How to Choose Competitors for PPC Keyword Analysis

Competitor analysis is the best form of keyword research. Analysing the right competitors ensure you know exactly what is working and at what cost. There is no guess work required, no trial and error, expensive test phases etc. You get the full keyword or key phrase list, ad text, cost per click, overall budget and a whole lot more.

However, the key here is choosing the ‘right’ competitors for research. Most people make the same old mistake of researching on their immediate competitors located near to them or who are known to them. That is usually the wrong approach and may not get you the desired results in your own PPC ad campaign.

This is because the competitor known to you may be in the same boat as you. They may be going through their own trial and error test phase. They may be losing money and wondering what to do next. Therefore the correct procedure to choose competitors for keyword analysis should be as follows:

1) Go to Google and first search for your main keyword. For example, if you are selling web design services, then search for exactly that – “web design services.” Ideally you should be doing this via your desktop or laptop and not via your mobile.

From the results you get, see the top of the organic search results where the ads appear. The paid result will be marked by a small ‘ad’ sign next to the URL. Right click on this link and choose open in new window.

Repeat the search with another keyword important to your business and again right click and open in new window for the paid ad right on top.

Once you have two websites open, copy and save the URL of each advertiser in a notepad file.

These two are now your most important competitors. This is because they are already getting top results with the keywords you want.

2) Step two here is to make a list of three of your competitors that you know already. These could be businesses near your location or anyone you know offering similar services.

Search and find their websites and copy those URLs in your notepad file.

3) Perform competitor analysis using all URLs you have. Save all data and now compare which keywords are common, cost per click for each keyword, budget being used by each of the competitors, check the exact ad text etc.

This should give you a proper picture of what is working. You can see which keywords are getting the most number of clicks. Those keywords should be in your PPC list as well. Check which ads are getting most clicks and write your own ads using similar or better text. Since you will have the cost per click for each keyword, you can put your bids accordingly. Basically once you have data from the right competitor’s in front of you, your own PPC campaign will have an edge over others.

Note that most competitor analysis tools will not have any limits to the number of competitors you can research. Hence you can repeat step 1 as many times as you want and get the URLs of all those advertisers who are getting top positions in Google for keywords relevant to your business.