This Google Ads strategy is 100% legal—but when you see the results, you'll understand why it feels like it shouldn't be.I used this competitor targeting strategy to take a client from $20,000 to $90,000+ months consistently. And here's the wildest part: the campaigns barely got any conversions. Most businesses would have shut them down. But I knew exactly what to measure, and those "failing" campaigns caused every other campaign in the account to explode. Serious inquiries doubled. Sales calls tripled.In this video, I'm showing you how to target people actively browsing your competitor's websites using a 2-campaign strategy I created with YouTube Video Action campaigns and Demand Gen. I'll walk through the exact setup for a $1,000 per day budget, the specific metrics that tell you if it's working (hint: it's NOT conversions), and the sneaky targeting hack that puts your ads in front of people at your competitor's checkout page.
🎯 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
✅ How to create custom audiences targeting competitor website visitors
✅ The 2-campaign strategy (YouTube TOF → Demand Gen retargeting)
✅ Why these campaigns "fail" but lift your entire account
✅ The 3 metrics that actually matter (Video Played To, % Served, CTR)
✅ Advanced hack: Target competitor checkout pages for highest intent
✅ Complete setup walkthrough for $1,000 per day budgets
✅ Why this works for top & middle funnel (not bottom funnel)
📊 KEY METRICS TO TRACK:
YouTube Video Action Campaign:
Video Played To 25%: Target greater than 30%
% Served: Higher = YouTube loves your ad
Demand Gen Campaign:
CTR: Must be greater than 0.60% (Google's optimization threshold)
% Served: Focus on high-performing ads
🎯 THE STRATEGY:
Step 1: Create custom audience of competitor website visitors
Step 2: Launch YouTube Video Action campaign (top of funnel)
Step 3: Launch Demand Gen campaign retargeting YouTube viewers (middle of funnel)
Step 4: Monitor the RIGHT metrics (not direct conversions)
Step 5: Watch other campaigns improve from brand awareness lift
💡 ADVANCED HACK:
Don't just target competitor homepages—target their checkout pages. Example: If you're competing with Nike, the checkout URL to reach people actively trying to buy from them.
⚠️ WHY MOST PEOPLE QUIT TOO EARLY:
These campaigns will barely convert directly. That's normal. They're building awareness with high-intent competitor audiences. When those people search later, they already know YOUR brand—and that's when conversions happen across your other campaigns.
💰 REAL RESULTS:
Client went from $20k → $90k months consistently. The YouTube and Demand Gen campaigns themselves? Minimal direct conversions. But search campaigns improved 40%+, remarketing costs dropped 30%, and organic traffic started converting better. That's the ripple effect.
🔗 RELATED VIDEOS:
The Wrong Way to Target Competitors (Gets You BANNED): https://youtu.be/7wsnMh5KxZM
How I Saved a Client $100,000 (Google's Dark Lie): https://youtu.be/JALxSpqcwlo
📈 BEST FOR:
B2B companies with bigger competitors
Businesses spending $1,000+ per day
Anyone competing against established brands
Top & middle funnel awareness plays
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