10 Best Google Ads Management Tools in 2026 (Tested by PPC Experts)

If you’ve been struggling with optimizing your Google Display Ads Placements recently, rest assured – you’re not alone!  As the Google Display Network continues to expand, navigating through the ocean of potential ad placements has become increasingly difficult. And if you’ve done this for a while, you probably know that not all these placements are good.  In this article, we’ll explore some general optimization tips, and share a new feature that will put an end to your struggles and allow you to fully automate placement exclusion.  First, let’s start with the basics. What Are Google Display Ads Placements? Essentially, Google Display Ads Placements refer to the specific locations where your ads are shown within the Google Display Network.  These placements can be a variety of partner websites, mobile sites & apps, or even Google-owned properties such as Gmail or YouTube. Why Are Google Ads Placements so Important? Google Display Network includes millions of different websites or apps where your ads can be shown.  While gaining more exposure may seem beneficial, irrelevant or low-quality sites can damage your campaign performance.  Being able to show your ads in the right places can significantly improve your click-through rates and safeguard your budget from low-quality sites that do not align with your objectives. All these factors contribute to getting higher quality clicks, significantly boosting your ROI (return on investment) for your Google display campaigns.  How to Optimize Placements Directly on Google Ads 1. Optimize your Targeting Google has gone a long way in helping advertisers optimize their display campaigns, especially with their advanced targeting options.  When creating a new display campaign, you can now specify: Audience segments: who should see your ads based on demographics (age, gender, income), interests & habits (sports & fitness), etc.  Keywords: terms related to your advertised offer, based on which Google will target relevant websites.  Topics: select subjects, and Google will look for websites or apps centered around these subjects (e.g., computers & electronics).  Placements: you can even select specific websites or pages of a site where your ad will be displayed.  You can add all these options under Targeting when creating a Google Display campaign.  You can also apply Optimized Targeting, an option that uses Google AI to analyze your creatives/landing pages, and automatically find the appropriate audiences to show your ads to.  2. Optimize with Exclusion Lists While optimizing your targeting is crucial, it still does not address the issue of your ads being displayed on low-quality junk sites.  This is why some advertisers use Exclusion Lists. An Exclusion List is exactly what it sounds like – a list of placements that will be excluded from your campaigns. You can create one through your Google Manager Account. You can exclude placements based on your own experience (junk sites you’ve dealt with in your past), exclude certain topics or categories, or use ready-made exclusion lists created by other advertisers.  Optimized targeting and exclusion lists are a great way to improve your campaign performance, but there are no guarantees that you will be profitable with these options. While a placement may be relevant to your targeting and is outside your exclusion list, it does not necessarily mean it will perform well. Also, Google continuously adds new placements to their network, so exclusion lists can only go so far.  You will still need to review your performance reports daily, detect underperforming placements, and manually pause these placements on Google Ads. This is especially important if you are advertising with large budgets, and it can be extremely time-consuming. How to Exclude Low Quality Google Display Ads Placements Automatically There is an easier way to optimize placements, and it can be entirely automated!  TheOptimizer has just launched a new, unique feature that automatically syncs your Google Ads (and third-party tracker) data, and it excludes placements that are not profitable through a simple automation rule.   In the example below, we are creating a rule that will automatically exclude placements that are receiving bot clicks. Given the average click-through-rate (CTR) of 0.2% – 1.5% on Google Display campaigns, we can confidently assume that a CTR of 20% is most likely fraudulent.  You can fully customize these conditions (choose over 50 available metrics) to reflect your own optimization strategy, select specific campaigns, and let the rule run as often as every 10 minutes up to weekly.  This feature will be a game-changer for performance marketers running Google Display campaigns, and TheOptimizer is one of the only tools that is offering this at the moment. Use Case: Automatically Optimizing Google Ads Placements for Content Arbitrage Content arbitrage is one industry that will highly benefit from this new feature.  When you are operating with such large budgets and testing so many different sites, you need to optimize aggressively on placements.  Often times, media buyers running content arbitrage campaigns also utilize third-party trackers, such as AssertiveYield, for more granular data. In this case, to be able to properly optimize Google Ads placements, you would need to review your performance data on AssertiveYield, pinpoint all underperforming placements, and manually pause them on Google Ads. This makes the optimization process even more complex and time-consuming.  