Introduction
Let’s talk about the Google Ads Auction Insights Report, shall we?
It’s the sneaky little tool that gives you all the deets on your competitors’ ads.
Oh yes, Google’s auction insights are aware of how often your competitors’ ads appear and even how they position themselves above you.
But fear not, my fellow advertisers, for this report in Google Ads allows us to use the auction insights data for our search and shopping ads too.
The auction insights report in Google Ads tells you how often your ads appear on the same page in search results as your competitors’, and the “position above rate” tells you just how often they were ranked higher in the auction.
Now, why is this important, you may ask?
Well, the auction insights report lets you compare your impressions in the same auction, so you can see how your ads are faring against the competition.
So go ahead, flex those advertising muscles, and use the Google Auction Insights Report to your advantage.
What Is the Google Ads Auction Insights Report?
The Google Ads Auction Insights report is a data-driven analytics tool that provides a holistic view of your ad’s performance in auctions.
It allows advertisers to obtain auction insights and gain useful information about competitors, allowing them to identify opportunities and optimize bidding strategies.
The report analyzes the performance of your ad campaign with respect to other advertisers competing for the same keywords on Google Ads.
Obtaining Auction Data
Google Ads uses a real-time auction to decide which ads will appear each time a user searches a keyword relevant to the advertiser’s business.
The auction determines which ad will appear at the top of the page or at the bottom of the page in the search results. Google Ads identifies an advertiser’s auction status based on their ad rankings in the auction.
Metrics in The Auction Insights Report
The Auction Insights report provides advertisers with essential metrics such as impression share, top-of-page rate, overlap rate, and outranking share.
These metrics allow advertisers to understand their ad campaign’s performance and how frequently their ads are being shown over their competitors’ ads.
Help with Advertising Strategies
By analyzing important metrics such as impression share, top-of-page rate, and outranking share, advertisers can evaluate their ad campaign’s performance and make informed bidding and budget decisions to optimize their advertising strategy.
This ensures that advertisers get more value for their money and that their ads are reaching their target audience at the right time.
How to Use Auction Insights Data?
Google Ads Auction Insights report is a powerful tool that provides advertisers with relevant insights to tweak their advertising strategies.
Here are some things you should consider doing when working with the Auction Insights data:
Find the Auction Insights Report in The Google Ads Account
The Auction Insights report is available in Google Ads accounts. To navigate to the report, select the campaigns or ad groups dropdown in the panel on the left, and then select the auction insights option.
Examples of Insights that Can Be Gained from The Auction Insights Report
Advertisers can use the Auction Insights report to identify their competitors who are participating in the same auction.
The report provides information on your competitor’s ad positioning, ad impression share, and overlap rate, giving you valuable insights on how to structure your advertising campaigns.
Help Identify Competitors
The Auction Insights report provides a wealth of data about your competition in Google Ads auctions. It can help identify competitors in the following ways:
1. Impression Share: The Auction Insights report shows the percentage of impressions your ads received and the percentage of impressions your competitors received. From this data, you can identify your top competitors.
2. Average Position: The Auction Insights report shows the average position your ads appeared in and the average position your competitors’ ads appeared in. From this data, you can identify which competitors are bidding higher than you.
3. Overlap Rate: The Auction Insights report shows how often your ads and your competitors’ ads appear in the same auction. From this data, you can identify which competitors are consistently competing with you for the same ad space.
4. Top of Page Rate: The Auction Insights report shows how often your ads appear at the top of the page and how often your competitors’ ads appear at the top of the page. From this data, you can identify which competitors are competing with you for the top ad positions.
What Metrics Can Help Track Ad Performance in The Auction Insights Report?
1. Impression Share
Impression share is a valuable metric that provides information on the number of times your ad appears in the search results compared to the total number of auctions it could have appeared in.
This means that the impression share rate tells you how often your ad was shown when it had the potential to do so. A higher impression share indicates that your ad has a better chance of being seen and remembered.
2. Top-Of-Page Rate
The top-of-page rate is calculated by dividing the number of times your ad appears above organic search results by your total number of auctions. A higher top-of-page rate means your ad appears at the top of the search results more frequently.
3. Overlap Rate
The overlap rate is the percentage of times your ad overlaps with a competitor’s ad in the same auction. It gives you information on how many of your auctions were outshined in the same auction.
