Are Google Ads Good for Ecommerce?
But first things first, does Google Ads actually work for ecommerce operators? And if it works, is it actually worth using?
Well, let’s start by saying that we’re naturally biased here, by a Google Ads agency and all, and we’re obviously going to consider Google Ads as a worthwhile investment. However, let’s put that aside for now and let’s try to answer this question as honestly as we can.
We think that Google Ads are good not just for ecommerce, but every industry and business imaginable. This is because the particular benefits that Google Ads offers can work for every business owner in every possible niche.
The main benefits that you receive through Google Ads are, firstly, the speed with which you can start seeing results; as opposed to organic forms of search engine marketing, primarily SEO, Google Ads will start providing results in as little as a week. For SEO to make any significant difference, you need at least 6 months.
Secondly, when using Google Ads, you have the option of displaying your ads to users that have already shown a willingness to make a purchase. This is by targeting keywords that have high buyer intent—in other words, the searcher is actively looking to buy something, and so all they need is a little nudging in the right direction.
Finally, Google Ads gives you the power to target the people that will be the perfect fit for your brand. This means that you’ll only be showing your adverts to people that are more likely to make a purchase rather than just any person on the internet that might have a vague interest in what you offer.
Google Ads Cost for Ecommerce
While part of our services includes helping you determine your budget and how much you should spend on Google Ads, we’re going to take this opportunity to give you an idea of how much it would cost you to run Google Ads for your ecommerce brand.
Firstly, however, it’s good to know that Google Ads technically runs on a daily budget, that is, when setting up your Google Ads account budget, you’ll be assigning how much money Google uses per day and not per month. However, thinking in terms of monthly budget can prove useful when visualizing costs.
When it comes to determining the cost of Google Ads for ecommerce, it’s a good idea to have a look at the average CPC in the ecommerce industry. Thankfully, there is good news here, as according to WordStream, the average CPC for search ads in ecommerce is $1.16 while the average CPC for display ads is $0.45.
These CPCs are rather low, and are actually some of the lowest across industries, which is great for keeping your advertising costs low.
However, just because your CPCs are low, doesn’t you should stick to a low ad budget; on the other hand, you can use the low CPCs to your advantage by either increasing the number of keywords you’re targeting or else investing more than your competitors for a chance to outrank them.
What Is a Good ROI for Google Ads?
It’s always good to keep your eyes on the prize, which is why bearing an objective in mind is never a bad idea. One good goal to keep in mind is shooting for a great ROI (return on investment) through the Google Ads platform, which is why we’re going to explain what a good ROI to aim for should be.
Of course, as with everything in the realm of marketing, it all depends on the particular circumstances that your business finds itself in, so to speak. With different industries comes different challenges and expectations, and the same applies to ROI.
Where some industries have average ROIs that are anywhere from 600–800%, other industries would be lucky to have an ROI that ranges from 50–100%.
However, a good ROI (or ROAS, return on ad spend, as it should more properly be called) to aim for with regards to Google Ads is anywhere between 100–200%. So, essentially we’re looking to either double or triple your ad spend.
Dominate the Digital Landscape With the Best Google Ads for Ecommerce: Attract Shoppers, Boost Sales
In today’s saturated online market, simply having an ecommerce store isn’t enough: you need a marketing strategy that’s so powerful that not only will users find your products when searching, but will want to buy them.
Moreover, imagine a world where potential customers actively seek your brand out, eager to explore your products over those of your competitors. These results are thanks to the power of a well-crafted Google Ads strategy.
As a premier Google Ads agency with a proven track record in ecommerce, we can help you unlock the true potential of this advertising behemoth, transforming clicks into loyal customers who rave about your brand.
Benefits of Partnering with Ads Institute:
- Laser-Targeted Traffic: Forget about scattering your budget on irrelevant clicks. Through meticulous keyword research and audience targeting, we’ll ensure your ads reach the exact people actively searching for products like yours. Think targeted demographics, interests, and buying behaviors. This translates to a surge in qualified traffic that’s ready to convert.
