Unlocking SEO Insights with Google Ads Scripts

In the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a fundamental pillar of online success. To boost your SEO endeavours, a wealth of invaluable insights lies hidden within your Google Ads data. This guide explores the dynamic partnership between SEO and Google Ads data, poised to transform your SEO strategy.

Understanding Google Ads Data

Before we dive into extracting SEO insights, let’s grasp the essential Google Ads metrics and data points:

1. Impressions
2. Click-through rate (CTR)
3. Quality Score
4. Conversion rate
5. Cost per click (CPC)
6. Ad position
7. Keywords performance

The Relationship Between Google Ads and SEO

Google Ads and SEO share a symbiotic relationship. Google Ads data can reveal valuable insights about:

• Keyword performance
• User behaviour
• Title Tag effectiveness
• Competitor analysis

Google Ads Scripts for SEO Insights

What are Google Ads Scripts?

Google Ads scripts are JavaScript-based tools that automate tasks and extract data from your Google Ads account. They offer the advantage of efficiency and scalability in data extraction.

Extracting keyword data, including impressions, CTR, and Quality Score

This script will log the data into a Google Sheet for easy analysis and reporting. Before using the script, make sure you have set up a Google Sheet to store the data and have the necessary permissions to run scripts in your Google Ads account.

// Define the Google Sheet where you want to store the data

var SPREADSHEET_URL = 'YOUR_SPREADSHEET_URL';

function main() {

// Select the Google Ads account

var accountId = 'YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID';

// Select the date range for which you want to retrieve data

var dateRange = 'LAST_7_DAYS'; // You can change this to other options like 'LAST_30_DAYS' or 'CUSTOM_DATE'

// Define the columns you want to retrieve

var reportColumns = ['KeywordText', 'Impressions', 'Ctr', 'QualityScore'];

// Create a report and download data

var report = GoogleAdsService.report(

"SELECT " + reportColumns.join(", ") +

" FROM KEYWORDS_PERFORMANCE_REPORT " +

" DURING " + dateRange);

var rows = report.rows();

var dataToLog = [];

while (rows.hasNext()) {

var row = rows.next();

var rowData = [];

for (var i = 0; i < reportColumns.length; i++) {

rowData.push(row[reportColumns[i]]);}

dataToLog.push(rowData);}

// Log the data into the Google Sheet

logDataToSheet(dataToLog);}

function logDataToSheet(data) {

var spreadsheet = SpreadsheetApp.openByUrl(SPREADSHEET_URL);

var sheet = spreadsheet.getActiveSheet();

// Append the data to the sheet

sheet.getRange(sheet.getLastRow() + 1, 1, data.length, data[0].length).setValues(data);} 

Analyzing the performance of ad copies and headlines

This script will retrieve ad copy and headline performance data based on your specified criteria and log it into the designated Google Sheet for further analysis.

// Define the Google Sheet where you want to store the data

var SPREADSHEET_URL = 'YOUR_SPREADSHEET_URL';

function main() {

// Select the Google Ads account

var accountId = 'YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID';

// Define the columns you want to retrieve

var reportColumns = ['Headline', 'Description', 'Impressions', 'Clicks', 'Ctr', 'AverageCpc', 'Conversions', 'ConversionRate'];

// Create a report and download data

var report = GoogleAdsService.report(

"SELECT " + reportColumns.join(", ") +

" FROM AD_PERFORMANCE_REPORT " +

" DURING LAST_30_DAYS" // You can change the date range as needed);

var rows = report.rows()

var dataToLog = [];

while (rows.hasNext()) {

var row = rows.next();

var rowData = [];

for (var i = 0; i < reportColumns.length; i++) {

rowData.push(row[reportColumns[i]]);}

dataToLog.push(rowData);}

// Log the data into the Google Sheet

logDataToSheet(dataToLog);}

function logDataToSheet(data) {

var spreadsheet = SpreadsheetApp.openByUrl(SPREADSHEET_URL);

var sheet = spreadsheet.getActiveSheet();

// Append the data to the sheet

sheet.getRange(sheet.getLastRow() + 1, 1, data.length, data[0].length).setValues(data);} 

Extracting ad copy variations for A/B testing.

