Google Shopping guide

How to boost your e-commerce revenues with Google Shopping Ads

How will this guide help me and my business?

Google Shopping ads appear in response to relevant searches carried out on Google and are charged for on a cost per click basis. However, Shopping ads only appear for searches related to products that can be bought online from the advertisers’ websites, and give retailers an effective, image-led ad for any product they want to promote.

Using Product Shopping ads effectively means your ads will have greater visibility, bring in a great quality of customer (as they will already know information about your product before they visit your page), and be presented in a mobile-friendly carousel, meaning you don't need to worry about your ad being hidden below the fold. Product Shopping ads also tend to have higher CTR, a higher conversion rate, and a lower CPC than regular text ads.

In this guide, we will give you an introduction to the benefits of Google Shopping, show you how to set up a Google Merchant Center account so you can start creating ads, and how to optimize your ads once you're up and running.

Who is the guide for?

This guide has been created for:

• Managers in businesses of all sizes who are using Google Shopping as part of their paid search strategy for the first time.
• Digital marketing managers with sales or leads-based KPIs and use Google Ads.
• Digital marketing executives responsible for setting and executing paid search activities as part of an agreed strategy.

How is this guide structured?

This guide uses the following structure:

• What are Google Shopping ads?
  • A brief introduction to Google Shopping ads, including visual examples
• Key features of Product Shopping ads
  • See how Product Shopping ads differ from conventional Google Ads
  • Learn how your website can benefit from implementing Product Shopping ads
• Setting up Google Shopping
  • A step-by-step approach to using Google Shopping for the first time, including best practice advice
• Maintaining and optimizing Google Shopping campaigns
  • Once you're all set up, use these tips to optimize your ads and enjoy continued success
  • Learn about bid adjustments, negative keywords, and single product ad groups (SPAGs)
  • Read an example of how campaign priority settings can increase your return on ad spend

Resource Details

• Author: David Miles
• Format: Online long-form guide
• Related resources: Google Ads strategy guide

About the author

David Miles

David Miles is a digital marketing consultant, trainer, and published author. Since 2004, David has owned and run digital marketing agencies and training businesses large and small across the UK and Europe. Currently, David is the founder and CEO of The PPC Machine, a boutique agency that helps mortgage brokers, IFAs, and other financial services professionals grow their businesses using pay per click advertising platforms.

Connect with David on LinkedIn.