- Data-Driven Decisions, Measurable Results: Forget about flying blind. We’ll set up robust conversion tracking that provides crystal-clear insights into user behavior on your site. Together, we’ll analyze this data to optimize bids, refine targeting, and craft messaging that resonates deeply with your audience. This data-driven approach guarantees continuous improvement and maximizes your return on investment (ROI).
- Brand Storytelling on the Search Engine Stage: Gone are the days of generic ad copy. We’ll craft compelling narratives that showcase your brand’s unique selling points and value proposition. Think engaging headlines, persuasive descriptions, and clear calls to action that entice shoppers to click through and experience your products firsthand.
- A Strategic Shopping Showcase: Leveraging Google Shopping Ads, we’ll create a visually appealing and informative product feed that highlights your best offerings directly within search results. This increases brand awareness, simplifies product discovery, and drives targeted traffic directly to your product pages.
- Remarketing: Reconnect with Engaged Shoppers: Not all website visitors convert on the first visit. But that doesn’t mean they’re lost forever. We’ll implement strategic remarketing campaigns that gently nudge potential customers back to your site, reminding them of the amazing products they browsed and encouraging a purchase.
- Transparency & Ongoing Support: You won’t be left in the dark. We believe in open communication and will provide regular reports with easy-to-understand data visualizations. You’ll always be kept in the loop and have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.
Ready to Take Your Ecommerce Business to New Heights?
Don’t wait for success to come knocking. Let our Google Ads expertise propel your ecommerce store to a whole new level. Contact us today for a free 30-minute audit and discover how we can craft a winning Google Ads strategy that drives sales and positions your brand for long-term success.
If you require a little more convincing, then here’s a few steps in our recipe for ecommerce success. If you call us, we’ll go over our process in its entirety and with greater detail, but these descriptions should suffice for now.
Deep Dive Discovery: Unlocking Your Ecommerce Potential
Before diving headfirst into Google Ads, we embark on a collaborative journey of discovery. This in-depth analysis phase is the bedrock of a successful campaign. We’ll begin by taking a deep dive into your online store, meticulously examining your product offerings, key features, and unique selling points (USPs). This allows us to understand what truly sets your brand apart and how to best communicate that value proposition to your target audience.
Next, we’ll shift our focus to your ideal customer. Through a combination of audience research, competitor analysis, and demographic insights, we’ll create a detailed buyer persona. This persona will paint a vivid picture of your ideal customer – their online behavior, search habits, and pain points. By understanding their needs and desires, we can craft targeted messaging that resonates deeply and compels them to click.
Finally, we’ll turn our attention to the competitive landscape. We’ll analyze your top competitors’ Google Ads strategies, identifying their strengths and weaknesses. This allows us to develop a campaign that stands out from the crowd, capturing valuable market share and positioning your brand for long-term success.
Through this comprehensive Deep Dive Discovery phase, we’ll gather a wealth of data and insights that will form the foundation of your personalized Google Ads strategy. This ensures your campaigns are laser-focused on attracting the right customers and driving conversions.
Keyword Magic: Unveiling the Search Intent Behind Every Click
Keywords are the lifeblood of any successful Google Ads campaign. That’s why we don’t settle for generic keyword lists. Instead, we embark on a meticulous keyword research expedition, uncovering the golden nuggets – high-intent search terms that resonate deeply with your target audience.
Imagine your ideal customer typing a specific phrase into the search bar, yearning for a solution your product provides. Through in-depth keyword research, we’ll identify those exact search terms and craft compelling ads that appear at the precise moment your ideal customer is ready to buy.
But keyword research is a two-way street. While we want to attract the right clicks, we also want to avoid irrelevant ones that drain your budget. That’s where the magic of negative keywords comes in. By strategically implementing a robust negative keyword list, we’ll ensure your ads only reach users genuinely interested in what you offer. This meticulous approach ensures you get the most bang for your buck, maximizing your return on investment (ROI).
