I’m not someone who’s overly competitive. Well, maybe that’s not entirely true. I’m not always competitive. If you were to, say, defeat me in a game of Monopoly on a rainy afternoon, I’d likely just shrug, mutter something about the Parker brothers and their questionable marketing tactics, and then take a nap. Tell me you’re a bigger fan of The Cabin in the Woods than I am, however, and I might get a little riled up. But I digress.
Competitive spirit aside, there’s no denying the impact of a well-crafted competitive ad. And because of the level of control you have with keyword-based advertising—changes to match types aside—Google Ads presents a prime opportunity to get your message in front of your rivals’ potential customers.
This post will begin by briefly explaining the mechanics of competitor targeting on Google Ads. Then, we’ll showcase 11 of the best competitive ads we’ve encountered in Google search results. Want to see how your Google Ads performance stacks up against the competition? Try our free Google Ads Performance Grader!
Using Google Ads for Competitive Advertising
Competitive advertising on Google involves a technique called competitor targeting. The strategy is simple: by targeting a competitor’s brand name as a keyword, you can advertise your business—offering an alternative product or service—whenever someone searches for them on Google.
This isn’t one of the best competitive ads, but you understand the concept.
As you might suspect, running competitive ads on Google is a bit of a gamble. This is because you can never be certain whether a branded search query indicates informational or navigational intent. Informational intent implies the user is simply seeking information, while navigational intent indicates they’re trying to find a particular website.
Take the above screenshot as an example. A user searching “hellofresh” might have heard a podcast ad for the company and is now on Google to learn more. A competitive ad like Home Chef’s could be very effective in this scenario. Since the user isn’t fully committed to HelloFresh, Home Chef can position itself as a viable alternative.
However, it’s also plausible that the searcher is already a HelloFresh customer just using Google to reach the company’s website. In this case, Home Chef has little chance of converting them.
This brings me to a crucial point: be prepared for lower quality scores if you opt for competitive ads on Google. Because many branded queries have navigational intent, your competitor keyword click-through rates—and, consequently, your quality scores—are likely to be lower than average. This is compounded by the fact that you can’t use competitor brand names in your ad copy, further impacting relevance.
But that’s alright! While aiming for high quality scores is generally advisable, it’s not always feasible with competitive ads. Focus instead on writing compelling copy that captures the attention of users with informational intent—it will be worth it.
Let these 11 ads inspire you.
11 Outstanding Competitive Ads Spotted on Google
We’ve compiled examples from both B2C and B2B companies to give everyone some competitive inspiration. We’ll explain exactly what makes each ad so effective.
1. 2Movers vs. U-Haul
The second headline, “No Need to Rent A Truck,” is what makes this ad so effective. 2Movers presents a very tempting value proposition by directly addressing the user’s objective and offering a simpler solution. The inclusion of a low price in the first headline strengthens their offer even further. Anyone who, like me, finds the thought of renting a U-Haul completely unappealing is likely to click this ad immediately.
2. Tuft & Needle vs. Casper
Let’s acknowledge the obvious: I have no idea why Tuft & Needle put their first headline in quotation marks. It’s nonsensical, annoys me to no end, but not enough to disqualify them from this list.
Their second headline is that good. When marketers discuss using headlines to create curiosity gaps, they usually refer to organic search. Tuft & Needle expertly utilizes this technique in their ad. They make their ad far more engaging by claiming to know “the truth” about Casper and implying that it’s related to mattress pricing.
3. Glassdoor vs. Ziprecruiter
Glassdoor’s strategy here is similar to 2Movers’. They mirror the user’s query in the first headline and effectively turn it into a call to action. They then follow up with a straightforward but compelling value proposition: Reach Millions of Job Seekers. This second headline not only makes a strong impression—that’s a sizable pool of job seekers—but also aligns perfectly with the user’s intent, which is to reach potential candidates.
4. Lyft vs. Uber
Like Glassdoor, Lyft seamlessly incorporates the search query into their main CTA: Apply to Become a Lyft Driver. What makes this a fantastic competitive ad, however, is the second headline. People usually choose to drive for companies like Uber and Lyft because they need extra income. Lyft makes a compelling argument for driving with them by including a specific amount of money ($1,500) and a specific timeframe (one month).
5. Pep Boys vs. Meineke
This one is pretty simple: Pep Boys presents an appealing alternative to Meineke by using competitor targeting to promote a limited-time offer. By consistently using the term “tires” throughout their copy, they increase keyword relevance and secure the top sponsored search result.
