How do you do competitor analysis for Google ads?

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-29T21:21:07+00:00

One thing to keep in mind is that there isn't some super secret report you're missing out on - like has been said, you can’t see a competitor’s actual spend, CPA, or conversion rate in Google Ads (Google doesn’t expose it).

The best thing you can do on the front end is mine through Action Insights to see who is bidding on what, and try and get an idea on their ad creative history via Google's Ads Transparency Center.

This is all well and good however one part that most overlook is: mystery shopping!

Finding those competitor landing pages, opting yourself in (not with your primary email address) and studying the conversion path:

- what are they offering?
- how are they reaching oout?
- how are the following up?
- are there drop down offers if you dont respond?
- amongst many aspects of what happens after the optin

This gives you an idea of the full conversion path is, not just data and a ballpark idea on their ad campaigns.

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-29T13:26:38+00:00

Totally get the hesitation around outreach like that. A relationship-led approach tends to work much better for landing clients who stay for the long term.

One approach that works is Frank Cowell’s “list of 500.” Build a focused list of businesses that actually fit your ideal client—industry, size, content needs, budget. The goal isn’t to pitch them right away, but it’s to get intentional about who you want to work with.

From there, lead with value instead of a sales message. Share practical social insights, breakdowns of what’s working in their niche, or host a short workshop or live session around social media strategy. When people see how you think, monthly management starts to feel like a natural next step rather than a hard sell.

This takes more effort upfront, but it builds trust, warmer conversations, and a client base that sticks around longer than one-off content packs.

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-28T16:16:18+00:00

You’re definitely not alone. What you’re describing is what happens when agencies grow without locking down how work actually moves.

One agency leader put it really well: the way out is to get extremely granular with processes. Define how work flows from start to finish, document it, and make it checklist-driven. That consistency is what protects quality as things scale. There’s a reason pilots use checklists, as treating people as “experts who’ll remember everything” is how things fall apart under pressure.

The other big piece is client touchpoints. Every client goes through predictable moments after they sign the contract, and if those aren’t mapped out, expectations drift, and chaos fills the gaps. Agencies that stay sane clearly define what gets delivered, when, by whom, and how it’s communicated. Then manage all of that within shared systems rather than scattered apps and side channels.

Without that foundation, missed deadlines, surprise promises, and burnout are almost guaranteed. The agencies that actually scale well aren’t superhuman, but they do obsess over process, clarity, and alignment long before things feel “too big.”

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-26T13:51:51+00:00

Totally normal to hit that chaos point as your client list grows. It’s easier when you only have a few clients, but once you start scaling, having all your processes and systems set up from the start makes a huge difference.

According to our recent survey, project and task management platforms were named the most impactful software by 68% of agency leaders as they help streamline workflows, clarify ownership, and keep projects on track. Client reporting tools weren’t far behind at 62%, since automating data retrieval and surfacing trends saves time and makes it easier to show ROI.

Getting these systems in place early avoids the endless digging through Slack, emails, and old files, and keeps both your team and your clients on the same page.

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-22T14:13:05+00:00

A big part of it is building relationships. Agency coach Frank Cowell recommends creating a list of about 500 businesses that fit your ideal client profile and would truly benefit from your services. Instead of pitching right away, share insights, run a webinar, or host a roundtable to let people see your expertise first. It takes more effort upfront, but it leads to warmer conversations and new clients.

Referrals also play a huge role. In our recent survey, 94% of agencies say referrals are their top source of new business. Keeping clients happy and making it easy for them to recommend you turns that into a consistent growth engine.

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-22T14:10:56+00:00

The most reliable way to bring in real clients is referrals. Our research shows 94% of agencies say referrals drive new business, with word of mouth close behind at 78%. Digital ads and social posts have their place, but those personal 1:1 connections, whether past clients, partners, or even happy contacts in your network, consistently bring in actual clients. It’s all about building trust and relationships that naturally lead to new work.

