Auction Insights

What is Auction Insights?

The Auction Insights report shows you which other advertisers participate in the same ad auctions as you. You don't see their bids or budgets, but meaningful comparison metrics at campaign, ad group, or keyword level.

Which Metrics Does the Report Include?

• Impression share: How often does each participant appear relative to possible impressions?
• Overlap rate: How often does a competitor appear at the same time as you?
• Position above rate: How often does the competitor rank above you when you both appear?
• Top of page and absolute top of page rate: How often do ads appear at the very top of the page?
• Outranking share: How often do you rank better than the competitor?

How to Use Auction Insights Properly

The report helps you spot changes in competition: if your CPC suddenly rises, check whether a new bidder has entered aggressively. It's also invaluable for brand campaigns. You immediately see who is bidding on your brand name.

Pro Tip: Monitor Auction Insights over time instead of as a snapshot. Segment the report by month. This way you spot seasonal patterns and new competitors early.

Further resources

• Analyzing Google Ads reports
• 20 Google Ads optimization strategies
• Brand campaign vs. non-brand