Competitor ad research template for paid ads
Name the competitor, the angle, and the gap — so the ads earn the share, not the copy.
- Meta Ad Library
- Google Ads
- Ahrefs
- Notion
- Google Sheets
Research competitor ads for our CRM category.
- Pulled the competitors6 competitors, 42 ads, Meta + Google
- Named the competitorHubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive — HubSpot runs 18 ads
- Named the angleHubSpot: "free CRM", Salesforce: "#1 CRM", Pipedrive: "easy CRM"
- Named the gapNo competitor runs "onboarding fix" angle — the gap
The research named the competitor (HubSpot 18 ads, Salesforce, Pipedrive), the angle (free, #1, easy), and the gap (no "onboarding fix" angle). The ads shipped with the onboarding angle and earned a 3.2% CTR, up from 1.1% on the prior copy. The template earned the share because it named the competitor, not copied the competitor.
A competitor ad research template is the research that earns the share. It fixes the competitor, the angle, and the gap — so the ads read as a strategy, not a copy. A paid lead who copies the competitor earns the parity; a competitor ad research template that names the competitor and the gap earns the share and the ROAS.
What is a competitor ad research template?
A reusable research shape for the competitor — the competitor, the angle, the gap — that earns the share and the ROAS. The template fixes the shape so the ads read as a strategy, not a copy.
Build the research
- Competitor named — the one rival the ad earns
- Angle named — the one pitch the competitor runs
- Gap named — the one space the competitor leaves
Ship the strategy
- Name the competitor, do not copy the competitor
- One gap per competitor, not five
- Re-run the research monthly
What competitor does a competitor ad research template name?
The one rival the ad earns — the direct, the adjacent, the substitute — that earns the share. The competitor is the part that earns the share, because a paid lead who copies the competitor earns the parity; a paid lead who names the competitor earns the gap.
What angle does a competitor ad research template name?
The one pitch the competitor runs — the price, the feature, the proof — that earns the share. The angle is the part that earns the share, because a competitor without the angle earns the name and loses the share; a competitor with the angle earns the gap.
What gap does a competitor ad research template name?
The one space the competitor leaves — the audience, the offer, the proof — that earns the share. The gap is the part that earns the share, because a competitor without the gap earns the angle and loses the share; a competitor with the gap earns the ROAS.
How the competitor ad research template fits your stack
The agent reads your competitors and the ads, drafts the competitor, the angle, and the gap, and ships the research. It pairs with the creative angle research and the ad copy optimization templates.
- Meta Ad Library
- Google Ads
- Ahrefs
- Notion
- Google Sheets
Who uses this competitor ad research template
- Paid leads
- Name the competitor, do not copy the competitor.
- Growth marketers
- One gap per competitor, not five.
- Founders
- Re-run the research monthly.
How to run this competitor ad research template in Metaflow
Pull the competitors
The ads, the angles, the gaps.
Name the competitor
Agent names the one rival.
Name the angle
The one pitch the competitor runs.
Name the gap
The one space the competitor leaves.
What you provide
- Competitor ads
- SERP
- Landing pages
What you get back
- Competitor research
- Competitor named
- Angle named
- Gap named
Why use this competitor ad research template?
Names the competitor, does not copy the competitor
One gap per competitor, not five
Re-runs monthly, not once
Pairs with the creative angle and ad copy templates
Competitor ad research template FAQs
How do you research competitor ads?
Name the one competitor, the one angle, and the one gap. The research reads as a strategy, not a copy, which is why the ads earn the share, not the parity.
What is competitor ad research?
The research that earns the share — the competitor, the angle, the gap. A paid lead who copies the competitor earns the parity; a paid lead who names the competitor and the gap earns the share and the ROAS.
How do you find gaps in competitor ads?
Name the one space the competitor leaves — the audience, the offer, the proof. A competitor without the gap earns the angle and loses the share; a competitor with the gap earns the ROAS, because the gap is what earns the share.
What makes competitor ad research convert?
A competitor that earns the share, an angle that earns the gap, and a gap that earns the ROAS. The research that copies earns the parity; the research that names the competitor earns the share.
Similar Google Ads and Meta Ads templates
Key takeaways
- Names the competitor, does not copy the competitor
- One gap per competitor, not five
- Re-runs monthly, not once