A Google Ads feature that breaks down an ad’s share of impressions, average position, and other metrics against other advertisers who entered the same auction.
Advertisers reading competitive advertising performance data within Google Ads reports.
01What it is and how it works
When a user searches, Google runs an auction among eligible advertisers. Each ad gets a quality score and a bid; the system calculates an ad rank. Auction Insights pulls the final auction data and groups it by competitor. The report then shows percentages for impression share, average position, overlap, and outranking. It works one level below the ad rank calculation, giving you a view of the competitive landscape for each keyword or ad group.
It tells you how often you showed up next to other advertisers and how you compare on key performance numbers.
02What to do about it
1. Open the Auction Insights tab for a high‑spending keyword. 2. Filter to competitors with >10% impression share. 3. Identify any that consistently outrank you. 4. Raise your bid, improve ad relevance, or add ad extensions to boost quality score. 5. Schedule a weekly check and adjust bids only for the top three rivals. Doing this this week can lift your average position by a few spots without blowing the budget.
03How it is measured or noticed
The report shows five core columns: Impression share, Average position, Overlap rate, Outranking share, and Top of page rate. Impression share is the ratio of impressions you received to the total eligible impressions. Overlap rate tells you how often your ad and a competitor’s ad appeared together. You can spot trends by exporting the data to a spreadsheet and charting changes over 30‑day windows.
04Common mistakes
- Assuming a higher impression share always means better ROI – it can be costly if the traffic is low‑intent.
- Changing bids based on a single day’s data – fluctuations are normal; use a 2‑week average.
- Ignoring the “Top of page rate” column – you may be winning impressions but never appearing above the fold.
05Limits
Auction Insights only includes competitors who participated in the same auction and met the minimum data threshold (usually 1% impression share). It does not cover organic search results, brand‑search impressions, or display network auctions. The report can be confused with the “Search Terms” report, which shows the actual queries that triggered your ads, not the competitive metrics.
06Worked example
"For the keyword ‘running shoes’, our Auction Insights showed a 45% impression share, 2.3 average position, and a 30% overlap with Competitor A. After raising the bid by 10% and adding a structured snippet, our average position dropped to 1.8 and impression share rose to 52% within two weeks."
Frequently asked questions
How does Auction Insights differ from the Search Terms report?
It depends on the focus of each report. Auction Insights shows how your ads performed relative to other advertisers in the same auction, while the Search Terms report lists the actual queries that triggered your ads. They serve different purposes for optimizing bidding and keyword selection.
Should I use Auction Insights for every campaign or only for certain ones?
Usually, you should prioritize campaigns that have significant spend or impression share. For low‑budget campaigns the data may not meet the minimum threshold, making the report less useful. Applying it to high‑impact campaigns gives clearer competitive insights.
How is the Overlap rate calculated in Auction Insights?
It is calculated by dividing the number of auctions where both you and a competitor appeared by the total auctions you participated in. The metric shows how often you share the same impression opportunities with that competitor. A higher overlap indicates more direct competition for the same queries.
Does Auction Insights still work after the recent Google Ads UI updates?
Yes, the core functionality remains the same despite UI changes. The report still provides the five core columns and the same eligibility thresholds. You may just need to navigate to a slightly different menu path to access it.
What are the consequences of ignoring a low outranking share in Auction Insights?
You may notice a decline in overall impression share as competitors capture more top positions. Over time this can increase your cost per click and reduce ad visibility. Monitoring and adjusting bids or ad quality can help improve your outranking share.
How long does it take for a new competitor to appear in the Auction Insights report?
Typically, a new competitor appears after they have met the minimum 1% impression share threshold in the same auction. This can take a few days of consistent activity. Until that threshold is reached, the competitor will not be listed.
Asked out loud
spoken, not typedThe same term in the words somebody uses speaking to an assistant rather than typing into a box — written from the situation, which is why each one carries the situation it came from.
Usually, the top‑of‑page rate column in Auction Insights tells you how often your ads appear above the organic results. If the rate is low, consider increasing bids or improving ad relevance. Checking the report will show which competitors are outranking you.
Yes, you can use the Auction Insights report to compare impression share, average position, and outranking share with each competitor. Export the table to a spreadsheet for a clear visual summary. This gives the client a direct view of where they stand in the auction.
It depends, but you can open the Google Ads mobile app and navigate to the Auction Insights section of the campaign. The report will list any new competitors that have met the data threshold. Refresh the view to see the most recent changes.