5 Advanced Google Ads Techniques To Outsmart Your Competitors

In the world of online advertising, everyone’s trying to get ahead. Google Ads can feel like a crowded marketplace, where your competitors are always just a click away. But what if you could do more than just keep up? What if you could outsmart them?

It’s not about magic tricks, but smart, often overlooked strategies that can give you a serious edge. If you’re already familiar with the basics of Google Ads, it’s time to dig a little deeper. Here are five advanced techniques that can help you stand out and bring in better results.

1. Leverage Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA) in Smart Ways

You’ve probably heard of remarketing – showing ads to people who’ve visited your website. But RLSA takes that a step further. It lets you tailor your search ads to people who have already shown interest in your business. This is powerful because these aren’t just random searchers; they’ve already got some idea of who you are.

How to use it to outsmart competitors:

Bid higher for past visitors: If someone has been to your pricing page but didn’t buy, they’re clearly interested. When they search for related terms again, bid more aggressively to make sure your ad is front and centre. They’re closer to converting!
Show different ad copy: For someone who’s already seen your site, you don’t need to introduce yourself. Instead, use ad copy that offers a special discount, highlights a new feature, or addresses a common objection you’ve seen on your site. For example, if they viewed a specific product, your ad could highlight “Still thinking about X? Get it now with free shipping!”
Target competitor search terms with a twist: This is where it gets clever. Create an RLSA audience of your past website visitors. Then, create a search campaign targeting keywords that include your competitors’ brand names. Now, when your past visitors search for your competitors, your ad can show up, offering a compelling reason to come back to you. This is highly effective because you’re reaching an audience that already knows you, even when they’re looking at your rivals.

2. Master Advanced Bidding Strategies Beyond “Maximise Conversions”

While automated bidding strategies like “Maximise Conversions” are great starting points, there’s more to explore for a competitive edge. Google offers various smart bidding strategies that learn and optimise over time, but understanding when and how to use them can make a big difference.

Strategies to consider:

Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): If your goal is to maximise the value of your conversions (e.g., you sell products with different price points), Target ROAS is your friend. Instead of just getting any conversion, it focuses on getting you conversions that bring in the most revenue. This means Google will automatically adjust bids to prioritise higher-value sales, helping you outspend competitors on profitable customers.
Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): If you have a clear idea of what you’re willing to pay for a new lead or customer, Target CPA is excellent. It aims to get you as many conversions as possible at or below your set target cost. This helps you control your spending while still aiming for a high volume of desired actions.
Portfolio Bid Strategies: These allow you to apply a single bidding strategy across multiple campaigns, ad groups, or keywords. This is super helpful for managing complex accounts and ensuring consistent optimisation across related campaigns. For example, you could create a portfolio strategy for all your “high-intent” keywords, ensuring they always get aggressive bids.

The key here is to set up proper conversion tracking and give Google’s algorithms enough data to learn. Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works best for your specific business goals.

3. Unlock the Power of Custom Intent Audiences

Beyond basic keyword targeting, Google Ads allows you to reach people based on their recent online activity, specifically what they’ve been searching for or the websites they’ve visited. This is where Custom Intent Audiences come in. While they’ve been rolled into “Custom Segments” now, the underlying idea is the same: target people showing active intent.

How to use them to outsmart competitors:

Target competitor website visitors (indirectly): While you can’t directly target visitors to a competitor’s site, you can create a Custom Intent audience based on URLs of your competitors’ websites. This tells Google to find users who have recently visited those sites. This way, you can show your ads to an audience already interested in what your competitors offer, but with your compelling message.
Identify specific problems: Instead of just keywords for your solution, think about the problems people search for before they even know about solutions like yours. For example, if you sell project management software, you might create a Custom Intent audience for people searching “how to manage team tasks effectively” or “stop missing project deadlines.” You’re catching them earlier in their journey.
Research competitor messaging: Look at your competitors’ ad copy and landing pages. What unique selling propositions (USPs) do they highlight? What pain points do they address? Use this information to create Custom Intent audiences based on the keywords and URLs related to those USPs and pain points. Then, craft your ad copy to directly counter or improve upon what your competitors are offering.

