How to find and analyze competitor ads
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I’ve spent years managing ad campaigns, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this—your competitors are your best teachers. I’ve seen businesses blow thousands on ads that flop while their competitors run similar campaigns and crush it. Why? Because the winners don’t guess—they analyze, adapt, and outmaneuver.
Competitive analysis in advertising isn’t about copying. It’s about seeing what’s working, where the gaps are, and how you can do it better. And trust me, the brands that master this don’t just survive—they dominate.
How to Find Competitors Ads
You’ve got two ways to track competitors’ ads: the hard way (manual digging) or the smart way (using a tool).
1. The Smart Way – Use a Competitive Intelligence Tool
If you want a real competitive advantage, a tool like Competitors App is the way to go. It pulls ads from multiple platforms into one dashboard, so you can see:
- Which ads your competitors are running across Facebook, Instagram, Google, LinkedIn, and more.
- How their creatives, copy, and offers evolve over time.
- Patterns in their ad strategies (A/B tests, seasonal trends, high-performing formats).
This method saves hours and gives you actionable insights instead of just screenshots of ads. If you’re serious about staying ahead, this is the way to go.
2. The Manual Way – Dig Through Ad Libraries
If you don’t want to use a tool, you can manually check individual ad platforms. It’s time-consuming but still valuable.
- Facebook & Instagram: Meta Ad Library
- Google Ads: Google Ads Transparency Center
- TikTok: TikTok Ad Library
- LinkedIn: Search company pages for sponsored posts
Pros:
- Free to access
- Lets you see live ad creatives and messaging
Cons:
- Time-consuming—you have to check each platform separately
- No performance data—you see the ad, but you don’t know what’s actually working
Bottom Line
If you want quick, deep insights into your competitors’ ad strategies, use a tool. If you’re just browsing for inspiration, manual ad libraries work—but don’t expect game-changing insights from screenshots alone.
In the next section, we’ll break down how to track competitor ads on each major platform—and most importantly, how to use that data to outsmart them.
Find Competitor Ads on Facebook
Facebook’s ad ecosystem is massive, and tracking competitor ads can reveal a lot about their targeting, messaging, and offers. There are two ways to do it: the fast way (using a tool) or the manual way (digging through Facebook’s Ad Library).
1. The Smart Way – Using Competitors App
A tool like Competitors App gives you a centralized view of competitor ads, including:
- Which ads they’re running on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms.
- Their exact ad creatives, copy, and landing pages.
- How long their ads have been running (hint: long-running ads are likely profitable).
This method saves time, provides deeper insights, and gives you historical data—something Facebook’s Ad Library doesn’t offer.
2. The Manual Way – Using Facebook Ad Library
If you’re not using a tool, Facebook’s Ad Library is your best bet. Here’s how to use it:
- Go to Facebook Ad Library.
- Enter your competitor’s name or relevant keywords.
- Filter by country and ad category.
This lets you see all active ads, their copy, and their format (image, video, carousel). The downside? No performance metrics, no historical data, and no insights beyond the surface.
Find Competitor Instagram Ads
Instagram ads operate under the same system as Facebook, so the methods are similar.
1. Using Competitors App
- View all active and historical Instagram ads in one dashboard.
- Analyze ad creatives, CTAs, and landing pages.
- Compare changes in ad strategy over time.
2. Manually Checking Ads in the Instagram App
If you see a competitor’s ad in your feed, tap the three dots in the top-right corner and select “About This Account” → “Active Ads.” This takes you to their Meta Ad Library, where you can see all their active Instagram and Facebook ads.
Alternative Method: Search for a competitor’s name in Instagram’s search bar, go to their profile, and tap “About This Account” → “Active Ads.”
Find Competitor Tik Tok Ads
Tracking TikTok ads is harder than on Facebook and Instagram. TikTok doesn’t make it easy, but there’s still a way.
1. Use TikTok’s Creative Center
- Go to TikTok Creative Center.
- Click on “Top Ads Dashboard.”
- Filter by country, industry, and campaign objective.
This shows high-performing ads across industries, but not every competitor’s specific ads. If your competitor is running a viral ad campaign, though, you’ll likely find it here.
2. Search by Keywords
TikTok lets you search by caption keywords, helping you see how many ads are targeting specific audiences. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, try adjusting filters.
Find Competitor LinkedIn Ads
LinkedIn makes competitor ad tracking relatively simple, but it’s still manual unless you use a tool.
1. Using Competitors App
- See all competitor ads across LinkedIn and other platforms in one place.
- Get real-time notifications when competitors launch new campaigns.
- Track changes in ad strategy over time.
