Not all ads are created equal. Some capture attention, drive conversions, and generate massive engagement, while others fade into the background. The difference? Winning ads follow a proven formula—strong visuals, compelling messaging, and a clear call to action that resonates with the audience.
For businesses, finding winning ads is more than just inspiration—it’s a strategy to minimize wasted ad spend, improve campaign performance, and stay ahead of competitors.
This guide walks you through step-by-step methods to find winning ads across major platforms like Meta (Facebook & Instagram), Google, and Amazon. By the end, you’ll know exactly where to look, what to analyze, and how to use these insights to create high-converting ads for your business.
What Makes an Ad a Winner?
Not all ads generate the same results. Some grab attention instantly, while others struggle to make an impact. Winning ads are the ones that attract viewers, engage them and drive action.
Key Indicators of a Successful Ad
While conversion rates and CTR are private metrics unavailable for competitor ads, you can still identify winning ads by analyzing publicly visible indicators:
High Engagement – Ads with many likes, shares, comments, and saves indicate strong audience interest. The more people interact with an ad, the more likely it resonates.
Frequent Appearances – If an ad has been running for an extended period, it’s likely performing well. Brands don’t continue paying for ads that don’t generate results.
Creative Excellence – Most winning ads share common creative elements, such as:
Strong visuals that capture attention (high-quality images or videos).
Compelling headlines that communicate a clear benefit.
A clear call-to-action (CTA) that tells the audience what to do next.
How Identifying Trends in Winning Ads Helps You Succeed
Instead of guessing what might work, you can use winning ads as a blueprint for success. You can replicate proven strategies in your campaigns by studying common patterns—such as the types of visuals, offers, and CTAs that appear in high-performing ads.
The next section will explore how to find winning ads on Meta (Facebook & Instagram) and analyze their success factors.
Simple Steps to Find Winning Ads
Finding high-performing ads is crucial for maximizing your advertising ROI. By analyzing top ads across platforms like Meta, Google, and Amazon, you can uncover patterns, creative strategies, and messaging tactics that drive engagement and conversions.
Finding Winning Ads on Meta (Facebook & Instagram)
Meta Ads offer powerful tools to help you discover high-performing ads that can inspire your campaigns. Using the Meta Ad Library, you can uncover strategies your competitors and industry leaders used to replicate their success in your ads.
Using the Meta Ad Library
The Meta Ad Library is an excellent resource for browsing ads on Facebook and Instagram. Here’s how you can make the most of it:
Visit the Meta Ad Library – Access the library directly via Facebook’s Ad Library.
Search by Industry, Competitor, or Keywords – You can search for ads based on specific industries, competitor names, or even keywords like “sale” or “discount” to discover ads similar to what you plan to run.
Use Filters – Narrow your results by region, ad format (e.g., video, carousel, single image), or ad placement (e.g., Instagram feed, Facebook stories). Filters will help you dig deeper into specific ad types and locations.
Taking Action
Once you've identified a few winning ads, it’s time to dive deeper and analyze what makes them successful.
Screenshot or Save Successful Ads – Document ads that you think could serve as inspiration. Save them for later so you can revisit them to analyze their key elements.
Identify Trends – As you gather more ads, you’ll start to see recurrent themes. Do certain headlines always catch your attention? Are there particular visual styles that draw people in? Are there offers that seem especially compelling to the audience? These patterns will help you recreate winning strategies for your ads.
Beyond manually identifying winning ads, AI-powered tools like GoMarble’s AI Ads Analyzer can take your analysis further by evaluating ad copy, visuals, and CTA effectiveness. Instead of guessing which elements make an ad successful, the AI tool provides actionable insights that highlight what works and what doesn’t.
This allows you to refine your strategy with data-driven decisions, ensuring your campaigns are optimized for engagement and conversions.
Finding Winning Ads on Google
Google Ads is one of the most competitive advertising platforms. With businesses constantly bidding on high-value keywords, it’s essential to understand which ads are performing well.
By analyzing competitor ads, you can uncover effective strategies and apply them to your campaigns, improving results across Google Search and Display Ads.
Using Google’s Transparency Tool for Competitive Analysis
The Google Ads Transparency Tool lets you see ads running across the platform, providing an invaluable resource for analysing competitor strategies. In addition, utilizing other competitive research methods will help you dive deeper into how your competitors are winning on Google Ads.
Access Google’s Ads Transparency Tool
The Google Ads Transparency Tool offers detailed insights into which ads run on Google Search and Google Display Network. You can search for ads based on specific keywords, industries, or brands.
This tool helps you view ads from different political, financial, and health categories to see what’s working in various industries.
Search for Competitive Ads
Once in the tool, enter high-intent keywords or competitors' brand names to see which ads appear for those terms. If certain ads appear frequently or for high-volume keywords, it's a strong sign that those ads are performing well.
For example, if you're in the E-Commerce space, searching for terms like "buy running shoes" or "best skincare products" will show you the top-performing ads related to those categories.
Observe Key Ad Elements
Repetition: Ads consistently appearing across multiple searches or websites are likely successful. Notice how often they appear in search results or across Google’s Display Network.
Ad Copy & CTAs: Winning ads often feature direct and benefit-driven messaging, such as “20% Off Today” or “Buy Now for Free Shipping.” Also, look at the type of CTAs used: are they compelling and action-oriented? Common CTAs include "Shop Now," "Get Started," or "Learn More."
Cross-Reference Ads Across Search & Display
Winning ads usually show up in both search results and display placements, suggesting they are optimized for both search intent and broad audience targeting.
