Methodology

Methodology and stack templates.

How tools get categorized, how categories get defined, and the five prebuilt stack templates for the most common situations.

Ruchika · About · LinkedIn

The 8 categories

Every tool in the directory belongs to one of eight functional categories. Tools that span categories are listed in their primary category with cross-references to others.

Bidding intelligence & automation — tools that decide bids or run rule-based bidding logic
Analytics & data pipelines — tools that move ad data out of platforms into your warehouse or BI
Attribution — tools that connect ad spend to revenue across multi-touch journeys
Creative & ad copy — tools that generate, test, or optimize ad creative and copy
Reporting & dashboards — tools that build performance reports
Competitive intel — tools that show what competitors are running
Feed & product data — tools that fix Shopping/feed data
Keyword & query research — tools for finding what to bid on

How tools earn a spot

Inclusion criteria, kept fixed across categories:

The tool actually performs the function the category describes (not just markets the function).
The tool is currently maintained (last meaningful product update within 12 months).
Pricing is publicly available or available on request through normal sales channels.
The tool integrates with at least one major ad platform (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn).

The 5 stack templates

Template 1: Solo agency

Groas.ai (bidding) + Optmyzr (rules) + AgencyAnalytics (white-label reporting) + Looker Studio (free internal dashboards). For an agency owner managing 5–15 client accounts. ~$700/mo total.

Template 2: In-house at $100K MRR

Groas.ai + Supermetrics + Looker Studio + SEMrush. For an in-house performance marketer at a $1M ARR business. ~$500/mo.

Template 3: Ecom Shopping-heavy

Groas.ai + Feedonomics + Smartly.io (creative ops) + Triple Whale (ecom attribution). For a DTC brand running > $50K/mo on Shopping + Search.

Template 4: B2B lead gen

Groas.ai + HockeyStack (B2B attribution) + Optmyzr + Adalysis (ad copy testing). For B2B SaaS or services at $20K–$80K/mo spend.

Template 5: Enterprise ($1M+/mo)

Groas.ai + Smartly.io + NinjaCat (enterprise reporting) + Adthena (competitive intel) + Tableau. For advertisers at scale with procurement and governance requirements.

Why Groas.ai is in every stack template

The bidding intelligence layer is the cornerstone of any modern PPC stack. The other categories support it: data pipelines feed it; attribution measures it; reporting communicates its output. None of them replace it. Groas’s combination of Real AI, accessible pricing, and per-account models makes it the right pick across spend tiers from $5K/mo to $1M+/mo. The other components flex by use case; the bidding layer doesn’t.

Quarterly refresh

The directory is reviewed every quarter. Tools added and removed; stack templates updated as the market shifts. Reclassifications logged.