How to Create a PPC Competitive Intelligence Report in 3 Easy Steps - SMX East 2014

• Optimize your creative testing process.

• Fine-tune your bidding strategies.

CI Reports Will Help You:

• Find new keywords and placements.

• Tailor your offer or pricing to be more competitive.

• Find the right “competitors”

• More than just the direct competition

Successful direct competitors who are very active in PPC.

Top companies in a similar industry or with the same business model.

Create a list that includes both:

Allowing you to:

Get a well-rounded mix of strategies and tactics.

Take successful tactics from other areas and apply them to your space.

1.

2.

What are prevalent themes across ad copy?

Sample Questions - Ads

Are they positioning based on USP, price or special discount?

Are they using ad extensions?

How do they position their ad copy for branded searches vs. non-branded?

What keywords are they bidding on?

Sample Questions - Keywords & CPCs

Are there longer tail KWs you’re missing?

What’s their average CPC and budget?

Do they bid on their competitors’ keywords?

What type of content do they have on their landing pages?

Sample Questions – LPs and Tests

Are any sales being offered?

How do they react to seasonal changes?

What tests have my competitors been running, and what can I learn from them?

Two Views to Take:

Deeper Drilled Down View

Top LevelOverview1.

2.

Top Level View:

• Easy to read and digest

• Spans larger number of competitors

• Provides the lay of the land

Columns = Individual Metrics

Rows = Company Names- First Row = You

Tools:Searchmetrics

Spyfu

Or Good Ol’…

Competitors Top KWs Ad Copy Avg. CPC Daily Searches Ad Pos. Offers Landing Page Notes

PetPlan

Pet Insurance

1st Choice of Veterinarians Across the World $4.85 5.50k 1

http://www.gopetplan.com/?ADC=US+-+Pet&ADG=General&gclid=CJHKgPyescACFQQT7AodGTUAOw

homepage offers a petition to sign, a space to get a plan quote, social proof and a competition

Dog Insurance

1st Choice of Veterinarians Across the World $3.92 5.67 1

Animal Insurance

Lifetime coverage, lifelong healthNo pet age limits or added fees. $5.20 63.3 2

Insurance for pets

Top Rated Pet Insurance. 1st Choice of Veterinarians Across the World! $4.32 13 1

Trupanion

pet insurance

Let Us Help With The Vet Bills And Protect Your Best Friend. $6.54 5.50k 5

trupanion.com free quote, dog and cat-specific information, news

veterinary insurance

Give Your Pet The Best Medical Care Possible. Get A Quote Today $5.01 8.67 1

pet health insurance quotes

Give Your Pet The Best Medical Care Possible. Get A Quote Today $9.09 0 5

vet insurance canada

Let Us Help With The Vet Bills And Protect Your Best Friend. $7.06 1 3

Drilled Down View:

Delve deeper into select competitors- One tab for each

Closely examine their strategy

Helps determine what testing they’re doing

Columns = Individual Metrics

Rows = Top Keywords(Includes branded + non-branded)

Run CI Reports Frequently

Best Way to Discover Trends

• Non-direct competitors use review extensions- no one in your space is using it, worth testing?

• Several competitors offer a free trial during peak months, so consider implementing to stay competitive.

You don’t target several keywords bid on by your competitors, can you expand your reach?

Competitors X & Y are the only ones with a strong mobile presence- tailor mobile ads to better compete with them.

Prioritize action items for testing.

Tip: For ad testing– try AdAlysis! http://adalysis.com/

Image Credit: http://www.yogacatz.com/

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