SpyFu Review for Small Business Owners

 Discover the tool that shows you every keyword, ad, and SEO strategy your competitors are using—so you stop wasting money and start winning faster.

Try SpyFu Free

What is SpyFu?

SpyFu is a competitor analysis tool focused on Google Ads and SEO spying.

It lets you see exactly:

  • What keywords your competitors are ranking for

  • Which ads they’ve been running (and for how long)

  • How much they spend on ads

  • And what backlinks are helping them rank

Think of it as looking over your competitors’ shoulders so you don’t waste money testing things they’ve already figured out.

Key Features

Competitor Keyword Research

Enter a competitor’s site and instantly see all the keywords they rank for.

Ad History

See every Google Ad they’ve run (and for how long). If an ad runs for months, you know it works.

PPC Research

Find keywords worth bidding on and avoid expensive, low-return ones.

SEO Research

Discover organic keywords driving traffic to competitors.

Backlink Analysis

See who links to your competitors so you can target the same sources.

Kombat Tool

Compare yourself against two competitors and find untapped keywords.

Pros & ⚠️ Cons

Pros (Why People Love It):

Best-in-class for PPC & competitor ad insights Historical ad data (you can see years of campaigns) Affordable plans (starting ~$39/month) Great for small businesses that rely on Google Ads

Cons (What You Should Know):

Less powerful for deep SEO compared to Ahrefs/Semrush Interface can feel dated Data accuracy on ad spend is estimated, not exact Content optimization tools are minimal

Why Using SpyFu is Important

Running ads without data = burning money. SpyFu gives you:

  • Confidence → See what keywords & ads work for others before spending.

  • Savings → Avoid testing money pits by learning from competitors’ mistakes.

  • Strategy → Find hidden opportunities competitors missed.

For small businesses with tight budgets, it’s like having a cheat sheet for PPC.

Top 3 SaaSChooser Picks (Customer Levels)

Ubersuggest

Best for Beginners on a Budget

SpyFu

Best for PPC competitor research

Semrush

Best for all-in-one growth

5-Tool Comparison Table

<

Ratings from Major Platforms

Tool Best For Keyword Research Backlinks Content Tools PPC / Ads Starter Pricing* Beginner-Friendly
SpyFu PPC competitor spying ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ~$39/mo 👍 Easy
Semrush All-in-one growth ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ~$129+/mo ⚠️ Medium
Ahrefs Content + backlinks ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ~$129/mo ⚠️ Moderate
Platform Rating What People Say
Capterra ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5/5) Praised for competitor insights & PPC research; some want deeper SEO tools.
G2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4/5) Affordable, strong for keyword/ad research; interface could be smoother.
Trustpilot ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3/5) Users like value for money; some note reporting limitations.

Real Customer Reviews on SpyFu

“
I was spending $1,000/month testing Google Ads with no results. SpyFu showed me the exact keywords my competitors were using. I cut wasted spend in half and finally started getting leads from ads.

Mark D. – Orlando, FL
“
As a small marketing consultant, SpyFu is my secret weapon. Clients love when I show them competitors’ ad history. It makes me look like a genius and helps me close more deals. The only downside is the interface feels a bit old-school

. Jennifer K. – Phoenix, AZ
“
I used the Kombat tool to compare my site with two competitors. It showed me keywords they were ranking for that I completely missed. Adding those pages gave me a 40% traffic lift in 3 months. Totally worth the subscription.

Carlos M. – Austin, TX
“
I liked SpyFu for ad spying, but it wasn’t enough for full SEO. I had to pair it with Semrush for content optimization. Still, at $39 a month it’s a bargain for anyone running PPC.

Danielle R. – Los Angeles, CA
“
Seeing historical ads is amazing. If an ad ran for 9 months straight, I know it’s converting. I just model my campaigns around those ideas. Saved me weeks of testing and wasted dollars

Jason P. – Denver, CO
“
As a local florist, I don’t have a big budget. SpyFu helped me find low-cost keywords to target in ads that my bigger competitors weren’t using. I now get more online orders without increasing my budget.

Emily S. – Chicago, IL

Don’t Want to Do SEO Yourself?

NurturerAI can:

  • Analyze your competitors

  • Suggest ad keywords

Improve performance automatically

See How NurturerAI Can Help You

Disclosure

We only recommend tools we’ve tested. Some links may be affiliate links—your price is the same.