In this article we will discuss the needs for a competitor audit for pay per click purposes.
Pay Per Click Competitor Audit, what the heck is it?
A PPC competitor audit is the process of analyzing your competitors’ paid advertising strategies to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This analysis provides insight into:
Which keywords they’re targeting
What kind of ad copy they’re using
Their landing page experience
Their budget and bidding strategies
Their offers and calls to action
Why Perform a Competitor Audit?
A well executed audit helps you:
- Benchmark your competitors’ performance, see missed opportunities, improve ads, find gaps in targeting, and adjust bidding strategies.
Step by Step: How to Conduct a PPC Competitor Audit
Identify Your Top Competitors
Start by listing both direct and indirect competitors. These could include:
- Businesses offering similar products or services
- Brands targeting the same audience
- Companies ranking above you in search results for key terms
Use tools like:
- Google Search
- Google Ads Auction Insights (if you’re already advertising)
- SEMrush, SpyFu, or SimilarWeb
Analyze Competitor Keywords
Use keyword research tools to discover:
- What keywords your competitors are bidding on
- Keyword overlap with your own campaigns
- Gaps you might exploit
Tools to use:
- Ahrefs
- SEMrush
- iSpionage
- Google Keyword Planner
Look at both branded and non branded terms. Don’t forget to evaluate search volume, competition level, and estimated CPCs.
Evaluate Ad Copy and Extensions
Study competitor ads on Google or Bing. Pay attention to:
- Headlines and descriptions
- Value propositions
- Use of ad extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets)
- Calls to action (CTAs)
Ask:
- What emotional or logical appeals are they using?
- Are they using promotions or urgency?
Use Ad Preview & Diagnosis Tool or tools like Moat to see display ads.
Review Landing Pages
Click through competitor ads (use an incognito browser or a VPN to avoid skewing data). Evaluate:
- Design and usability
- Message match between ad and page
- Load speed and mobile responsiveness
- Conversion elements (forms, CTAs, trust signals)
Use tools like:
- PageSpeed Insights
- Hotjar (for heatmaps if you’re capturing your own traffic)
- BuiltWith (to inspect their tech stack)
Estimate Ad Spend and Bidding Strategy
While exact budgets are hard to pinpoint, tools like SpyFu or SEMrush can give estimates.
Look for:
- Daily/monthly ad spend
- Top performing keywords by budget
- Ad frequency and visibility
This gives you a sense of how aggressive their PPC strategy is compared to yours.
Monitor Display and Retargeting Campaigns
Use tools like Adbeat or Spyfu to analyze:
- Where competitor display ads are appearing
- Types of creatives used
- Frequency of retargeting
You might uncover networks or placements you haven’t explored yet.
Putting It All Together: Actionable Takeaways
After collecting and analyzing your data, focus on:
Keyword Strategy: Add high opportunity keywords and negative keywords.
Ad Messaging: Test new angles inspired by competitor copy.
Landing Pages: Optimize based on what’s working well for others.
Bidding & Budgeting: Adjust based on how competitive your vertical is.
Testing and Monitoring: Continue running A/B tests and track changes over time.
Final Thoughts
Competitor auditing for PPC isn’t a one and done task. It should be considered along the way throughout your PPC campaigns and online advertising efforts. Hopefully you will give PositiveDigitalFootprint.com a consideration as we are seasoned digital marketing experts!
Remember: Don’t just copy, adapt and improve. Your unique value proposition is still your strongest asset.