# How to Analyse Competitor Paid Media Strategies
In the competitive Australian digital landscape, flying blind with your advertising budget is a recipe for wasted spend. Analysing your competitors' paid media strategies isn't about copying what they do; it’s about identifying gaps in the market, understanding what resonates with your shared audience, and finding ways to outmanoeuvre them for a better Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).
By the end of this guide, you will be able to see exactly what ads your competitors are running, which keywords they are bidding on, and how their landing pages are converting Brisbane locals into customers.
Prerequisites
Before you start, ensure you have the following:- A list of 3-5 direct competitors (those who offer the same service in your area).
- Access to a web browser (Chrome is recommended).
- A spreadsheet (Google Sheets or Excel) to record your findings.
- (Optional) An ABN or business name to search for Australian-specific registrations.
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Step 1: Identify Your True Digital Competitors
Don't just look at the shop down the road. Your digital competitors are those appearing at the top of Google Search and on your Facebook feed for your target keywords. Action: Search for your primary service (e.g., "Plumber Brisbane") in an Incognito window. Note down every business that has the "Sponsored" label above their organic listing. These are your primary paid media competitors.Step 2: Use the Meta Ad Library
Meta (Facebook and Instagram) provides a transparent database of every ad currently running in Australia. This is a goldmine for seeing creative styles and offers. Action: Go to the Meta Ad Library. Select 'Australia' as the location and 'All Ads' as the category. Type in your competitor’s business name.Screenshot Description: You should see a search bar at the top with a grid of active ad tiles below it. Each tile shows the ad's start date, the platforms it's on (FB, IG, Messenger), and the actual image or video used.
Step 3: Analyse Ad Creative and Messaging
Once you are in the Meta Ad Library, look for patterns. Are they using high-quality video or simple static images? Are they leading with a discount (e.g., "$50 off your first service") or a value-based message (e.g., "Brisbane’s most trusted electricians")? Pro Tip: Look for ads that have been running for a long time (more than 3 months). If a business is paying to keep an ad live for months, it is almost certainly performing well and generating a profit.Step 4: Inspect the Google Ads Transparency Center
Google recently launched a tool similar to Meta’s. This allows you to see the Search, Display, and YouTube ads a competitor has run in the last 30 days. Action: Visit the Google Ads Transparency Center. Search by the competitor’s brand name or website URL. Filter by 'Australia' to see local campaigns.Step 5: Reverse-Engineer Their Keyword Strategy
While you can’t see a competitor’s exact Google Ads dashboard, you can use tools like SEMrush or SpyFu (many have free trial versions) to see which keywords they are bidding on. Action: Enter a competitor’s URL into the tool and look for the 'Paid Search' section. Note down the 'Top Keywords'. Are they bidding on "Cheap [Service]" or "Emergency [Service]"? This tells you whether they are targeting price-sensitive or urgency-driven customers.Step 6: Evaluate the Landing Page Experience
Clicking the ad is only half the battle. You need to see where they are sending the traffic. Action: In the Meta Ad Library or Google Transparency Center, click the call-to-action button (e.g., "Learn More") on one of their ads. What to look for:- Does the page look good on a mobile phone?
- Is there a clear contact form or phone button?
- Do they use "social proof" like Google Reviews or Australian trade certifications?
Step 7: Check for Retargeting Pixels
Have you ever visited a website and then seen their ads everywhere for the next week? That’s retargeting. You should check if your competitors are using this sophisticated tactic. Action: Install the 'Meta Pixel Helper' Chrome extension. Visit your competitor’s website. If the extension icon turns blue and shows a number, they are tracking you to show you ads later. If they are doing this and you aren't, they are likely winning more "undecided" customers than you.Step 8: Monitor Ad Frequency and Timing
Check their ads at different times of the week. Some Brisbane businesses only run ads during business hours when they can answer the phone, while others run 24/7 to capture leads overnight.Step 9: Benchmark Your Pricing and Offers
Compile the offers you found in Step 3. If every competitor is offering a "Free Quote and 10% Discount," and you are charging for quotes, you will likely have a lower click-through rate. You don't have to be the cheapest, but you must justify why you are different.Step 10: Document and Action Your Findings
Create a simple SWOT analysis based on your research:- Strengths: What are they doing better than you (e.g., better photography)?
- Weaknesses: Where are they failing (e.g., slow-loading landing pages)?
- Opportunities: Are there keywords they aren't bidding on?
- Threats: Are they aggressively targeting your brand name?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Copying exactly: If you copy their ads, you’ll look like a second-rate version of them. Use their ads as a baseline to do something better.
- Ignoring the Australian context: Ensure you are looking at their Australian ads. Large multinational competitors may run different strategies in the US or UK that don't apply to the Brisbane market.
- Forgetting mobile: Most local service searches in Australia happen on mobile. If your competitor has a great desktop site but a broken mobile site, that is your opportunity to win.
Troubleshooting
- "I can't find any ads for my competitor": They might not be running paid ads currently, or they might be running them under a different legal entity name. Check their website footer for a "Pty Ltd" name and search for that.
- "The Google Transparency Center says 'No ads found'": Not all accounts are verified yet. Try searching for their specific website domain instead of their name.
- "The tools are too expensive": You don't need paid tools to start. The Meta Ad Library and Google Transparency Center are 100% free and provide the most accurate data directly from the platforms.
Next Steps
Now that you know what the competition is doing, it’s time to build a strategy that beats them.- Review your own ad creative—does it stand out against the ones you found?
- Optimise your landing page for mobile users.
- Consider setting up a retargeting campaign if you found your competitors are doing the same.
If you find this process overwhelming or want a professional deep-dive into your specific niche, the team at Local Marketing Group can help. We specialise in helping Brisbane businesses dominate their local market through data-driven advertising.
Contact us today for a comprehensive audit of your digital presence.