The script will retrieve ad copy variations’ performance data based on your specified criteria and log it into the designated Google Sheet for further analysis and A/B testing.

// Define the Google Sheet where you want to store the data

var SPREADSHEET_URL = 'YOUR_SPREADSHEET_URL';

function main() {

// Select the Google Ads account

var accountId = 'YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID';

// Define the columns you want to retrieve

var reportColumns = ['AdGroupId', 'HeadlinePart1', 'HeadlinePart2', 'Description', 'Impressions', 'Clicks', 'Ctr', 'AverageCpc', 'Conversions', 'ConversionRate'];

// Create a report and download data

var report = GoogleAdsService.report(

"SELECT " + reportColumns.join(", ") +

" FROM AD_PERFORMANCE_REPORT " +

" DURING LAST_30_DAYS" // You can change the date range as needed);

var rows = report.rows();

var dataToLog = [];

while (rows.hasNext()) {

var row = rows.next();

var rowData = [];

for (var i = 0; i < reportColumns.length; i++) {

rowData.push(row[reportColumns[i]]);}

dataToLog.push(rowData);}

// Log the data into the Google Sheet

logDataToSheet(dataToLog);}

function logDataToSheet(data) {

var spreadsheet = SpreadsheetApp.openByUrl(SPREADSHEET_URL);

var sheet = spreadsheet.getActiveSheet();

// Append the data to the sheet

sheet.getRange(sheet.getLastRow() + 1, 1, data.length, data[0].length).setValues(data);}

Instructions for using the three scripts above:

1. Replace ‘YOUR_SPREADSHEET_URL’ with the URL of the Google Sheet where you want to store the data.
2. Replace ‘YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID’ with your Google Ads account ID.
3. Customize the reportColumns array to include the specific columns you want to extract from the AD_PERFORMANCE_REPORT. You can refer to the Google Ads API documentation for available columns.
4. Adjust the date range in the DURING clause as needed.
5. Save the script and run it from your Google Ads account.

Bid Adjustments Based on Organic Rankings

This script will compare the organic search ranking of your keywords with your desired position and adjust the bids accordingly. Below is a script template to get you started. Please note that you’ll need to customize this script according to your specific requirements.

// Define your desired organic search position

var desiredOrganicPosition = 3; // Change this to your desired position

// Define the maximum bid adjustment percentage (e.g., 10%)

var maxBidAdjustmentPercentage = 10; // Change this as needed

function main() {

// Select the Google Ads account

var accountId = 'YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID';

// Select the keywords for which you want to adjust bids

var keywords = ['Keyword1', 'Keyword2', 'Keyword3']; // Add your keywords here

for (var i = 0; i < keywords.length; i++) {

var keyword = keywords[i];

// Get the organic search ranking for the keyword (you may need to use a third-party tool or API for this)

var organicRanking = getOrganicRanking(keyword);

// Calculate the bid adjustment based on the difference between actual and desired ranking

var bidAdjustment = calculateBidAdjustment(organicRanking, desiredOrganicPosition);

// Limit the bid adjustment to the maximum percentage

if (bidAdjustment > maxBidAdjustmentPercentage) {

bidAdjustment = maxBidAdjustmentPercentage;}

// Adjust the keyword's bid

adjustKeywordBid(accountId, keyword, bidAdjustment);}}

function getOrganicRanking(keyword) {

// Implement code to retrieve the organic search ranking for the keyword

// You may need to use a third-party tool or API for this

// Return the organic ranking as an integer (e.g., 1 for top position)

// Replace this with your own logic

var organicRanking = /* Implement your code to get organic ranking */;

return organicRanking;}

function calculateBidAdjustment(organicRanking, desiredPosition) {

// Calculate the bid adjustment based on the difference between actual and desired ranking

// Adjust this calculation as needed based on your strategy

var bidAdjustment = (organicRanking - desiredPosition) * 10; // 10% adjustment per position difference

return bidAdjustment;}

function adjustKeywordBid(accountId, keyword, bidAdjustment) {

// Implement code to adjust the keyword's bid

// Use the Google Ads API to modify the keyword's bid

// Replace this with your own logic

var keywordIterator = GoogleAdsService.keywords()

