Google Shopping Ads: Essential Info Before You Pay

Did you know that WebFX is a certified Google Premier Partner? We know Google Ads in and out and can help take your campaign to the next level.  Watch this video to learn about what Google shopping Ads are, and things you should know before starting!

Transcript: If you’re a shopaholic like me, you’ve definitely done your fair share of browsing Google Shopping ads when you’re on the hunt for a certain product.

What are Google Shopping Ads?

If you’re not sure what I mean, Google Shopping ads are the sponsored results you see when you search for a product, like “really big fluffy sweaters.”  Google shopping ads are great if you want to sell your products online, or even just get your products in front of Google searchers.  Stay tuned to hear more about the different types of Google shopping ads and how you can use them to grow your business.  Welcome back! While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and sign up for our weekly newsletter so you never miss out on the latest in digital marketing.  Alright, so let’s get down to business. 

Specifically, how Google Shopping ads can help your business sell more online. 

If you set up Google Shopping ads, your products can be featured at the top of the search results.

You can potentially get your brand and what you sell in front of an audience that is already looking for your products.  As Google says, you’ll get qualified leads through Shopping ads because you’re giving people the information they need to make a purchase.  If someone types in the query, “brown boots,” they can see ads for a selection of boots, the cost, ratings, and where to buy them. They can make a purchase decision right from the Google search results if they see something that catches their eye.  You also have access to data that can tell you how people are engaging with your ads. Not to mention, these ads take up quite a bit of real estate in the search results. They can put you above your competitors because they’re the first thing someone sees when they search for a product like yours.  Your Shopping ad can push your competitors’ search ads, and any organic search results, down and get your vital product information where it should be, right at the top of the search results. I’ll talk about two common types of Shopping ads on Google. 

The first is Product Shopping ads. 

You’ve probably seen these when you do a quick search for an item on your computer. The typical elements of a product shopping ad are a photo of the item, the cost, the title, and the store that’s selling it. So let’s search for winter hats. You see a carousel of product shopping ads at the top of the results that have photos, the business selling them, prices, and a description.

The next type of Google Shopping ad is the Showcase Shopping ad. 

You’ve probably seen these while shopping on your phone. A Showcase Shopping ad is like a virtual display in a storefront.

You see the store’s name and a few products, along with examples of the product either being used or styled.  So if someone typed in the search, “winter scarves” on their smartphone, they’ll see the Showcase Shopping ads featuring brands and their selections of winter scarves, alongside photos of people wearing them.  Cozy sweaters, winter hats, winter scarves? I guess you’re unintentionally helping me shop for my winter wardrobe.

What is the cost of Google Shopping Ads? 

There are a few ways to pay for your ads.  You can pay for Product Shopping ads on a cost-per-click basis, meaning you pay when someone actually clicks on the ad.  So if your ad pops up in front of someone who doesn’t immediately click, you don’t have any associated cost.  With Showcase Shopping ads, you’re charged when someone engages with your ad, also known as cost-per-engagement.  Google defines engagement as someone opening a collapsed ad and keeping it open for 10 seconds, or clicking the ad. So, again, even if someone doesn’t engage, they’re still seeing your brand and your products at no cost to you. Google also offers smart bidding for Google Shopping campaigns, meaning you set a certain goal and your budget, and Google Ads makes the bids for you to achieve your specific goals.  I will say, though, that you don’t bid on keywords for Google Shopping ads. Google uses product information that you provide through Google Merchant Center and pulls up your ad based on the user’s search.  In Merchant Center, you can create and optimize a product feed with your necessary product information so that your ads stand out.  If you don’t have a Google Merchant Center account, you’ll definitely want to set one up so you can start getting your products to show on Google.

To get your ads showing, you’ll want to link your Merchant Center account with your Google Ads account.  Google lays out how you can do this on their support pages. You can also reach out to our team of experts, and we can help you get started with Google Shopping ads.  

How do you optimize your product feed for your Google Shopping ads? 

Something to remember when adding products to your Merchant Center product feed is that you want to leave people enough info to make a decision from your ad.  So when you’re writing a title, be specific. If you’re selling mittens…and I know I keep going on about winter clothes…but if you’re selling mittens, and they come in a pack of five, make sure you tell people the quantity, so they know what they’re getting.  If you have designer scarves, name the designer and use their brand authority to get people interested.  Just think about what you would want to know about your product when working on your Google Shopping ads optimization.  And that’s a wrap!  If you’re ready to start driving leads through Google Shopping ads, give us a call at 888-601-5359 or contact us through our website.  And we would love it if you subscribed to our YouTube channel and checked out our blog! We have a lot of great digital marketing content every week! See you next time!