Understanding what competitors target can give businesses valuable insight into how customers search, which topics attract attention, and where advertising opportunities may exist. competitors keywords and adwords are particularly useful when building a digital marketing strategy because competitive research can reveal relevant search terms, advertising themes, content opportunities, and gaps that your own business may be able to address. Google Ads Keyword Planner can help advertisers discover keyword ideas, estimate search activity, review competition, and examine potential advertising costs.
Competitive research should not simply mean copying another company’s keyword list. The strongest strategy combines competitor observations with your own customer data, search intent, conversion goals, and business priorities.
What Is Competitor Keyword Research?
Competitor keyword research is the process of identifying search terms that competing businesses appear to target through organic content or paid advertising.
For example, a company selling accounting software might investigate competitors ranking for searches such as:
- Small business accounting software
- Online bookkeeping software
- Business expense tracking
- Accounting software for freelancers
- Invoice management software
- Payroll software for small businesses
The goal is not necessarily to target every term a competitor uses.
Instead, research helps identify patterns and opportunities.
Why Competitor Keywords Matter
Competitor analysis can help you discover:
- New keyword ideas
- High-intent searches
- Long-tail opportunities
- Content gaps
- Advertising themes
- Potential negative keywords
- New customer questions
- Product or service categories
- Geographic opportunities
Google recommends creating keyword lists around the language potential customers are likely to use and grouping related keywords by themes.
SEO Keywords vs. Google Ads Keywords
Although SEO and paid search both depend on keywords, they serve different purposes.
SEO keywords are generally used to attract unpaid search traffic through website pages, articles, category pages, and other content.
Google Ads keywords are used to help determine which searches can make an advertisement eligible to enter an auction.
Google explains that keywords are words or phrases advertisers add to their campaigns to match relevant searches.
| SEO Keywords | Google Ads Keywords |
|---|---|
| Focus on organic visibility | Focus on paid search |
| Used in website content | Used in advertising campaigns |
| Can target informational searches | Often valuable for commercial intent |
| Results may take time | Can generate paid traffic quickly |
| Content quality is important | Ad and landing-page relevance are important |
| Builds long-term visibility | Requires ongoing advertising budget |
A strong marketing strategy can use insights from both areas.
How to Find Competitor Keywords
There are several approaches to competitor keyword research.
Study Competitor Websites
Start by examining competing websites.
Look at their:
- Main service pages
- Product pages
- Blog categories
- Page titles
- Headings
- FAQs
- Location pages
- Comparison pages
Look for repeated topics and phrases that clearly describe their products or services.
However, avoid assuming that every phrase on a competitor’s website is an effective keyword.
A keyword should still match your own audience and business goals.
Use Keyword Research Tools
Keyword research platforms can help expand an initial list.
Google Keyword Planner allows advertisers to start with keywords or a website and generate related keyword ideas. It can also provide estimates for search volume and advertising costs.
You can enter a competitor-related topic or relevant website and then examine the resulting suggestions.
Analyze Search Results
Search Google for important terms in your industry and examine the pages that appear.
Look for patterns such as:
- Which businesses repeatedly appear?
- What topics do their pages cover?
- What questions do they answer?
- What services do they emphasize?
- What types of pages rank?
- Are results mostly commercial or informational?
This helps determine the search intent behind a keyword.
Understanding Search Intent
Not every keyword represents the same type of customer.
Search intent generally falls into several broad categories.
Informational Intent
The user wants an answer or explanation.
Examples include:
- How does business insurance work?
- What is PPC advertising?
- How to choose accounting software
These searches may be excellent for educational content.
Commercial Investigation
The user is researching options before making a decision.
Examples include:
- Best accounting software
- SEO agency comparison
- PPC management services
- Software A vs Software B
These searches can be valuable because the user may be closer to making a purchase.
Transactional Intent
The user is ready to take action.
Examples include:
- Buy accounting software
- Hire PPC agency
- Local SEO services
- Book marketing consultation
These terms can have significant commercial value.
Navigational Intent
The user is looking for a particular company, brand, or website.
