🔍 Overview
OTTO PPC is Search Atlas's pay-per-click automation tool. It connects directly to your Google Ads account and applies keyword changes — including removals — immediately and automatically. There is no review queue, no approval workflow, and no manual publishing step required.
Important: OTTO PPC is a separate product from OTTO & Audit. OTTO & Audit is an SEO tool used for on-page and technical SEO recommendations. It has no connection to your Google Ads campaigns. If you are managing PPC keywords, you must use OTTO PPC — not OTTO & Audit.
🗑️ How Keyword Removals Work in OTTO PPC
When you remove a keyword inside OTTO PPC, the change is pushed directly to your linked Google Ads account in real time. Here is what happens step by step:
- OTTO PPC identifies underperforming or unwanted keywords based on your campaign data or your manual selection.
- You confirm the removal action inside the OTTO PPC interface.
- The change is sent immediately to Google Ads via the direct API connection.
- The keyword is paused or removed in Google Ads with no additional steps needed on your end.
There is no separate approval stage, no pending status to clear, and no button to manually push changes. Once you confirm an action in OTTO PPC, it is live in Google Ads.
✅ How to Confirm Your Changes Synced Successfully
After removing a keyword in OTTO PPC, you can verify the sync was successful by checking the following:
- Inside OTTO PPC: The keyword will no longer appear in your active keyword list for that ad group or campaign. The status will reflect the removal immediately after you confirm the action.
- Inside Google Ads: Log in to your Google Ads account and navigate to the relevant campaign and ad group. The keyword should show a Removed or Paused status depending on the action taken. Allow up to a few minutes for Google's interface to reflect API-driven changes.
If the keyword still appears as active in Google Ads after five minutes, see the troubleshooting section below.
🛠️ Troubleshooting Sync Issues
If a keyword removal does not appear to have synced to Google Ads, work through these checks before contacting support:
- Verify your Google Ads account is still connected: Inside OTTO PPC, confirm that your Google Ads account shows a connected status. A disconnected account will prevent any changes from syncing.
- Check for Google Ads policy holds: In rare cases, Google Ads may hold API-submitted changes if your account has a policy violation or billing issue. Log in to Google Ads directly to check for any account-level alerts.
- Confirm you acted on the correct campaign: OTTO PPC may manage multiple campaigns. Make sure you reviewed the removal in the correct campaign and ad group before assuming a sync failure.
- Refresh both interfaces: Clear your browser cache or open Google Ads in a new browser session to rule out a display lag.
⚠️ OTTO PPC vs. OTTO & Audit — Know the Difference
These are two distinct products in Search Atlas. Using the wrong one for PPC tasks will not produce results and may cause confusion.
- OTTO PPC: Manages your paid search campaigns. Connects to Google Ads. Handles keyword additions, removals, bid adjustments, and campaign optimisations. All changes sync instantly to Google Ads.
- OTTO & Audit (OTTO SEO V3): An SEO automation tool for on-page optimisation, technical audits, and content improvements. Accessible from the left sidebar under OTTO SEO → All Sites (SEO Automation), with site audits available under OTTO SEO → Site Audit. This tool has no connection to Google Ads and cannot manage PPC keywords.
If you navigated to OTTO SEO → All Sites (SEO Automation) looking for PPC controls, you are in the wrong area of the platform. Return to OTTO PPC to manage your paid campaigns.
💬 Need More Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.