Onboarding

📘 Introducing the Smart Ads Sidebar: A Cleaner, More Intuitive PPC Workflow

🗺️ Navigation Path Left Sidebar → Ads (Smart Ads). The sidebar's Google Ads group contains Campaign Hub, Campaign Performance, Campaign Audit, Negative Keywords, and Reports. Each is designed for a different stage of the PPC workflow. 🤖 1. Campaign Hub — Your Command Center for Campaign Setup The Campaign Hub is dedicated solely to campaign setup, management, and structural navigation. Here you can view all businesses connected to Smart Ads along with the campaigns attached to each, drill down into campaign structure (clicking a business shows its campaigns, clicking a campaign shows its ad groups, and clicking an ad group shows its ad copies), complete or update setup by following prompts for any incomplete configuration steps, and add or delete campaigns. Performance metrics are not shown here, those insights live in their own dedicated section, Campaign Performance. 📈 2. Campaign Performance — All Performance Insights in One Place Instead of clicking a brand logo to open a hidden performance panel, this centralized dashboard lets you view all PPC performance metrics at the campaign, ad group, and ad copy level, filter by campaign type to isolate search campaigns, retargeting campaigns, imported campaigns, and more, and compare performance across campaigns in a single multi-campaign view. 🔑 3. Negative Keywords — A Dedicated Workspace for Traffic Control Negative keywords live in their own standalone section, where you can view all negative keywords across all campaigns in one global view, activate or manage negative keywords directly by toggling them on or off or modifying them, and drill into individual negative keyword lists for deeper inspection. 📊 4. Reports — Inside Smart Ads Reports is a dedicated analytics space inside Smart Ads, designed to help you understand performance, ROI, and optimization opportunities after campaigns are live. It's intentionally separated from campaign setup and traffic controls. Inside Reports you'll find: - Core KPI Overview: configurable KPI cards for Cost, Clicks, Conversions, Conversion Rate, CPA, and ROAS - Conversion Value & ROAS Configuration: manually define conversion values so Search Atlas can calculate true ROAS - Budget vs Spend Monitoring: total budget, total spent, and remaining spend, fixed to the monthly budget cycle - Performance Visualization: charts for performance over time, top locations by conversions, and scatter/bubble views with preset lenses such as ROI, cost efficiency, funnel strength, and reach-to-engagement - Search & Keyword Intelligence: search terms, keyword-level performance, and active/recent negative keywords - Audience & Analytics Insights: historical trend heatmaps, demographic breakdowns, and device performance 🔎 5. Campaign Audit — Inside Smart Ads You can instantly audit any Google Ads campaign to see exactly how it's performing. Campaign Audit breaks performance down across key pillars, helping you quickly identify where to focus, including an instant performance score, what's working versus what needs attention, and guidance to optimize budgets, ads, and campaigns from a single place. The Smart Ads sidebar is intentionally simple, structured, and user-friendly. By separating campaign creation, campaign analytics, and negative keyword management into clearly defined sections, Search Atlas streamlines the PPC workflow and reduces the complexity of managing Google Ads campaigns through the platform. Navigation: Next: 📘 Campaign Setup & Product Selection | Back to: Collection Index 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.

