GET_PAID_PAGES_FROM_SERP
Get paid (Google Ads) search results for a keyword.
=GET_PAID_PAGES_FROM_SERP(keyword, [limit], [location], [language])Returns: 2D array with columns: Position, URL, Title, Domain
Overview
GET_PAID_PAGES_FROM_SERP extracts the paid advertising results (Google Ads) that appear on Google's search results page for a given keyword. It returns structured data including the ad position, destination URL, ad headline, and advertiser domain. This gives you direct visibility into who is bidding on specific keywords and what their ad copy looks like.
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
keyword | string | Yes | The search query to retrieve paid results for. |
limit | number | No (10) | Number of results to return (1-100). |
location | string | No (United States) | The geographic location for localized results. |
language | string | No (English) | The language for search results. |
Examples
See who advertises for a product keyword
Retrieve all paid ads appearing for "crm software" to see which companies are bidding.
=GET_PAID_PAGES_FROM_SERP("crm software")Output
| Position | URL | Title | Domain |
| 1 | https://www.salesforce.com/crm/ | Salesforce CRM - #1 CRM Platform | salesforce.com |
| 2 | https://www.hubspot.com/products/crm | Free CRM Software | HubSpot | hubspot.com |
| 3 | https://www.zoho.com/crm/ | Zoho CRM - Top-Rated CRM Software | zoho.com |
Analyze competitor ads in a specific market
See which travel sites are running Google Ads for "cheap flights" in the UK.
=GET_PAID_PAGES_FROM_SERP("cheap flights", 10, "United Kingdom", "English")Output
| Position | URL | Title | Domain |
| 1 | https://www.skyscanner.net/flights | Cheap Flights - Compare & Save | Skyscanner | skyscanner.net |
| 2 | https://www.kayak.co.uk/flights | Find Cheap Flights | KAYAK | kayak.co.uk |
Research ads for a local service keyword
Check which plumbing companies advertise in California search results.
=GET_PAID_PAGES_FROM_SERP("plumber near me", 5, "California, United States")Output
| Position | URL | Title | Domain |
| 1 | https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=plumber | Find Local Plumbers | Yelp | yelp.com |
| 2 | https://www.homeadvisor.com/category/plumbing | Licensed Plumbers Near You | HomeAdvisor | homeadvisor.com |
Check ads for a branded keyword
See which competitors bid on Mailchimp's branded comparison keyword.
=GET_PAID_PAGES_FROM_SERP("mailchimp alternatives")Output
| Position | URL | Title | Domain |
| 1 | https://www.activecampaign.com/mailchimp-alternative | Switch from Mailchimp | ActiveCampaign | activecampaign.com |
| 2 | https://www.brevo.com/mailchimp-alternative/ | #1 Mailchimp Alternative | Brevo | brevo.com |
No ads found for a keyword
Informational keywords often have no paid ads. The function returns just the header row.
=GET_PAID_PAGES_FROM_SERP("history of ancient rome")Output
| Position | URL | Title | Domain |
Use Cases
PPC competitive intelligence
Monitor which competitors are bidding on your target keywords. Track their ad headlines and landing page URLs to understand their positioning and find opportunities to differentiate your own ad copy.
Ad copy research and inspiration
Study the headlines and descriptions used by top advertisers in your niche. Identify common messaging patterns, unique selling propositions, and emotional triggers that resonate with searchers.
Brand protection monitoring
Check whether competitors or unauthorized resellers are bidding on your branded keywords. Regular monitoring helps protect your brand presence in paid search and identify potential trademark issues.
Market entry assessment
Before launching paid campaigns in a new market, analyze the existing ad landscape. Understand how many competitors advertise, what offers they promote, and what landing page strategies they use.
Keyword commercial intent analysis
Determine the commercial value of keywords by checking how many ads appear. Keywords with many ads have strong buyer intent and may be worth targeting with commercial content.
