Use SpyFu and SEMrush to discover the keywords your competitors are hiding and dominate Google Ads with this free tool.
Have you ever wondered why some competitor pages always appear first? It’s not magic or a dark pact. It’s simply that they’ve done a much smarter keyword research. Not long ago I came across a case study of an SME that crushed it simply by looking at what others were doing.
The strategy didn’t focus on guessing, but on analyzing. They used tools to spy, legally, on the neighbor’s garden. And the results were evident within months. Their organic traffic skyrocketed.
This shows that the work of Google Keyword Planner is vital, but not enough on its own. The real game is in combining several data sources. The secret lies in not underestimating the power of competitive intelligence.
The harsh reality about your Google Ads Keyword Planner
Everyone talks about the Google Ads Keyword Planner as the ultimate tool. And yes, it’s great for getting ideas and seeing search volumes. But it has a huge blind spot: it only shows you Google data, not what actually works for your direct competition.
It’s like trying to win a race by only looking at your own car. You also need to see your rival’s car, their speed through the curves, and their braking strategy. The Planner gives you the fuel, but not the track map.
That’s why relying only on this tool can lead you down a dead end. You may be investing time and money in keywords that are highly competitive or that simply don’t convert as well as others your competitors are already using successfully.
How to search for keywords on Google Ads from your rivals
This is where things get interesting. Searching for keywords on Google Ads from the competition used to be a well-kept secret. Today, thanks to tools like SpyFu or SEMrush, it’s much more transparent than you think.
These platforms let you enter the URL of any website and return a detailed report. They show you which keywords they’re ranking for organically and, what’s juicier, which terms they’re investing money in for paid advertising. It’s a goldmine of information.
You’ll see exactly which terms are generating traffic and conversions for them. If they’re paying for a keyword, it’s because it’s giving them a positive return. It’s instant, free market validation for you.
The free keyword research tool you weren’t expecting
I know what you’re thinking: “SpyFu and SEMrush are expensive.” You’re right, their full plans are. But both have free versions or trials that offer more than enough information to get started. You enter a domain and see a summary of their main keywords.
Another undervalued free keyword research tool is Google itself. Search for your main competitors and look at the featured snippets they have. Those are keywords they’re ranking very high for.
Also pay attention to “People also ask.” Those questions are real search terms that people use. They’re golden opportunities to create long-tail content that directly answers those queries.
Integrate everything into your how to search for keywords for Google
The final step is to merge all this information. Your process of how to search for keywords for Google can no longer be linear. It must be a virtuous circle: use Google’s Planner to get a broad database, then go to the spying tools to filter and prioritize based on what works.
Take your competitors’ keyword list and put it into the Google Keyword Planner. Analyze their search volume and competition. This will help you identify hidden gems: terms with good volume and low competition that others have already validated.
Finally, don’t forget about search intent. There’s no point in ranking first for a word if the user searching for it wants something different. Read your competition’s content for that keyword and outdo them. Offer more value, more data, or a better experience.
In the end, it’s about working smart, not just hard. The market is already giving you the clues about what works. You just have to pay attention to them and act accordingly.
