gmeyersAnalyzing competitors in PPC Marketing is usually one of the first tactics in developing the initial PPC strategy. In most cases, the advertiser/client has their own list of competitors that they pay attention to that are not exactly the same as what is identified by the agency through competitive tools or just searching on similar search terms. Furthermore, this discovery often leads to further discussions and “outside the box” strategies that push the limits of ROI% and the client’s expectations. Let’s discuss….
Competitive PPC Research Software Tools have many benefits for both the agency and the advertiser, however the “golden nuggets” within the information are just the beginning. Regardless of the competitive situation, there are many areas in which the initial strategy is altered by what the competition is doing or has done in the past. Based on these findings, it creates a whole new level of goals, objectives, and missed opportunities.
So what do we look for in Competitive Analysis?
#1 Complete list of PPC Keywords from Competitors:
Creative Benefit: Viewing a competitor’s keyword list can tell a lot about their success and/or failures with the keywords being purchased. Sometimes, viewing these keyword lists reveal “indirect yet relevant” prefixes and modifiers that were not previously identified in the initial strategy. For example: Phone Service. Many people search for “residential phone service, local phone service, home phone, neighborhood, etc….” Identifying these terms creates a whole new level of campaigns and adgroups.
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#2 Budgetary and Seasonality trends
Creative Benefit: Seeing how competitors are spending their PPC Ad dollars monthly and historically is a significant finding because it establishes a sense of budget projections, which is especially important for those smaller retail advertisers looking to get their best bang for the buck. Budgetary trends also provide a sense of the competitor’s “offline” influence and new product launches.
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#3 Competitive Keyword Overlap:
Creative Benefit: Understanding a competitor’s similarities, differences, and potential opportunities is a key factor in keeping a profitable PPC Account. This analysis opens the door for not only a better understanding of Prioritization but also Budgeting and future testing.
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#4 Text Ad History:
Creative Benefit: It’s all about the measuring the behavior of the competitor’s urgency to improve conversions for a specific keyword or group of terms. Based on this information, it can signal where the competitor might be struggling to improve conversions or testing different CTAs and offers to an audience that is already providing a successful ROI%.
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In Conclusion:
PPC Marketing is highly competitive, and forces many advertisers and Agencies to think “outside the box” to maximize ROI%. Finding the right audience is only half the battle. The other half is getting those people to convert into customers. However, understanding what a competitor is doing, (who is taking away potential customers) is an important method to “move the needle.” Competitive Research is not only interesting to look at, but it also provides valuable insight into seasonal trends, keyword investment, and the overall landscape.
“I have been up against tough competition all my life. I wouldn’t know how to get along without it.”
– Walt Disney
Pam Neely