With TheOptimizer’s new placement exclusion feature, and the platform’s direct integration with top industry trackers (including AssertiveYield and Google Analytics), you can fully automate this process with 100% accuracy. In a single report, you will be able to see placement data from both Google Ads and AssertiveYield, and you can set up automation rules that will automatically exclude unprofitable placements (like in the rule example we showed earlier).  Other Google Ads Optimization Strategies with TheOptimizer Apart from excluding placements, TheOptimizer also allows you to automate other parts of your Google Ads campaign optimization processes.  Similarly to pausing underperforming placements, you can also pause campaigns, ad groups, or ads through automation rules.  You can adjust campaign bids and budgets based on performance, as well as optimize on keyword level for your Google Search campaigns.  Finally, you can use TheOptimizer to automatically clone top-performing Google ad groups, and apply dayparting to all your campaigns.  For more general Google Ads tips, read our deep dive article here. Conclusion If you are running Google Display campaigns, you need to ensure that you are properly optimizing your ad placements for better results.  You can optimize your placements directly on Google Ads – by refining your targeting and leveraging exclusion lists – or you can fully automate this process with TheOptimizer’s new placement exclusion feature, which will save you an immense amount of time and effort on a daily basis. 

If you are reading this post, you probably already know how important it is to use a campaign automation tool in 2023. With so many choices out there, it’s crucial to understand what each tool offers, so you can choose the best option to help scale your business.  In this article, we will take a deep dive into the comparison between The Optimizer and Revealbot, highlighting the key differences and similarities between these two campaign automation tools. The Optimizer vs Revealbot: Traffic Source Integrations While both The Optimizer and Revealbot have the same core functionality, there is a difference in the traffic sources they support.  The Optimizer is primarily used by marketers who are active on social and native advertising platforms. In total, The Optimizer has a direct integration with 14 advertising platforms, while Revealbot has integrations with four.  Below you can see the top six advertising platforms supported by The Optimizer. Apart from the native sources covered here, The Optimizer supports a variety of other premium platforms including MGID, MediaGo, and more. On the other hand, Revealbot only supports the social media platforms highlighted below.  If you are advertising only on social media platforms, both tools can help you and we recommend reading further to compare their other features. However, if you are running native ads or planning on testing them out in the near future, The Optimizer is a better fit for you.  The Optimizer vs Revealbot: Trackers & Search Feed Integrations Online marketers often use third-party trackers for higher data accuracy. If you are using a tracker, you will most likely want to connect it to your campaign automation tool. That way, you will be able to use the data from both your advertising platform and tracker when setting up your automation rules.  The Optimizer has a direct integration with 13 trackers, while Revealbot has integrations with four. Both platforms can pull data from Google Analytics, but The Optimizer supports a larger number of trackers, including top affiliate trackers such as ClickFlare, Voluum, RedTrack, AssertiveYield, and more.  If you are running search arbitrage campaigns without using a tracker, The Optimizer also has an integration with five of the top search feeds. This means that the platform will pull the revenue data directly from the search feed via API.  In case your tracker of choice is not supported by the two platforms, don’t worry! Both The Optimizer and Revealbot allow users to upload their data using CSV or Google Sheets reports.  The Optimizer and Revealbot are constantly working on new integrations, so before making a decision, always make sure to check whether your ad platforms, trackers, or search feeds are supported by these platforms. In general, The Optimizer integrates with 20 more platforms than Revealbot, giving you a wider range of options. The Optimizer vs Revealbot: Campaign Management  Since both The Optimizer and Revealbot are primarily campaign management tools, let’s zoom in on this feature for a bit.  The Optimizer makes campaign management easier than ever with a comprehensive dashboard that displays key performance metrics, such as cost & revenue from all your campaigns and connected ad or tracker accounts. This is extremely important for agencies or performance marketers who advertise on different platforms, using multiple ad accounts, and launching a large number of campaigns. Instead of logging into each of your accounts separately, you can now manage all your campaigns from a single dashboard. This is something that Revealbot does not offer at the moment.  