PPC Stack LabThe best search-term & negative-keyword tools
Search terms are where budget quietly leaks. These tools surface the wasted queries and queue the negatives — the good ones keep a human approving the writes, the great ones don’t make you pay per account.
Adalysis is the best dedicated search-term/negative-keyword tool for most operators (n-gram analysis, unlimited accounts, automated negatives). TrueClicks is the standout if you’re cost-sensitive — free under $50k/month ad spend. Opteo is the $129 simple option. Optmyzr is the choice only when you want the deepest rule engine and are scaling.
Adalysis
Purpose-built search-term & negative-keyword copilot
Adalysis’s strongest feature is its n-gram search-term analysis and “add as negative” workflows — it finds the wasted queries and can automate the negative application on a schedule. It also gives you unlimited Google + Microsoft accounts and users on every plan, which is rare.
Best for
- Search-term / negative-keyword hygiene specifically
- Agencies that want unlimited accounts per fee
- Teams replacing spreadsheet-based search-term review
Not for
- Cross-channel beyond Google/Microsoft
- Buyers wanting a true generative AI assistant (its core is rules-driven)
TrueClicks
Free monitoring + bulk fixes under $50k/month ad spend
TrueClicks runs 100+ best-practice checks against your accounts and gives a score with bulk “fix” buttons — strong for catching search-term waste, conflicting keywords, and hygiene issues across Google and Microsoft. The free-forever tier (up to $50k/month spend) is the best deal in this category.
Best for
- Cost-sensitive solo agencies (free under $50k spend)
- Client-facing QA/audits before a competitor finds the issue
Not for
- Deep custom rule-building (lighter than Optmyzr)
- Spend-based pricing gets expensive past ~$500k/month
Opteo
Simple Google Ads suggestions + bad-traffic exclusions
Opteo is the gentlest on-ramp: a clean list of “stop here, fix this” improvements, keyword management, and bad-traffic exclusions. It’s not the most powerful, but it’s the easiest to adopt for a solo PPC manager.
Best for
- Beginners and solo managers wanting low-effort guidance
- A clean $129 entry point
Not for
- Microsoft Ads (Google only)
- Granular n-gram analysis or custom rule engines
Visit Opteo · affiliate status unconfirmed
Optmyzr
Deep rule engine + n-gram mining for scaling books
Optmyzr’s rule engine, n-gram search-query analyzer, and hourly automations make it the strongest option — if you’re managing many accounts and can absorb the cost and learning curve. For search terms alone, smaller shops rarely need this much.
Best for
- Agencies scaling past ~25+ accounts and wanting deep automation
Not for
- Solo operators on a tight budget
- Anyone wanting a simple tool (steep learning curve)
Visit Optmyzr · affiliate status unconfirmed
At a glance
| Tool | Starts at | Accounts | Negative automation | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adalysis | Spend-tiered | Unlimited | Yes (scheduled) | Search-term hygiene |
| TrueClicks | Free <$50k | Unlimited | Bulk fixes | Cost-sensitive QA |
| Opteo | $129/mo | 10 | Basic | Simplicity |
| Optmyzr | Spend-tiered | High | Yes (rules) | Scaling books |