Before you start
- A list of 3-5 competitors who run PPC across multiple platforms (single-platform competitors need a different, simpler workflow)
- Access to keyword tools that cover multiple platforms (SEMrush for Google Ads + Microsoft Ads, AdSpy / Foreplay for Meta + TikTok, LinkedIn Ad Library for LinkedIn)
- Live PPC accounts on at least 2 platforms - cross-platform research without cross-platform spend is academic
- 60-90 minutes for the first cross-platform pass; 30 min/week to maintain
The playbook
7 steps
Map each competitor's platform footprint
Before extracting keywords, identify which platforms each competitor actually runs on. Use SEMrush (Google + Microsoft Ads), Meta Ad Library (Meta), TikTok Creative Center (TikTok), LinkedIn Ad Library (LinkedIn). A competitor running on 4 platforms needs a different research workflow than one running only on Google.
Expected outcome
A grid showing which platforms each competitor advertises on, with activity-level estimates per platform.
Extract Google Ads and Microsoft Ads keywords
Both platforms are keyword-targeted (search ads). Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, or SpyFu to extract competitor keyword lists for both. Microsoft Ads typically shows 10-30% of Google Ads volume but at cheaper CPCs - mining the Microsoft side surfaces cheaper variants of the same keywords.
# Cross-search-platform extraction: # 1. SEMrush → Advertising Research → Positions (Google Ads) # 2. SEMrush → Advertising Research → Microsoft Ads positions # 3. Compare lists - keywords on Google but not Microsoft = Google-exclusive # 4. Keywords on both = portable; mining Microsoft can find cheaper CPCsExpected outcome
Paired Google + Microsoft keyword lists per competitor, with cheap-arbitrage candidates flagged.
Extract Meta and TikTok keyword targeting via interest signals
Meta and TikTok don't use keyword targeting the way search platforms do - they use interest, behavioral, and lookalike targeting. The 'keyword' equivalent is the topical theme of the competitor's ad copy and the interest segments their ads target. Meta Ad Library shows the ad copy; AdSpy / Foreplay show estimated targeting segments.
Expected outcome
A list of interest-segment keywords per competitor on Meta and TikTok, modeled from their ad-copy themes.
Extract LinkedIn keyword targeting (job titles + skills)
LinkedIn's targeting is by job title, company, skill, and seniority - not keyword. The 'PPC keyword' equivalent is the job-title-and-company combination the competitor targets. LinkedIn Ad Library shows competitor ads; estimated targeting is harder to extract but inferable from ad copy and CTA wording.
Expected outcome
Targeting segment keywords per competitor on LinkedIn, modeled from job-title-and-industry implications.
Build the cross-platform consensus view
Lay out keywords (or keyword-equivalent targeting) by competitor by platform. The keywords appearing across multiple platforms for the same competitor signal their core conversion themes - those are the keywords they've validated work, regardless of channel. Cross-platform consensus is the highest-confidence intel.
Expected outcome
A matrix view of competitor × platform × keyword/theme, with cross-platform consensus flagged.
Decide platform-by-platform attack strategy
Cross-platform consensus keywords might attack differently on each platform. On Google + Microsoft, attack with direct keyword bids. On Meta + TikTok, attack with creative tuned to the theme + interest targeting. On LinkedIn, attack with job-title targeting + matched creative. Same keyword theme, different execution per platform.
Expected outcome
A per-platform attack plan for the top 10 cross-platform consensus keywords.
Set the cross-platform monitoring cadence
Each platform's competitor data shifts independently. Weekly 30-minute slot: re-pull Google + Microsoft keyword diffs, re-check Meta Ad Library + TikTok Creative Center for new competitor creatives, scan LinkedIn Ad Library for new targeting patterns. Cross-platform monitoring catches shifts no single-platform monitoring would.
Expected outcome
A weekly cross-platform monitoring routine that diffs competitor activity across all relevant channels.
Shuttergen
Cross-platform keywords mapped. Now ship creative per channel.
The same competitor keyword theme needs different creative on Google, Meta, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Shuttergen generates per-channel ad variants tuned to each platform's format and conversion logic.
Pitfalls
What goes wrong
Treating Meta/TikTok like Google in research workflow
Meta and TikTok don't use keywords - they use interest and behavioral targeting. Trying to extract a 'keyword list' for a Meta competitor is a category error. The equivalent unit is the ad-copy theme + interest segment. Adjust the research framework per platform.
