CREview Ep. 42 | How to Uncover CRE Competitors’ Ad Tactics

Josh and Dylan break down practical tools for tracking competitors' digital marketing, from SEO keyword tools to Facebook's public Ad Library.

Key Takeaways

Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Spyfu let you see competitors' SEO keywords, backlinks, and even estimated ad spend.

Facebook's public Ad Library lets anyone see exactly what ads a competitor is currently running, including creative and copy.

Google Alerts can notify you automatically whenever a competitor is mentioned online or launches new content.

Social listening tools like Brandwatch, Meltwater, and Hootsuite track brand sentiment and mentions, revealing how a competitor is actually perceived, not just their raw engagement numbers.

Smaller companies can realistically outcompete larger rivals on paid ads with the right budget, but competing on SEO against major players requires sustained long-term content investment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you research a competitor's digital marketing strategy?

Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Spyfu reveal a competitor's SEO keywords and backlinks, Facebook's public Ad Library shows their actual running ads, and Google Alerts can notify you whenever they publish new content.

How can you see what ads a competitor is currently running?

Facebook's public Ad Library lets anyone view a competitor's currently running ads, including the actual creative and copy, as part of the platform's advertising transparency requirements.

What tools reveal which keywords a competitor ranks for?

Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz all show which keywords a competitor ranks for organically, along with their backlink profile and the content driving their search traffic.

Can a small company compete with a much larger commercial real estate competitor?

On paid advertising, yes, with the right budget, but outranking a major player on SEO typically requires sustained, long-term content investment they've already built up over years.

How should a company track competitor research over time?

Keep a shared spreadsheet benchmarking competitors' performance against your own across the specific channels that matter most to your business.

Are there free tools to monitor competitor activity online?

Yes, Google Alerts can notify you automatically whenever a competitor is mentioned online or publishes new content, at no cost.

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