2. Manually Finding LinkedIn Ads
- Go to a competitor’s LinkedIn page.
- Click the “Posts” tab.
- Look for “Sponsored” tags—these are paid ads.
- Copy the ad URL to track engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments).
This method works, but it won’t show you past ads or let you easily compare multiple competitors.
Find X (Twitter) Competitors Ads
Twitter (X) has the least transparent ad tracking of all platforms, but there’s still a way to gather insights.
1. Use the Twitter Ads Transparency Center
- Go to the Twitter Ads Transparency Center.
- Search for your competitor’s handle.
- See how many ads they’re running by country or industry.
Unfortunately, you won’t see the exact ads, but you can get an idea of how aggressive their advertising strategy is.
2. Monitor Promoted Tweets Manually
- Follow your competitors.
- Engage with similar brands to trigger retargeting ads.
- Search Twitter for “Promoted” posts from competitors.
This isn’t perfect, but it’s the best way to find Twitter ads without paid tools.
Google Ads Competitor Analysis (ex AdWords)
A few years ago, I was running Google Ads for a SaaS startup. We were bidding on the right keywords, the landing pages looked great, and the ad creatives were solid. Or so we thought.
Then, a competitor started showing up everywhere—dominating the top search results, flooding Google Display placements, and running YouTube ads that seemed to follow our audience around. They weren’t just spending more than us. They were playing smarter.
We dug into their ads, tracked their messaging, reverse-engineered their funnel, and figured out exactly what was working for them. Within weeks, we tweaked our own approach—refining our targeting, adjusting our bidding strategy, and improving our ad copy. The result? Lower CPC, higher conversions, and a campaign that finally outperformed them.
This is what Google Ads competitor analysis is all about. Not copying. Not reacting. But understanding the game so you can play it better.
Let’s break it down.
How to monitor Google ads of competitors
1. Use Google Ads Transparency Center
Google finally made things easier for advertisers with Google Ads Transparency Center, where you can see what ads your competitors are running across Google Search, Display, and YouTube.
Here’s how to use it:
- Go to Google Ads Transparency Center.
- Search for your competitor’s brand name.
- Filter by ad format, topic, or time frame to see their entire active campaign portfolio.
💡 Pro tip: If a competitor has been running the same ad for months, it’s working for them. That’s a signal to analyze what’s driving engagement.
2. Analyze Their Messaging, Targeting & Offers
Now that you’ve got access to their ads, go deeper:
- What kind of messaging are they using? Are they leaning on urgency, discount offers, or pain points?
- How aggressive are they with retargeting? Are you seeing their display ads follow you around?
- What’s their CTA? Are they pushing for a demo, free trial, or straight to purchase?
Where are their landing pages sending traffic? Are they optimized for conversion or just throwing traffic at a generic page?
Google shopping competitor analysis
Google Shopping ads can make or break an eCommerce business. If your competitors are pricing smarter than you, they’re winning. It’s that simple.
1. Track Competitor Pricing & Bidding Strategies
- Compare your prices to competitors’ listings. Google Shopping ranks ads based on price, relevance, and bidding. If your price isn’t competitive, you’ll struggle.
- Check how they handle promotions. Are they offering discounts? Free shipping? Price anchoring?
- Monitor competitor bidding strategies. If they’re dominating certain product categories, they’re likely bidding aggressively on high-intent keywords.
2. Use Automated Tools for Price Monitoring
Manually tracking this is a waste of time. Instead:
- Set up a web scraping API to pull product pricing from Google Shopping SERPs.
- Use product price trackers to automate competitive pricing analysis and adjust bids dynamically.
💡 Smart move: Google lets users track price drops. Use this to your advantage—monitor how competitors adjust pricing during sales events and undercut them strategically.
Competitor Display Ads Analysis
Google Display Ads aren’t just for brand awareness. Your competitors are using them for retargeting, customer acquisition, and direct conversions. If you’re not tracking their ads, you’re missing half the picture.
1. Find Their Display Ads in Google Ads Transparency Center
- Search for your competitor’s brand name.
- Filter for display ads to see where they’re running and what they look like.
- Analyze placements. Are they focusing on high-traffic blogs, news sites, or niche publishers?
2. Reverse-Engineer Their Funnel
- Are they using retargeting ads? If you see display ads after visiting their site, they’re running aggressive remarketing.
- What’s their messaging strategy? Are they emphasizing discounts, urgency, or testimonials?
- Are they split-testing creatives? If they have multiple variations, they’re testing different headlines, visuals, and CTAs.
💡 Takeaway: If you’re not tracking your competitors’ display ads, you’re letting them remarket to your audience without fighting back.
