Ever looked at a competitor’s ad and thought, “How did they nail that?”
Well, You’re not alone.
When you analyze competitor ad copy, you gain an edge in digital marketing. This guide breaks it down. In simple words, with short, clear steps.
Let’s dive in and discover the art of analyzing competitors’ ads like a pro.
Benefits of Google Ads Competitor Analysis
Understanding your competition is critical. But why dive deep into Adwords competitor analysis? Here are the reasons:
- Stay Ahead: Spot market trends early. Adjust your strategy and stay one step ahead.
- Budget Wisely: See where competitors invest. Make smart choices with your ad budget.
- Learn from Mistakes: Not all ads hit the mark. Learn from others’ mistakes and avoid costly errors.
- Craft Better Ads: Analyzing others gives insights. Use them to create ads that truly resonate.
- Find New Opportunities: Sometimes, competitors miss out. Spot those gaps and seize the chance.
Adwords competitor analysis isn’t just a fancy term. It’s a tool that drives intelligent decisions and better results.
Google Ads Competitor Analysis Tools
Manually reviewing your competitors’ Google ads would take forever. And wouldn’t be an efficient use of time or resources.
So, how do you speed up the process? Well, with the right competitive analysis tools.
Semrush: Semrush provides a comprehensive suite of tools for analyzing your competitors’ paid search strategies.
It allows you to see the keywords your competitors are targeting, their ad spend history, and even the actual ads run by your competitors.
Ahrefs: Ahrefs allows you to view all of the pay-per-click (PPC) keywords your competitor is targeting, providing estimated search volume, cost per click (CPC), and traffic stats.
It also shows you the ads for industry keywords, helping to surface direct competitors.
SpyFu: SpyFu offers insights into your competitors’ Google Ads strategies by analyzing their ad spend, ad copies, and top-performing keywords.
It also provides a history of the ads your competitor has run over time for different keywords.
Similarweb: Similarweb’s Paid Search Overview tool gives insights into your competitors’ paid search campaigns, including their budgets, keywords, search, and product ads.
It also lets you view the top search ads and landing pages for up to 5 competitors.
Using these tools, analyzing competitors’ ads becomes second nature. But my favorite tool is Semrush. So, I’ll walk you through finding and analyzing competitor ads using their Advertising Research tool.
How to See Your Competitors Google Ads using Semrush
Semrush’s Advertising Research tool is a feature on the Semrush platform that lets you examine competitors’ ad strategies.
It offers insights into their ad campaigns, keywords, and ad copies, helping you dig deep into their paid search approaches and shape your PPC plans.
It helps you understand competitors’ ad tactics, find profitable keywords, refine ad copies, and monitor ad performance.
With it, you can enhance your advertising ROI, craft better PPC campaigns, and conduct thorough audits. Plus, it provides extensive data on paid search keywords and ads.
Semrush gathers data from search engines, social media, and ad networks.
It reveals competitors’ ad strategies, performance metrics, and gives you access to numerous ad copy examples.
These competitive insights allow you to identify calls to action, emotional cues, and product mentions. Using this information, you can refine your ad copy accordingly.
So, let’s get into the step-by-step process to analyze competitor ad copy.
9 Steps to Analyze Competitor Ad Copy
- Enter your domain into Semrush’s Advertising Research tool. For this example, we’ll act like our company is Pipedrive.
- Click on the Competitors tab.
- Scroll down to the Paid Competitors Report. This report helps you understand what I call “Know Your Competitors.”
- Sort by Competition Level or Common Keywords to create a prioritized list of competitors by URL.
- Create a Prioritized List of Competitors.
- Enter each competitor’s URL into the Advertising Research tool and click on Ad Copies. For this example, we’re going to use SugarCRM.
- Hit Export and download your Competitor’s Google Ads.
- Analyze the Titles, Descriptions, and CTA’s of your Competitors ads.
- What emotions are they targeting?
- What value propositions are they highlighting?
- What actions are they asking the audience to take?
- Improve your ad copy using the insights gained.
Test your ads to see how they perform against competitors.
By taking these steps, you’ll stay informed about industry trends and possess the knowledge to create ads that truly resonate with your audience.
