Online shopping has soared over the past couple of years. In 2022, the world estimates that eCommerce will contribute to over 20.4% of retail sales by the end of the year. When it comes to eCommerce sale generation, there are many ways a business could go, but Google shopping ads don’t always first come to mind for most. Yet this often-overlooked eCommerce marketing strategy harbors enormous potential, especially for small businesses.
What are Google Shopping ads?
Google Shopping ads are product listings that appear at the top of SERPs after a product search query. Say we’d like to buy some new sneakers from Nike, and we looked that up. You’d notice we’d get a few image ad recommendations above the headlines, containing a couple of choices for the product we’re aiming to buy. Those are Google shopping ads.
Your typical Google shopping ad structure breaks down to three elements, namely:
- The pricing of the product
- The selling platform or website
- The name of the product
- The image of the product
- Product star rating
Because of their position atop search engine listings, these types of ads prove effective digital marketing for eCommerce. Their placing assures attention and they are a great way to get your products in front of many eyeballs.
What’s so great about Google Shopping Ads?
Aside from giving your products a share of the SERP spotlight, there’s much else to be gained from Google shopping ads, such as:
- They enable small businesses to square up to big brands. You don’t need to be a household name to get your products seen by leads
- Compared to text ads, they have a 26% higher conversion rate, which attests to their effectiveness. ROI is further bolstered by the fact that Google shopping ads incur a 23% lower cost-per-click.
- Google shopping ads assure high-quality leads. That’s because these ads are tailored to a super-specific product search query from ready buyers
- They’re so easy to manage, you could do it in your sleep. While you do have a say in what keywords you get matched for, Google takes over most of the work, relying on your product data feed to do all the heavy lifting.
- You can have multiple, related products appear for the same keyword phrase. This encourages complementary purchases.
Need a best-in-class digital marketing agency for eCommerce to help you out with Google Shopping ads? Genexod is at your service.
How do you set up a Google shopping ad?
With a little work, you can set up your Google shopping ad in no time at all. But first, you’ll need to sign up for a Google Merchant Center account. This will enable you to liaise with Google and provide the search engine with more details about what you’re selling.
Once that’s out of the way, it’s time to craft your shopping feed. This basically covers your store’s product data. You can find the “Feeds” button on the left-hand column, which should be the 4th option, right below “API Diagnostics”
With all the necessary data keyed into Google, you need to pair up your new Merchant Center Account to your Google Ads account. To do that:
- From the sidebar, hit “Settings”
- Go to “Link Account”
- Set up an Ads account via your Merchant Center account if you don’t have one
- You’re all set. Now Use Google AdWords to craft your campaign
Here’s a more detailed walkthrough from Google on how to create your shopping campaign.
How to optimize your Google Shopping ads
Right off the bat, you’ll need a compelling product image so your leads know exactly what they’re in for. The same goes for your product title, which ought to be totally clear on the exact product you’re selling so there’s no room for doubt.
It helps to have a cross-platform-friendly website (for both desktop and mobile). Also, throw in qualified customer reviews for irrefutable social proof. Beyond these, here are a couple of other excellent optimization strategies:
Identify your biggest losers
You’ll notice some of your products will blow up, but you’ll need to keep a closer eye on the ones lagging behind. If your profit margin is lower than your CPC, that’s an indication of an underperforming ad or product. For these ads, make adjustments for improvement by:
- Reworking your title
- Reviewing your keyword choices
- Switching images
If you can’t seem to pinpoint the exact source of trouble, you may need to seek out professional eCommerce SEO services.
Set your negative keywords
Negative keywords are crucial to ensuring quality leads and are among the top digital marketing trends in 2022. If you’re selling wine glasses, you wouldn’t want there to be a mix-up when people search for “eyeglasses”. So, it makes sense to add the latter to your negative keywords so that Google doesn’t match your product for this keyword and its variants.
Perform product boosts
Once you have a clear picture of your winners and losers, it’s time to take the next step. Bid higher on your best-performing products so that you ramp up conversions even more and maximize profit margins.
Include discounts & offers regularly
Did you know that 64% of your buyers are waiting for a price drop before they buy from you? Discounts are great for business, as are complimentary offers like free shipping. In fact, free shipping offers have been shown to enhance conversions by 50%.
Know when not to advertise
You need to get your timings right especially when you’re selling seasonal products. For instance, it might not be the best idea to start promoting your raincoats toward summer. Chances are, they’re likely to not be very popular then.
Don’t wait any longer
Google shopping ads have stuck around for the better part of 12 years, and that’s a testament to their endurance and effectiveness. The savviest businesses are already aboard this important eCommerce marketing strategy, and it’s wise to start making room for these ads in your marketing budget if you aim to make your eCommerce store more competitive. Should you need an eCommerce marketing service to show you the ropes, reach out to Genexod today to start reeling in more sales from Google.
