Using third-party tools to research competitors
There are a variety of tools other than Google that can help us get more information about websites whose online marketing efforts we are interested in researching further. Such tools scan the search results pages and extrapolate keywords and ads for various domains. They'll provide data such as keywords used, daily budgets, how much our competitors are spending on individual keywords, and history of budget and ad changes.
Getting ready
The following are a couple of popular PPC spy tools that will allow us to do basic domain and keyword research for free:
For a more thorough list of keywords and ads that the various domains are using, you will need to purchase a subscription. However, you can do some basic research through the free look ups using one of the previously listed tools.
How to do it...
Use tools such as KeywordSpy and SpyFu to research competition as follows:
Search for your keywords of interest. Following is an example of results for a keyword search on KeywordSpy and the free information the tool provides. For example, you can see how many advertisers are showing for a particular query and average CPCs:
Search your competitors' URL to see if they are advertising through AdWords and learn more about their budgets, clicks per day, average ad position, and average cost-per-click (CPC). You'll also learn how many ad copies and keywords a domain is coming up for, which can help you better understand how comprehensive a particular domain's PPC program is.
Note budget trends over time, which can help you determine seasonality or changes in a particular business's strategy and marketing budget. You'll also be able to see some of the top keywords and ads for a domain, as well as related PPC competitors who are using overlapping keywords on AdWords:
How it works...
Third-party keyword spy tools analyze a domain's behavior over time on various search engines, including what keywords and ads websites are appearing on. Spend data is estimated based on assumptions that take into account ad position and how often ads are appearing for the various keywords. Data may not be available for all countries.
There's more...
It's important to note that PPC keyword spy tools do not actually have access to other advertisers' accounts, and as such they are not 100 percent accurate. You can use them as a starting point in understanding your competition, but ultimately you should do your own keyword testing to determine what works best with your goals and budgets.
