Search and social advertising platforms
Asked as “paid search and social ads management platform”, and as “PPC and paid social campaign management tool”, on behalf of a mid-market B2B software company. 25 first choices recorded across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, six models each.
Standing · first-choice share
24%
Contested · Metadata.io 20%
24Optmyzr20Metadata.io12Adzooma44others
24% of first choices, contested.
The standing
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, over all six models, for a mid-market B2B software company. Ordered by share.
ProductFirst-choice shareNegative rateLabelsQuadrantSince September 2026
03
Google Ads Lab in the set4%0%10accepted challengernewNew since September 2026: not ranked then, 4% now.
Google Ads Lab in the set4%0%10accepted challengernewNew since September 2026: not ranked then, 4% now.The floor is 12 points of share, measured: how far the models move a leader on their own when the same questions are asked twice with nothing changed. A larger change is movement; a smaller one can't be told apart from repeat variation, and both are shown. Each index measures its own floor from its own repeat, over its own categories, so the floor differs from one index to the next. How the floor is measured
Bars are the share of first choices, 0 to 100Every product with at least 10 labels here. Every product name links to its product page.
Google Ads is made by Google, whose model Gemini 3.1 Pro is in the set. On the four share prompts that model made it the first choice zero times of 4; the other five models one time of 20. Lab treatment is defined on the method page; the row is marked, not excluded.
All six head-to-head pages: the top four products, each against each
Recommended versus criticized
Every product with at least 10 labels here, on both axes. The 30% line names a quadrant, not the verdict above: that one needs more than 40%.
Criticized challengerCriticized default
Negative label rate →
01
0203
04
05
06Accepted challengerEndorsed leader
0%First-choice share → · lines at 30% share and 25% negative40%
Key
01Optmyzr24%
Optmyzr24%02Skai12%
Skai12%03Google Ads4%
Google Ads4%04Marin Software4%
Marin Software4%05Adalysis0%
Adalysis0%06Smartly0%
Smartly0%What they warned about
Three of six models held their first choice under the paraphrase. Claude Opus 4.8, GPT-5.6 Sol and Perplexity Sonar Pro changed. A high negative share on a product with few labels is a warning. A low share on a product with many labels is salience, not sentiment.
Marin Software56%
10 of 18 labels negative · 6 of 6 models · 2 hard negative
“One to avoid: Marin Software has effectively been in wind-down and is widely characterized as legacy.” Claude Opus 5, direct prompt
Skai42%
10 of 24 labels negative · 6 of 6 models · 1 hard negative
“Avoid at your budget: enterprise platforms like Skai — powerful and broad, but extremely expensive and overkill for SMBs” Claude Opus 5, budget prompt
WordStream Advisor50%
4 of 8 labels negative · 4 of 6 models · 3 hard negative
“recommendations are often outdated... aggressive upselling into LocaliQ's managed services and difficult cancellation processes” Claude Opus 5, negative prompt
AdEspresso75%
6 of 8 labels negative · 4 of 6 models · 1 hard negative
“paying monthly for a tool that is barely being updated is a poor investment” Gemini 3.1 Pro, negative prompt
What they cite
Six of the six models returned a source list in this edition: six return the pages they cited.
Sites the answers cite
33 of 36 answers in this category came back with a source list, from 6 of 6 models: citations where the model returns them, or the search results it consulted. 544 links across 225 sites, every framing counted. Ranked by the number of answers carrying the site or page. None of the 36 answers across every segment cited this index's own page for the category.
15 answers · 22 citations · 5 models
11 answers · 26 citations · 4 models
vendor site · Optmyzr11 answers · 12 citations · 5 models
vendor site · Clicks Geek10 answers · 30 citations · 3 models
vendor site · Skai10 answers · 10 citations · 4 models
vendor site · HubSpot9 answers · 9 citations · 3 models
vendor site · Cometly7 answers · 13 citations · 3 models
7 answers · 11 citations · 2 models
7 answers · 7 citations · 2 models
7 answers · 7 citations · 4 models
vendor site · Groas.ai6 answers · 11 citations · 2 models
6 answers · 6 citations · 4 models
Pages the answers cite
The ten pages named in the most answers, by full address. A page here is one the models returned with a recommendation, not one the index endorses.
