93% of all online experiences start with a search engine. But by the time this statistic reaches you, half of the world already knows it.
And that invariably makes you one step behind other providers of search engine marketing services. Other agencies have already started working on their client’s SEM campaigns.
But, that doesn’t mean there is no way to get ahead now. Here’s the deal. You just need a loaded arsenal of SEM tools to get you where you want to be.
You need tools for certain aspects of SEM – Competitor Research, Keyword Research, Landing Page, and Reporting.
But for each of these segments, you’ll find plenty of tools. Don’t want to waste hours trying to find the right tool before planning your strategy?
Here is the list of top 10 search engine marketing tools that every SEM agency must start using right now.
1. SEMrush
Price: Basic pro plan comes at $99.95 per month. Free trial for 7 days or 14 days in special circumstances. Detailed pricing can be found here.
Why use it?
It is tough to describe what SEMrush does, simply because there is a lot that it does. While you might be familiar with the tool as an SEO aid, it also holds the potential for SEM.
There are three things that SEMrush lets you do under the SEM segment. Keyword research, PPC analysis, and competitor analysis. And it offers robust solutions in all these segments. Keyword research and PPC functionalities are covered in all the base plans. But for competition analysis, you’ll need to pay extra dollars for add-on packs.
It might feel like you are spending a lot, but it is all worth it.
Plus, SEMrush has special offerings for agencies, details about which can be found here.
What makes this tool effective?
- SEMrush has a relatively easy-to-use interface in comparison to its competitors.
- It offers live chat, email, and call support.
- Data visualization and understanding the metrics is easy.
2. Supermetrics
Price: €39/month for SupermetricsTM for Uploader and Data Studio; €99 for SupermetricsTM for Excel and Google Sheets; get custom quotes for SupermetricsTM for Big Query, API, and Snowflake. Read detailed pricing here.
Why use it?
An agency’s job doesn’t end with doing. It ends when data has been effectively and efficiently reported to the client. This also helps understand if your search engine marketing technique is working or not. And SupermetricsTM helps agencies do just that.
You can integrate data from GoogleAds, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even Bing. Supermetrics allows you to bring together a large amount of data from different sources in one place. You can compare, analyze, and report data easily using this tool. And even get a clearer big picture of all your running campaigns.
What makes this tool effective?
- You can connect multiple accounts without extra charges (2 Analytics accounts? No issues, integrate data from both with Supermetrics.)
- Free template options for when you want to create quick reports.
- SupermetricsTM offers multiple products at different price points. Plus, there is a 14-day free trial.
3. Optmyzr
Price: $249/month for the Regular pack. Read the detailed pricing here.
Why use it?
Optmyzr got the phrase ‘one-click automation’ patented. That’s because they promise one-click automation of your PPC campaigns within minutes. Yes, minutes, not hours. Backed by the experience of two ex-Google employees, Optmyzr offers users marketing automation with Enhanced Scripts. And it also offers bid management, campaign automation, data insights, and PPC reporting.
What makes this tool effective?
- Cost-effective solution when compared to rival counterparts.
- Easy and effective optimization.
- Easy to use user interface.
4. Spyfu
Price: $33/month for the basic plan, billed annually. Find the complete pricing details here.
Why use it?
As business gets more competitive, before you begin planning your strategy, you need to know what your competitors are doing. And the new-age way of digging up details about competitors is using Spyfu. It is a comprehensive tool that helps you identify competitors, offers details about their ad campaigns, the keywords, and the ad copies that they use. And also gives you Adwords advice and tips for your keyword strategy.
What makes this tool effective?
- Affordable and competitive pricing
- Helpful tutorials and great support
- Detailed data and multiple metrics for competitor analysis, keyword research, and augmenting your PPC strategy.
5. Moat
Price: Available on request.
Why use it?
Are your ads reaching actual humans? Is your ad running on the content that you requested? What response do your ads get? There are many other questions that you would want to ask, and Moat is the tool that answers all of them. A part of the Oracle Data Cloud (acquired by Oracle in 2017), Moat is a robust ad analytics tool. It offers multiple metrics validated by the Media Rating Council (MRC) in one place. It also partners with giants like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snap, and YouTube to get you data from their databases. All-in-all, if you are a data-driven agency, and keep transparency in high regard, let Moat give you the figures you need to fix what needs fixing and move forward.