.withCondition("Text = '" + keyword + "'")

.get();

while (keywordIterator.hasNext()) {

var keyword = keywordIterator.next();

keyword.bidding().setBid(keyword.bidding().getCpc() * (1 + bidAdjustment / 100));}}

Please note that:

1. You will need to implement the getOrganicRanking function to fetch the organic search ranking for your keywords. You may use third-party tools or APIs for this purpose.
2. The calculateBidAdjustment function calculates the bid adjustment based on the difference between the actual and desired organic positions. You can adjust the calculation logic to fit your bidding strategy.
3. The adjustKeywordBid function should be implemented to adjust the keyword’s bid using the Google Ads API, depending on your setup.

Competitor Analysis with Google Ads Data

Identifying competitors through impression share data

Here’s a Google Ads script that can help you identify competitors based on impression share data. This script will log the competitors with the highest impression share for your selected keywords

function main() {

// Set the date range for the data (e.g., LAST_30_DAYS, LAST_WEEK, CUSTOM_DATE)

var dateRange = 'LAST_30_DAYS';

// Set the minimum impression share threshold to consider a competitor

var minImpressionShareThreshold = 10; // Change as needed (e.g., 10 means 10%)

// Set the number of competitors to retrieve (e.g., top 5 competitors)

var numCompetitorsToRetrieve = 5;

// Specify the campaign or ad group you want to analyze (optional)

var campaignName = 'Your Campaign Name'; // Leave empty to analyze all campaigns/ad groups

// Create a report and retrieve impression share data

var report = GoogleAdsService.report(

"SELECT Query, ImpressionShare " +

"FROM SEARCH_QUERY_PERFORMANCE_REPORT " +

"WHERE Impressions > 0 " +

"DURING " + dateRange);

var competitors = {}; // A map to store competitors and their impression share

var rows = report.rows();

while (rows.hasNext()) {

var row = rows.next();

var query = row['Query'];

var impressionShare = parseFloat(row['ImpressionShare'].replace('%', '').replace(',', ''));

// Filter out competitors below the threshold

if (impressionShare >= minImpressionShareThreshold) {

if (!competitors[query]) {

competitors[query] = impressionShare;}}}

// Sort competitors by impression share in descending order

var sortedCompetitors = Object.keys(competitors).sort(function (a, b) {

return competitors[b] - competitors[a];});

// Output the top competitors

var output = 'Top Competitors by Impression Share:\n';

for (var i = 0; i < numCompetitorsToRetrieve && i < sortedCompetitors.length; i++) {

output += sortedCompetitors[i] + ': ' + competitors[sortedCompetitors[i]] + '%\n';}

// Log the results (you can also send this data to an email or a Google Sheet)

Logger.log(output);}

Instructions for using the script:

1. Set the dateRange variable to specify the date range for which you want to retrieve data.
2. Set the minImpressionShareThreshold to define the minimum impression share percentage required for a competitor to be considered. Adjust this threshold as needed.
3. Specify the numCompetitorsToRetrieve variable to determine how many competitors you want to retrieve.
4. Optionally, specify the campaignName to limit the analysis to a specific campaign or ad group. Leave it empty to analyze all campaigns and ad groups.

Run the script in your Google Ads account. The script will retrieve impression share data, filter competitors based on the specified threshold, and log the top competitors by impression share in descending order.

Adapting bidding strategies based on competitor behaviour

Adapting bidding strategies based on competitor behaviour in Google Ads can help you stay competitive and optimize your campaigns. Below is a Google Ads script that monitors your competitors’ performance and adjusts your bidding strategy accordingly. This script will increase or decrease your bids based on your competitors’ impression share changes for specified keywords

function main() {

// Set the date range for the data (e.g., LAST_30_DAYS, LAST_WEEK, CUSTOM_DATE)

var dateRange = 'LAST_30_DAYS'; // Set the keywords you want to monitor for competitor behaviour

var keywordsToMonitor = ['Keyword1', 'Keyword2', 'Keyword3']; // Add your keywords here. Set the desired impression share target (e.g., 80%)