7 answers · 2 models
6 answers · 2 models
6 answers · 3 models
6 answers · 4 models
6 answers · 2 models
5 answers · 2 models
4 answers · 2 models
4 answers · 2 models
4 answers · 2 models
4 answers · 3 models
Search against answers
Each company's standing in the answers beside its site's footprint in Google search, one row a site: the products the models named on it with their shares, and the share they add up to; monthly searches on Google, and DataForSEO's estimate of AI search demand (modeled from search signals, directional, not a count of queries to any assistant), for the most-searched of the company's and its products' names (the name is in each row's hover text); estimated monthly organic visits to the site; and its best position in Google's top ten for “best paid search and social ads management platform”, “paid search and social ads management platform”. US estimates from DataForSEO and Google's Ads Transparency Center. A small company's site, or a mid-sized company's site for its flagship, is marked company; a product on a large parent's site (Google, Microsoft) has no site figures. A column with no figures for this category is left out, and an empty cell means none were seen, not none exist. Two measurements side by side: neither is read as the cause of the other.
| Company and products | Share | Own site cited | Name searches, Google | AI search demand, est. | Organic visits | Paid search a month, est. | Google ads, last 30 days | Best Google position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optmyzr optmyzr.com | 24% | 123 | 1,000 | 16 | 1,519 | 11 | 3 | |
| Metadata.io metadata.io | 20% | 32 | 170 | 0 | 12,715 | 0 | ||
| Adzooma adzooma.com | 12% | 66 | 320 | 3 | 1,259 | 0 | ||
| Skai skai.io | 12% | 165 | 6,600 | 2,387 | 12,905 | 35 | ||
| HubSpot parent site HubSpot Marketing Hub 8%, HubSpot Ads 0% | 8% | 991 | 368,000 | 9,776 | ||||
| WordStream Advisor wordstream.com WordStream / LocaliQ 4%, WordStream Advisor 4% | 8% | 39 | 10 | 0 | 371,782 | $18 | 56 | |
| Google parent site Google Ads 4%, Google Search Ads 360 0% | 4% | 201 | 550,000 | 15,818 | ||||
| Meta meta.com Meta Ads 4% | 4% | 195 | 49,500 | 1,504 | 9,891,853 company | $5,460 | 49 | |
| Oktopost oktopost.com | 4% | 167 | 1,000 | 11 | 7,471 | 6 | ||
| Marin Software marinsoftware.com | 4% | 82 | 480 | 72 | 7,694 | 1 |
Google's top ten for the two searches hold 16 sites; 4 of them are among the sites the models cited here (blog.hubspot.com, clicksgeek.com, get-ryze.ai, optmyzr.com). The first result for “best paid search and social ads management platform” is reddit.com.
How they answered
Six framings of the same buying question, each sent to every model in a fresh session with search on. One row per model, so a row shows whether it held its answer under rewording, what it named when cost was the constraint, and what it argued against. Computed from the raw judge labels.ShowHide
How they answered
Six framings of the same buying question, each sent to every model in a fresh session with search on. One row per model, so a row shows whether it held its answer under rewording, what it named when cost was the constraint, and what it argued against. Computed from the raw judge labels.
ShowHideModelDirect“What is the best paid search and social ads management platform for a mid-market B2B software company?”Paraphrase“Which PPC and paid social campaign management tool would you recommend to a mid-sized B2B software company?”Comparative“What are the top paid search and social ads management platforms and how do they differ?”Budget-constrained“What is the best paid search and social ads management platform for a company with a limited budget?”Scale-constrained“We are a 500 person company evaluating a paid search and social ads management platform. What should we look at?”Negative“Which paid search and social ads management platforms should I avoid or be cautious about?”