🔗 Connect Gmail and Set Up Google Ads Integration

📋 Overview Connecting a Gmail account to Search Atlas allows you to link your Google Ads data directly to the platform. This enables you to view ad performance alongside your organic SEO metrics in one place. The process is completed through the Integrations section inside Search Atlas settings and requires a Google account with access to the Google Ads account you want to connect. 🔑 Before You Begin - Make sure you are logged in to Search Atlas. - Have the Gmail address ready that is associated with your Google Ads account. - Confirm that your Google account has access to the Google Ads account you want to connect. Read-only access is sufficient to view data, but Standard or Admin access is required for Search Atlas to make changes to campaigns. - If you are connecting a new Gmail account that does not yet have a Google Ads account, you will need to create one at ads.google.com first before completing this setup. 🛠️ Step 1 — Open Integrations in Settings 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Navigate to Settings using the account menu in the top-right corner of the platform. 3. In the Settings menu, navigate to the Integrations section. 📧 Step 2 — Add Your Gmail Account 1. Inside the Integrations section, locate the Google integration area. 2. Look for the option to connect or add a Google account and click it. 3. Follow the Google authentication flow to sign in with the Gmail account you want to connect and grant the necessary permissions. 4. Once authentication is complete, you will be returned to the Integrations section. Your connected Gmail address should now appear under the Google integration. 📊 Step 3 — Link Your Google Ads Account 1. Once your Gmail account is connected, Search Atlas will detect any Google Ads accounts associated with that Gmail address. 2. Follow any on-screen prompts to complete linking the Google Ads account to your Search Atlas workspace. ✅ Step 4 — Verify the Connection 1. After completing setup, return to the Integrations section to confirm that your Google account appears as connected. 2. Navigate to the relevant section of Search Atlas where Google Ads data is displayed to confirm that your campaign data is loading correctly. 3. It may take a few minutes for data to fully sync after a new connection is established. ➕ Connecting Multiple Gmail Accounts If you need to connect more than one Gmail account, return to the Integrations section and repeat the steps above for each additional account. Each connected Gmail address will appear separately under the Google integration. 🔧 If You Run Into Issues If you encounter any difficulty connecting your Gmail account or linking your Google Ads account, please have the following information ready before reaching out: the Gmail address you are trying to connect, any error message displayed on screen, and the step at which the process stopped or failed. 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.

🔗 Connect and Change Your Google Ads Account in OTTO PPC

🧭 Overview To run OTTO PPC campaigns, Search Atlas must be connected to your Google Ads account. If you need to connect for the first time, switch to a different account, or simply verify which account is linked, this article explains where to find the Google integrations area inside the platform. Important: Google integrations are managed through the Settings section of the platform — not through any top-right corner menu or avatar icon. Use the left sidebar to reach Settings. 🗺️ Where to Find Google Integrations Search Atlas manages account integrations — including Google Ads — from the Settings area. To navigate there: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Locate the left sidebar navigation panel. 3. Click Settings at the bottom of the sidebar. 4. Look for the integrations area within Settings, where Google Ads connection options are available. You are now in the correct area to connect, disconnect, or switch your Google Ads account. 🔄 How to Change Your Connected Google Ads Account If you already have a Google Ads account connected and need to switch to a different one, the general process is: 1. Navigate to Settings using the left sidebar as described above. 2. Locate the Google Ads section within the integrations area. 3. Disconnect or remove the currently connected account. 4. Reconnect using the Google account that owns or has access to the Google Ads account you want to use. 5. Follow the Google authentication prompts and grant the requested permissions. After a successful connection, return to OTTO PPC. Your new Google Ads account should be available for your campaigns. ✅ How to Confirm the Correct Account Is Linked Once you have connected your Google Ads account, verify it is properly recognised inside OTTO PPC by checking the account details displayed within Ads → Google Ads (Campaign Hub). If the account does not appear or is incorrect, return to Settings and repeat the connection steps. ⚠️ Common Issues and Quick Fixes - Cannot find Settings: Always use the left sidebar — scroll to the bottom if Settings is not immediately visible. - Wrong account connected: Disconnect the existing account in Settings first, then reconnect with the correct Google account credentials. - Account not appearing in OTTO PPC after connecting: Try refreshing the page after completing the connection in Settings. 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.

⚡ OTTO PPC: Campaign Sources and Pixel Setup

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. 1. Log in to Search Atlas and open the OTTO PPC section of the platform. 2. Look for a pixel or conversion tracking option within the OTTO PPC settings area. 3. Copy the pixel code snippet provided on that screen. 4. 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. 5. 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.