var desiredImpressionShare = 80; // Change as needed

// Set the bid adjustment factor for increasing/decreasing bids (e.g., 10%)

var bidAdjustmentFactor = 10; // Change as needed

// Create a report and retrieve impression share data

var report = GoogleAdsService.report(

"SELECT KeywordText, ImpressionShare " +

"FROM KEYWORDS_PERFORMANCE_REPORT " +

"WHERE Impressions > 0 " +

"AND KeywordText IN ['" + keywordsToMonitor.join("','") + "'] " +

"DURING " + dateRange );

while (report.hasNext()) {

var row = report.next();

var keyword = row['KeywordText'];

var impressionShare = parseFloat(row['ImpressionShare'].replace('%', '').replace(',', ''));

// Calculate the bid adjustment based on the competitor's impression share

var bidAdjustment = 0;

if (impressionShare < desiredImpressionShare) { // Increase bids if competitor's impression share is lower than desired

bidAdjustment = bidAdjustmentFactor;

} else if (impressionShare > desiredImpressionShare) {

// Decrease bids if competitor's impression share is higher than desired

bidAdjustment = -bidAdjustmentFactor; }

// Apply the bid adjustment to the keyword

adjustKeywordBid(keyword, bidAdjustment);

}}

function adjustKeywordBid(keyword, bidAdjustment) {

// Implement code to adjust the keyword's bid. Use the Google Ads API to modify the keyword's bid

var keywordIterator = GoogleAdsService.keywords()

.withCondition("Text = '" + keyword + "'")

.get();

while (keywordIterator.hasNext()) {

var keyword = keywordIterator.next();

var currentBid = keyword.bidding().getCpc();

var newBid = currentBid * (1 + bidAdjustment / 100);

// Ensure that bids are within your desired limits

if (newBid >= 0.01 && newBid <= 100.00) {

keyword.bidding().setCpc(newBid); }}} 

Instructions for using the script:

1. Set the dateRange variable to specify the date range for which you want to retrieve data.
2. Add the keywords you want to monitor for competitor behaviour in the keywordsToMonitor array.
3. Set the desiredImpressionShare variable to your desired impression share target. The script will adjust bids based on whether your competitors’ impression share is above or below this target.
4. Set the bidAdjustmentFactor variable to determine how much you want to increase or decrease bids when competitor behaviour is detected.

Combining Google Ads Data with SEO Tools

By combining Google Ads data with established SEO tools such as Moz, SEMrush, or Ahrefs, you can unlock a deeper understanding of your online presence. These tools offer unique perspectives on SEO performance, keyword rankings, backlinks, and more. By integrating Google Ads data, you gain a holistic view that enables you to refine your SEO strategies, identify opportunities, and address challenges with precision.

Integrating Google Ads Data with SEO Analytics Platforms

It’s crucial to seamlessly integrate Google Ads data into SEO analytics platforms. This integration empowers you with a centralized hub for comprehensive data analysis and visualization. Imagine having the ability to correlate your ad campaign performance with SEO metrics effortlessly. With this unified approach, you can identify patterns, trends, and correlations that might go unnoticed when using separate tools. Looker Studio, for example, serves as a powerful bridge between your Google Ads data and existing SEO tools, enabling you to harness the collective power of these resources for data-driven decision-making.

How to Use Looker Studio to Supplement Existing SEO Tools

Looker Studio takes your data analysis and visualization to the next level by complementing your existing SEO tools. It serves as a versatile platform that unifies data from various sources, including Google Ads. By supplementing your SEO toolkit with Looker Studio, you create a central hub where data integration, exploration, and visualization become seamless processes. This consolidation not only streamlines your workflow but also enhances your ability to identify critical insights. With Looker Studio, you can visualize your Google Ads data in innovative ways, enabling you to make well-informed decisions and optimize your digital marketing strategies for greater success.

Advanced Techniques for SEO Optimization

Leveraging Google Ads Audience Insights for SEO Targeting

Google Ads offers a powerful tool known as Audience Insights, which provides a wealth of data about the individuals engaging with your advertisements. While this tool is typically associated with paid advertising, its value extends beyond Google Ads campaigns. Here, we’ll delve into how you can leverage Google Ads Audience Insights to inform and enhance your SEO targeting strategies.

