Google Adwords - Is there an easy way to find out what the number 1 spot is bidding?
 

I need to know the amount the #1 spot is bidding..

Is there a software to verify this? Or the only option is manually checking?

set your maximum cpc to $50 that will tell you what you have to bid to get #1

I don't get it.. If the number 1 spot is currently 10$ and I bid 50$, how am I going to find out that number 1 is bidding 10$? All that's going to do, is me being #1

No you dont actally bid $50, what you do is go to traffic estimator, bid the maxiumum and it will tell you what the #1's are bidding.

The number one spot isn't necessarily the highest bidder

Here's a better way of putting it. Theres no way to find out how much #1 is bidding because of CTR, however if u want the best estimate....

I believe there is actually a tool within the adwords area where you can see the spot you will be placed with the given PPC

Thumbler is correct, as the ranking also factors in clickthrough rates. Someone bidding $1/click with a 1% clickthrough rate will likely show up below someone else with a 50 cents/click bid but with a 10% clickthrough rate.

You can see Overture bids at:

http://uv.bidtool.overture.com/d/search/tools/bidtool/

although they can be very different from Google.

It doesn't work. I don't understand what you mean.

That is true the formula is

Your Bid X CTR = Your ranking

HOWEVER, probability wise, usually the highest bidder has the highest rankings.

ok go to the traffic estimator

put in your keywords
make sure you do ""'s and []'s for all of them

then as your bid enter $50, look at the CPC that google gives you, that is what the highest bidder is paying. Not extremely accurate but gives you a good estimator.

there's absolutely no way to know what the CTR is of the person who has the #1 spot so really this is the best estimate youll get

not 100% sure but its not best to get top spot if your just sarting out i.e. on a buget! the top spots get all the spammy clicks wasting you money!

tony

Well, it's a new ad and he is now #1. So I guess CTR does not count. I know he's bidding an insane amount, so far I bid 75 cents and I am still number two. I want to bid one cent lower than his max CPC.

Oh yes and one more thing, in the traffic estimator google estimates ~%1 CTR

agreed infact the best spots are usually 3-4

The google traffic estimator is about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike :(

blasphemy!

nah youre right heh...

Yep there is no accurate way to determine what anybody is bidding on adwords. The traffic guesstimator is crap, don't believe it. I once bid $120 just for shits and giggles on a very competitive keyword, thinking I'd be number one and no way adwords would actually charge me that much...

Well 2 clicks later, I paid $109 per click for a total of $218 for TWO clicks and the kicker is I was in the FOURTH spot for that keyword.

Adrank is determined by CTR x QSA x Bid x the number of times some guy in japan with the last name Wang farted and it smelled like eggs on January 3rd, 1987. It's not possible to figure out on purpose so they can bend you over repeatedly and all you can do is go to overture. (not that I'm bitter...)

overture has their own issues

Wow, that's an expensive lesson :(

forget CPC its all about CTR