Finding Winning Ads on Amazon
Amazon is a highly competitive E-Commerce advertising platform where top-performing ads directly impact sales rankings. Unlike social media or search ads, Amazon ads are closely tied to consumer purchase behavior, making it easy to spot winning ads based on consistent visibility across multiple search queries.
Using Amazon Search to Identify Sponsored Ads
Amazon's search results often feature Sponsored Ads at the top, making them one of the best places to find high-performing product ads.
Search for Popular Products in Your Category – Enter relevant keywords for your niche (e.g., "wireless headphones," "organic skincare").
Identify Sponsored Products – Look for ads labeled as "Sponsored" at the top of the search results. These are paid placements, but only well-performing ads typically stay in these positions for long.
Watch for Consistency – If an ad frequently appears for different keyword searches, it suggests strong performance and a high return on ad spend (ROAS) for the advertiser.
Observing Sponsored Brand Ads & Product Listings
Amazon prioritizes ads that drive conversions, meaning high-performing ads get more exposure.
Look for Sponsored Brand Ads – These appear as banner ads at the top of search results, showcasing multiple products from the same brand. Since Amazon uses an auction system, brands that continuously appear here are likely running profitable campaigns.
Analyze Pricing & Offers – Winning ads often feature competitive pricing, limited-time discounts, or bundled deals that attract more buyers.
Study Product Images & Titles –
Do winning ads use lifestyle images, product demonstrations, or plain white backgrounds?
What keywords and phrases appear in their product titles? (e.g., "Best-Seller," "Amazon’s Choice," "Limited Stock").
Now that we’ve covered how to find winning ads on Meta, Google, and Amazon, let’s explore how to apply these insights to your advertising strategy and maximize results.
Extracting Insights from Winning Ads
Finding winning ads is just the first step—the real advantage comes from analyzing them and applying proven strategies to your campaigns. By identifying common trends, spotting high-performing elements, and using AI tools to refine your approach, you can maximize the impact of your ads.
Noticing Common Patterns in Winning Ads
When reviewing high-performing ads, look for recurring trends that indicate what’s resonating with audiences:
Are Discounts & Promotions Frequently Used?
Many winning ads emphasize limited-time offers like “Get 30% Off Today” or “Flash Sale – Ends Soon” to create urgency.
If discounts are a recurring theme in your industry, incorporating them can boost engagement and conversions.
Do Certain Visual Styles or Ad Formats Appear Repeatedly?
On Meta: Are video ads more dominant than static images? Do carousel ads perform better for product showcases?
On Google Display: Do clean, text-light banner ads appear more frequently than busy graphics?
On Amazon: Are lifestyle product shots outperforming standard white-background images?
Identifying these patterns helps you choose the format that appeals most to your audience.
What Kind of CTAs Are Working Best?
E-commerce ads: “Shop Now,” “Claim Your Discount,” “Buy One, Get One Free.”
App promotions: “Install Now,” “Try for Free,” “Start Your Trial.”
If a certain CTA structure appears frequently in successful ads, it's likely optimized for action.
Using Competitor Ads as Inspiration
You don’t need to start from scratch—learning from winning ads gives you a head start in crafting high-performing campaigns.
Adapt What’s Working Instead of Guessing
If a competitor’s ad drives high engagement, study its headline, visuals, and CTA elements.
Implement a similar strategy while making it unique to your brand.
Test Variations of Ad Elements That Have Proven to Work
Experiment with headlines, images, and offers based on what’s working for competitors.
If you notice short, punchy ad copy performing better than long-form messaging, apply that insight to your ads.
Try different color schemes, layouts, and visual placements trending in your industry.
Leveraging AI to Analyze & Improve Your Ads
While analyzing competitor ads gives valuable insights, evaluating your ads ensures you’re maximizing their potential.
Use an AI-Powered Ads Analyzer – A tool like GoMarble’s AI Ads Analyzer for Facebook Ads can assess your ad's creative strength, engagement potential, and call-to-action effectiveness.
What You Can Learn from GoMarble’s AI Ad Analysis Report:
Creative Strength – Evaluates clarity, product visibility, and brand presence.
Hook Effectiveness – Determines if your ad grabs attention within the first few seconds.
Messaging & Copy Impact – Identifies whether your copy is clear, benefit-driven, and persuasive.
Call-to-Action Strength – Analyzes if your CTA encourages immediate action.
Example AI Analysis Suggestion:
Your ad does not evoke strong emotions—add an element of curiosity or urgency.
Your CTA is weak—replace “Check it Out” with “Shop Now – Limited Offer!”
Your visuals are clear, but there is no social proof—add testimonials or reviews.
Ready to optimize your ads? Get a detailed AI-powered report on your Facebook Ads to see what’s working and what needs improvement.
Now that you know how to find winning ads, extract insights, and leverage AI tools for optimization, let’s wrap it up with key takeaways.
Conclusion
Finding winning ads is essential for running successful campaigns without wasting time and budget on guesswork. By analyzing high-performing ads on Meta, Google, and Amazon, identifying common patterns, and leveraging AI tools, you can refine your strategy and create ads that truly resonate with your audience.
However, the difference between a good ad and a great ad often comes down to expertise, strategy, and execution. Partnering with a performance marketing agency like GoMarble ensures that your ads are visually compelling, data-driven, and optimized for success. With AI-powered insights, expert ad specialists, and proven performance strategies, GoMarble helps you run high-converting, profitable campaigns across multiple platforms.
Contact GoMarble today and start running winning ads that drive real results!