Best tools to analyze competitor ads
I’ve seen businesses waste thousands on ads simply because they weren’t paying attention to what their competitors were doing. Running ads without tracking competitors is like playing poker without looking at the other players. You’re betting blind while others are making calculated moves.
But with the right tools, you can see exactly what’s working for your competitors, where they’re spending their budget, and how you can do it better. Whether you want to track Google Ads, social media ads, or overall PPC strategies, these are the best tools to analyze competitor ads—and when to use each.
Competitors App: Track your competitor ads across multiple channels
Want to see everywhere your competitors are running ads? That’s where Competitors App shines.
Unlike other tools that focus on just Google Ads, Competitors App tracks competitor ads across multiple platforms, including:
- Google Search Ads
- Google Display Ads
- Facebook Ads
- Instagram Ads
- LinkedIn Ads
Why Use Competitors App?
- See your competitors’ top-performing ads across different platforms.
- Track ad copy and creative changes over time to understand their strategy.
- Monitor email marketing and SEO changes alongside ad campaigns for a complete competitive analysis.
- Get real-time alerts whenever a competitor updates their ads, so you can react quickly.
💡 Best For: Businesses that run ads across multiple platforms and want to track everything in one place. If your competitors are active on Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn Ads, this tool gives you a full picture of their ad strategy.
Pricing:
Starts at $19.90 per competitor.
SpyFu: Best for Competitors AdWords Analysis
If Google Ads (formerly AdWords) is your main focus, SpyFu is the tool you need. This is where I’ve found gold when it comes to keyword insights.
With SpyFu, you can:
- See every keyword your competitors are bidding on (and how much they’re spending).
- Analyze historical Google Ads data to spot patterns in their strategy.
- View actual ad copy to understand their messaging.
- Estimate their ad budget and identify high-value keywords.
Why Use SpyFu?
- If you’re spending money on Google Search Ads, you need to know what keywords your competitors are using.
- Budget insights help you adjust bids strategically. If a competitor is spending heavily on a keyword, they’re making money from it.
- Long-term data shows trends, so you can predict where your competitors are going next.
💡 Best For: Google Ads advertisers who want to outbid, out-rank, and outsmart competitors.
Pricing:
Starts at $39.90/month.
SEMRush: Best for Real-Time Competitors Ad Analysis
If you’re looking for a combination of ad tracking and SEO insights, SEMrush is a solid choice.
While not the strongest when it comes to ad tracking (it focuses mainly on Google Ads), it excels in:
- Real-time keyword tracking. See what’s ranking right now and adjust your PPC bids accordingly.
- Competitor ad copy analysis. Look at how your competitors are crafting their Google Ads.
- SEO + Google Ads synergy. Find which organic keywords competitors rank for and which ones they’re paying for.
Why Use SEMrush?
- If you want live data on keyword movements, SEMrush does it better than SpyFu or Competitors App.
- Perfect if you want SEO and PPC data in one place.
- Great for high-budget PPC advertisers looking for deep, data-driven insights.
💡 Best For: SEO-focused businesses that also run Google Ads. If Google Ads & SEO are your main competitive battlegrounds, SEMrush is worth it.
Pricing:
Starts at $129.90/month.
Which Competitor Ad Tool Should You Use?
Tool | Best For | Ad Channels Covered | Starting Price |
Competitors App | Multi-platform ad tracking, real-time updates | Google, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn Ads | $19.90/competitor |
SpyFu | Google Ads competitor analysis, keyword tracking | Google Ads only | $39.90/month |
SEMrush | Real-time keyword data, SEO + PPC insights | Google Ads only | $129.90/month |
💡 Final Takeaway:
- If you want to track ALL your competitors’ ads across multiple platforms → Go with Competitors App.
- If your focus is Google Ads and you need keyword insights → SpyFu is your best bet.
- If you care about both SEO & Google Ads, and want real-time search data → SEMrush is worth it.
Your competitors are already using these tools to outbid and outrank you. The question is—are you using them to fight back?
How to conduct a competitor ads analysis
Conducting a competitor ads analysis involves a multi-faceted approach, examining various aspects of your competitor’s ads and advertising strategies. This comprehensive analysis enables you to understand not just what your competitors are doing, but also the effectiveness of their tactics.
Monitoring competitor ad spend and ad budget allocation
Understanding how your competitors allocate their ad budget is key to deciphering their marketing priorities:
- Ad Spend Estimation Tools: Utilize tools like Competitors App or SpyFu to estimate your competitors’ ad spend. These tools can provide an approximate idea of their budget based on ad frequency and keyword bidding.
- Platform Analysis: Evaluate their presence across platforms. A heavy investment in Google Ads versus social media, for instance, can reveal a lot about their target audience and marketing goals.
