Ever feel like you’re throwing money at Google Ads but your septic service business isn’t getting enough calls? You’ve set up those campaigns, written what you think are great ads, but somehow your phone isn’t ringing as much as your competitor’s. Meanwhile, your crew is sitting around waiting for jobs, you’re struggling to make payroll, and that expensive pump truck is just sitting in the yard. The worst part? You have no idea why your ads aren’t working or how to fix them.

This is part 2 of a 5 part series on using auction insights in google ads to crush competitors. In this video I am going to share how septic service companies can use the overlap rate in Google Ads Auction Insights to stop wasting money and start getting more calls. First, I’ll show you exactly what overlap rate is and why it’s costing you jobs. Second, I’ll reveal how to find out which competitors are stealing your customers right from under your nose. Third, I’ll give you three simple fixes that will help you stop competing for the same expensive clicks and start getting more leads for less money.

Think of Google Ads like a county fair. When your septic service booth is right next to competitors shouting the same message, customers get confused and everyone loses. That’s what a high overlap rate does in Google Ads—you’re competing for the same attention, ultimately hurting your business.

So what exactly is overlap rate in Google Ads? It’s a percentage that shows how often your competitor’s ads show up in the same auctions as yours. In simple terms, it tells you how frequently you’re battling the same competitor for the same customer’s attention. When you look at your Auction Insights report, you might see that “ABC Septic” has an 85% overlap rate with your ads. This means that 85% of the time when your ad shows up, their ad is appearing too.

This is probably making your ads more expensive and less effective. Every time you and a competitor show up in the same auction, you’re driving up each other’s costs. It’s like a bidding war at an auction – the more people bidding on the same item, the higher the price goes. With a high overlap rate, you’re paying more for each click. For septic businesses where profit margins matter, this can really eat into your bottom line.

The damage doesn’t stop at higher costs. When you and your competitor show up together, you’re splitting the available clicks. Instead of getting all the attention, you might only get half. Even worse, if their ad position is better than yours, they’re probably getting more of those clicks. No wonder your trucks aren’t as busy as they should be.

Finding out which competitors are constantly getting in your way is actually pretty simple. Access the “Auction Insights” section at the campaign, ad group, or even keyword level. Look for the column labeled “Overlap Rate” and sort it from highest to lowest. The competitors at the top of this list are the ones making your ads less effective and more expensive.

The first fix is to rethink your keyword strategy. If you’re constantly bumping into the same competitor, you might be targeting keywords that are too general or too competitive. Instead of bidding on broad terms like “septic service” try more specific phrases like “emergency septic repair” or “septic tank replacement.” More specific keywords often have less competition, which means lower overlap rates and lower costs for you.

The second fix is to adjust your bidding strategy. You don’t need to outbid your competitors on every single keyword. Focus your budget on the keywords that actually bring in good leads – the ones where customers are ready to schedule service, not just browsing around. For keywords with really high overlap rates, especially ones that don’t convert well, consider reducing your bids or even pausing them. Why waste money fighting battles you can’t win?

The third fix is to check your location targeting and ad scheduling settings. Adjust your location targeting to focus more on areas where you have less competition. Adjust your ad schedule for times when your overlap rate is lower, like mornings or late afternoon when activity is lower.

Overlap rate gives you a clear picture. By making simple adjustments, you can significantly reduce how often you’re fighting the same competitors. This means lower costs per click and ultimately more septic jobs for your business.

This is part 2 part of my 5 part series on mastering Auction Insights. Check out the other 4 videos in this series to dive deeper into these powerful metrics. Each video gives you specific strategies to outperform your ompetitors and get your ads in front of more potential customers. The complete series will give you all the tools you need to dominate Google Ads in your local service area and keep your trucks rolling with high-quality leads all year long.