How to Find Which Keywords a Website is Using for PPC

How to Find Which Keywords a Website is Using for PPC

In today’s digital marketing landscape, PPC (Pay-Per-Click) is a crucial strategy for driving traffic, gaining visibility, and boosting sales. But here’s the catch: choosing the right keywords is the key to any successful PPC campaign. Understanding which keywords your competitors are using gives you a leg up, allowing you to stay competitive and refine your own strategies.

So, how exactly can you find the keywords a website is using for PPC? Let’s dive into some methods and tools that will help you uncover these keywords and, in turn, improve your PPC campaigns.

Why Understanding Competitors’ PPC Keywords Matters

If you’re not keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing, you’re missing out. Understanding their keyword strategies provides a window into their success. This kind of analysis helps you:

• Discover new keyword opportunities you may not have thought of.
• Identify gaps in your own campaigns.
• Benchmark your performance against competitors.
• Save money by avoiding costly, ineffective keywords.

By leveraging the right tools and techniques, you can use competitors’ keyword data to build your own competitive edge.

Different Methods to Discover PPC Keywords

There are two main approaches to finding out which keywords a website is using for its PPC campaigns:

1. Manual Inspection using tools like Google Ads Preview and auction insights.
2. Using keyword research tools that specialise in uncovering PPC strategies.

Manual Keyword Research via Google Ads Preview Tool

If you’re looking for a straightforward, no-cost method to get a glimpse of your competitor’s PPC keywords, the Google Ads Preview Tool is a good starting point.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to the Google Ads Preview Tool – This tool allows you to see the kind of ads that are triggered by specific keywords without affecting your own ad performance.
2. Enter the search term you think a competitor might be targeting.
3. Analyse the ads that appear. Look for repeated phrases, and take note of bolded keywords in the ad copy.
4. Review the landing pages of these ads. Often, the keywords are reflected in the page content and meta tags.

Competitor Analysis Using Auction Insights in Google Ads

Auction Insights is a feature within Google Ads that allows you to compare your performance with other advertisers who are competing for the same keywords. While this won’t give you exact keywords, it gives you an idea of the landscape.

• Open Auction Insights from your Google Ads dashboard.
• Identify competitors that rank higher or lower than you.
• Review their performance metrics like impression share, overlap rate, and position above rate. These can give you clues as to what keywords they might be using.

Tools to Help You Find PPC Keywords

While manual methods are useful, using advanced tools for PPC keyword research gives you much more data and precision. Let’s look at some of the most effective tools for uncovering your competitors’ PPC keywords.

Google Keyword Planner

One of the first tools you should consider is the Google Keyword Planner. While primarily used for creating campaigns, it can also be invaluable for researching competitor keywords.

• Enter a competitor’s website URL into the Keyword Planner.
• Google will provide you with keyword ideas based on the content of that site.
• Filter by PPC metrics to focus only on the keywords they are likely bidding on.

SEMrush for PPC Keyword Research

SEMrush is one of the top platforms for PPC and SEO analysis. Its PPC toolkit allows you to dig deep into competitor strategies.

• Navigate to the Advertising Research section.
• Enter the competitor’s domain to see a list of their top keywords.
• You can even see ad copy, landing pages, and estimated CPC (Cost Per Click) for each keyword.

This makes SEMrush incredibly useful for gaining a competitive advantage in your industry.

Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer for PPC

While Ahrefs is primarily an SEO tool, its Keywords Explorer provides insights into both organic and paid keywords.

• Enter a competitor’s domain or specific URL into Keywords Explorer.
• You’ll be able to see their top paid keywords, estimated traffic, and even their ad positions.

Ahrefs is a solid choice for those who want comprehensive data about their competitor’s keyword strategy.

SpyFu for PPC Insights

If you’re after an easy-to-use platform that delivers specific PPC insights, SpyFu is a fantastic choice.

• Just enter a competitor’s URL into SpyFu’s search bar.
• SpyFu will return data about their most profitable keywords, including the ads they’re running and the average CPC.
• You can even use SpyFu to see the performance history of these ads, which is great for spotting trends.

KeywordSpy

Another highly recommended tool is KeywordSpy, which is particularly focused on competitor keyword research for PPC.

• Enter a domain, and KeywordSpy will pull up a list of the top PPC keywords for that site.
• Analyse ad copy, CPC data, and keyword trends.

This tool offers real-time PPC keyword data, which is perfect if you need up-to-date information.

Using Competitive Analysis to Refine Your PPC Strategy

Once you’ve identified the keywords your competitors are using, it’s time to take action. Start by asking yourself:

• Are there any gaps in their strategy that you can exploit?
• Can you improve upon their ad copy or landing pages?
• Is there an opportunity to bid on low-competition keywords they are ignoring?

Using these insights, you can build a campaign that targets the right keywords, maximises your budget, and improves ad performance.

Common Pitfalls When Analysing Competitor PPC Keywords

While competitor research is invaluable, there are some common mistakes to avoid:

• Blindly copying keywords without considering how relevant they are to your business.
• Overbidding on high-cost keywords, which can quickly eat up your budget.
• Ignoring the importance of negative keywords, which can prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches.

How Often Should You Check Competitor PPC Keywords?

PPC strategies evolve, so it’s essential to stay on top of changes. A monthly or quarterly audit of your competitors’ PPC keywords is recommended. Tools like SEMrush and SpyFu allow you to set up alerts, so you’ll always know when something changes.

Conclusion

Understanding which keywords your competitors are using for PPC can be a game-changer. With the right tools and techniques, you’ll be able to uncover the keywords that are driving their success, optimise your own campaigns, and ultimately outperform the competition.