- Seasonal Fluctuations: Notice any seasonal trends in their ad spend. Increased advertising during specific times of the year can indicate their peak sales periods or major campaign launches.
Analyzing Competitive Ad Copy and Creatives
The effectiveness of an ad campaign often hinges on the ad copy and creative elements, so monitoring your competitors ad copy is key to your success:
- Message Dissection: Analyze the language and tone of their ad copy. Is it direct and action-oriented or more narrative and emotive? This can indicate their brand personality and customer engagement approach.
- Creative Elements: Examine their use of visuals. Are they using high-quality images, animations, or minimalist designs? The type of creatives used can signify the audience they are targeting and the product features they want to highlight.
- Unique Selling Propositions (USPs): Identify the USPs they are focusing on. Are they emphasizing price, quality, convenience, or innovation? Understanding their USPs can help you differentiate your own offerings.
Assessing Competitor CTR (Click-Through Rates) and Performance Metrics
Evaluating the effectiveness of your competitors’ ads in terms of engagement and conversions is crucial:
- CTR and Engagement Metrics: Use tools to infer metrics like CTR. High engagement rates on social media ads, for example, can indicate a successful ad copy or creative strategy.
- Performance Analysis: Look for data on conversion rates and ROAS. While this information might not be directly available, you can gauge their performance based on ad positioning and the frequency of ad changes. Using Competitors App algorithms you can figure out which ads are the best ads of your competitors and easily replicate them.
- Competitive Benchmarking: Compare these metrics with your own ads’ performance. This comparison can reveal gaps in your strategy or areas where your competitors are excelling.
Creating a Report for Your Competitive Ad Analysis
Creating a comprehensive report for your competitive ad analysis is crucial for understanding the competitive landscape and informing your marketing strategy. Here are the steps you need to follow to compile an effective report:
Data Collection: Start by gathering data from the tools and methods you’ve used for analysis, such as Competitors App or related Ad Transparency centers, and social media platforms.
Competitive Insights: Highlight insights on your competitors’ ad strategies, including their messaging, creative approaches, target audience, and any unique tactics they use.
Trend Analysis: Analyze trends in competitors’ ad campaigns over time. This can include shifts in their focus, budget allocation, and ad types.
Visual Elements: Incorporate visuals like graphs, charts, and screenshots of competitors’ ads for a clearer understanding.
Actionable Recommendations: Based on your analysis, provide actionable recommendations for your own ad strategy. This could involve adjusting your ad spend, experimenting with new ad formats, or targeting different keywords.
Conclusion: Summarize your key findings and their implications for your marketing strategy.
Presentation: Ensure the report is well-organized, easy to read, and visually appealing for stakeholders to understand and make informed decisions.
This report serves as a vital tool for benchmarking your performance against competitors and identifying opportunities to enhance your advertising efforts.
Download our Competitor Ads Analysis Report (Example)
Analyzing Competitive Campaigns: Turning Insights into Action
I’ve seen businesses waste hours collecting competitor ad data—only to do nothing with it. Tracking your competitors is useless if you’re not using the insights to improve your own campaigns.
The real value comes from knowing what to look for, what actually matters, and how to apply it in a way that gives you an edge. Here’s how to break down competitive ad analysis the right way and use it to create higher-performing campaigns.
1. Identify What’s Working & Adapt It to Your Strategy
Competitor ads that run for months? Those are the money-makers. No one keeps paying for underperforming ads.
- Find high-performing ad patterns
- Repeated messaging? It’s working for them.
- Consistent creative style? Their audience responds to it.
- Long-running campaigns? These are likely the most profitable.
- Apply what works, but make it your own
- If a competitor’s ad hooks focus on price, but you offer better quality, highlight that contrast.
- If they use fear of missing out (FOMO), test urgency-driven messaging with a stronger CTA.
- If their video ads get high engagement, but you only run static images—time to rethink.
📌 Takeaway: Don’t copy—reverse-engineer. Figure out why their ads work, then refine your own messaging, creatives, and positioning accordingly.
2. Spot Gaps in Their Strategy & Exploit Them
Where your competitors are weak, you can dominate. Instead of only looking at what they do well, ask: What are they missing?
- Keyword blind spots
- Use a Venn diagram to map your keywords vs. their keywords.
- Target the high-value terms they ignore and capture traffic they’re missing.
- Target audience gaps
- If they focus heavily on urban audiences, test targeting suburban or rural markets.
- If they push ads for one use case, promote an alternative way to use your product.
- Underserved ad placements
- Competitors focusing on Google Search but not Display? Run retargeting ads there.
