How To Poach Competitor Ad Traffic 🚀

Want to show up right alongside your competitors on Google?

Targeting competitor keywords is a strategic way to boost visibility and capture more of your share of the pie—and you don’t even have to be sneaky 🫣. 

Want to legally swipe some of their traffic? We’ve got the playbook.

If they’re stealing your leads, it’s time to turn the tables. Flip the script with these tips 👀📈.

🔍 Uncover Your Competitors’ Keywords

Before you can outrank the competition, you need to know what you’re up against. 🕵️‍♂️🔍

Last month we told you how to look at their ads. Well, it’s time to go deeper.

Ready for a little (totally legal) recon mission? Here are a few ways to sneak a peek at your competitors' keyword strategy—so you can outsmart, outbid, and outshine them. 🚀💡

💡 Google’s Auction Insights

Google Ads’ Auction Insights tool is your best friend when it comes to seeing how you stack up against competitors. It shows who's bidding on specific keywords and where you rank compared to them. This tool is an information goldmine that lets you analyze shifts in rankings over time, helping you refine your approach and outmaneuver the competition.

📝 Keyword Research Tools

Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and SpyFu let you peep your competitors’ keyword strategies. Want to know what’s working for them? Just pop in their domain and see which terms drive traffic their way. You can also uncover gaps in their strategy—keywords they aren’t targeting that you can take advantage of to gain a competitive edge.

👀 Google Search Results

Sometimes, a good old-fashioned Google search is all you need. Search your competitor’s brand and see which ads appear. Notice any patterns? Those keywords are worth noting! Pay attention to their SEO tricks (meta descriptions, ad headlines, and even their organic search rankings) to get an even clearer picture of how they position themselves.

🏆 Bid on Competitor Brand Names

Now that you’ve uncovered your competitors’ keyword strategy, let’s talk about a next-level move—bidding on their brand name. 👀

Yep, it’s totally legal, and it’s a smart way to show up when potential customers are searching for them. But there’s a catch: if their name is trademarked, you can’t use it in your ad copy  😔 (Google’s rules, not ours).

The workaround? Write compelling ad copy that highlights why you are the better choice. Give searchers a reason to pause, rethink, and click on your ad instead. Because if they’re already looking for solutions, why not make sure they see yours first? 🚀

🎡 Focus on High-Intent Keywords

Instead of casting a wide net, go after searches where customers are already looking for a solution, like:

• “Best [service] near me” – They’re ready to commit.
• “Affordable [product] in [city]” – Price matters, but so does value.
•  “[Competitor] alternatives” – They’re looking—give them a reason to choose you.

These types of searches indicate that users are ready to take action, making them more likely to convert! Additionally, keep in mind that Google allows you to use location and keyword insertion into your headlines. Example: You could type something along the lines of “Find Great Deals in {LOCATION(City)}” into your headline and Google would insert the city they are searching in.

💡Pro Tip: Use location and keyword insertion to make your ad copy more relevant. Try “ Great Deals in {LOCATION(City)}” or “Best {KeyWord:Service} Near You” to match search intent automatically. 🚀

🔥 Craft a Clear Competitive Advantage

Why should people choose you over the competition? Spell it out! Here are some example ad headlines:

• “Why Jacksonville Locals Choose Us Over [Competitor]”
• “Faster, Cheaper, Better: The [Your Brand] Difference”

Emphasize your unique selling points—whether it’s better pricing, superior customer service, or exclusive features. Just remember, if your competitor's brand is trademarked, keep their name out of your ad copy to avoid any legal plot twists. 😉

💪 Match the Customer's Intent

If someone is searching for a competitor, they could be anywhere in the sales funnel at this point. We can’t read minds, but we can ensure ad copy meets a couple of important criteria:

• Answer their pain points — What makes your product/service a better choice?
• Highlight what makes you different — Competitive pricing, premium quality, superior service, etc.
• Offer exclusive deals or bonuses — Give them an irresistible reason to click your ad. Offers significantly increase your chances of winning the bid.

🔄 Monitor & Adjust (Ruthlessly!)

As ruthless as a lion in the Serengeti, keep an eye on things. Competitor campaigns aren’t set-it-and-forget-it, and if you can’t monitor everything on your own, it may be time to lean on some digital marketing strategists who (literally) make it their job to monitor and adjust your ads.

• CTR (Click-Through Rate) — Are people engaging?
• CPC (Cost Per Click) — Are you overpaying?
• Conversion Rate — Are clicks turning into customers?
• Auction Insights — Are you outranking competitors?

After at least 30 days of collecting initial data, consistently tweak bids and messaging to stay ahead 💪🌟!

🌟 Finally, Don’t Rely Solely on Competitor Campaigns

While targeting competitor keywords is powerful, it can also be 💸 expensive 💸. Use this tactic simply as one part of a well-rounded advertising strategy and pair it with your own brand-building efforts to maximize results as well as ROI.

Ready to start outsmarting your competition as soon as today? Let’s have a chat over a virtual cup of coffee ☕️.