The Optimizer takes it a step further by allowing you to view detailed performance metrics from both your traffic sources (e.g., Facebook and TikTok) and your tracker in a single report. For example, in the aggregated report above you can see the traffic source (in this case Facebook) clicks, and tracker conversions side-by-side. You can also make manual changes to your campaigns directly from this dashboard.  When it comes to campaign management, The Optimizer offers more advanced features and really focuses on saving you time by aggregating data from all your accounts in a single place. The Optimizer vs Revealbot: Automation The automation functionality is pretty similar for both platforms. They both have an intuitive rule builder that allows you to automate campaign optimization tasks using conditions. For example, if you want to set a rule that will automatically pause your Facebook ads with high CPC, here is how it would look like on The Optimizer: Similarly, this is how the same rule would look like on Revealbot:  Both platforms allow you to schedule rules at constant intervals (e.g., every 30 minutes), or at specific times of the day (e.g., each day at 6 AM account timezone). They also both allow you to use custom metrics in your rules, select campaigns you want the rule to apply to, and have the option to be notified each time the rule is executed.  Both The Optimizer and Revealbot also offer rule templates you can use as inspiration, but we recommend being careful with these templates. What works for one business may not work for the other, so always evaluate these templates against your own metrics, goals, and priorities. The Optimizer vs Revealbot: Reporting Both platforms have a “Reporting” feature so that you can generate reports about your campaigns automatically.  This feature is pretty straightforward and user-friendly on both platforms, but similarly to what we mentioned above, The Optimizer has the benefit of combining the data from your traffic sources and third-party tracker accounts in a single report.  The Optimizer vs Revealbot: Conclusion Choosing the right campaign automation tool for your business can play a crucial role in how fast you can scale profitably.  While both The Optimizer and Revealbot have an excellent automation engine, The Optimizer supports more traffic sources, trackers, and search feeds, as well as a more advanced campaign management dashboard that will make your life easier as an advertiser. If you want to learn more about The Optimizer, read how it compares to TikTok’s and Facebook’s in-platform automation.

In the constant pursuit of business growth, it comes as no surprise that lead generation has been the top priority for most businesses throughout 2023. There is an overwhelming amount of options out there when it comes to generating leads, including a mix of organic and paid efforts across an endless list of platforms.  With so many different channels and methods to generate leads, digital marketers are facing a very pressing challenge – how can they filter through all the available options in order to generate quality leads with a high chance of converting?  In this article we will discuss the top paid advertising platforms for lead generation in 2023, and share best practices on how to leverage them to generate quality leads. What are the best social media paid advertising platforms for lead generation? Let’s start with the most obvious answer – social advertising platforms. According to recent data, 68% of online marketers state that social media ads have helped them generate more leads.  But which platforms are likely to generate the best quality leads, and how do they compare to each other?  Youtube Ads Youtube has 2 billion monthly active users, making it one of the biggest social media platforms to date.  We have placed it at the top of the list, mostly due to its advanced targeting options. Beyond the standard demographic targeting, Youtube also allows advertisers to target based on the audience’s past search and watch history. As an advertiser, you can also choose which type of Youtube videos you want your ad to be shown on.   Combine this with a very strong call to action on the ad, and you are likely to increase short term sales by up to 30% according to Hubspot.  The main downside of Youtube is that you need to create longer form videos, which costs time and resources to make. TikTok Ads You have probably heard all about how popular TikTok ads are right now, but actually, only 18% of online marketers are using TikTok ads for lead generation. You still have time, but you need to be quick! A recent study reported that about half of online marketers that were questioned, plan on leveraging TikTok in the near future for this purpose.  In the meantime, this relatively low level of competition means that the cost for advertising on TikTok is the lowest among all platforms at the moment.  TikTok also has a smart algorithm and a plethora of basic and advanced targeting options you can use to generate quality leads. If you want to learn more about 6 winning strategies on TikTok, read our previous article here.  The biggest challenge with TikTok is that you need to create a large amount of videos in order to continue being successful. With this platform, trends come and go very fast, and ad fatigue is very high, with ads often “expiring” after 1 or 2 weeks. More and more companies are using UGC (user-generated content) brands that connect you to TikTok creators.  