4. Optimise Ad Copy with Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI) and Ad Customizers

Simply put, Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI) makes your ad copy more relevant by automatically inserting the user’s searched keyword into your ad. Ad Customizers go a step further, letting you dynamically change parts of your ad based on things like location, product availability, or even countdowns to sales.

How to use them to outsmart competitors:

Hyper-relevant ad copy: DKI ensures your headline or description perfectly matches what someone typed. If a competitor has a generic ad, yours will immediately stand out as more relevant. For example, if someone searches for “best waterproof running shoes,” your ad headline could dynamically become “Best Waterproof Running Shoes – Shop Now!”
Personalised offers with customizers: Imagine a competitor has a standard ad, but your ad automatically shows “20% Off [Product Name] – Limited Time!” because you’ve set up an ad customizer. This creates a sense of urgency and direct relevance that generic ads just can’t match. You can customise based on:
- Location: “Best [Product] in [City]”
- Price: “Starting at just $[Price]”
- Stock levels: “Only [Number] Left in Stock!”
Test different messages quickly: With DKI and ad customizers, you can create many ad variations without manually writing each one. This allows you to test different angles and see what resonates most with your audience, giving you data-driven insights faster than your competitors might be gathering.

Important note on DKI: Use it wisely! Ensure the keywords you’re inserting make sense in your ad copy and don’t lead to awkward or irrelevant phrases. Always have a default text in case the keyword is too long or doesn’t fit.

5. Deep Dive into Auction Insights and Competitor Analysis Tools

You can’t outsmart someone if you don’t know what they’re up to. Google Ads’ Auction Insights report is your free window into how you stack up against your rivals. Beyond that, there are some excellent third-party tools that provide even deeper competitive intelligence.

How to use them to outsmart competitors:

Identify your true competitors: Auction Insights shows you who else is bidding on the same keywords as you, how often their ads appear, and where they rank. You might discover competitors you weren’t even aware of.
Spot impression share gaps: If a competitor has a significantly higher “impression share” than you, it means they’re appearing more often for relevant searches. This is a clear signal that you might need to adjust your bids, budget, or ad quality to increase your visibility.
Analyse competitor ad copy and offers: Tools like Semrush, SpyFu, or Ahrefs let you see your competitors’ actual ad copy, their most successful keywords, and even estimated ad spend. Look for:
- Their unique selling propositions (USPs): What are they highlighting? Can you offer something better or different?
- Their calls to action (CTAs): What are they encouraging users to do?
- Their promotions or discounts: Are they consistently running sales?
- Their landing page experience: Click on their ads! Is their landing page clear, fast, and easy to convert on? Learn from their successes and failures.
Find keyword gaps: These tools can also reveal keywords that your competitors are ranking for (both paid and organic) that you aren’t. This is a goldmine for discovering new opportunities to expand your campaigns.

By regularly checking these insights, you can react quickly to competitor moves, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and adjust your strategy to stay ahead.

The Bottom Line: Test, Learn, and Adapt

These advanced techniques aren’t set-it-and-forget-it solutions. The world of Google Ads is always changing, and what works today might need tweaking tomorrow. The real secret to outsmarting your competitors is to:

Be curious: Always be looking for new ways to improve.
Test constantly: Don’t be afraid to try new ad copy, bidding strategies, or audience segments. A/B testing is your best friend.
Analyse data: Google Ads provides a ton of information. Learn to read it and use it to make informed decisions.
Stay agile: The faster you can adapt to changes in the market or your competitors’ strategies, the better your chances of success.

By implementing these advanced Google Ads techniques, you’re not just playing the game; you’re playing to win. Good luck!

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Original Source: https://www.sfdigital.co.uk/blog/5-advanced-google-ads-techniques-to-outsmart-your-competitors/

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