What Is Auction Insights?
Also written as auction insights report, competitor report Google Ads, Google Ads competitor data.
Definition
Auction Insights is a Google Ads report that compares your results with other advertisers in the same auctions. It shows who you meet most often and how often you beat them. A store selling running shoes can use it to see which rivals sit above it, and when that changed.
Written by Christopher Krassnig, Founder & CEO of ZenoX Media. Written by the ZenoX team from the accounts we run. Definitions are general; the numbers in examples are maths, not client results.
Auction Insights, Explained
You will find it in your campaign reports. It works for Search, Shopping and Performance Max. In Performance Max, it covers Search and Shopping ads, split by channel.
Search campaigns get six numbers: impression share, overlap rate, position above rate, top of page rate, absolute top of page rate and outranking share. Shopping campaigns get three: impression share, overlap rate and outranking share.
For most stores, the useful question is simple. Did something change? If your sales dip and a rival's impression share jumped in the same week, you have a lead. If nothing moved in the report, look at your own store, stock and price first.
The report shows who you meet in the auction. It does not show their bids, budgets or sales. A rival sitting above you may be losing money on every click. Do not raise bids only to beat a name on a list.
Read it over a few weeks too. One day means little, and Q4 can bring in advertisers you never see the rest of the year.
How We Use It at ZenoX
We use it to explain a change, not to pick a fight. When CPC jumps or sales dip, we check if a new rival showed up or an old one pushed harder. Then we look at price and offer, because that is what wins the shopper.
Questions People Ask About Auction Insights
What Does Auction Insights Show?
It compares you with other advertisers in the same auctions. Search campaigns see impression share, overlap rate, position above rate, top of page rate, absolute top of page rate and outranking share. Shopping campaigns see impression share, overlap rate and outranking share.
Can I See Competitor Bids in Auction Insights?
No. The report shows how often you and other advertisers appear and who ranks higher. It shows no bids, budgets or sales. So do not read a rival's high position as proof that their ads make money.
Related terms
- Impression ShareImpression share is the percentage of impressions your ads got out of the total they could have got.
- ImpressionAn impression is counted each time your ad appears on Google or the Google Network.
- Ad RankAd Rank is the score Google uses to decide if your ad can show and in what order among other ads.
- CPCCPC means cost per click.
Go deeper
On the call, we look at your account live. If we can grow it, we will show you how. If we cannot, we will tell you that too, and point you at someone who can.
We work with brands serious about scale. If that is you, let's talk.