Brand-related searches may be valuable, but advertisers should understand the legal, policy, and competitive considerations surrounding trademarked terms.
How Google Keyword Planner Helps
Google Keyword Planner is one of the most useful starting points for Google Ads research.
It can help you:
- Discover new keyword ideas
- Review estimated monthly searches
- Examine advertising cost estimates
- Organize related keywords
- Build keyword plans
- Forecast potential campaign performance
Google also allows keyword ideas to be refined using factors such as search volume, top-of-page bid ranges, competition, location, language, and impression share.
Start With a Seed Keyword
A seed keyword is a broad phrase representing your product or service.
For example, a digital marketing company might begin with:
digital marketing
The research process could then produce related terms such as:
- digital marketing agency
- online marketing services
- internet marketing company
- digital advertising agency
- marketing consultant
- PPC management
- SEO services
The next step is to separate useful terms from irrelevant ones.
Analyzing Competitor AdWords Strategies
Competitor advertising research goes beyond identifying keywords.
You should also examine how competitors position their offers.
Pay attention to:
- Headlines
- Calls to action
- Promotions
- Service descriptions
- Unique selling points
- Pricing language
- Geographic targeting
- Landing-page themes
For example, two companies may target the same keyword but use completely different messages.
One may emphasize affordability, while another focuses on speed, experience, or premium service.
This can reveal opportunities for differentiation.
Don’t Simply Copy Competitor Ads
Copying another advertiser’s messaging is not a strong long-term strategy.
Instead, use competitor advertising to understand the market.
Ask:
- What benefits appear repeatedly?
- What customer concerns are competitors addressing?
- What claims seem common?
- What makes one offer different?
- What information is missing?
Your goal should be to develop a stronger and more relevant message rather than duplicate someone else’s advertising.
Organizing Keywords Into Ad Groups
Once you have collected potential keywords, organize them into closely related themes.
Google Ads supports organizing keywords into ad groups, and Google recommends grouping keywords around relevant themes so that advertisements are closely connected to the searches they target.
For example, an online furniture business could organize keywords like this:
| Ad Group | Example Keywords |
|---|---|
| Office Chairs | ergonomic office chair, office chair online |
| Dining Tables | dining table, modern dining table |
| Bedroom Furniture | bedroom furniture, bedroom sets |
| Living Room | living room furniture, modern sofas |
| Outdoor Furniture | patio furniture, outdoor seating |
This structure makes campaigns easier to manage and helps maintain relevance between keywords, ads, and landing pages.
The Importance of Negative Keywords
Competitive keyword research can also reveal searches you do not want to target.
Negative keywords can prevent ads from appearing for irrelevant searches.
For example, a company selling premium software might want to avoid traffic associated with:
- Free
- Jobs
- Careers
- Training
- Tutorial
- Download
The appropriate negative keywords depend on the business.
Google’s search terms report can help advertisers identify searches that triggered their ads and find irrelevant terms that may be added as negative keywords.
How to Identify Valuable Competitor Opportunities
Not every competitor keyword deserves your attention.
Prioritize terms using several factors.
Relevance
Does the keyword directly relate to your product or service?
A high-volume keyword that attracts the wrong audience can waste both advertising and content resources.
Search Intent
Determine what the user actually wants.
A commercial search may be more valuable to a business than a broad informational term, depending on its goals.
Competition
Highly competitive keywords can require substantial budgets or significant SEO effort.
Lower-competition long-tail keywords may provide a more realistic starting point.
Conversion Potential
Ask whether someone searching the term could realistically become a customer.
A smaller audience with strong purchase intent can sometimes be more valuable than a huge audience with little commercial intent.
Long-Tail Competitor Keywords
Long-tail keywords are often useful because they are more specific.
Instead of targeting:
insurance
a business might explore:
commercial insurance for electrical contractors
The longer phrase communicates more information about the user’s needs.
Specific searches can help businesses build highly focused landing pages and advertising groups.
Google recommends focusing on high-intent and long-tail keywords that are specific and relevant to the offering.
Measuring Competitor Keyword Performance
Finding keywords is only the beginning.
