How to see a competitor's Google ads
Google lists every verified advertiser's ads in one public place. Searching by domain is the trick most people miss.
Use Google's Ads Transparency Center (adstransparency.google.com): search the competitor's website domain or advertiser name, pick a region and date range, and filter by format. It shows their Search, YouTube, Display and Shopping ads and when each ran. It doesn't show keywords, bids or spend.
How do I search the Ads Transparency Center?
Search by the website domain: it finds every advertiser account that sends people there.
- Open adstransparency.google.comSet the region to Anywhere for every country.
- Type the domainEnter the competitor's domain (notion.so) and pick the "Website" result, or pick the advertiser by name.
- Filter by formatText for search ads, Video for YouTube, Image for display. Set the date range to the last 30 days to see what's current.
- Open an adEach ad shows when it was last shown and in which regions.
Which keywords is a competitor bidding on?
The Transparency Center doesn't say; the ad's headline usually gives the keyword away, and an SEO tool's paid keyword data fills the rest.
Search a few of your own category's queries on Google and note who shows up with an Ad label. Our reports read the paid keywords when Ahrefs has them, in the Google Ads tab.
How common are Google ads among fast growers?
In our 13 stored reports, Google Ads were a main driver for 2 and supporting for 5.
The main drivers are HeyGen and Gymshark, whose headlines pair creator programs with always-on search ads.
Questions
Can I see my competitor's Google Ads keywords for free?
Not in Google's tools. The Transparency Center shows their ads, not keywords; SEO tools estimate paid keywords.
Does the Ads Transparency Center show YouTube ads?
Yes. Filter by Video to see a company's YouTube ads.
How far back does the Ads Transparency Center go?
You can set a date range; ads show when they were last shown. Older ads from small advertisers can drop out.
Why can't I find a company?
Try its domain instead of its name: some companies advertise through an agency or a differently named account.
Sources
- Google Ads Transparency Center, read 2026-10-29
- Our stored growth reports (teaser data: channels, importance and counts), read 2026-10-29