How to Conduct a PPC Competitor Analysis: A Simple Guide
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is highly competitive, and understanding what your competitors are doing can help you refine your own strategy. A PPC competitor analysis allows you to discover their top-performing keywords, ad copy, landing pages, and bidding strategies.
This guide will walk you through how to conduct a PPC competitor analysis step by step, ensuring you stay ahead in the game.
Step 1: Identify Your PPC Competitors
Before diving into analysis, you need to know who your competitors are. You can find them by:
- Searching for your target keywords on Google Ads and noting the top advertisers.
- Using competitor research tools like SEMrush, SpyFu, Ahrefs, or Google Ads Auction Insights to identify direct competitors.
🔹 Pro Tip: Your PPC competitors may be different from your organic SEO competitors, so don’t assume they are the same.
Step 2: Analyze Competitor Keywords
Understanding which keywords your competitors target helps you optimize your own strategy. Use tools like:
- Google Ads Keyword Planner – Find keywords competitors are bidding on.
- SEMrush or SpyFu – Reveal paid keywords, CPC, and ad history.
- Auction Insights Report (Google Ads) – See competitors competing for the same keywords.
What to Look For?
âś… High-performing keywords with low competition and high conversions.
âś… Negative keywords competitors might be ignoring.
âś… Long-tail keywords that can reduce CPC while maintaining quality leads.
Step 3: Evaluate Competitor Ad Copy
Analyzing your competitor’s ad creatives can provide insights into what works in your industry.
How to Analyze?
- Google Search Ads – Look at competitor headlines, descriptions, and CTAs.
- Facebook Ad Library – Check competitor ad creatives for social PPC campaigns.
- SEMrush Ad Research Tool – View past and current competitor ads.
What to Focus On?
✔️ The structure of their ads (Headlines, Descriptions, Ad Extensions).
✔️ Their Unique Selling Proposition (USP) – What makes their offer attractive?
✔️ Their Call-to-Action (CTA) – Are they using words like “Buy Now” or “Get a Free Quote”?
🔹 Pro Tip: Look at A/B tested ads (multiple variations) to understand their experimentation strategy.
Step 4: Examine Competitor Landing Pages
Your competitors’ landing pages play a crucial role in PPC success. Analyze their:
- Design and layout – Is it minimalistic or packed with information?
- Page speed and mobile-friendliness – Are they optimizing for better conversions?
- Lead capture forms – Are they using long or short forms?
- Trust signals – Do they have testimonials, reviews, or security badges?
Use tools like SimilarWeb or Ahrefs Site Explorer to analyze landing page performance.
🔹 Pro Tip: Look for heatmaps or session recordings (via Hotjar) to see how users engage with your competitors’ pages.
Step 5: Monitor Competitor Bidding Strategies
Bidding plays a huge role in PPC success. Your competitors may use different bidding strategies such as:
- Manual CPC – Manually setting bids for keywords.
- Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) – Focusing on revenue optimization.
- Maximize Conversions – Bidding higher for better conversion rates.
How to Monitor?
- Use Google Ads Auction Insights to check Impression Share and Ad Position.
- Track Cost-Per-Click (CPC) trends over time to adjust your bidding strategy.
🔹 Pro Tip: If competitors are outbidding you, improve your Quality Score (better ad relevance, CTR, and landing page experience) to reduce CPC.
Step 6: Track Competitor PPC Performance Over Time
PPC campaigns are not static—competitors are always testing and adjusting. Use tools like:
- Google Trends – Track PPC trends over time.
- SEMrush Advertising Research – Monitor changes in competitors’ ads and budgets.
- Facebook Ads Library – Check how often competitors launch new campaigns.
Regularly analyze what’s working and what’s not to improve your PPC strategy.
Final Thoughts
A PPC competitor analysis isn’t about copying your competitors—it’s about learning from them and optimizing your own campaigns.
Key Takeaways:
âś… Identify your real PPC competitors.
âś… Analyze their keywords, ad copy, and landing pages.
âś… Understand their bidding strategies.
âś… Monitor performance changes over time.
âś… Improve your own PPC strategy based on data insights.
Would you like help setting up a competitor tracking system? Let me know! 🚀
