Not to mention, pay-per-click campaign budgeting, targeting, and optimization can be something of a whirlwind for one to get sucked up into. We want our campaigns to hit all the big levels, drive conversions, and, most importantly, bring a return on investment. Well, guess what? You do not need to be a millionaire to make it happen.
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Some of the absolute best tools that might supercharge your PPC efforts are totally free! Yes, you heard that right- zero dollars. Let’s dive into how you can boost campaigns with some of the most effective and accessible free tools out there.
Why Should You Care About Free Tools for PPC?
But when not properly managed, PPC campaigns become a hole in the ground. Free tools are secret weapons to make processes streamlined, analyzed, and real-time adjustments possible so you do not burn ad budgets.
The Big Question: Do Free Tools Really Help?
In a nutshell, yes! All the features, from keyword research to competitive analysis and even suggesting ad copy! The right combination of these free PPC tools will give you the performance of paid tools with some minor differences sometimes.
Let’s break it down and take a closer look at some great free PPC tools that can help bring your campaigns to life.
1. Google Keyword Planner: The Backbone of Your PPC Campaign
You’re probably running Google Ads, aren’t you? Well, then you’re already in Google’s playground-why not take advantage of their free Google Keyword Planner? Offers much more than suggestions with search volume, cost-per-click data, and a competition level.
Google Keyword Planner
- Find Keywords: Enter relevant keywords for your campaign. Get hundreds of ideas.
- Filter Results: You can filter for the option that works best for you, say, by low, medium, or high competition levels or by the number of monthly searches.
- Cost Estimation: Discover how much you could be paying per click based on historical data.
Pro Tip: Use this range of ‘Top of Page Bid’ to estimate your budget without having to overpay.
2. Ubersuggest: The Free Swiss Army Knife for PPC Campaigns
Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest is a powerhouse for anyone managing a PPC campaign. It does keyword research, site audits, backlinks data, and even content ideas in one tool.
Ubersuggest Key Features for PPC:
- Keyword Research: Find high-performing keywords with search volume and competition data
- Domain Overview: Analyze the competitor’s domain to see what keywords they’re bidding on.
- Content Ideas: Create advertisements and landing pages based on what is currently working inside your niche.
The Comparison Table: Google Keyword Planner vs. Ubersuggest
| FEATURE | GOOGLE KEYWORD PLANNER | UBERSUGGEST |
| COST | Free | Free with optional upgrades |
| KEYWORD SUGGESTIONÂ | Yes | Yes |
| CPC DATA      | Yes          | Yes |
| COMPETITOR ANALYSISÂ | Limited | Extensive |
| USER INTERFACE      | Easy to navigate   | Simple but feature-rich |
While Google Keyword Planner can give you insight that can be helpful in running a great Google Ads campaign, Ubersuggest, on the other hand, offers competitor data and ideas about keywords that your competitors may be using outside of Google.
3. SpyFu: Know What Your Competitors Are Up To
Ever wondered what are your competitors’ plans? Now, you get to see, for free, what the competitor’s PPC strategy is with SpyFu. SpyFu provides the means of monitoring how your competitor’s keywords, ad copies, and even the huge amount of money they spend every month.
Important Features of SpyFu:
- Track Competitor Keywords: It lets you find out which keywords your competition is ranking for, and is bidding on.
- Ad History: Take a look at the ad copy of your competitors, their history, and any changes that they might have come across.
- PPC Reports: Produce reports that would tell you just where your competitor is spending their time. Find out how you can do better.
Pro Tip: Take a peek at the low-hanging fruit over there, those less competitive keywords but have much greater chances of conversion and take them for yourself!
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4. WordStream Free Keyword Tool: Streamlining Keyword Research
Say goodbye to ever running out of ideas for instant, actionable keywords when you need them the most. With WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool, you can generate keyword suggestions in real-time based on live data, including insights into CPC and competition as well.
How to Use It
- Step 1: Input a Seed Keyword – Feed your main keyword into WordStream, and it returns hundreds of suggestions.
- Step 2: Segment by Industry – Start with niche-specific keywords that bring more focused results.-
- CPC & Competition Analysis: Use competition or CPC information to sift through those keywords that have the highest impact possibilities.
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WordStream is superb especially for new PPC customers, or anyone interested in trying new keyword strategies that doesn’t involve spending hours on manual research.
5. Google Analytics: Track and Optimize Your PPC Campaigns
And, of course, there is Google Analytics – the heart of any PPC performance tracking. Connecting it to your Google Ads will give you the possibility to gain an enormous number of insights into how users interact and engage with your ads and landing pages.
Optimization of Google Analytics for PPC
- Track User Behavior: Which landing page converts? Where is the drop-off? What keywords have the most traffic?
- Segment Traffic: See what devices, locations, or demographics are your best performers.
- Set Goals & Conversions: Use goals to measure success with set goals for forms, telephone calls, or purchases.
Pro Tip: The “Attribution Model” lets you know how many of your conversions your PPC campaign contributes toward conversion goals without a click.
6. SEMrush
If you are interested in a tool that does almost everything free, then SEMrush is your best bet. Much more famous for its SEO features, SEMrush is offering an array of tools for PPC which range from keyword research to competitive analysis.
Free SEM for You:
- Keyword Magic Tool: Get ideas for keywords with search volume, CPC, and level of competition.
- Ad Builder: Create the best PPC ads based on what your competitors are doing.
- Competitor Analysis: See which keywords you may want to compete with competitors over and just how much those competitors are paying on that word.
While its paid service brings far more power, there’s plenty contained in the free version of SEMRush to get your PPC campaigns rolling.
7. Optmyzr Free Trial: Automate Your PPC Optimization
It is a paid tool, but Optmyzr is well worth the trial-free version for every second. They mainly focus on PPC automation and optimization, meaning you spend less time adjusting your ads and more time focusing on your business.
Key Features of Optmyzr
- Ad Optimization: It will automatically change bids and budgets based on several performance metrics.
- Reporting: Tracks reports that show exactly where your campaigns are succeeding and where they should improve.
- Automation: Automatically set rules to pause low-performing ads or increase bids on high-performing keywords.
If you have multiple PPC accounts or just want to clean up the flow of your workflow, Optmyzr also offers a free trial where you can sneak a peek at the top-level automation that holds promise for improvement in campaign performance.
Final Thoughts: Leverage Your PPC Campaigns with these Free Tools
PPC doesn’t have to be expensive to work. With the free tools I mention here, you can gain more insights and learn ways to optimize campaigns to outmanoeuvre your competition without draining your bank account.
Ultimately, great PPC is a science of data-driven decision-making. The tools outlined above give you exactly what you need to hone your strategy and maximize your ROI.
Now it’s your turn. Which tool will you try first?