Claude Opus 5Optmyzragainst: Google Search Ads 360, Marin SoftwareOptmyzrHeldagainst: Hootsuite Ads, Marin Software, Skai, Sprinklr MarketingOptmyzr, Smartlyagainst: Marin SoftwareGoogle Ads, Meta Adsagainst: Optmyzr, Skaino first choiceagainst: AdRoll, Hibu, Madgicx, WordStream Advisor
Six alternatives
Adalysis, Dreamdata, HockeyStack, LinkedIn/Meta ad managers, Metadata.io, SkaiSeven alternatives
Adalysis, Dreamdata, Factors.ai, HubSpot Ads, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, Metadata.io, OpteoNine alternatives
Adalysis, Channable, Google Search Ads 360, Madgicx, Pacvue, Perpetua, Revealbot, Skai, TeikametricsThree alternatives
Looker Studio, Madgicx, WaskClaude Opus 4.8HubSpot Marketing Hub, Metadata.ioagainst: SkaiOptmyzrChangedagainst: Marin Software, Skaino first choiceWordStream Advisorno first choicenothing named
Three alternatives
Adobe Advertising, Marin Software, OptmyzrTwo alternatives
Adzooma, HubSpot AdsTwo alternatives
HubSpot Ads, Lyfe MarketingGPT-6 AstraMetadata.ioMetadata.ioHeldSkaiAdzoomaagainst: AdEspressoOptmyzr, Skaiagainst: Smartly, Sprinklr Marketingagainst: Madgicx, Marin Software, Skai, Smartly
Three alternatives
Adalysis, HubSpot Ads, SkaiOne alternative
OptmyzrSeven alternatives
Adalysis, Adobe Advertising, Google Search Ads 360, Madgicx, Optmyzr, Smartly, Sprinklr MarketingThree alternatives
Google Ads, Meta Ads, PlaiOne alternative
Google Search Ads 360GPT-5.6 SolMarin Softwareagainst: Smartly, Sprinklr MarketingOptmyzrChangedagainst: Smartlyno first choiceAdzoomaagainst: AdEspresso, OptmyzrSkaiagainst: Marin Softwareagainst: Acquisio, AdEspresso, Adobe Advertising, Google Search Ads 360, Kenshoo, Marin Software, Shape, Skai, Smartly, WordStream Advisor
Four alternatives
Google Ads, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, Microsoft Advertising, SkaiTwo alternatives
Marin Software, SkaiEight alternatives
Adalysis, Adobe Advertising, Google Search Ads 360, Madgicx, Optmyzr, Skai, Smartly, Sprinklr MarketingTwo alternatives
Google Ads, Meta AdsFive alternatives
Adobe Advertising, Google Search Ads 360, Optmyzr, Smartly, Sprinklr MarketingGemini 3.1 ProMetadata.ioagainst: SkaiMetadata.ioHeldagainst: Marin Software, SkaiSkai, SmartlyAdzoomaSkaiagainst: AdEspresso, Hootsuite Adsagainst: AdEspresso, Marin Software, Skai, WordStream Advisor
Four alternatives
6sense, Demandbase, Dreamdata, HockeyStackFour alternatives
6sense, Demandbase, HubSpot Ads, OptmyzrFive alternatives
Adalysis, Madgicx, Marin Software, Optmyzr, RevealbotFive alternatives
Google Ads, Madgicx, Meta Ads, Revealbot, Ryze AIFour alternatives
Marin Software, Metadata.io, Optmyzr, SmartlyPerplexity Sonar ProHubSpot Marketing HubOktopost, OptmyzrChangedno first choiceagainst: Semrush Advertising ToolkitWordStream / LocaliQno first choiceagainst: AdEspresso, Marin Software, Pacvue, Quartile, Skai, WordStream Advisor
Four alternatives
AdRoll, Demandbase, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, Metadata.ioTwo alternatives
Influ2, WordStream AdvisorThree alternatives
AdFlint, Adzooma, Ryze AIBold is the first choiceAlternatives are counted; the count opens them.What the answer argued against
The record
One row per call: the version string exactly as returned, whether the model searched, sources cited, and latency.
Thirty-six rows: every prompt, every model, every answer.
| Prompt | Model | Version string | Time (UTC) | Searched | Sources | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct recommendation | Claude Opus 5 | claude-opus-5 | 2026-09-09 17:31 | yes | 23 | 63 s |
| Direct recommendation | Claude Opus 4.8 | claude-opus-4-8 | 2026-09-09 17:33 | yes | 24 | 65 s |
| Direct recommendation | GPT-6 Astra | gpt-6-astra | 2026-09-09 18:50 | yes | 8 | 32 s |