Furthermore, keyword research is an ongoing process. Search trends and user behavior constantly evolve. That’s why we’ll continuously monitor keyword performance, identify new opportunities, and refine your keyword strategy over time. This ensures your campaigns stay ahead of the curve, consistently attracting high-quality traffic that converts.
Compelling Ad Creation: Crafting Micro-Narratives that Convert
In the crowded digital marketplace, attention spans are fleeting. That’s why your Google Ads need to be captivating micro-narratives that grab attention in an instant. We don’t just write ad copy; we craft compelling stories that showcase your product’s unique selling points and spark a user’s interest. We’ll delve deep into your brand voice and messaging to ensure your ads resonate with your target audience on an emotional level.
But crafting captivating ad copy is just the first step. To truly maximize impact, we’ll leverage the power of A/B testing. This allows us to experiment with different headlines, descriptions, and call-to-action phrases, identifying which combinations resonate most effectively with your target audience.
Imagine side-by-side ad variations, each battling for clicks. Through A/B testing, we’ll gather valuable data on user behavior and continuously refine your ad messaging to achieve maximum impact.
This data-driven approach ensures your ads are not just seen, but clicked. They’ll become irresistible calls to action, enticing users to delve deeper and explore the fantastic world of your products.
Landing Page Optimization: The Seamless Gateway to Conversions
Think of your landing page as the final frontier – the make-or-break moment where a curious click can transform into a loyal customer. That’s why collaboration is key. We’ll work together to ensure your landing pages are conversion champions, seamlessly guiding users on a journey towards that crucial purchase.
Here’s how we’ll optimize your landing pages for maximum impact:
- Crystal Clear Messaging: We’ll ensure your landing page messaging aligns perfectly with your Google Ads, reinforcing the value proposition and benefits users saw in your ad. Consistency is crucial – no bait-and-switch tactics here.
- A Visual Feast: High-quality product images and captivating videos will showcase your offerings in all their glory. We’ll also leverage user-generated content (UGC) when appropriate, to build trust and social proof.
- Frictionless Navigation: Your landing page should be a user-friendly haven. We’ll meticulously craft a clear and concise layout, ensuring intuitive navigation that guides users effortlessly towards the call to action (CTA).
- Compelling CTAs: The CTA is the battle cry that compels users to convert. We’ll craft clear, concise, and action-oriented CTAs that are impossible to ignore. Think “Buy Now,” “Shop Now,” or “Add to Cart” – strong verbs that drive action.
- A/B Testing Powerhouse: Just like with your Google Ads, we’ll leverage A/B testing to optimize your landing pages for maximum conversions. Imagine testing different layouts, headlines, and CTA variations to see which ones convert best. This data-driven approach ensures your landing pages are constantly evolving and performing at their peak.
By working together to optimize your landing pages, we’ll transform them from passive destinations into conversion powerhouses, seamlessly ushering users towards that all-important purchase.
Campaign Structure for Success: A Symphony of Targeting Options
The foundation of a successful Google Ads campaign lies in its structure.
Imagine a meticulously crafted symphony, with each instrument playing its part in creating a harmonious whole. That’s the approach we take.
We’ll meticulously structure your campaigns, utilizing a variety of ad groups and targeting options to ensure your ads reach the most relevant audience at the precise moment they’re searching for what you offer.
This multi-faceted approach may include:
- Search Network Campaigns: Targeting laser-focused keyword groups relevant to your specific products. We’ll delve deep into user search intent, ensuring your ads appear when potential customers are actively looking for solutions your products provide.
- Shopping Ads: Harnessing the power of Google Shopping, we’ll create visually appealing product feeds that showcase your offerings directly within search results. Imagine high-quality images, clear descriptions, and competitive pricing – all working together to grab attention and drive qualified traffic to your product pages.
- Display Network Campaigns: Expanding your reach beyond search, we can leverage the Display Network to showcase your brand across a vast network of websites and apps. This allows you to build brand awareness, target specific demographics and interests, and re-engage with website visitors who haven’t converted yet.
