Google Shopping ads work very differently to search ads, so how do you make the most of your campaign planning?
When running search campaigns, bids are placed on keywords to control when the ad is displayed, enabling the control of budget against the actual spend.
With Google Shopping ads, instead of bidding on keywords, bids are placed on the advertiser’s product inventory (feed). This data is extracted from their e-Commerce site via the Google Merchant Centre.
How will Google Shopping keywords be displayed as Shopping Ads?
As with any campaign, time invested at the outset will reap long-term rewards. A poorly optimised feed could cost you both financially, with poor sales return alongside additional time investment in order to improve the product feed. Google Shopping ads need to set up effectively and requires regular monitoring to ensure a greater return-on-investment.
With some keyword research, you can not only improve your ad position but also reduce your cost-per-click. To assist Google in matching products, use specific search terms, brands, part numbers and descriptions to optimise product titles and improve your ad position. One of the most important factors in making Google think your ad is relevant to the search query is product titles. Product titles have a major influence on performance and are proven to increase impressions and ultimately, revenue.
One of the most important factors in making Google think your ad is relevant to the search query is product titles. Product titles have a major influence on performance and are proven to increase impressions and ultimately, revenue. By combining product titles and ensuring accurate data is contained within the Google Product Category, your keywords will be matched to your ads. Improving quality traffic to your products for greater sales conversion.
In addition, rather than allocating each product to a top-level category, nominating products to third or fourth level category will also improve performance overall.
Bid Adjustment?
As Google Shopping is a more organic process than text ads, you cannot bid or adjust bids on particular keywords. However, it is widely known that Google Shopping ads generate more traffic (with varying degrees of visitor interest) resulting in a higher the bid, the more Google will do to match your products to the specified search terms.
Negative Keywords?
Unlike text ads, where negative keywords are used for irrelevant searches which can be added to both the ‘campaign’ and ‘ad-group’ levels, preventing those keywords matching your product ads. Google Shopping ads will exclude all searches which contain the specified term within the keyword match types.
Needless to say, great care is required in using negative keywords within Shopping campaigns. Using the same keyword match types as you may use in a search campaign (broad, phrase and exact match) could result in the following:
- The negative broad match keyword for ‘+shoes’ will exclude all search terms such as “blue shoes”, “running shoes” and “branded sports shoes”
- The negative phrase match, “running shoes” will exclude all search terms with the phrase intact such as “blue running shoes”, “branded running shoes”, but not for “shoes for running” as this phrase is not intact
- The negative exact match for [running shoes] only excludes the specified terms. “blue branded running shoes” could still match to your Shopping ads
Generic terms, such as “cheap”, “free” along with brands that you don’t supply are often good options to include for negative keywords, within your campaigns.
Monitor and Adjust 
Your campaigns and ad groups should be monitored and reviewed at least every 2-3 days to avoid wasting budget. Refine and adjust your campaigns to maximise performance and optimise spend.
To manage a most effective and profitable Google Shopping campaign, you must have e-Commerce tracking in place. Having data for ‘Cost-of-Sale’ is probably the most important metric to monitor the return on investment and keep a track on the overall campaign performance.
For further information on how Onefeed could assist with your Shopping campaigns, please call the sales team on 01202 497077 or email sales@onefeed.co.uk
