{"id":182427,"date":"2023-10-31T13:34:20","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T13:34:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/blog\/?p=182427"},"modified":"2025-03-30T08:10:29","modified_gmt":"2025-03-30T08:10:29","slug":"check-competitors-ads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/blog\/marketing\/sem-ppc\/check-competitors-ads\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Spy on Your Competitors’ Google Ads"},"content":{"rendered":"

A more competitive than ever PPC landscape plus dwindling attention spans may spell trouble for your paid search ads.<\/p>\n

Targeting the right keywords isn\u2019t always enough to push your ads into the spotlight. So, what can you do to improve ad visibility in today\u2019s climate?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to spy on your competitors\u2019 ads 👀<\/p>\n

Here, we talk through how to check your competitors’ Google ads to discover the secret sauce to more clicks and conversions<\/strong>. Plus, we offer a way to fast-track your competitive ad analysis using Similarweb search ads intelligence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n

Why should you spy on your competitors\u2019 ads?<\/h2>\n

Capturing and retaining the attention of your target audience<\/a> in the SERPs is a constant challenge. And in this ongoing struggle, knowledge really is power.<\/p>\n

One of your best sources of knowledge is your competitors\u2019 search ads, as they hold the key to what makes your audience click<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Spying on your competitors\u2019 ads will help you:<\/p>\n

⚔️ Know who you\u2019re up against<\/p>\n

When searching for your competitors\u2019 search ads you\u2019ll get a good feel for who you\u2019re competing with in your specific PPC arena<\/p>\n

📊 Benchmark your performance<\/p>\n

When you compare your ad performance metrics (click-through rate<\/a>, conversion rate, ad position, etc.) against theirs, you\u2019ll identify areas where you’re excelling and areas that need improvement<\/p>\n

🎯 Spot impactful keywords to target<\/p>\n

Looking at their best-performing ads, you\u2019ll spot the keywords and phrases that are driving the most clicks<\/p>\n

💡 Find copy inspiration<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll see the ad copy formulas<\/a> that are proven to engage your audience. We\u2019re talking everything from the messaging through to the CTAs that are convincing them to click through<\/p>\n

How to spy on competitors\u2019 Google search ads<\/h2>\n

1) Find your PPC competitors<\/h3>\n

You can do this the old-school way with a simple Google search.<\/p>\n

Start by searching for the keywords and phrases related to your industry, and product or service. Take note of who the ads at the top and bottom of the results page belong to and jot down a list of competitors that way.<\/p>\n

Then, widen the pool by searching for niche, long-tail<\/a> and local keywords to see if they reveal some unexpected contenders.<\/p>\n

However, if you want a quicker and more thorough way to analyze your PPC competitors<\/a>, Similarweb has just the thing.<\/p>\n

Our Paid Competitor feature gives you a visualization of exactly who you\u2019re competing with, as well as where you stand in your specific paid search landscape:<\/p>\n

\"Find<\/p>\n

With this view, you can analyze multiple touchpoints to narrow down your PPC competitors. See exactly where (and how much) you cross over by comparing metrics like search overlap and percentage of shared keywords.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

2) Dig out competitors\u2019 ads<\/h3>\n

Now it\u2019s time for some ad espionage. You\u2019ve got to dissect your competitors\u2019 best-performing ads to figure out what\u2019s driving their success 🕵🏼<\/p>\n

But first, you\u2019ve got to find them – and for that you can use Similarweb\u2019s Search Ads feature, part of our Paid Search toolkit.<\/p>\n

Add in up to 5 competitors to see their most successful ads over a selected time period.<\/p>\n

\"Check<\/p>\n

Here, dig right in with the many metrics available. Look at the <\/em>traffic share<\/em><\/a>, volume (estimated ad impressions), keywords targeted and average ad position for each top performing ad. To narrow in on the keywords your competitors are using in their top ads, see \u2018All Keywords\u2019 and get a full list of every keyword or phrase targeted. <\/em><\/p>\n

To zero in on competitor ads that relate to a particular keyword or group of keywords, there\u2019s the option to include (or exclude) certain terms. For example, for search ads related to \u2018dresses\u2019, this is what Urban Outfitters would see:<\/p>\n

\"Check<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve found your competitors best-performing search ads, the next step is to examine every inch of them:<\/p>\n

Ad copy<\/h4>\n

Messaging:<\/strong> Analyze their tone-of-voice and which emotional triggers or pain points they address, to gauge how your target audience likes to receive information.<\/p>\n

Benefits: <\/strong>Review which benefits\/features of the product or service they emphasize in their copy. What USPs are they highlighting? Do they focus on things like quality or price? This will help you understand the key value propositions your audience connects with the most.<\/p>\n

Length and format: <\/strong>Some competitors may use short, concise messages, while others opt for more descriptive copy. Assess whether short and snappy, or detailed copy is more effective with your target audience.<\/p>\n

Titles and CTAs: <\/strong>The headline of an ad is the first thing your audience sees. And CTAs act as the final push to get them to click through. Are they using action-oriented language? Are they applying urgency tactics? Understanding their title and CTA choices gives you great insight into their top conversion strategies.<\/p>\n

Keywords<\/h4>\n

Begin by identifying lucrative keywords that trigger your competitors\u2019 ads \u2013 the high-converting and high-value terms that come up again and again in their campaigns, driving a lot of traffic (and revenue.)<\/p>\n

Next, delve into their choice of keyword match types, whether it’s an exact match, a broader reach with broad match, or a balanced approach with phrase match. This will reveal more about their strategy for keyword targeting.<\/p>\n

Then, monitor their ad positions for specific keywords. Consistent top rankings show that they are pretty effective at capturing attention. Look at the number of impressions their ads get for each keyword – this metric sheds light on which keywords earn them the most visibility.<\/p>\n

You can dig out all of this useful keyword info with Similarweb\u2019s Keywords feature:<\/p>\n

\"Keywords<\/p>\n

Here, you\u2019ve got everything you need in one view. Dive into the traffic share, <\/em>search intent<\/em><\/a>, search volume, CPC and average position of each keyword and, as an added bonus, check out the <\/em>SERP features<\/em><\/a>, too.<\/em><\/p>\n

Upgrade your ads<\/h2>\n

Once you\u2019ve gathered all this great intel, the only thing left to do is apply these best practice techniques to your own search ads, and watch your paid traffic grow. 🚀<\/p>\n

A few next steps to get you started:<\/p>\n