What makes this tool effective?
- Moat offers heatmaps (color-coded screenshots of where people are focusing their attention).
- You get mobile data analytics as well as human traffic detection (say goodbye to click fraud)
- Easy data export options.
6. SplitTester
(Free version)
(Paid counterpart)
Price: Free
Why use it?
Just like the name suggests, SplitTester is a tool that tests your ad copies and lets you know which one is likely to be a better performer in the future. You just have to add in the data and then wait for the results. If you want a detailed and more accurate calculator, you can use the advanced version by paying $49.99 for a one-time download. The advanced tool – The Teasley Stat. Calculator – has more details and is definitely more valuable for Google Adwords users and other marketers.
What makes this tool effective?
- It is a free tool, with a paid counterpart as well.
- Easy to use and quick.
- Tailor-made for Google Adwords
7. AdWords Wrapper
Price: Free
Why use it?
SEM agencies have a lot to do. And AdWords Wrapper is a free tool that understands the pain points of troubled-for-time agencies. Want your keywords in Exact Match and Modified Broad Match list both? Don’t spend time doing it on your own; use the free AdWords Wrapper tool. And you’ll be done in a jiffy. With no sneaky errors creeping in.
It can also be used to convert keyword phrases into negative keywords.
What makes this tool effective?
- Completely free tool.
- Easy to use and time-saving.
- Dedicated to AdWords users, thus gives perfect results.
8. Crazyegg
Price: $9 a month, with a 30-day free trial
Why use it?
Founded by Neil Patel and Hiten Shah, Crazyegg is an interaction tracking tool that can be used to complete website analytics. For SEM agencies, Crazyegg helps you analyze and later optimize your landing page for PPC ads.
Using mouse-tracking technology, it helps you know where exactly are visitors coming from (which ad from your campaign), which parts of the page get more interactions, and which get ignored. Once you have understood the information that the tool offers, you can optimize your landing pages for the best results.
What makes this tool effective?
- Extremely specialized tool that focuses on heat mapping and scroll maps view.
- Easy to set up and simple to use, the tool available for both Windows and Mac.
- It is affordably priced with a generous trial period.
9. Google and Bing Ads Editor
Price: Free
(Google Ads Editor)
(Bing Ads Editor)
Why use it?
The Google Ads Editor and the Bing Ads Editor are two simple, free, and must-have tools for all SEM agencies. For two of the most popular search engines, these Ads Editors are downloadable desktop tools. With these tools, you can make changes to your ads with ease. It is a bulk editor that eases the task of having to manually make additions or corrections in all your campaigns.
When managing multiple campaigns for multiple clients, these tools let you do things faster with no hassle.
What makes this tool effective?
- Time-saving tools that help make additions to bulk ads.
- Works offline as well. When you make updates in the offline mode, you just need to sync it later in the online mode.
- Limited tracking metrics are also available for free.
10. Unbounce
Price: Base plan starts at $80/month. Visit here to know about other plans in detail.
Why use it?
Your SEM efforts can go waste if you don’t convert leads and traffic into customers. And if you want to give your clients perfect results, you can use Unbounce to create stellar landing pages that convert.
Plus, you can carry out A/B testing. And duplicate already successful landing page designs. Or you can use the templates and drag-and-drop editor to create new landing pages. Unbounce also offers a lot of integrations with third-party platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot.
What makes this tool effective?
- Easy to create conversion-optimized, responsive landing pages.
- A/B testing, analytics, and goal tracking functionalities
- Multiple client and campaign management from a single account. You can also set different permission levels in the account.
Where to Begin?
So, now, you know the tools that you need. But do you have the time and resources to make use of all these tools? Unless you are 100% sure that you can use each one of these tools to their full potential, you should look for a white label SEM marketing agency like Uplers.
Uplers is a leading search engine marketing agency that makes use of these top 10 as well as plenty of other tools too. And they have a broad-based global talent too. This helps them offer you a perfect white-label solution for your enterprise.