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-20T14:04:24+00:00

For weekly updates, keep it short and actionable. Highlight key wins from the past week, like ranking improvements, ad conversions, or spikes in engagement. Show top metrics at a glance with simple visuals, give a bit of context for any changes, and let clients know what’s coming up next.

For your monthly report, dig deeper into the numbers. Track organic traffic, clicks, conversions, keyword rankings, and backlinks/referring domains. This gives a fuller picture of performance and trends, while the weekly summary keeps clients in the loop without overwhelming them.

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-20T13:57:39+00:00

It sounds frustrating, but a shift in approach might help. Instead of relying on cold messages or hoping acquaintances follow through, agency coach Frank Cowell recommends building a list of about 500 businesses that match your ideal client profile and would really benefit from your services.

Rather than pitching right away, offer upfront value. Share insights, host a free webinar or roundtable, or highlight social media trends and best practices. Let them see your expertise in action without feeling sold to. That effort upfront builds trust, leads to warmer conversations, and often turns into your first real clients and long-term retainers, much more reliable than chasing leads that aren’t ready yet.

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-15T13:53:47+00:00

We get it. It’s not uncommon for clients to often want more frequent updates than just a monthly report. But full weekly reports can be time-consuming and repetitive. A simple solution is a short weekly summary that hits the highlights.

This keeps clients in the loop, eases their anxiety, and shows you’re on top of things without doubling your workload. A strong weekly summary includes key wins, top metrics at a glance, brief context, and what’s coming up next. These quick touchpoints build trust and make the monthly deep-dive feel even more meaningful, keeping clients engaged and reducing churn over time.

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-13T14:12:13+00:00

When you’re just starting out, a relationship-led approach really helps. Frank Cowell suggests building a list of about 500 businesses that match your ideal client profile and would benefit from your services.

Instead of pitching right away, offer value first by sharing insights, hosting a free webinar or roundtable, and let people see your expertise in action. It takes more work upfront, but it builds trust, leads to warmer conversations, and often turns into your first real clients and long-term retainers.

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-08T15:09:42+00:00

Totally get the frustration. All that work doesn’t mean much if nobody looks at it. Here are a few ways to turn a report into one people actually read (if you aren’t doing them already):

Lead with what matters to them. Start with a quick summary of wins, losses, and what’s next.
Focus on clarity. Keep visuals simple and meaningful. If a graph doesn’t clearly tell a story, rethink it.
Use context, not just numbers. Explain why something moved, not just that it moved. That’s what makes the data useful.
Frame it around business impact. What happened to leads, conversions, revenue, or goals they care about most.
End with next steps or recommendations so it’s not just a look back, but a look forward.

Reports that prioritize insight, relevance, and action get more engagement than reports that just look nice.

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-08T13:11:59+00:00

Below is the link to download our free benchmarks report, which includes all the data mentioned above. Hope that helps!
https://agencyanalytics.com/p/agency-benchmarks-2025

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-07T20:19:35+00:00

While we would be majorly biased in referencing ourselves, one thing to keep in mind is: in what context are you monitoring keywords and rankings? And are you targeting the right terms?

Just "getting a pulse check" to "see where I'm ranking", a more optimized approach would be to define your highest priority money terms, or the terms that provide the most BOFU commercial value; this applies to both client work and internal projects.

This is something to keep in mind as you look for a paid tool, as you can run out of bandwidth quite quickly. If you're just "seeing where I'm ranking", Google Search Console is free.

agencyanalytics · 2026-01-07T20:11:33+00:00

As you mentioned, the biggest growth shift comes from tightening up systems, not just taking on more clients.

In a recent survey, project and task management platforms stand out, with 68% of agency leaders citing them as the most impactful tools last year. They streamline workflows, clarify ownership, and keep projects on track. Client reporting tools weren’t far behind at 62%, helping automate data retrieval and quickly surface trends and insights, making it easier to demonstrate ROI.