Best Practices for Analyzing Competitor Ad Copy
When diving deep into competitor ads, it’s not just about what they say but how they say it. Let’s explore the key areas to focus on:
Value Propositions and Promises: At the heart of the ad, what unique selling points or promises do competitors emphasize? Value props could be fast delivery, unbeatable quality, or a unique feature.
Pinpointing this shows what they believe sets them apart.
Emotions and Engagement: Great ads evoke feelings and engagement. Whether it’s humor, urgency, or curiosity, spotting the sentiment they target can reveal their core strategy.
Additionally, are there elements, like questions, that aim to engage the reader interactively?
Language and Tone: Simple words often resonate the most. Notice the choice of language—plain versus fancy terms.
Also, determine the tone, formal, playful, or authoritative, to understand the brand’s persona and target audience.
CTAs and Objectives: Every impactful ad has a clear next step. Identifying their CTAs, such as “Buy Now” or “Learn More,” provides insights into their sales funnel’s later stages and overall objectives.
Problem-Solution Dynamics: See how competitors might frame a problem and position their product or service as the solution within the ad copy. This structure is a classic yet effective approach to persuasion.
Comparisons and Keywords: Keep an eye out for comparisons with other products or superlatives like “best.” Additionally, spotting specific keywords can give insights into SEO and customer appeal strategies.
By focusing on these best practices to analyze competitor ad copy, you’re set to craft compelling ad copy that stands out.
Crafting Your Response: Using Insights for Your Ad Strategy
Now that you’re gathering insights from competitor ad copy, how do you use this knowledge? Let’s dive into crafting a response:
Identify Gaps: One of the prime benefits of analyzing competitor ad copy is spotting gaps in their strategy.
Are there keywords they haven’t targeted? Do their CTAs lack a sense of urgency? Capitalize on these oversights to position your ads more effectively.
Refine Your Value Proposition: By understanding what competitors emphasize, you can sharpen your unique selling points.
Maybe you offer free shipping, a longer warranty, or a unique product feature that others don’t. Highlight these in your ad copy.
A/B Testing: Don’t rest on assumptions. Use the insights you’ve gained to run A/B tests on your ads.
Test different headlines, CTAs, or value propositions to see what resonates most with your audience.
Stay Updated: The digital advertising landscape is ever-evolving. Make it a routine to analyze competitor ad copy.
Monitoring ensures you remain updated on industry trends and shifts in competitor strategies.
Ethical Considerations: While it’s beneficial to analyze competitors, always maintain ethical boundaries.
Avoid copying ads, images, or strategies. Instead, use the insights as a foundation to craft your unique approach.
Techniques for Continuous Monitoring Competitor Ad Copy
Want to continuously monitor your competitors’ ad strategy? Semrush offers a handy tool called EyeOn that does just that.
What’s Semrush EyeOn?
It’s a tool that monitors your competitors’ moves on the web. Simply put, you list the competitors you want to watch, and the tool automates the process. EyeOn then tracks their actions and sends you weekly alerts.
What is Semrush EyeOn Monitoring?
EyeOn spots new blogs, fresh ads, website page updates, and even social posts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
But here’s the goldmine for advertisers: it zeroes in on newly launched Google ad campaigns.
Diving Deeper Into Google Ads Monitoring:
With Semrush EyeOn, every week, you get updates on your competitors’ latest ad campaigns. This tool doesn’t just show; it tells.
You can spot new product launches, pricing tweaks, landing page changes, audience focus shifts, and more. It’s like having a window into their marketing meetings.
In the end, Semrush EyeOn is more than a monitoring tool. It’s your secret weapon to stay ahead, but always remember to wield its insights with care and ethics.
Conclusion: Analyze Competitor Ad Copy
Analyzing competitor ad copy isn’t just about understanding what they’re doing. It’s about refining your strategy, enhancing your ad copy, and ensuring you remain ahead in the competitive landscape.
With tools like Semrush and the insights provided in this guide, you’re well-equipped to navigate the world of digital advertising with confidence.
Remember, it’s not about imitation but innovation based on informed insights.
Stay curious, keep analyzing, and continue crafting compelling ads that resonate with your audience.