Getting Started with Meta Ads

🚀 What Is Meta Ads? Meta Ads (Ad Studio) is Search Atlas's AI-powered advertising product for Meta (Facebook and Instagram), available inside the unified Ads tab alongside Google Ads — including for white-label and GHL accounts. It guides you through every step, from defining your brand to publishing ads and monitoring performance, with the Atlas AI agent handling the heavy lifting. The one promise to remember: Meta Ads reads your campaigns and publishes new ones — always paused, never live without you. Nothing spends money until you flip a campaign live yourself. 📋 Before You Begin To use Meta Ads, you need: - An active Search Atlas account on a supported plan (Growth, Pro, or Agency — see our Plans & Quota article for details). - A connected Meta ad account. You'll be prompted to link it during setup, or from Launchpad's account selector. 🗺️ The Typical Meta Ads Workflow 1. Connect your Meta account — link your Meta ad account to Search Atlas. 2. Set up your brand and product (Brands) — define your identity, palette, products or services, and brand voice. A brand must be complete before it can generate ads. 3. Build a campaign (Launchpad) — describe your goal to Atlas in plain English, or step through the guided builder, to create audiences, creatives, ad copy, and budgets. 4. Review and refine creatives (Creative Drive) — browse, edit, upload, or remix your ad creatives. 5. Publish — campaigns publish to Meta paused. You decide when to flip a campaign live. 6. Monitor results (Analytics) — track spend, ROAS, CTR, conversions, and top-performing creatives, and set alerts for key metrics. 📦 Meta Ads Sections at a Glance Meta Ads is organized into two groups: Meta Ads and Intelligence. 🏷️ Meta Ads Group - Brands — Your brand library, powered by Brand Vault. A Brand Health score and completeness indicator show how ready each brand is to power ad generation. - Launchpad — Where every campaign starts. Each campaign is tracked by status: In Progress, Ready, or Published (always paused until you flip it live). - Creative Drive — Your central creative hub. Every image and video Meta Ads makes collects here, plus a shareable public link for team review and feedback. 🧠 Intelligence Group - Analytics — A performance dashboard with spend, ROAS, CTR, conversions, top creatives, hook rate by video, and landing-page performance. Set alerts and save views to reuse. - Discover — Search any brand, including competitors, for inspiration — not limited to your connected accounts. Recreate any ad you find for your own brand. - Routines — Six scheduled automation types across two families (Create and Protect) that watch, build, and ship content or reports automatically. See the dedicated Routines article for all six types. 💡 Tips for a Smooth Start - Complete your Brands profile as fully as possible — a higher Brand Health score means better AI-generated ad results. - Use Discover before building your first campaign to see what's working in your industry. - Set up a Routine early so performance reports land in your inbox, Slack, or run history automatically. Need help at any step? 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.

📞 Set Up Call Tracking in Smart Ads Campaigns

Overview Smart Ads supports two distinct methods for tracking phone calls generated by your campaigns. Understanding which method fits your workflow is the first step to a successful call campaign setup. - Google Ads Native Call Tracking: Google assigns a forwarding number to your ad. Calls are automatically tracked as conversions inside Google Ads. - Custom Phone Number: You provide a specific phone number — such as one tied to a third-party call tracking platform or a dedicated business line — and use that number directly in your campaign. This article explains both scenarios so you can choose the right setup for your call campaign. Option 1: Google Ads Native Call Tracking Use this option when you want Google to handle call measurement automatically without a third-party service. When setting up your Smart Ads call campaign, select the option to use Google's native call tracking. With this approach, you enter your business phone number and Google displays a Google forwarding number to callers, routing calls to your number behind the scenes. Google Ads then reports call conversions automatically once your campaign is live. Key point: With native tracking, you do not need to insert any code or configure an external platform. Google manages the forwarding number and attributes conversions directly in your Google Ads account linked to Smart Ads. If you are unsure which call tracking option to select during campaign setup, or if a specific setting does not appear as expected in the Smart Ads interface, have your campaign name and a description of what you are trying to configure ready before reaching out for guidance. Option 2: Using a Custom or Designated Phone Number Use this option when you have a specific phone number you want to feature in your ad — for example, a number from a call tracking platform like CallRail, a vanity number, or a dedicated business line that you manage independently. When setting up your Smart Ads call campaign, choose the option to enter a custom phone number and provide your number exactly as you want it to appear to callers. Because Smart Ads passes this number directly to Google Ads, call data will not be tracked natively by Google. Instead, your third-party platform or business phone system is responsible for recording and reporting call activity. Key point: If you use a custom number, make sure your external call tracking system is active and correctly configured before your campaign goes live, so that no call data is lost. If you encounter difficulty entering or saving your custom phone number during campaign setup, or if the number does not appear correctly in your campaign, have your campaign name and the phone number you are trying to use ready before reaching out for support. Choosing the Right Option for Your Campaign If call attribution within Google Ads is your primary goal, Option 1 (Google Ads native call tracking) is the simpler choice. If you need calls routed through a specific number for independent tracking, reporting, or branding purposes, Option 2 (custom phone number) gives you that control — just ensure your external system is set up before launch. 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.

