There is limited space in Google’s SERP (otherwise known as the search engine results page), so you want your ads to stand out. Read on to find out more.
The best way to gauge how successful an ad campaign may be or to get some inspiration is by checking out what your competitors are doing. Google’s Ad Library is a quick and simple way to view your competitors’ ads – you can even find information about when the ad was last shown and the chosen format. According to Google, they launched their Ad Library to “empower users to make informed decisions about the ads and advertisers that they see through Google.” The platform features information about where a particular ad comes from – as in, the physical location – as well as the other ads shown by a particular website. For business owners, this feature can be used to conduct some good old competitor research. You may find as you’re searching for competing ads that not every ad is available to view in the library. Sometimes, when you click the drop-down arrow, there is no option to ‘see more ads’, or the list of ads in Google’s Ad Library is missing a couple. This may be due to the owner taking the ad down, the website not being verified by Google or simply a technical issue, among other reasons. Keep searching, keep clicking, and you will come across an ad that lets you view more information. So, you want to see your competitors’ ads? Simple, we’ve got you covered with this handy step-by-step guide. Step 1 – Search for a Word or Phrase Relating to your Specific Industry Go to Google’s search bar and type in a keyword related to your industry, like ‘digital marketing agency’ for example. Think about what your customers may be searching for and try to be as specific as possible. It is also helpful to add ‘near me’ to the end of the keyword to find competitors based on your location. Step 2 – Find a Competitor’s Ad on Google’s Results Page The first few results you see will be ads (look for the word ‘ad’ to the left of the URL). These are entries that have paid to be featured at the top of Google’s results page based on their PPC bidding system. Google only features the best ads, so you can trust that the entries at the top of the results page are the competitors to beat. Step 3 – Click on the Drop-Down Arrow and Select ‘See More Ads’ Next, click on the drop-down arrow to the right of the URL. There you will find My Ad Centre, a pop-up that gives you more information about the ad. This may take a couple of clicks, and not every ad includes this feature, but look for a link that reads ‘see more ads’ in the ‘about this advertiser’ section. Step 4 – View a List of Your Competitor’s Ads Congratulations, you have made it to Google’s Ad Library! You will be met with a selection of ads from that advertiser. The Advertiser Page will have a bar at the top telling you more about the website and there will be columns of ads below, complete with metadata and URL. Step 5 – Select a Particular Ad to See More Details You can then click on a particular ad to see more information, like when it was last shown and the format. This is a great way to see the specific wording, tone and style of ads that work for your competitors. What’s next? There are many different platforms to run advertisements, including social media sites like Facebook why you should never hit the boost button on Facebook. Enter your name and email and website address below and we’ll email you a hand built custom report within 7 days. It’s completely free. Our simple, pay-monthly service puts your ads in the hands of industry professionals – Get a competitor audit today and start outranking your competitors.What is Google’s Ad Library?
Are all of Google’s ads included in the library?
How do I access my competitors’ ads?
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