How to Find Your Competitors’ Google Ads Keywords (Actually Works)

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Ever noticed how some competitors always seem to show up in Google Ads, no matter what you search? Last month, I discovered my top competitor was bidding on keywords I hadn’t even thought of – and they were crushing it. After spending countless hours digging into competitor keyword research, I’ve uncovered some seriously effective methods to find out exactly what keywords your competitors are bidding on.

Using Google’s Free Tools (No Budget Required)

Let’s start with what’s free because, honestly, that’s where I began too. Google actually gives away more information than most people realize.

Open an incognito window and try this:

  1. Search for your main product/service
  2. Screenshot every ad that appears
  3. Repeat this process at different times of day
  4. Try from different locations (use a VPN)

Pro Tip: Use Google Ads Auction Insights. It’s hiding in plain sight in your Google Ads account and shows exactly who you’re competing against for ad space. I found three new competitors last week just by checking this report.

Paid Tools That Actually Work

After you’ve exhausted the free options, here’s where investing a bit of money can pay off big time:

SpyFu ($39/month)

  • Shows exact keywords competitors bid on
  • Historical ad copies
  • Estimated monthly ad spend

Semrush ($119/month)

  • Deep PPC competitive analysis
  • Traffic cost estimates
  • Ad position tracking

I remember being skeptical about paying for these tools until I used Semrush to find a goldmine keyword one competitor was using. It cost me $119 for the tool, but that single keyword now brings in $2,000 monthly in sales.

Manual Research Techniques That Nobody Talks About

Here’s a sneaky trick I learned from an old PPC manager: Use Chrome Developer Tools to inspect competitor landing pages. It often reveals their focus keywords in the page’s metadata. Here’s how:

  1. Right-click on their landing page
  2. Select “View Page Source”
  3. Search for “keywords” or “meta”

Another manual technique: Write down every headline you see in competitor ads. After collecting 20-30 ads, patterns emerge that show exactly what keywords they’re targeting.

Reverse Engineering Competitor Campaigns

Think like a detective here. I once rebuilt an entire competitor’s campaign structure just by analyzing their URLs. Most advertisers follow this pattern:

  • website.com/category/subcategory?keyword=specific-term

Example time: I noticed a competitor’s URL looked like this:

website.com/shoes/running/marathon-training?kw=best-marathon-shoes

This told me they were specifically targeting “best marathon shoes” with a dedicated landing page. Gold mine!

Organizing Your Findings

Don’t make the same mistake I did by collecting data without a system. Here’s my current process:

  1. Create a spreadsheet with these columns:
  • Competitor Name
  • Keyword
  • Estimated CPC
  • Landing Page URL
  • Ad Copy
  • Priority Level (1-3)
  1. Rate each keyword based on:
  • Search volume
  • Competition level
  • Relevance to your business
  • Current conversion rate (if you’re already using it)

Taking Action on What You Find

Finding competitor keywords is only half the battle. Here’s how to actually use this intel:

  1. Start Small
  • Pick 5-10 of your competitor’s best-performing keywords
  • Create better ad copy than theirs
  • Build more focused landing pages
  1. Test and Scale
  • Begin with a small daily budget ($10-20)
  • Monitor Quality Score closely
  • Scale up what works, cut what doesn’t
  1. Monitor and Adjust
  • Check Auction Insights weekly
  • Track competitor ad position changes
  • Adjust bids based on performance

I recently tested this approach with a client’s campaign. We started with just three competitor keywords, created super-focused landing pages, and within two weeks, we were converting better than the competitor who led us to those keywords in the first place.

Remember, the goal isn’t to copy your competitors – it’s to understand what’s working in your market and do it better. Start with the free tools, graduate to paid ones when you’re ready, and always keep tracking what your competitors are up to. The PPC landscape changes fast, but now you’ve got the tools to stay ahead.

The best part? While your competitors are trying to figure out how you keep showing up everywhere, you’ll know exactly what’s working in your market. Now get out there and start digging – your competitors’ keywords are waiting to be discovered.

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