Auction Insights Visualizer for Google Ads

How to use the auction insights visualizer

This auction insights visualizer turns the table Google Ads gives you into competitor charts, a month-by-month trend and a list of who joined or left your auctions. The six statistics follow Google's Use auction insights to compare performance page. Google's screen shows one date range at a time; segment the download by month or week and this page lines the periods up for you.

1. Download the report. In Campaigns, tick your Search or Shopping campaigns, click Auction insights, add a time segment (week or month) and click the download icon. Excel CSV, TSV, XLSX and Google Sheets files all work.
2. Drop the file in. The title and date rows on top are skipped. Columns are matched by name, so a report in another layout still works.
3. Check the columns. Domain and impression share are needed. The other statistics, the time segment, device and campaign are used when present.
4. Read the charts. “What stands out” names the rival that overlaps with you most, the one that sits above you most often and the one you rarely beat.
5. Download. Take the competitor summary and the trend table to Sheets or a client report.

How the numbers are handled

Google shows “< 10%” instead of a number when a value is under 10%. The API writes the same thing as 0.0999. Neither is turned into a made-up figure. A competitor that is under 10% in every row shows “< 10%”. One that is under 10% in only some rows shows the average of its other rows plus a count, such as “45% (1 of 3 rows; 2 < 10%)”, and is left out of the charts for that statistic. Files exported as fractions (0.45) are read as 45%, column by column.

The export has no impression counts, so every average here is a simple average of your rows. When a file is split by time and by device or campaign, a period's value averages its devices or campaigns, and the table title says so. Your own impression share is shown as a range when it covers several rows.

What to do next in Google Ads

1. Find out why you lose auctions. Click the columns icon, open Competitive metrics and add Search lost IS (budget) and Search lost IS (rank). Google's impression share data page explains both: one counts auctions missed for lack of budget, the other auctions missed because of a low Ad Rank.
2. Check keyword quality. If a rival sits above you more and more often, review the Quality Score parts of your top keywords. A weak landing page or ad text can cost position whatever the bid.
3. Compare devices. Segment auction insights by device. A competitor may push hard on mobile only.
4. Watch new entrants. A domain that appeared this month with fast-rising impression share is worth a look: search your own keywords and study their ads and offer.
5. Make it a habit. Save the report in Google Ads and schedule it, then run each new download through this page.

Common auction insights problems

No auction insights report for my keyword or ad group

Google only builds the report for keywords, ad groups and campaigns that pass a minimum activity threshold. Pick a longer date range, or move up from keyword to ad group or campaign.

Values show “< 10%”

The report gives no exact numbers below 10% for impression share and outranking share. The visualizer keeps these cells as “< 10%”, counts them next to any average, and ranks them below every real number — so a rival you outrank less than 10% of the time is the one named as the rival you outrank least.

Position above and top of page rates are missing

That is normal for Shopping and Performance Max. Google reports only impression share, overlap rate and outranking share there. With a mix of campaign types selected, choose Search campaigns or Shopping campaigns in the drop-down before you download.

google.com appears as a competitor

This can happen when you use Google-hosted domains or a Business Profile, or when a rival's landing page is a Google Site. It does not mean Google is bidding against you.

Numbers differ from the campaign's impression share column

Auction insights leave out very low-impression auctions, and search partners are not included at all. Small differences from the campaign table are expected.