to its AI-powered technology, this tool helps advertisers achieve better results through algorithmic bidding, bid management and optimization, keyword analysis, and more.
Pros:
- AI-powered features integrated throughout the platform
- Clean, modern and user-friendly interface
- Robust performance reporting
Cons:
- Imperfect ad conversion tracking
- Expensive, with no freemium version to test it out
- User complain of slow, sluggish software
4. WordStream PPC Advisor
Wordstream is a pay per click bid management software that positions itself as a time-saving tool for smaller businesses that have limited resources and want to put much of their digital advertising management on autopilot. They state that with 20 minutes of management per week, users can maintain campaigns that generate a healthy ROI.
Pros:
- Ability to create ads for multiple platforms directly in the software interface
- Robust monthly reports
- Ai-powered automatic budget management
Cons:
- Poor onboarding support unless you opt for an premium membership tier
- UI feels dated and clunky
- Some users cite conversion tracking issues
5. MarinOne
MarinOne uses machine learning and AI in its PPC bidding software to help advertisers create more profitable campaigns. It also features granular control of campaigns through the ability to create custom conversion types, enabling you to track just about any stage of the customer journey.
Pros:
- Integration with many ad publishing platforms, including Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, Pinterest, and more
- Customizable dashboard, including the ability to select custom metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to include in the main dashboard
- AI-powered budget optimizer for better ROI
Cons:
- Unintuitive UI that can be challenging for beginners
- Lackluster customer support
- Reporting features could be more robust
6. Google Ads Editor
Google Ads Editor is the platform’s built-in Google Ads bid management tool. Those looking for low-cost marketing techniques will appreciate this free offering that can be used to create and manage ads on the Google platform.
Pros:
- Free downloadable app
- Ability to make edits offline if necessary
- User friendly, especially since most people are already familiar with Google’s UI
Cons:
- Can only be used to manage Google Ads
- No automated bid management, all updates have to be made manually
- DIY option without the support and guidance that SMBs may require
7. Acquisio
Acquisio is a PPC bid management software that incorporates AI to improve campaign management for advertisers. It can be used to create, manage, and optimize campaigns, and to generate high-quality reports.
Pros:
- Predictive tools to predict outcomes to PPC campaigns before budget is spent
- Support for Google, Facebook, and Bing ads
- Machine learning optimization tools to reduce workload and improve campaign outcomes
Cons:
- Expensive for smaller agencies with limited existing clients
- Platform can be slow to load
- Some features are buried in the interface
8. Microsoft Advertising Editor
Microsoft may not be the most popular PPC platform in the world, but that doesn’t mean advertisers aren’t getting results with it. The Microsoft Advertising Editor can be used to create and manage campaigns that appear on Bing, AOL, Yahoo, and other Microsoft-owned sites.
Pros:
- Free downloadable tool
- Ability to research keywords within the app
- Ability to make bulk edits to ads and campaigns
Cons:
- Limited to lower-traffic platforms like Bing and Yahoo
- No automated PPC bid management tools
- Users report being mislabeled as fraudulent with no recourse
9. Optmyzr
Optmyzr was developed by former executives from Google, so they know a thing or two about how Google Ads works. This PPC bid management tool can be used to create and manage well-optimized ads and campaigns.
Pros:
- Affordable options for SMBs
- Robust PPC bidding software for Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta ads
- High-quality reporting
Cons:
- May be too complex for beginners
- Interface could be improved and modernized
- No free trial available
10. Shape
Shape is a PPC bid management software that can be used across a wide range of popular platforms, including Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.
Pros:
- Intelligent automation tools reduce the need for manual adjustments
- AutoPilot tool ensures campaigns hit but don’t exceed budgets, reducing over- and under-spending
Cons:
- Reporting could be improved
- Costly for smaller accounts
11. Adalysis
Adalysis is an automated PPC bid management tool designed to help clients manage ads from Google and Microsoft Ads under one roof.
Pros:
- AI-powered insights help to identify the cause of performance changes rapidly
- Automated PPC bidding software
- Built-in ad testing for faster ad optimization
Cons:
- Does not include Facebook and Instagram
- Too many alerts and notifications
- UI can be improved
Frequently asked questions
Are there bid management tools that support multiple advertising platforms, such as Google Ads, Bing Ads, and Facebook Ads?
Yes, numerous PPC bid management tools offer cross-platform support, including Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Facebook Ads, and more, enabling users to have centralized control over all their advertising campaigns.
What are the pricing models and costs associated with different bid management tools?
The pricing models of bid management tools can vary widely. Factors impacting price include the range of features provided, service level, campaign budgets, and reporting features. Some tools adopt a flat monthly subscription fee, while others have a tiered pricing model based on usage.
