| name | ads competitor |
| description | Competitor ad intelligence analysis across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Microsoft. Analyzes competitor ad copy, creative strategy, keyword targeting, estimated spend, and identifies competitive gaps and opportunities. Triggers on: "competitor ads", "ad spy", "competitive analysis", "competitor PPC", "ad intelligence", "competitor research"
|
/ads competitor — Competitive Ad Intelligence
Cross-platform competitor advertising analysis and gap identification.
Usage
/ads competitor
/ads competitor --competitors "acme.com, rival.com"
Process
- Identify target competitors (from user input or industry analysis)
- Research competitor ad presence across platforms
- Analyze ad copy, creative, and messaging themes
- Estimate competitor spend and keyword strategy
- Identify gaps and opportunities
- Generate competitive intelligence report
Data Sources
Free Intelligence Sources
| Source | Platform | What You Can Find |
|---|
| Google Ads Transparency Center | Google | Active ads, formats, geo targeting |
| Meta Ad Library | Meta/Instagram | All active ads, creative, copy, spend range |
| LinkedIn Ad Library | LinkedIn | Active ads from company pages |
| TikTok Creative Center | TikTok | Top ads, trending creative, hashtags |
| Microsoft Ads | Microsoft | Limited — use auction insights |
Google Ads Auction Insights
Available from the user's own Google Ads account:
- Impression share vs competitors
- Overlap rate (how often you compete)
- Outranking share (who wins more often)
- Top of page rate and absolute top of page rate
Platform-Specific Research
Google
- Ads Transparency Center: search by advertiser name or domain
- Search for competitor brand terms to see their ads live
- Auction Insights for impression share comparison
Meta
- Ad Library: filter by advertiser, country, platform (FB/IG), date range
- Shows creative (image/video), ad copy, active dates
- Shows platform placement (Facebook, Instagram, Audience Network)
LinkedIn
- Ad Library: search by company name
- Shows Sponsored Content, Message Ads
- Limited data compared to Meta Ad Library
TikTok
- Creative Center: top-performing ads by industry, country, objective
- Hashtag analytics: trending sounds and hashtags
- No per-advertiser library — use Creative Center for industry trends
Competitive Analysis Framework
1. Ad Copy Analysis
For each competitor, document:
- Headlines: primary messages and value propositions
- CTAs: what action they're driving
- Offers: pricing, discounts, free shipping, trials
- Tone: professional, casual, urgent, educational, emotional
- USPs: unique selling propositions they emphasize
- Pain points: customer problems they address
2. Creative Strategy Analysis
- Formats used: image, video, carousel, collection, document
- Visual style: photography, illustration, UGC, stock, branded
- Video approach: studio quality vs UGC vs animated
- Creative volume: how many active ads (indicator of testing velocity)
- Refresh frequency: how often new creatives appear
3. Messaging Themes
| Theme | Competitor A | Competitor B | Your Brand |
|---|
| Price/Value | Primary | Secondary | ? |
| Quality/Premium | -- | Primary | ? |
| Speed/Convenience | Secondary | -- | ? |
| Trust/Authority | Primary | Primary | ? |
| Innovation | -- | Secondary | ? |
4. Keyword Intelligence (Google/Microsoft)
- Brand keyword bidding: are competitors bidding on your brand?
- Keyword overlap: which non-brand terms do you both target?
- Keyword gaps: terms competitors rank for that you don't target
- Match type strategy: estimated match types from ad triggers
5. Spend Estimation
- Meta Ad Library shows spend ranges for political/social ads
- Google Auction Insights + impression share = directional spend estimate
- Manual estimation:
Estimated Monthly Spend = Impressions x CPM / 1000
Gap & Opportunity Identification
Platform Gaps
- Which platforms are competitors NOT on? (opportunity to own)
- Which platforms are they underspending on? (opportunity to outspend)
Messaging Gaps
- What customer pain points are NO competitors addressing?
- What value propositions are underrepresented in the market?
- What content formats are competitors not using?
Audience Gaps
- What demographics/segments are competitors not targeting?
- What geographic markets are underserved?
- What funnel stages are competitors neglecting?
Competitive Response Strategy
When Competitors Bid on Your Brand
- Always run brand campaigns to defend (low CPC, high CTR)
- Dynamic keyword insertion to show your brand prominently
- Sitelinks to key pages (pricing, features, reviews)
- Ad copy that emphasizes unique differentiators
When You're Outspent
- Focus on efficiency over volume (better targeting, creative, landing pages)
- Target long-tail keywords competitors ignore
- Use Exact match for precision (less waste)
- Double down on retargeting (lower CPA than prospecting)
- Compete on creative quality, not budget
Output
Deliverables
COMPETITOR-INTELLIGENCE-REPORT.md — Full competitive analysisCOMPETITIVE-GAPS.md — Opportunities identified from competitor analysis- Strategic recommendations for competitive positioning
- Priority actions to gain competitive advantage