You pay a flat fee, and the creator shoots and edits the video on their end. This is a good solution to produce the videos you need at a much lower cost. Also, these videos blend in better with the rest of the content on the platform, making them more engaging and less transactional.  Meta Ads Meta includes Facebook and Instagram, making it one of the biggest social media platforms worldwide, with 3 billion monthly active users.  Although Meta offers the same targeting options as TikTok, Facebook has been around for 12 extra years, which means the platform has gathered more data and supported an even smarter algorithm.  In terms of lead quality, again video content generally works better than static images, especially if you educate the consumer about your product throughout the video. You can do this by focusing on offered value and addressing pain points, instead of just stating features. Having a clear message and including testimonials also helps.  Image by Poll the People One downside of Meta is that traffic is more expensive than TikTok. If you are not sure whether to focus on TikTok ads or Meta ads in 2023, read our full platform comparison here. What are the best native paid advertising platforms for lead generation? If your focus is on generating high-quality leads, you should consider native advertising platforms. 75% of customers trust editorial sites, compared to 54% who trust social media. Native ads are often placed on trusted sites, and they seamlessly blend in with the rest of the content on that page, making them ideal for higher conversions. There are hundreds of native platforms out there, but what are the top options?  Taboola Taboola is one of the biggest native advertising platforms with 500 million daily active users. Most of the traffic on this platform comes from Tier-1 countries such as the US and UK.  Taboola partners with high quality websites and trusted sources, such as Business Insider and Fox, and apart from offering advanced targeting options, they also have a strong algorithm that matches the offer with the right audiences for better results. Outbrain With 1.3 billion unique users, partnerships with esteemed sites such as CNN and BBC, and half of their traffic coming from Tier-1 countries, Outbrain is another top native platform to consider. They also offer advanced targeting and retargeting options.  Taboola and Outbrain are two of the most popular native advertising platforms, which also means that the competition is higher and you need a bigger ad spend budget to promote your offers here.  MGID MGID has been one of the industry leaders since 2008, with 850M unique visitors monthly and sites like MSN as partners. The traffic here comes primarily from Tier 2 countries, most notably from Eastern Europe and South-East Asia.   RevContent The last native advertising platform we would like to focus on for this article is RevContent. Most of the publishers are from the US, such as Forbes.  RevContent has branded itself as a high-quality traffic platform by stating that it rejects a large number of publishers and has established very high standards when it comes to its qualifying and compliance policies.  Based on your company’s goals, budget, and target GEOs, you can decide which platform/s to start with.  In terms of content, advertisers still heavily rely on image ads for native platforms, but video ads or gifs appear to work better for engagement. If you want to learn more about how to boost your native ads profits in 2023, read our previous article about native ads affiliate marketing. What is the best search advertising platform for lead generation? Google Ads There are billions of daily searches on Google, which gives you as an advertiser access to a very broad audience.  Because you are specifically targeting people who are already looking for your product/service, search ads are the most effective way to generate high-quality leads for your business.  This top-notch quality also makes Google Search ads highly competitive, and more expensive than the other platforms on this list.  How can you manage all your paid advertising platforms for lead generation? Depending on your offer, vertical target audience, ad budget, and your team’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of resources, you can decide which platform to put your focus on.  Remember to “not put all your eggs in one basket” and test different channels instead. Platforms are constantly changing, updating their policies, and becoming more competitive, so make sure to not fully rely on only one channel. You can A/B test your offer across 2-3 different platforms, and focus on scaling the ones that are working best for you.  Successful lead-gen marketers are often running campaigns on various social, native, and search platforms at the same time.  If you are in the same position, you may need to consider a campaign automation tool like The Optimizer. Our tool has an integration with all the traffic sources mentioned in this article (and more), and it can help you optimize your campaigns from a single dashboard. If you want to monitor performance, stop creatives that are not working, and scale creatives/campaigns that are performing well, The Optimizer can automate these tasks for you without you having to log into tens (or sometimes hundreds) of ad accounts each day.  Advertising Platforms for Lead Generation: Conclusion In this article, we discussed the best-paid advertising platforms for lead generation in 2023. These […]