Understanding Google Ads Audience Insights

Google Ads Audience Insights provides a detailed view of the demographics, interests, and online behaviour of your ad audience. It segments users into various categories, such as age, gender, location, devices used, and even specific interests.

Bridging the Gap Between Paid Advertising and SEO

While Audience Insights is designed for paid advertising, the insights it offers can be a goldmine for SEO practitioners. By analyzing the characteristics and preferences of your Google Ads audience, you can gain a clearer understanding of the type of individuals you should be targeting through your SEO efforts. This includes content creation, keyword selection, and optimization strategies.

Strategizing SEO Content Creation

One of the most tangible ways to leverage Google Ads Audience Insights is by refining your SEO content creation. Armed with data on your audience’s interests and preferences, you can tailor your blog posts, articles, and web content to align more closely with what resonates with your target demographic. This not only enhances user engagement but also increases the likelihood of your content ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Enhancing Keyword Targeting

Keyword selection is at the heart of SEO, and Google Ads Audience Insights can play a pivotal role in this regard. By understanding the search terms and phrases that your ad audience frequently uses, you can fine-tune your SEO keyword strategy.

Optimizing User Experience

Audience Insights can also guide website optimization efforts. By knowing the devices and platforms your audience prefers, you can ensure that your website is responsive and user-friendly across these channels. This, in turn, can reduce bounce rates and improve the overall user experience, which are factors search engines consider when ranking websites.

Using AI and Machine Learning with Google Ads Data for SEO Predictions

Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in conjunction with Google Ads data to make informed predictions and optimize your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy can help you succeed. Let’s explore how these cutting-edge technologies can transform your approach to SEO.

Understanding AI and Machine Learning

AI and ML are technologies that enable computers to learn from and analyze vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and make predictions or decisions based on that analysis. In the context of digital marketing and SEO, they can revolutionize the way you interpret and leverage Google Ads data.

Enhanced Data Analysis

Google Ads generates a wealth of data about your ad campaigns, user interactions, and website traffic. AI and ML algorithms excel at processing and analyzing this data on a scale that would be impossible for humans to achieve manually. They can identify hidden patterns, correlations, and trends within your data, providing you with deeper insights into user behaviour and campaign performance.

Predictive Analytics

One of the most powerful applications of AI and ML in conjunction with Google Ads data is predictive analytics. These technologies can forecast future trends, including shifts in user search behaviour, changes in keyword effectiveness, and fluctuations in market demand. By leveraging these predictions, you can proactively adjust your SEO strategy to stay ahead of the competition and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Content Optimization

AI and ML can play a pivotal role in content optimization for SEO. They can analyze user preferences and engagement metrics to determine which types of content resonate most with your audience. This insight allows you to create highly relevant and engaging content that aligns with user expectations, thereby improving your chances of ranking higher in search engine results.

SEO Keyword Research

Keyword research is a cornerstone of SEO, and AI-powered tools can streamline this process. They can analyze user search queries, identify long-tail keywords with lower competition, and suggest relevant keywords that you may not have considered. This not only saves time but also ensures that your SEO efforts are focused on the most effective keywords.

SEO Competitive Analysis

AI and ML can also assist in competitive analysis. By analyzing your competitors’ advertising and SEO strategies, these technologies can uncover insights about their tactics, keyword choices, and user targeting. Armed with this information, you can adapt your own strategies to gain a competitive edge.

Personalization

Personalization is becoming increasingly important in digital marketing, and AI and ML are essential for delivering tailored experiences. By analyzing user behaviour and preferences, these technologies can help you deliver personalized content, recommendations, and offers, thereby enhancing user engagement and satisfaction.

Using AI and machine learning alongside Google Ads data for SEO predictions empowers you to make data-driven decisions, anticipate market trends, optimize content, and stay competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Embracing these technologies can revolutionize your SEO strategy, driving better results and positioning your brand for success in the dynamic world of online marketing.

Unlocking SEO insights using Google Ads data, and scripts is a game-changer for digital marketers. By harnessing the power of automation you can optimize your SEO strategy, improve your rankings, and drive more organic traffic to your website.