A higher overlap rate shows that your competitors’ ads and yours appear together frequently. By identifying where your ads overlap with your competitors’ ads, you can find opportunities to capture market share.
How Does the Auction Insights Report Help with Ad Position?
1. Outranking Share
The outranking share calculates the percentage of auctions in which your ad ranked higher in the auction than another advertiser’s ad or when your ad showed when yours did not.
It is essential to monitor your outranking share, as it shows when your ads are ranked higher and can be used to guide bidding strategies.
2. Position Above Rate
The position above rate tells you how frequently your ad appears above another advertiser’s ad or in a higher position in the auction.
Using this metric, advertisers can bid more aggressively on keywords where they have a lower position above the rate, allowing them to position their ad above the competitor’s ad and capture more clicks.
3. Absolute Top-Of-Page Rate
The absolute top-of-page rate is the percentage of times your ads are shown at the very top of the first page of search results, above the organic search results.
It can help inform bidding strategies because it indicates how often your ads are shown in the most prominent position. A higher absolute top-of-page rate means your ads are performing well and can help justify a higher bid strategy.
Conversely, a lower absolute top-of-page rate may indicate poor ad performance or stiff competition and may require a more conservative bidding approach.
By monitoring this metric, advertisers can adjust their bidding strategies to ensure their ads achieve optimal visibility and performance.
How Can Auction Insights Help with Search Campaigns?
Best Practices for Using the Auction Insights Report for Search Campaigns
1. Use It to Identify Competitor Strategy: Use the Auction Insights Report to identify which competitors you’re competing against in auctions, and how their ad performance compares to yours.
2. Use It to Inform Your Bidding Strategy: Use the data from the Auction Insights Report to inform your bidding strategy. If you’re consistently being outbid by a competitor, consider increasing your bids or changing your ad copy to be more competitive.
3. Use It to Identify Strengths and Weaknesses: Use the Auction Insights Report to identify your campaign’s strengths and weaknesses compared to your competitors. This can help you make changes to improve your ad’s performance.
4. Use It to Identify New Opportunities: The Auction Insights Report can help you identify new search terms and audiences to target that your competitors may not be targeting.
5. Use It to Monitor Performance Over Time: Use the Auction Insights Report to monitor changes in auction performance over time. This can help you stay ahead of your competitors and adjust your bidding strategy accordingly.
Inform Ad Group and Campaign Optimization
Auction Insights allows you to target specific keyword categories more efficiently, making campaign optimization much more manageable.
With insights about your competition, you can segment your ad groups by target audiences, compare performance across different campaigns, and evaluate keyword effectiveness.
Help with Shopping Ads
Auction Insights can help with shopping ads in the following ways:
1. Identifying Competitors: Auction Insights provides insights on the competitors participating in the auction for the same products. This information can help advertisers create better ad strategies and optimize their bids.
2. Analyzing Performance: By analyzing performance metrics like impression share, average position, and overlap rate, advertisers can identify areas for improvement and optimize their campaigns.
3. Benchmarking: By comparing your performance metrics with those of your competitors, you can identify the areas where your campaigns are lagging and optimize them accordingly.
4. Identifying Trends: By analyzing the Auction Insights data over time, advertisers can identify the trends in the market, such as the competitors who consistently participate in the auction, the seasonal fluctuations in the market, etc., and adapt their campaigns accordingly.
Overall, auction insights can provide valuable insights to advertisers in optimizing their shopping ad campaigns and staying competitive in the market.
Conclusion
Well, well, well, it seems like we’ve come to the end of our journey through the ins and outs of the Google Ads Auction Insights report!
Now, don’t worry if your head is spinning from all the auction insight data we’ve covered. Just remember that this report is the golden ticket to figuring out how your ads are faring in the ad auction.
Speaking of the ad auction, did you know that it decides which ads get shown on the search results page and in what position?
Crazy, right?
But fear not, my dear reader, as your ad campaign can still come out on top if you use the auction insight data to time your ads just right.
Oh, and don’t forget about those shopping ads; they have a special place on the search results page too.
By using the auction insight report, you can increase your chances of getting your ad above the organic search results, which is like getting a front-row seat to the most exclusive show in town.
It’s all about that absolute top-of-page rate!
Keep track of your number of impressions and see how often your ad ranks higher than others, so you can tweak your Google Ads campaign to perfection.
In summary, the auction insight report can help you dominate the search and shopping spheres of the Google Ads account, so use it wisely, my friends!
