Overview
OTTO PPC is Search Atlas's built-in pay-per-click management workspace. Two questions come up frequently together: why the OTTO pixel won't connect, and why existing Google Ads campaigns aren't showing up after linking a Google Ads account. This article answers both.
Critical: What OTTO PPC Does and Does Not Display
OTTO PPC only shows campaigns that were created inside Search Atlas. It does not import, sync, or display campaigns that were built directly in Google Ads or any other external platform.
This is the most common source of confusion. Connecting your Google Ads account to Search Atlas grants the platform permission to manage billing and launch new campaigns — it does not pull your existing Google Ads campaigns into the OTTO PPC interface.
- Visible in OTTO PPC: Campaigns created through the Search Atlas OTTO PPC workflow.
- Not visible in OTTO PPC: Campaigns created natively in Google Ads, imported from other tools, or managed outside Search Atlas.
If you need to manage a pre-existing campaign, you must continue to do so directly inside Google Ads. To bring that activity into Search Atlas, you would need to recreate the campaign using the OTTO PPC campaign builder.
How to Install the OTTO Pixel
The OTTO pixel enables conversion tracking for campaigns launched through OTTO PPC. Because the exact button labels and navigation path within the platform may vary depending on your account state, the steps below describe the general process — if you cannot locate the pixel setup area, our support team can guide you to the correct screen.
- Log in to Search Atlas and open the OTTO PPC section of the platform.
- Look for a pixel or conversion tracking option within the OTTO PPC settings area.
- Copy the pixel code snippet provided on that screen.
- Paste the snippet into the
<head>section of every page on your website, or deploy it through a tag manager such as Google Tag Manager. - Return to OTTO PPC and use the pixel verification option to confirm the connection is working.
Troubleshooting Pixel Connection Issues
If the pixel fails to verify, work through the checks below in order.
- Snippet placement: The pixel code must be inside the
<head>tag, not the<body>. Misplacement is the most common installation error. - Tag manager firing rules: If you are using Google Tag Manager or a similar tool, confirm the tag is set to fire on All Pages and that the container has been published after adding the tag.
- Caching: Clear your site cache and any CDN cache after installation. A cached version of the page may not include the new snippet.
- Ad blockers or browser extensions: Test the verification step in a browser with all extensions disabled to rule out interference.
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.