Top AI tools and tactics you should be using in PPC

AI has been a part of PPC for years through features like smart bidding and audience targeting. 

But in the past 12-18 months, its influence has expanded – reshaping how PPC managers plan, execute, and optimize campaigns.

By leveraging AI, you can streamline processes, improve performance, and focus on higher-level strategy. 

This article covers 15 essential AI tactics and the best tools to enhance your PPC management – from content creation to data analysis.

The top AI tools for PPC marketers

A variety of tools are available to assist with setting up and managing PPC campaigns, each offering unique capabilities and benefits. 

Advertising platforms are also evolving, with innovations like TikTok Symphony Creative Studio leading the way.

Below are my recommended tools, categorized into content creation, visual creation, and data management. 

Many of these tools offer free versions, allowing you to generate a limited number of outputs at no cost.

Content creation

• ChatGPT: Generates content at scale from prompts (from $0/month).
• Claude: Generates content at scale from prompts (from $0/month).
• Optmyzr: Provides ad copy suggestions (from $208+/month).

Visual creation

• Canva: Creates imagery and video from prompts (from $0/month).
• Synthesia: Generates video content from scripts and prompts (from $0/month).
• Runway: Produces imagery from prompts (from $0/month).
• Microsoft Copilot: Generates visuals from prompts (from $0/month).

Data analysis

• ChatGPT: Visualizes and analyzes large datasets (from $0/month).
• Claude: Visualizes and analyzes large datasets (from $0/month).
• Optmyzr: Analyzes data and provides performance recommendations (from $208+/month).

Dig deeper: How does AI work in PPC?

Key ways AI can support PPC managers

AI should be embraced, not feared. When used effectively, it has vast potential to enhance PPC campaign management. 

Its applications can be grouped into three key areas: planning, building and managing, and reporting.

Planning

• Competitor research.
• Keyword research.
• Audience research.
• Audience personas.
• User intent.

Building and managing

• Ad ideation.
• Landing page content.
• Creative concepts.
• Video scripting.
• Image generation.
• Account structures.
• Bidding.
• Feed optimization.

Reporting

• Report summaries.
• Theorizing.
• Stress-testing.

By leveraging AI in these areas, you can free up time to focus on high-level strategy and tasks that drive greater impact.

15 tactics to use AI in PPC

AI can enhance every stage of PPC management – from research and ad creation to performance analysis. 

Here are 15 actionable ways to integrate AI into your campaigns. We’ll explore several of these tactics in more detail below.

1. Formulating a successful prompt.
2. Researching competitor offerings.
3. Understanding user buyer intent.
4. Finding ideal audiences to target.
5. Identifying what users are searching for.
6. Building ad variations.
7. Stress-testing performance feedback.
8. Developing creative concepts based on audiences.
9. Creating video concepts from specific scenarios.
10. Turning video concepts into scripts.
11. Reducing production costs through image generation.
12. Improving product feed attributes.
13. Summarizing performance from data sets.
14. Creating a PPC assistant with custom GPTs for reusable prompts.
15. Using a Google Sheets plugin to run AI in bulk.

Formulating a successful AI prompt

A well-crafted prompt is essential for effective AI outputs – whether it’s Google’s bidding algorithms relying on first-party data (like conversion volumes and targets) or ChatGPT generating ad copy ideas. 

Weak prompts lead to subpar results.

The more detailed information, context, and guidance you provide, the better the output will be. 

The quality of your prompt directly affects the accuracy, tone, and relevance of the AI’s response.

When writing an AI prompt, be sure to include these key elements:

• Desired output format – e.g., a list, table, or summary.
• Specific request – e.g., “10 ad ideas.”
• Intended recipient – e.g., “For Anicca Digital” (include a URL if possible).
• Context – e.g., “Anicca Digital is a digital marketing agency.”
• Target audience – e.g., “Marketing managers.”
• Usage location – e.g., “Google Ad copy.”

Example of a low-quality prompt

Example of a good prompt

The difference in outputs

Incomplete or vague prompts lead to basic, less tailored, and less relevant AI outputs. 

To achieve optimal results, your prompts should be precise and clear, providing detailed instructions on the desired output.

AI tools like ChatGPT can be refined through iterative prompting. If the initial response isn’t effective, you can adjust the prompt to improve the output.

Dig deeper: ChatGPT for PPC: 17 strategic prompts you can use today

Competitor research

AI can streamline competitor research by quickly gathering and organizing information. 

Tools like ChatGPT can assist by:

• Creating a table of price points.
• Building a matrix of key features.
• Analyzing landing pages for calls to action.

Example output

Finding ideal customers to target

Audience insights are essential for successful paid media campaigns across platforms like Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and YouTube. 

AI can help identify ideal customer profiles, preferred platforms, and messaging that resonates with them.

You can generate detailed audience personas by providing AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude with information about a brand, its website, and its offerings. 

These personas guide ad copy and creative development, ensuring your messaging aligns with customer motivations.

Understanding what users are searching for

AI can significantly enhance the traditionally manual keyword research process, making it faster and more interactive.

Similar to using classic keyword tools like Google Keyword Planner or Semrush, AI provides diverse results based on your prompt. You can:

• Give the AI context about the business or brand.
• Refine the output by providing additional guidance.
• Request search volumes and specify the target location.

After generating keywords, you can validate the search volumes or estimate CPCs using traditional research tools.

Example prompt

Example outputs from ChatGPT and Claude

Building ad variations

AI tools like Claude can help overcome creative blocks by generating ad copy ideas and variations. AI can assist in the following ways:

• Suggesting ad copy: Provide detailed prompts, including brand context (with a URL if possible), target audience, and ad placement.
• Incorporating audience insights: Use AI-generated audience personas to identify key motivators and tailor messaging.
• Analyzing competitors: Ask AI to review competitor materials, such as customer reviews, to highlight pain points your business can address.
• Creating scripts for ad visualization: Use AI to generate scripts or code (e.g., Google Apps Script) to visualize ad copy in structured formats.

Dig deeper: 4 practical ways to use generative AI for ad copywriting

Stress testing performance feedback

AI can act as a secondary voice of reason when you need to analyze or validate campaign performance. 

This is especially useful if you are working independently or want to prepare for meetings.

AI can help stress-test:

• Performance changes.
• Campaign strategies.
• Key performance factors.
• New channel adoption.

Tools like ChatGPT can simulate potential challenges and questions, enabling you to refine your approach and deliver stronger reports.

Example ChatGPT output

Improving product feed attributes

Optimized product feeds are critical for successful shopping campaigns. 

However, managing large product catalogs often results in incomplete or suboptimal attributes.

AI tools like ChatGPT can assist by:

• Providing strategies to improve product titles and attributes.
• Handling individual optimizations or bulk edits through document uploads.
• Integrating with Google Sheets for large-scale feed enhancements.

Example individual product title optimization output

Example Google Sheets bulk output

Using the GPT for Sheets and Docs plugin, you can automate bulk optimizations. By applying AI-generated formulas, you can quickly return answers across multiple rows.

• Use formulas to generate enhanced product attributes.

• Apply the concatenate formula to append or prepend missing values (e.g., color or brand) to existing product titles.

Final thoughts

AI is transforming PPC management. Adopting it allows you to optimize workflows, enhance campaign performance, and free up time for strategic initiatives and first-party data development.

However, AI is only as effective as the information it receives. PPC managers must guide, refine, and quality-check AI outputs to ensure the best results.

[Watch] 15 AI tools and tactics you should be using in PPC

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