PPC competitor research

Tools such as Semrush Advertising Research specifically expose competitor paid keywords and historical changes, including keywords competitors have started or stopped bidding on.www.semrush.com+1

Important: competitor keyword data is directional, not ground truth. A competitor bidding on a keyword doesn't mean it's profitable for you.

3. Find the gaps

Create a simple matrix:

Look especially for keywords that are:

Competitor-heavy + commercially relevant + affordable enough to test.

Also look at position changes. A competitor suddenly adding many keywords can reveal a new product, offer, or strategic focus.www.semrush.com+1

4. Expand those keywords with Google Keyword Planner

Put the promising terms into Google Ads Keyword Planner.

It provides keyword ideas plus estimates of search volume and advertising costs.support.google.com

Don't just search for synonyms. Expand around intent:

• Problem: how to reduce X
• Solution: X software
• Category: project management software
• Commercial: best project management software
• Transactional: project management software pricing
• Alternative: asana alternatives
• Competitor: asana pricing
• Feature: project management software gantt chart

That gives you a much more useful competitive map than simply copying competitor keywords.

5. Group keywords by intent, not just wording

For paid search, I would generally structure your research into buckets such as:

High intent

• [product] pricing
• buy [product]
• [product] demo
• [product] quote
• [competitor] alternative

Commercial research

• best [product]
• [product] comparison
• [product] reviews
• [product] for [industry]

Problem-aware

• how to solve [problem]
• [problem] software
• [problem] solution

Brand

• Your brand
• Competitor brands
• Brand + product/service terms

The intent classification is crucial because a high-volume keyword with weak buying intent can be far less valuable than a lower-volume query from someone ready to purchase. Semrush likewise recommends aligning PPC keywords with search intent rather than selecting terms solely on volume.www.semrush.com+1

6. Turn competitor messaging into your own messaging

This is where competitive research becomes much more valuable.

For each competitor, create a messaging matrix:

Then ask:

What promise are all competitors making—and what important promise are they NOT making?

For example, if everyone says:

"The easiest platform"

you might differentiate around:

"The platform built for teams with complex workflows."

Don't simply reproduce their headlines. Use the competitive landscape to identify positioning gaps.

7. Use competitor terms carefully

Competitor-brand searches can be valuable, but treat them as a distinct campaign or ad group.

For example:

• [competitor] alternative
• [competitor] vs [your brand]
• [competitor] pricing
• [competitor] reviews

These searches can have extremely strong intent, but your landing page and ad need to provide a compelling reason to switch.

Also be careful about trademark and advertising policies in your jurisdiction/platform before using competitors' names in ad copy.

8. Feed your actual search data back into the research

This is the step many competitive-research workflows miss.

After launching, examine your Search Terms data. Google specifically recommends using it to identify searches that triggered your ads, add relevant opportunities, and add irrelevant searches as negative keywords.support.google.com

Create three buckets:

Promote

• Converting searches
• High-value commercial intent
• Good engagement

Investigate

• Lots of clicks but few conversions
• Unexpected search intent
• Potential new keyword themes

Exclude

• Irrelevant products
• Informational-only searches
• Job seekers
• Free/DIY searches, if inappropriate
• Unqualified audiences

This creates a loop:

Competitor research → keyword testing → search-term data → new keywords/negatives → better targeting → better competitor research.

9. Score opportunities instead of chasing volume

A simple scoring model can make your research much more actionable:

Opportunity Score = Intent × Relevance × Competitive Gap × Economics

Rate each from 1–5.

For example:

This prevents your team from automatically prioritizing the keywords with the biggest search volume.

A practical research stack

I'd use:

1. Google Ads Keyword Planner — demand, keyword ideas, and cost estimates.support.google.com
2. Your Google Ads Search Terms report — what your own customers are actually searching.support.google.com
3. Competitor paid-search research — competitor keywords, ads, landing pages, and historical changes. Semrush is one example.www.semrush.com+1
4. Auction/competitive reporting in your ad platform — who you're actually encountering in auctions.
5. Your conversion data/CRM — ultimately determine which keywords produce revenue, not merely clicks.

The key principle

Don't ask "Which keywords are my competitors bidding on?"

Ask:

"Which valuable customer intents are competitors targeting, which ones are they neglecting, and where can we win with a better combination of keyword + message + landing page?"

That shift turns competitive keyword research from a keyword-collection exercise into an actual paid-search strategy.www.semrush.com+1

To help me narrow down the exact tool stack for you, tell me:

• What advertising platform(s) are you focusing on (Google Ads, Meta, Amazon, etc.)?
• What is your primary goal right now (finding low-cost keywords, spying on competitors, or scaling budget)?
• What is your approximate monthly tool budget?