Mining LinkedIn for keywords that don't exist there
LinkedIn Ads target job titles, companies, and skills - not search keywords. If your competitor research process is keyword-shaped, it'll produce no useful output on LinkedIn. Reshape to job-title-and-industry targeting research instead.
Ignoring Microsoft Ads
Most teams research Google Ads competitor keywords and stop. Microsoft Ads typically has 10-30% of Google volume at 30-50% lower CPC - mining it often surfaces cheap-arbitrage versions of the same keywords. The 15 extra minutes pays back fast.
Forcing cross-platform consensus that doesn't exist
Some keywords/themes are inherently platform-specific. A competitor's TikTok strategy might have nothing to do with their Google Ads strategy. Don't force consensus where there isn't any; channel-specific keywords are still valuable separately.
Running cross-platform research without cross-platform budget
If you only spend on Google Ads, doing cross-platform competitor research is mostly academic. Either expand your spend footprint to match the research scope, or narrow the research scope to match your spend footprint.
Limits
When this playbook won't work
- Your competitors run on only one platform - cross-platform analysis adds nothing
- Your competitors use Performance Max heavily on Google - PMax obscures keyword-level visibility
- Your budget is concentrated on one platform with no plans to expand - cross-platform intel can't translate to action
- Your category is fundamentally single-channel (e.g. some B2B niches where only LinkedIn works) - the cross-platform frame doesn't apply
- Your team has no bandwidth to manage cross-platform campaigns - the research overhead exceeds the activation capacity
What 'PPC keyword' means across platforms
Google Ads + Microsoft Ads use keyword targeting directly. You bid on a specific search query (exact, phrase, or broad match). The keyword IS the targeting unit, and competitor keyword research is straightforward: extract their bid list, find gaps, launch on the gaps.
Meta + TikTok use interest, behavioral, and lookalike targeting. There's no 'keyword' you bid on; you select audiences and trust the platform's algorithm to find matching users. The PPC-keyword equivalent in this world is the topical theme of the ad copy + the interest segments targeted. Competitor research extracts both.
LinkedIn uses job-title, company, skill, and seniority targeting. Keywords don't apply at all. The equivalent unit is the precise audience segment + the matched creative. Competitor research on LinkedIn looks at which job titles competitors target with which value propositions.
Cross-platform PPC research has to translate across these three frames. The same competitive intent can express as a keyword on Google, an interest segment on Meta, and a job-title cluster on LinkedIn. Mapping across frames is where the highest-leverage intel lives.
Cross-platform keywords mapped. Now ship creative per channel. The same competitor keyword theme needs different creative on Google, Meta, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Shuttergen generates per-channel ad variants tuned to each platform's format and conversion logic.
The cross-platform arbitrage opportunity
Each platform has different competition density. A keyword cluster contested by 10 advertisers on Google might have only 2 on Microsoft Ads and zero direct equivalents on TikTok. The cheap version of a contested Google keyword often exists on an under-competed platform.
The arbitrage workflow. (1) Find your most expensive Google Ads keywords by CPC. (2) Check if competitors run on Microsoft Ads, Meta, or TikTok for similar themes. (3) If competitor presence is lower on the secondary platforms, attack there at cheaper CPCs while maintaining defensive presence on Google.
The risk of arbitrage. Lower CPC platforms often have lower-intent traffic. A $2 click on TikTok might convert at 1/5 the rate of a $10 click on Google. Run the conversion math; the arbitrage only works when CPC drops faster than conversion rate.
Internal: competitor-ppc-keywords, competitors-keywords-adwords, find-competitors-ppc-pages.
FAQ
Frequently asked
How do I research competitors' PPC keywords across multiple platforms?
Do Meta and TikTok use PPC keywords like Google does?
What's the difference between Google Ads and Microsoft Ads competitor research?
Can I research LinkedIn competitor 'keywords'?
Why is cross-platform research worth the extra effort?
Which tool covers the most platforms?
How often should I refresh cross-platform competitor research?
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Cross-platform keywords mapped. Now ship creative per channel.
The same competitor keyword theme needs different creative on Google, Meta, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Shuttergen generates per-channel ad variants tuned to each platform's format and conversion logic.