🔍 Connect Google Analytics, Tag Manager & Ads with Search Atlas

🎯 Overview When you switch SEO providers and onboard to Search Atlas and OTTO, it is essential to reconfigure your Google tracking stack carefully. Skipping steps or leaving old configurations in place can cause duplicate data, broken conversion tracking, or missed attribution. This article walks you through setting up Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Google Tag Manager (GTM), and Google Ads correctly so everything works together from day one. ⚙️ Step 1: Audit Your Existing Tracking Setup Before adding anything new, review what your previous provider may have installed: - Log in to your website's CMS or codebase and check for any hardcoded Google Analytics or GTM snippets added by your former provider. - Open Google Tag Manager and review all published tags. Look for duplicate GA4 configuration tags or old Universal Analytics (UA) tags that should be removed. - In Google Analytics, go to Admin → Data Streams and confirm only your active GA4 property is collecting data. - In Google Ads, go to Tools → Conversions and check that conversion actions are not being fired by both a legacy tag and a new one simultaneously. Remove or pause any tags, snippets, or integrations left by your previous provider before proceeding. 📊 Step 2: Set Up or Verify Your GA4 Property 1. Go to analytics.google.com and confirm you have a GA4 property (not Universal Analytics) for your website. 2. Navigate to Admin → Data Streams → Web and copy your Measurement ID (format: G-XXXXXXXXXX). 3. If you are using Google Tag Manager to deploy GA4 (recommended), do not add the GA4 snippet directly to your site — use GTM exclusively to avoid duplication. 4. In GTM, create a Google Tag using your Measurement ID, trigger it on All Pages, and publish the container. 5. Use the GA4 DebugView (Admin → DebugView) and GTM Preview mode to confirm pageviews are being recorded without duplicates. 🏷️ Step 3: Configure Google Tag Manager Cleanly A clean GTM container is critical to avoid data conflicts: - Use one Google Tag (GA4 Configuration Tag) per property. Multiple configuration tags for the same Measurement ID will inflate your session counts. - Organise all conversion and event tags under clear naming conventions, for example: [GA4] Scroll Depth or [Ads] Lead Form Submission. - Set up Tag Firing Options on sensitive tags (such as purchase events) to fire Once per page to prevent duplicate conversions. - Before publishing any changes, always use GTM Preview & Debug mode to verify tags fire exactly once on the correct trigger. 💰 Step 4: Link Google Ads and Import Conversions 1. In Google Ads, go to Tools → Conversions → New conversion action. 2. Select Import → Google Analytics 4 properties to import key conversion events (such as form submissions or purchases) directly from GA4. This is the recommended approach as it keeps conversion data consistent across both platforms. 3. Alternatively, if you prefer Google Ads tags, create a conversion action in Google Ads, copy the Global Site Tag and Event Snippet, and deploy them via GTM — never add them directly to the page if GTM is already present. 4. Set a single conversion counting method (one conversion per click) for lead-generation goals and every conversion for e-commerce purchases. 5. After setup, run a test conversion and confirm it appears in Google Ads → Conversions → All conversions within 24 hours. 🤖 Step 5: Using Google Ads Data Inside Search Atlas Search Atlas includes a dedicated Ads workspace to help you monitor and manage your paid campaigns alongside your SEO work. To access it: - In the left sidebar, go to Ads → Launchpad for an overview of your campaigns and available resources. - Use Ads → Analytics to review performance data and identify optimisation opportunities. - Explore Ads → Creative Drive, Ads → Discover, Ads → Routines, and Ads → Brands for additional campaign management tools. - If you would like guided support with your Ads setup, select Explore Training Calls from the Launchpad banner to book a session with the Search Atlas team. Note: Search Atlas displays ad data but does not directly modify your Google Ads account. All structural changes to tags and conversions should be made in Google Ads and GTM directly. ✅ Step 6: Final Checks Before Going Live Run through this checklist before considering your tracking setup complete: - No duplicate tags: Confirm GTM Preview shows each tag firing once per page load. - GA4 receiving data: Real-time report in GA4 shows active users during your test session. - Conversions verified: At least one test conversion appears in both GA4 and Google Ads. - Old provider tags removed: No legacy snippets remain in your HTML, CMS plugins, or GTM container. - GTM container published: All changes are in the live container, not just saved as a draft. 🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues - Duplicate sessions in GA4: You have more than one GA4 Configuration Tag firing, or the Measurement ID snippet is hardcoded in the page AND deployed via GTM. Remove one. - Conversions not showing in Google Ads: Allow up to 72 hours after the first test. If they still do not appear, check that the Google Ads conversion linker tag is present in GTM and firing on all pages. - OTTO changes not reflected in analytics: OTTO optimises on-page SEO elements; it does not modify tracking code. If tracking broke after OTTO was activated, the issue is unrelated — revisit your GTM container for conflicting tag changes. 💬 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.

