version: "1.0.1" 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

1. Identify target competitors (from user input or industry analysis)
2. Research competitor ad presence across platforms
3. Analyze ad copy, creative, and messaging themes
4. Estimate competitor spend and keyword strategy
5. Identify gaps and opportunities
6. Generate competitive intelligence report

Data Sources

Free Intelligence Sources

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

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 analysis
• COMPETITIVE-GAPS.md — Opportunities identified from competitor analysis
• Strategic recommendations for competitive positioning
• Priority actions to gain competitive advantage