Client reporting and audits
Include paid search data in client SEO reports to show the full SERP picture. Demonstrate how organic rankings compare to paid placements and identify cross-channel optimization opportunities.
Pro Tips
Run this function alongside GET_ORGANIC_PAGES_FROM_SERP for the same keyword to get a complete picture of the SERP. Compare which domains appear in both paid and organic results.
Track branded keyword ads weekly. If a competitor starts bidding on your brand name, you will catch it quickly and can respond with your own brand protection campaign.
Analyze the landing page URLs to understand competitor funnel strategies. Ads pointing to product pages indicate bottom-of-funnel targeting, while those pointing to blog posts suggest top-of-funnel approaches.
Cross-reference paid results with GET_SEARCH_VOLUME_FROM_GOOGLE to combine ad presence data with CPC and competition metrics for a comprehensive PPC analysis.
Understanding the paid search landscape is crucial for both PPC managers and SEO professionals. For PPC managers, this function reveals exactly which competitors are advertising for your target keywords, what messaging they use, and which landing pages they drive traffic to. This intelligence helps you refine your own ad copy, identify positioning opportunities, and benchmark your campaigns against the competition.
For SEO professionals, analyzing paid results provides insight into commercial intent. Keywords with many ads typically have high commercial value and strong buyer intent. If a keyword shows no paid results, it may have lower conversion potential or the market may not yet be competitive for paid search.
The function supports the same geographic and language targeting as other SERP functions. Since Google Ads can vary significantly by location, specifying the correct target market is essential for accurate competitive intelligence. An advertiser running campaigns in the US may not appear in UK search results, and vice versa.
Results are returned as a 2D array with headers, making them easy to analyze using standard spreadsheet functions. You can quickly compare ad messaging, identify the most aggressive advertisers, and track changes in the paid landscape over time by running periodic checks.
Common Errors
#REF! - Spill errorCause: There is existing data in cells where the output array needs to expand.
Fix: Ensure there are enough empty cells below and to the right of the formula. Even if you expect few ads, leave room for the header row plus your limit value.
#ERROR - SERP credit limit reachedCause: Monthly SERP credit allowance has been exhausted.
Fix: Upgrade your plan for more credits or wait until the next billing cycle when credits reset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keywords with low commercial intent (informational queries, research topics) often have no advertisers. Additionally, some keywords may have ads at certain times of day or in certain locations but not others. Google Ads campaigns have budgets, schedules, and targeting that can limit when ads appear.
GET_PAID_PAGES_FROM_SERP returns standard text ads (search ads) that appear above or below organic results. Google Shopping ads (product listing ads with images and prices) are not included in the results.
The function returns the ad headline (Title column) and the destination URL. The ad description lines are not included in the output. For full ad copy analysis, you would need to review the ads manually in search results.
Ad positions reflect the order in which ads appeared at the time of the query. However, Google Ads uses real-time auctions, so ad positions can change between searches. The data represents a snapshot of one particular auction, which is representative but not guaranteed to be identical to every search.
No, ad extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, etc.) are not included in the output. The function focuses on the core ad data: position, URL, headline, and domain.
Yes. By running the function periodically and logging the results (copy and paste as values), you can track which advertisers appear over time, detect new competitors entering the market, and monitor changes in ad messaging.
Yes, each call uses one SERP credit from your monthly allowance, the same pool shared by all SERP functions.
While most keywords display 3-7 ads, some competitive keywords may show more, especially when including both top and bottom-of-page ads. The limit parameter ensures you capture all available ads. If fewer ads exist than the limit, all available ads are returned.
Related Functions
GET_ORGANIC_PAGES_FROM_SERP
Get organic search results for a keyword from Google.
GET_ALL_PAGES_FROM_SERP
Get all search results (organic + paid) for a keyword.
GET_SEARCH_VOLUME_FROM_GOOGLE
Get Google Ads keyword data: search volume, competition, and CPC.
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