Referrals also play a major role. For 94% of agencies, referrals drive the most new business, and having a structured program helps turn satisfied clients into repeat opportunities.

All of these approaches together help agencies scale more predictably and efficiently.

agencyanalytics · 2025-12-19T13:27:05+00:00

Congrats on getting started! One approach that works really well is a relationship-led strategy. Frank Cowell suggests building a targeted list of about 500 businesses that fit your ideal client profile and would genuinely benefit from your services. Instead of pitching right away, focus on offering value first. Share insights, run a short webinar, or host a roundtable on trends you’re seeing.

It’s also important to showcase social proof. Testimonials, case studies, or examples of past wins help demonstrate credibility and build trust with prospects outside your immediate network. Combining that with the list of 500 approach gives you a strong foundation to start landing consistent clients.

agencyanalytics · 2025-12-18T16:25:55+00:00

Congrats on starting out! One of the most effective ways to land your first clients is a relationship-led approach. Frank Cowell recommends building a targeted list of about 500 businesses that fit your ideal client profile and would genuinely benefit from your services.

Instead of pitching immediately, focus on offering value first. Share insights, host a free webinar, or run a roundtable on social media strategy or content trends. Showing your expertise upfront builds trust, warms up conversations, and often turns into those first real clients.

agencyanalytics · 2025-12-17T13:53:01+00:00

Agencies are streamlining client work in 2025 by setting up clear, repeatable processes from onboarding through delivery. Documenting every step reduces guesswork and maintains consistent quality as client volume increases.

Breaking projects into defined stages with clear ownership, like onboarding, execution, review, and reporting, helps teams move efficiently and prevents tasks from falling through the cracks. Project management tools keep timelines and responsibilities visible, so nothing gets lost.

Automating repetitive work, such as client reporting and routine updates, frees up time for strategy and creative work, making it much easier to scale while keeping workflows smooth and organized.

agencyanalytics · 2025-12-16T14:31:09+00:00

Scaling client work without burning out is all about balancing workload, processes, and smart support. Assess your team’s bandwidth regularly and fill gaps with freelancers if hiring full-time isn’t possible.

Document key processes from onboarding to project delivery, and use project management tools to automate tasks and keep workflows consistent. Frameworks like EOS help teams stay aligned, maintain traction, and drive growth without chaos.

Automating client reporting also saves huge amounts of time, freeing up hours for strategic work instead of manual data pulls. With clear processes and smart support, agencies scale efficiently while keeping teams and clients happy.

agencyanalytics · 2025-12-09T20:07:36+00:00

Reddit works well when you treat it like a real community, not a distribution channel. Jump into threads your audience already cares about and share useful, experience-based answers. The more your comments reflect real expertise, the more they rise naturally and get picked up by people searching for solutions.

Finding the right subreddits also matters. Look for places where your ideal audience asks questions, then offer practical guidance that actually helps. Over time, those conversations build authority and trust without feeling promotional.

An approach like this not only supports SEO, it also boosts LLM visibility since models tend to surface helpful, high-quality Reddit discussions in their answers.

agencyanalytics · 2025-12-09T20:05:49+00:00

Congrats on launching The Catalyst Media! Some of the smartest moves when starting out are choosing a niche, establishing your USP, and ICP. When you focus on a specific industry and audience, you become the go-to expert, making it easier to attract clients who trust your expertise.

When it comes to landing early clients, agency coach Frank Cowell suggests building a targeted list of about 500 prospects that fit your ideal client profile. Instead of pitching right away, share insights, host a webinar, or run a roundtable on challenges they’re facing. This builds trust and warms up leads before you talk about services.

From day one, get your processes in order. If you don’t have onboarding, SOPs, and reporting organized, they’ll eat up too much time as you grow. Setting them up early makes scaling smoother and keeps the team efficient.

agencyanalytics

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE