If you run Google Ads, your competitors are already shaping your results. They push up your cost per click, compete for the same customers and set the bar for what a good ad looks like. Ignoring them means making decisions with half the picture.

The good news is that a lot of what they do is visible, if you know where to look. This guide shows you how to find your competitors’ PPC keywords and ads, and, more importantly, how to use what you find.

What is PPC competitor analysis?

PPC competitor analysis is the process of looking at who else is advertising on the searches you care about, which keywords they target, what their ads say and where they send people. The aim is not to copy them. It is to spot opportunities they are missing and avoid wasting budget where you cannot win.

If you have not done a general competitor review before, our guide on how to do a competitor analysis for your small business is a good starting point.

Step 1: Work out who your PPC competitors really are

Your PPC competitors are not always the businesses you think of as rivals. They are whoever appears next to you in the ads. A local plumber might find they are up against national directories and comparison sites as much as other plumbers.

To find them:

• Search your most important keywords in Google (in a private window, from your area) and note who advertises
• Check the Auction Insights report in Google Ads, which shows which advertisers appear alongside you and how often
• Ask your customers who else they looked at before choosing you

Step 2: Use Auction Insights

If you already run Google Ads, Auction Insights is free and comes straight from Google. For each campaign it shows:

• Impression share: how often you appear compared with how often you could
• Overlap rate: how often a competitor appears at the same time as you
• Position above rate: how often their ad shows above yours
• Top of page rate: how often each advertiser appears at the top of the results

It will not show you their keywords, but it tells you who you are really competing with and how aggressive they are.

Step 3: Find their keywords

To see which keywords competitors are likely bidding on, you have a few options:

• Competitive research tools such as Semrush, SpyFu or Ahrefs estimate the paid keywords a domain appears for, along with sample ads. They are estimates, but they are a fast way to build a list.
• Google Keyword Planner lets you enter a competitor’s website and returns keyword ideas based on its content. It is free with a Google Ads account.
• Manual searches for your services plus locations, problems and buying terms (such as “near me”, “cost” or “quote”) show you who turns up where.

Put everything into one spreadsheet with the keyword, which competitors appear, estimated search volume and estimated cost per click.

Step 4: Study their ads

The Google Ads Transparency Centre lets you look up any verified advertiser and see the ads they have been running. Look for patterns:

• What offers do they lead with: price, speed, guarantees, reviews?
• Which calls to action do they use?
• Do they use extras like sitelinks, call buttons and review ratings?
• Which messages have they kept running for a long time? Those are usually the ones that work.

Step 5: Check their landing pages

Visit their landing pages directly rather than clicking their ads. Ask yourself whether the page matches the ad, how quickly you can get in touch, and whether there is anything that would make you choose them over you. Your ad might be better, but if their landing page is clearer, they will win the enquiry.

How to use what you find

Find the gaps

Look for relevant keywords your competitors are not bidding on, or where only one or two ads appear. Longer, more specific searches are often cheaper and closer to a sale.

Avoid the money pits

If a keyword is dominated by big national brands with huge budgets, it may be smarter to focus elsewhere. Winning lots of cheaper, highly relevant clicks usually beats losing an expensive bidding war.

Sharpen your message

If every competitor says “fast and affordable”, that is not a reason to choose anyone. Lead with what genuinely makes you different, such as local expertise, real reviews, a guarantee or how quickly you respond.

Decide on competitor keywords carefully

Some businesses bid on competitor brand names. It can work, but it is often expensive, tends to have lower click-through rates and can invite retaliation. In the UK you can usually bid on a competitor’s brand name as a keyword, but you should be careful about using their trademark in your ad text. If in doubt, take advice.

Add negative keywords

Your research will turn up searches you do not want to pay for, such as jobs, free, DIY or services you do not offer. Add these as negative keywords to protect your budget.

Make it a regular habit

Competitors change their ads, budgets and offers all the time. A quick review every month and a deeper look every quarter is usually enough to stay ahead without it becoming a full-time job.

New to Google Ads? Our beginner’s guide to Google Ads for small business covers the basics.

Want help getting more from your ad spend?

Our Google Ads and PPC team builds and manages campaigns for businesses across the UK, with competitor research built in from the start. If you feel like your budget is not working hard enough, get in touch and we will take a look.