Another great feature of this competitive ad is the inclusion of a location extension (at the bottom). It’s always a good idea to let users know you can assist them locally, especially when you’re up against a direct competitor.
6. SendinBlue vs. MailerLite
According to Google: “We will review it and may enforce restrictions on the use of the trademark if a trademark owner submits a complaint to Google about the use of their trademark in ads.”
As a result, you are not permitted to use your competitors’ brand names in your ad copy because they will almost certainly report you to Google. SendinBlue, on the other hand, appears unconcerned.
I admire SendinBlue’s directness here: “We’re an alternative to MailerLite, and you can try it right now for $0 per month.” Additionally, this is one of the few instances where I’m impressed by an advertiser’s use of description copy; the ability to send up to 40,000 emails for only $25 per month is very appealing.
Finally, the use of an ad extension to promote a discount on annual plans is a nice touch.
7. Shipt vs. Instacart
When you can fit two value propositions into your headline copy, you know you’ve written a fantastic competitive ad. This is exactly what Shipt accomplishes in their competition with Instacart. As a result, they effectively position themselves as a convenient solution in two distinct use cases with a single ad.
In the first scenario, someone who has put off ordering food for a party or event frantically searches for the first food delivery service that comes to mind: Instacart. Shipt steps in to save the day, prominently displaying their same-day delivery service.
In the second scenario, someone attempting to host a group of people on a budget uses Google to learn more about their options. Once again, Shipt has the ideal solution: free delivery on orders over $35.
8. Sell Back Your Book vs. Chegg
As a recent college graduate, I especially appreciate this Sell Back Your Book competitive ad. The first headline, “We Pay the Shipping,” succinctly and effectively conveys their understanding of the user’s primary pain point. Sell Back Your Book recognizes that students are frequently short on cash—hence the demand for used books in the first place—and makes the ideal money-saving offer: free shipping. Furthermore, the second headline injects some urgency into the copy, informing the user that they can resolve their issue right away.
9. Asana vs. Monday.com
The Asana team, like Tuft & Needle, uses competitive ad copy to pique readers’ interest. It would be one thing to simply state that teams are switching from Monday.com to Asana; it’s quite another to invite users to the Asana website to learn why. This ad has the potential to be extremely influential for high-funnel users who are just getting started with their research.
Asana’s value proposition—All Your Work In One Place—is also far superior to Monday.com’s—Work Better with Monday.com. Regardless of where this particular user is in their customer journey, we know they’re looking for a solution to help them get more organized. Asana’s copywriters appear to be more aware of this.
10. Valvoline vs. Jiffy Lube
This Valvoline ad is yet another excellent example of a straightforward yet effective competitive ad. It’s safe to assume that someone searching for “jiffy lube” is looking for a quick local solution. What better way to pique their interest than with a $25 coupon? The fact that Valvoline has secured the top sponsored position doesn’t hurt either.
Aside from the location extension at the bottom of the ad, I like the second headline: Find A Location Near You. Why? Because it implies a simple but crucial promise: “Click our ad, and we’ll connect you with the most convenient option.”
11. LinkedIn vs. Twitter
It’s always a good idea to end on a meta note, right? In this case, LinkedIn is using a competitive ad to raise awareness among businesses interested in advertising on Twitter. While LinkedIn and Twitter aren’t exactly alike, it’s a safe bet that someone looking to advertise on Twitter might also be interested in LinkedIn advertising.
It’s not revolutionary, but I like the simplicity of using “Grow Your Business” as the core value proposition; I believe it effectively captures the user’s intent. The description does an excellent job of elaborating on that value proposition. LinkedIn emphasizes the size of their user base and the variety of objectives that advertisers can pursue—brand awareness, lead generation, and so on—in their description copy.
Key Takeaway from Running Competitive Ads on Google
As you can see, there are numerous approaches to running competitive ads on Google. What makes your competitive ads successful will be determined by the type of customer you’re targeting, the product or service you’re promoting, and your industry.
However, there is one universal takeaway: the most effective competitive ads are those that closely match the user’s intent and employ compelling copy. You’ll be successful if you write copy that speaks to what the user is attempting to accomplish and gives them a compelling reason to click.
For more tips on competitive advertising, see our post on how to compete in Google Ads without raising bids.