Gaining a Competitive Advantage and How to See Competitors Google Ads

Reasons Why Staying on Top of Google Ads Competitor Analysis is Crucial

Getting a grasp of the digital landscape is a crucial step in working out effective strategies. While traditional competitor analysis has been hampered by Google’s restrictions on accessing certain metrics within Google Ads, it is an opportunity to adopt a much wider approach.

Instead of fixating on what we are not able to directly observe, we can leverage available data to gather insights into competitors’ strategies, industry trends, and campaign performance. This shift in perspective encourages a more holistic understanding of the market, empowering us to make informed decisions that aren’t solely reliant on competitor actions.

Although we are not able to access the precise spending or keyword data of competitors, we can still extract valuable insights by examining the available information. By partnering with agencies and leveraging their expertise, we can gain deeper insights into competitor strategies and industry dynamics. Embracing this approach not only bypasses the limitations imposed by Google but also fosters a more strategic and adaptive mindset, ensuring that we stay competitive and responsive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

How to See Competitors Google Ads: The Best Tools to Use

Google provides several tools that can help with competitor analysis for Google Ads campaigns. Here are a couple handy ones:

1. Google Ads Auction Insights

Google Ads Auction Insights is a powerful feature within Google Ads that lets advertisers compare performance against advertisers participating in the same auctions. This tool provides valuable data on how your ad campaigns stack up against those of your competitors.

Key Metrics

• Impression Share: This would be the ratio of the actual impressions your ads receive in comparison to the impressions they could achieve.
• Overlap Rate: How often your ads and the ads of a competitor are shown together.
• Position Above Rate: It shows how often your competitor’s ad is shown in a higher position than yours, where both of your ads were shown.
• Top of Page Rate: The number of times your ad or your competitor’s ad is featured at the top of the search results.
• Outranking Share: The frequency with which your ad outperforms your competitor’s in the auction or appears when theirs does not.

To access this feature, head over to your Google Ads account and select the Auction Insights tab, which is available for multiple levels. Compare metrics like Impression Share, Overlap Rate, Position Above Rate, Top of Page Rate, and Outranking Share to see how your ads perform against competitors. Use this data to increase bids, improve ad copy, target high-performing keywords, and adjust your budget for optimal performance.

2. Google Keyword Planner

The Google Keyword Planner is often referred to as a vital tool for both keyword research and planning. It helps advertisers discover new keywords, get search volume estimates, and understand how keyword trends change over time. It can also be used to analyze competitors’ keyword strategies.

Key Features

• Discover New Keywords: Find new keywords by entering words, phrases, or a competitor’s URL.
• Search Volume and Forecasts: This feature would assist in fetching statistics and traffic forecasts that are available for your existing or potential keywords.
• Keyword Suggestions: This feature assists in ideating and creating keyword suggestions based on your input or your competitors’ websites.
• Bid Estimates: Get suggested bid ranges for each keyword to help plan your budget.

To use the Google Keyword Planner, you can head over to Google Ads and select Keyword Planner from the Tools & Settings menu. Enter a competitor’s URL to discover their targeted keywords, and review search volumes and trends to identify high-traffic keywords and seasonal patterns. Expand your keyword list, create relevant content, adjust bids based on competitiveness, and exclude irrelevant keywords to refine your strategy.

Aside from Google, other platforms also provide several tools for competitor analysis. Here are some of the leading ones available:

3. SEMrush

SEMrush is a comprehensive digital marketing tool with extensive features for SEO, content marketing, social media, and PPC advertising. For Google Ads competitor analysis, it excels in advertising research, helping identify competitors bidding on your keywords and analyzing their ad copy, keywords, and performance.

SEMrush also tracks competitors’ ad positions over time, offering insights into their bidding strategies. It provides historical ad data to identify trends and strategy changes, and it covers display advertising by analyzing competitors’ ads, placements, and publishers. E-commerce businesses benefit from its Product Listing Ads (PLA) research, which reveals competitors’ promoted products and strategies. SEMrush is valued for its comprehensive data, user-friendly interface, and versatility across digital marketing areas.

4. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is renowned for its robust SEO capabilities but also offers valuable tools for PPC and Google Ads competitor analysis. It excels in keyword research, allowing you to discover competitors’ paid keywords and identify keyword gaps.

The Site Explorer feature provides detailed insights into both organic and paid traffic, revealing top-performing landing pages. While not as extensive in ad copy analysis, Ahrefs offers some insights into competitors’ ad headlines and descriptions. Its backlink analysis can indirectly support PPC by highlighting competitors’ backlink profiles and potential link-building opportunities. Ahrefs is highly regarded for its extensive keyword data, backlink insights, and detailed traffic analysis, making it ideal for leveraging SEO data for PPC campaigns.

A Quick Look at How to See Competitors Google Ads

• Search for Ads: Use a search term likely to display ads.
• Open Ad Info: Click the three stacked dots next to the advertiser’s URL.
• View More Ads: Click the “See more ads” link in the “about this advertiser” box.
• Advertiser’s Ads Page: This page shows details like the advertiser’s legal name and verification status.
• Filter by Date: Click “Any Time” above the company name and select a date range.
• Filter by Country: Click “Shown in the…” with the pin icon to select a country.
• Filter by Ad Format: Click “All formats” for options like Image, Text, and Video ads.
• Ad Details: Click an ad for more detailed information.
• Ad Details Overview: Basic information is provided, but some crucial details may be missing.
• Image Ad Example: Example of details on an image ad page.
• Video Ad Example: Example of details on a video ad page.
• Verified Badge: Look for the “Verified” badge on the advertiser’s main page.