The document discusses how CI (competitive intelligence) reports can help optimize paid search campaigns. It provides examples of questions CI reports can answer about competitors' ads, keywords, bidding strategies, landing pages, and tests. The document recommends taking both a top-level overview of metrics for multiple competitors as well as a drilled down view of specific competitors to determine testing opportunities. Regularly running CI reports is advised to discover trends.

9. CI Reports Will Help You:
• Optimize your creative testing process.
• Fine-tune your bidding strategies.
• Find new keywords and placements.
• Tailor your offer or pricing to be
more competitive.

14. • Find the right “competitors”
• More than just the direct competition

15. Create a list that includes both:
Successful direct competitors who
are very active in PPC.
Top companies in a similar industry or
with the same business model.

16. 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.

19. Sample Questions - Ads
What are prevalent themes across ad copy?
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?

20. Sample Questions - Keywords & CPCs
What keywords are they bidding on?
Are there longer tail KWs you’re missing?
What’s their average
CPC and budget?
Do they bid on their
competitors’ keywords?

21. Sample Questions – LPs and Tests
What type of content do they have on their
landing pages?
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?

25. Two Views to Take:
Top Level
Overview 1.
2.
Deeper Drilled
Down View

26. Top Level View:
• Easy to read and digest
• Spans larger number of
competitors
• Provides the lay of the land

27. Columns = Individual Metrics
Rows = Company Names
- First Row = You

28. Tools:
Searchmetrics
Spyfu
Or Good Ol’…

30. 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.gope
tplan.com/?ADC=
US+-
+Pet&ADG=Gener
al&gclid=CJHKgPy
escACFQQT7Aod
GTUAOw
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

32. Drilled Down View:
Delve deeper into select competitors
- One tab for each
Closely examine their strategy
Helps determine what
testing they’re doing

34. Columns = Individual Metrics
Rows = Top Keywords
(Includes branded + non-branded)

37. Run CI Reports
Frequently
Best Way to
Discover Trends

38. • 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.

39. 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.

40. Prioritize action
items for testing.
Tip: For ad testing–
try AdAlysis!
http://adalysis.com/

43. Image Credit: http://www.yogacatz.com/
@purnavirji
http://linkedin.com/in/purnavirji
http://www.slideshare.net/purnavirji
http://searchenginewatch.com/author/24
99/purna-virji