- Dominating LinkedIn? Push high-intent users with targeted Google Ads.
📌 Takeaway: The best opportunities aren’t in copying their best ads—they’re in capitalizing on what they’re not doing.
3. Refine Your Targeting for More Qualified Leads
If a competitor’s ads are outperforming yours, it’s not just the messaging—it’s also who they’re reaching.
- Match & refine audience targeting
- Analyze their ad demographics (age, location, interests) to see who they prioritize.
- If they’re heavily targeting C-level executives, but you’re going too broad—adjust.
- Segment your strategy
- If they target high-intent keywords, test retargeting those users on social media.
- If they run general awareness ads, double down on bottom-of-funnel conversion ads.
📌 Takeaway: Your competitor’s audience isn’t just their audience. If their ads perform well, those people could be your customers too.
4. Optimize Your Ad Spend Based on Competitor Insights
A competitor spending aggressively on a platform? There’s a reason. You need to decide: Compete, pivot, or outsmart them?
- Reallocate budget to high-performing areas
- If they’re scaling on LinkedIn, they’re likely seeing strong ROI there—consider shifting budget.
- If they avoid a platform you see success on, double down and own that space.
- Use retargeting to steal their traffic
- If they’re spending heavily on Google Ads, run retargeting ads on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
- Target visitors who clicked on their ads but didn’t convert—bring them back to your offer.
📌 Takeaway: Instead of blindly increasing your budget, spend where competitors see success—but do it smarter.
5. Test & Iterate—Then Scale What Works
The best competitive insights mean nothing if you don’t test them.
- Test competitor strategies in controlled campaigns
- If they’re using video ads, test it with a small campaign before shifting your full budget.
- If they target a specific niche, try it for a few weeks and measure conversion rates.
- Double down on proven strategies
- If competitor-inspired changes lead to higher CTRs or lower CPCs, scale those improvements.
- If a new ad format performs better, shift more budget to it.
📌 Takeaway: Competitor insights are only valuable if you act on them. Run small tests, validate the data, then scale winners.
Common Pitfalls & Challenges when monitoring Competitor Ads
Analyzing competitor ads is powerful, but only if done right. Here’s what can go wrong:
1. Obsessing Over Competitors Instead of Your Own Strategy
Competitor analysis is a tool, not a strategy. Don’t let it dictate your marketing—use it to inform your decisions.
2. Misinterpreting Their Success
Just because an ad runs frequently doesn’t mean it’s profitable. Look for patterns, not assumptions.
3. Overreacting & Making Constant Changes
Don’t shift your strategy every time a competitor tweaks their ads. Stick to long-term goals.
4. Copying Without Understanding Why
Blindly copying ad creatives, CTAs, or landing pages won’t work. Reverse-engineer, don’t replicate.
📌 Takeaway: Use competitor ads as fuel for inspiration, not a roadmap for your strategy.
3 Tips for a Successful Competitor Ads Analysis
Building on the awareness of common pitfalls in monitoring competitor ads, it’s crucial to approach your competitor ads analysis with a strategy that not only avoids these challenges but also optimizes the insights gained. Conducting this analysis effectively requires more than just observing what competitors are doing; it involves a deep, analytical dive into their strategies to extract meaningful data that can shape your own advertising efforts. Here are three tips that will help you make your competitor ads analysis not just an exercise in observation, but a cornerstone of your strategic planning.
Diversify Your Sources
Rely on a variety of tools and sources for data collection. Utilize digital marketing tools like Competitors App, SpyFu, and social media, but also consider customer feedback and market trends to get a comprehensive view.
Stay Objective and Analytical
Analyze competitors' strategies objectively. Focus on data-driven insights and avoid personal biases that might skew your analysis.
Focus on Actionable Insights
Always aim to extract actionable insights. Identify specific elements like ad copy effectiveness or channel performance that you can directly apply or test in your campaigns for tangible improvements.
Competitor Ads Analysis - A true skill
Competitor Ads - FAQs
How Often Should I Analyze Competitor Ads?
The frequency of analyzing competitor ads can vary based on your industry and the dynamism of the market. Generally, a monthly review is a good practice for most industries. However, in fast-paced sectors like technology or fashion, bi-weekly or even weekly analyses might be necessary to stay current with trends and shifts in advertising strategies.
Are There Free Tools for Ad Analysis?
Yes, there are free tools available for ad analysis. Google Ads Transparency Center, Facebook Ad Library, and Twitter Ads Transparency Center provide insights into competitors’ ad campaigns without cost. Additionally, tools like Competitors App offer limited free access for competitive analysis during their trial so you can track your competitor ads for 15 days.
