Tabarak Paracha
In this post, Sven Jürgens shows you exactly how to build your own keyword and ad spy tools using Python, step by step, even if you’ve never coded before.
Here’s what’s in this post:
- Tips for beginners: Getting started with Python, overcoming hurdles, and why coding is still worth it for marketers
- Step-by-step demo: How to fetch Apple Search Ads keyword volumes with Python
- Build an ad spy tool: Learn to pull and sort competitor Meta ads by reach, so you can see what’s really working
Getting your app noticed in crowded app stores or running effective ads requires more than luck. Luckily, with tools like Python, you can do a lot of the heavy lifting yourself. Automating mundane tasks like keyword research or spying on competitors’ ads becomes easier, and cheaper, when you understand how to use coding for marketing.
This guide will show you real examples and simple tips to get started.
Why Marketers Need Python in Their Toolkit
The Growing Role of Data-Driven Marketing
Marketing today isn’t just about slogans and images. It’s about knowing what works. More companies are using data to make smarter decisions. Instead of guessing which keywords to use or which ads are working, you can find those answers quickly.
Benefits of Learning Python for Marketers
- Save money by avoiding costly ASO and analytics tools.
- Get better insights by pulling your own data from sources like Apple or Facebook.
- Build skills that boost your career and make your job easier.
Introduction to Python for Marketers
What is Python and Why Use It?
Python is a programming language famous for being simple but powerful. You can automate boring tasks, scrape websites for data, analyze info, and even build custom tools. Imagine copying and pasting data into Excel becomes a thing of the past when your scripts do it for you.
How to Get Started
- Use LLMs
- Learn the basics with free beginner tutorials online
Practical Python Applications for Marketing
Fetching Keyword Volumes from Apple Search Ads
Why Is Keyword Data Important?
Knowing how many people search for certain words helps you pick the best keywords for your app. But Apple hides this info behind secret numbers and buttons. So, how do you find out?
Sven offers a FREE step-by-step guide, taking you through the “unofficial” way of doing keyword research, that is not available with Apple’s official API.
Step-by-Step Workflow
- Use your browser’s developer tools to see how Apple loads data.
- Look for specific network calls when you search for hidden keywords like “fitness” and the corresponding popularity.
- Copy these calls as curl commands.
- Convert that curl command into a simple Python script.
- Run the script to get the search volume for multiple keywords in seconds.
Tracking Competitor Ads on Meta (Facebook) with Python
Knowing which ads your competitors run, how much reach they get, and what their creative looks like gives you a huge edge. But Facebook’s official ad library doesn’t offer everything directly, so Python can help fill in the gaps, when spy tools are overpriced, and not very helpful.
What you need to get started
- Facebook Page ID – From an advertiser running ads in the EU
Watch the video starting from timestamp 45:30 to see how Sven uses the above to write code to fetch ads from the Facebook API.
Building the Ad Tracker
- Write code to fetch ads from the Facebook API.
- Collect details like ad reach, text, and images.
- Sort ads by reach or engagement to see what works best.
- Automate this process to run weekly or daily.