| Direct recommendation | GPT-5.6 Sol | gpt-5.6-sol | 2026-09-09 18:52 | yes | 5 | 49 s |
| Direct recommendation | Gemini 3.1 Pro | gemini-3.1-pro-preview | 2026-09-10 16:59 | yes | 10 | 53 s |
| Direct recommendation | Perplexity Sonar Pro | sonar-pro | 2026-09-09 17:34 | yes | 20 | 6 s |
| Paraphrase | Claude Opus 5 | claude-opus-5 | 2026-09-09 17:37 | yes | 24 | 53 s |
| Paraphrase | Claude Opus 4.8 | claude-opus-4-8 | 2026-09-09 17:38 | yes | 27 | 60 s |
| Paraphrase | GPT-6 Astra | gpt-6-astra | 2026-09-09 18:54 | yes | 5 | 33 s |
| Paraphrase | GPT-5.6 Sol | gpt-5.6-sol | 2026-09-09 18:55 | yes | 5 | 36 s |
| Paraphrase | Gemini 3.1 Pro | gemini-3.1-pro-preview | 2026-09-10 17:00 | no | 0 | 28 s |
| Paraphrase | Perplexity Sonar Pro | sonar-pro | 2026-09-09 17:39 | yes | 20 | 4 s |
| Comparative | Claude Opus 5 | claude-opus-5 | 2026-09-09 17:42 | yes | 30 | 62 s |
| Comparative | Claude Opus 4.8 | claude-opus-4-8 | 2026-09-09 17:44 | yes | 20 | 59 s |
| Comparative | GPT-6 Astra | gpt-6-astra | 2026-09-09 18:57 | yes | 8 | 53 s |
| Comparative | GPT-5.6 Sol | gpt-5.6-sol | 2026-09-09 19:00 | yes | 8 | 59 s |
| Comparative | Gemini 3.1 Pro | gemini-3.1-pro-preview | 2026-09-10 17:02 | yes | 8 | 38 s |
| Comparative | Perplexity Sonar Pro | sonar-pro | 2026-09-09 17:45 | yes | 20 | 9 s |
| Budget constrained | Claude Opus 5 | claude-opus-5 | 2026-09-09 17:47 | yes | 40 | 57 s |
| Budget constrained | Claude Opus 4.8 | claude-opus-4-8 | 2026-09-09 17:51 | yes | 28 | 42 s |
| Budget constrained | GPT-6 Astra | gpt-6-astra | 2026-09-09 19:01 | yes | 5 | 20 s |
| Budget constrained | GPT-5.6 Sol | gpt-5.6-sol | 2026-09-09 19:02 | yes | 4 | 29 s |
| Budget constrained | Gemini 3.1 Pro | gemini-3.1-pro-preview | 2026-09-10 17:04 | yes | 8 | 36 s |
| Budget constrained | Perplexity Sonar Pro | sonar-pro | 2026-09-09 17:51 | yes | 20 | 5 s |
| Scale constrained | Claude Opus 5 | claude-opus-5 | 2026-09-09 17:54 | yes | 23 | 80 s |
| Scale constrained | Claude Opus 4.8 | claude-opus-4-8 | 2026-09-09 17:55 | no | 0 | 26 s |
| Scale constrained | GPT-6 Astra | gpt-6-astra | 2026-09-09 19:04 | yes | 5 | 37 s |
| Scale constrained | GPT-5.6 Sol | gpt-5.6-sol | 2026-09-09 19:06 | yes | 8 | 73 s |
| Scale constrained | Gemini 3.1 Pro | gemini-3.1-pro-preview | 2026-09-10 17:22 | no | 0 | 27 s |
| Scale constrained | Perplexity Sonar Pro | sonar-pro | 2026-09-09 17:56 | yes | 20 | 10 s |
| Negative framing | Claude Opus 5 | claude-opus-5 | 2026-09-09 17:59 | yes | 42 | 67 s |
| Negative framing | Claude Opus 4.8 | claude-opus-4-8 | 2026-09-09 18:08 | yes | 32 | 77 s |
| Negative framing | GPT-6 Astra | gpt-6-astra | 2026-09-09 19:08 | yes | 4 | 42 s |
| Negative framing | GPT-5.6 Sol | gpt-5.6-sol | 2026-09-09 19:11 | yes | 8 | 64 s |
| Negative framing | Gemini 3.1 Pro | gemini-3.1-pro-preview | 2026-09-10 17:06 | yes | 12 | 52 s |
| Negative framing | Perplexity Sonar Pro | sonar-pro | 2026-09-09 18:09 | yes | 20 | 8 s |
Normalization in this category
Every judgment call made between the raw labels and the numbers above, listed so it is visible and reversible.
ShowHide
Category-scoped readings
Hootsuite read as Hootsuite Ads
HubSpot read as HubSpot Ads
HubSpot (Marketing Hub Pro/Enterprise) read as HubSpot Ads
Microsoft Ads read as Microsoft Advertising
Semrush read as Semrush Advertising Toolkit
Sprinklr read as Sprinklr Marketing
WordStream read as WordStream Advisor
WordStream (WordStream Advisor) read as WordStream Advisor
WordStream (by LocaliQ) read as WordStream Advisor
WordStream (now LocaliQ / Gannett) read as WordStream Advisor
Unresolved, counted raw
None awaiting human review.
Discontinued, still offered
No shut-down product was recommended here.