🔗 Connect Google Ads and Meta Ads Accounts

Overview To unlock Smart Ads features in Search Atlas, you must first connect your advertising accounts. Both Google Ads and Meta Ads are connected through the Integrations tab in your account settings. This article explains the general process for connecting both platforms. Before You Begin - To create and manage campaigns from Search Atlas, you need Standard or Admin access to the Google Ads account (read-only access cannot make changes), and admin access to the Meta Ads account you want to connect. - For Google Ads, ensure you are signed into the correct Google account in your browser before starting. - For Meta Ads, have your Facebook login credentials ready. - You can connect multiple ad accounts across both platforms. How to Connect Your Google Ads Account 1. Navigate to the Integrations tab in your Search Atlas account settings. 2. Locate the Google Ads section and initiate the connection. 3. A Google authentication window will appear. Sign in with the Google account that has access to your Google Ads account. 4. Grant the requested permissions when prompted. 5. Once authenticated, select the Google Ads account or manager account you want to link and complete the connection. Once connected, you can verify the connection status at any time by returning to the Integrations tab. How to Connect Your Meta Ads Account 1. From the Integrations tab, locate the Meta Ads section and initiate the connection. 2. A Meta (Facebook) login window will open. Enter your credentials and log in. 3. Review the permissions Search Atlas is requesting and approve them when prompted. 4. Select the Meta ad account you want to manage and complete the connection. Your Meta Ads account will then be linked and ready to use within Search Atlas's ad features. If You Run Into Issues If you are unable to connect your Google Ads or Meta Ads account, or if the Integrations tab is not behaving as expected, please reach out to our support team. Have the following ready to help us assist you faster: - The name or ID of the ad account you are trying to connect - The platform (Google Ads or Meta Ads) - A description of what happens when you attempt to connect (e.g., any error messages or unexpected behavior) 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.