Competitor Analysis Tools
for Digital Marketing

A solid digital marketing strategy often starts with comprehensive competitor analysis, which can help identify opportunities to strengthen your SEO, PPC, and social media efforts while revealing gaps your competitors may have missed.

We’ve compiled a list of  tools we love and regularly use to get you started on competition analysis:

Paid Ad Libraries

Many advertising platforms have made public databases available, allowing users to view ad creative and messaging from other companies. These can be helpful when onboarding a new client and to get a feel for the industry. They’re also great to reference on an ongoing basis for creative inspiration.

Google Ads Auction Insights

To see which competitors’ PPC ads appear alongside yours in the search engine results page (SERP), check your Auction Insights in Google Ads. Then, visit the Transparency Center for a complete view of their ads.

Google Ads Transparency Center

• Advertiser Details: For verified accounts, the advertiser name and location
• Ad Date: The date each specific ad was last shown on the SERPs
• Creative/Messaging: A screenshot of the ad, including text, image, video, etc.

Meta Ads Library

• Advertiser Details: Advertiser organization name and location
• Ad Date: Each ad’s start date
• Platform: Facebook and/or Instagram, partners? 
• Creative/Messaging: A screenshot of the ad, including heading, description, CTA button, and creative (image, video, etc)

LinkedIn Ads Library

• Advertiser Details: Advertiser organization name 
• Ad Date: Each ad’s duration date range 
• Geography: estimated impressions by country and targeted language setting 
• Creative/Messaging: A screenshot of the ad, including headline, introductory text, description, and creative (image, video, etc.)

Microsoft/Bing Ads and Pinterest also have ad libraries, but they’re not currently available in the US.

It’s not only paid teams who can benefit from studying these ad libraries. SEO and Email marketers can use these tools to find inspiration for blog content, email newsletter copy, and Google Business Profile posts. These ad libraries are free tools spying on your competitor’s ads.

But remember, just because your competitors are running these ads doesn’t necessarily mean they’re delivering results, so take these with a grain of salt.

SEO Tools for an Effective Competitor Analysis

SEO is the long game of digital marketing, and competitive analysis in this area can provide significant insights into where you stand and how to improve your visibility. Tools like Ahrefs, BrightLocal, and Semrush give an overview of search rankings, referring domains and backlinks, site performance, and more.

Ahrefs

• Perfect for small and large-scale competitor analysis.
• Competitive Analysis feature allows you to analyze competitor keywords, referring domains, and referring pages from up to 10 websites.
• Batch Analysis allows you to quickly check important SEO metrics for up to 200 URLs, including the number of backlinks, referring domains, and estimated organic traffic.

BrightLocal

• Local Search Grid effectively analyzes competitor Google Business Profiles, including review count and overall rating, primary and additional categories, and average ranking within a pre-determined geographic area.
• Credit-based system lets you track rankings for up to 30 keywords.
• Reports can be run ad-hoc, weekly, or monthly. 
• Ranking reports are saved for you to reference and analyze changes.

Semrush

• Easily track and compare up to 20 competitor SERP rankings.
• Track search rankings in multiple locations within the same project, making it effective for national and international businesses. 
• Position tracking feature includes share of voice, visibility, estimated traffic, and average position.

Taking Action on Competitor Insights

Competitive analysis isn’t just about tracking what others are doing—it’s about determining why and making strategic decisions to outmaneuver or outperform them. Keep in mind, though, you can’t assume every strategy delivers results, so it’s a good idea to partner with an experienced digital marketing agency to help you determine the right tools to use to help you achieve results.

Need help with competitor analysis or refining your digital marketing strategy? Contact us today!