After launching campaigns or publishing content, measure performance.
Important metrics may include:
- Impressions
- Click-through rate
- Cost per click
- Conversion rate
- Cost per conversion
- Return on ad spend
- Organic traffic
- Engagement
- Leads
- Revenue
A keyword generating thousands of clicks is not necessarily successful if it produces few conversions.
Likewise, a keyword with modest traffic can be extremely valuable if it consistently produces qualified customers.
Use Search Terms to Improve Your Strategy
Your actual search data can reveal opportunities that competitor research cannot.
Google’s search terms reporting shows the searches that triggered ads and can help advertisers discover new keyword ideas, refine match types, and identify irrelevant traffic.
This creates a useful feedback loop:
- Research competitors.
- Build an initial keyword list.
- Launch relevant campaigns.
- Review actual search terms.
- Identify strong opportunities.
- Add relevant keywords.
- Add negative keywords where necessary.
- Improve advertisements and landing pages.
- Measure conversions.
- Repeat the process.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Targeting Every Competitor Keyword
More keywords do not automatically mean better performance.
Focus on terms that are relevant and commercially useful.
Ignoring Search Intent
A keyword may look attractive because of high search volume but still fail to generate useful traffic.
Using Extremely Broad Terms
Broad keywords can attract searches that have little connection to your business.
Forgetting Negative Keywords
Irrelevant searches can consume budget without producing valuable leads.
Focusing Only on CPC
Cost per click matters, but it should not be considered in isolation.
A higher-cost keyword may be worthwhile if it produces valuable conversions.
Never Updating the Keyword List
Markets change, customer behavior changes, and competitors change their offers.
Keyword research should be an ongoing process rather than a one-time task.
Key Points to Remember
- Competitor research can uncover valuable keyword and advertising opportunities.
- SEO and Google Ads use keywords for different purposes.
- Search intent should influence keyword selection.
- Google Keyword Planner provides keyword ideas, search estimates, and advertising cost information.
- Organize related keywords into logical themes and ad groups.
- Use long-tail keywords to target specific customer needs.
- Review search terms to discover new opportunities.
- Negative keywords can help reduce irrelevant paid traffic.
- Do not copy competitors blindly.
- Measure conversions and business results rather than traffic alone.
- Update keyword strategies regularly as market conditions change.
Final Thoughts
Competitor keyword research can provide a useful starting point for improving both SEO and paid search campaigns. By studying the topics, search terms, advertising messages, and customer needs represented in a competitive market, businesses can identify opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked.
Google Keyword Planner provides tools for discovering keywords, reviewing search estimates, examining competition and bid information, and organizing terms into campaign structures.
The most effective approach, however, is not to copy competitors. Instead, use their strategies as market intelligence, combine that information with your own search and conversion data, and build a keyword strategy around relevance and customer intent.
When competitor research, strong advertising, useful landing pages, and ongoing performance analysis work together, keyword targeting becomes much more than a list of search phrases. It becomes a practical way to connect your business with people who are actively looking for what you offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are competitor keywords?
Competitor keywords are search terms that competing businesses may target through organic SEO content or paid advertising. Researching them can help identify new topics, customer needs, and potential marketing opportunities.
2. Can Google Keyword Planner be used for competitor research?
Yes. Google Keyword Planner can generate keyword ideas from keywords or websites and provide information such as estimated searches and advertising costs.
3. Should I bid on my competitor’s brand name?
Brand-related advertising can involve legal, policy, and strategic considerations. Before targeting a competitor’s trademarked terms, review applicable Google Ads policies and trademark rules and consider whether the traffic is likely to produce profitable conversions.
4. What makes a good competitor keyword?
A strong keyword is relevant to your offering, matches the customer’s search intent, has reasonable commercial value, and has a realistic opportunity to generate useful traffic or conversions.
5. How often should competitor keyword research be updated?
There is no single schedule for every business, but reviewing competitive keywords regularly can help identify new opportunities and changes in customer behavior. Search-term performance should also be reviewed continuously once advertising campaigns are running.