By strategically combining these campaign types and meticulously tailoring them to your audience and goals, we’ll create a powerful Google Ads orchestra. This symphony of targeting options will ensure your message reaches the right people at the right time, driving qualified traffic, boosting brand awareness, and ultimately propelling your ecommerce business towards long-term success.
Conversion Tracking & Analytics: Unveiling the Customer Journey
In the world of Google Ads, data is king. Conversion tracking is the crown jewel, providing invaluable insights into user behavior and campaign performance. It’s not enough just to drive traffic; we need to understand how users interact with your website and what motivates them to convert. That’s why we’ll set up robust conversion tracking that goes beyond simple clicks.
Imagine being able to see which products users browse before making a purchase, how long they spend on specific pages, and what ultimately compels them to click “buy.” This granular data paints a vivid picture of the customer journey, allowing us to optimize your campaigns for maximum return on investment (ROI).
But data collection is just the first step. We’ll transform this raw information into actionable insights. We’ll delve deep into conversion reports, identify areas for improvement, and refine your campaigns accordingly. This might involve optimizing landing pages to address user friction, adjusting bids for high-performing keywords, or even creating targeted remarketing campaigns for users who haven’t converted yet.
Through continuous analysis and data-driven decision making, we’ll ensure your Google Ads campaigns are constantly evolving and performing at their peak. Conversion tracking and analytics become the compass guiding us towards campaign success, maximizing conversions and propelling your ecommerce business towards its full potential.
Remarketing Retargeting: The Art of the Gentle Nudge
Not every website visitor converts on the first try. That doesn’t mean they’re lost forever. In fact, these window shoppers hold immense potential. That’s where the power of remarketing retargeting comes in. We won’t let them slip away; instead, we’ll implement strategic remarketing campaigns that gently nudge them back to your site, keeping your brand top-of-mind and ultimately driving conversions.
Here’s how we’ll leverage remarketing to re-engage your audience:
- Strategic Ad Placement: We’ll utilize the power of display networks to showcase targeted ads across their favorite websites and apps. Imagine someone browsing a recipe website and seeing an ad featuring your perfect kitchen gadget they viewed earlier. This strategic placement keeps your brand at the forefront of their mind.
- Dynamic Product Ads: Take remarketing a step further with dynamic product ads. These personalized ads showcase the exact products a user viewed on your site, acting as a gentle reminder of their previous interest. Imagine seeing that stylish jacket you admired browsing your social media feed – a targeted nudge that can lead them back to complete the purchase.
- Abandoned Cart Recovery: Have you ever filled a cart online only to get sidetracked before checkout? It happens! We can implement targeted remarketing campaigns specifically aimed at users who abandoned their carts. These time-sensitive reminders highlight the products left behind and offer enticing incentives to complete the purchase.
By implementing a multi-faceted remarketing strategy, we’ll keep your brand visible to past website visitors, rekindle their interest, and ultimately turn those window shoppers into loyal customers. Remarketing retargeting becomes a powerful tool in your ecommerce arsenal, maximizing your return on ad spend (ROAS) and driving long-term sales success.
Data-Driven Optimization: The Neverending Pursuit of Performance
Google Ads is a powerful engine, but just like any engine, it needs constant fine-tuning to reach its peak performance. That’s where data-driven optimization comes in. we won’t set your campaigns and forget them; instead, we’ll meticulously monitor their performance like a hawk, scrutinizing every click, conversion, and impression.
But data collection is just the first step. The true magic lies in transforming this raw information into actionable insights. We’ll delve deep into comprehensive reports, analyzing key metrics like click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and cost per acquisition (CPA). By dissecting this data, we’ll identify areas for improvement and make data-driven adjustments to optimize your campaigns for maximum efficiency and impact.
Here’s a glimpse into the optimization process:
- Bid Adjustments: We’ll constantly analyze keyword performance, identifying high-performing terms that deserve increased bids and underperforming ones that require adjustments. This ensures your budget is allocated strategically, maximizing your return on ad spend (ROAS).
- Targeting Refinement: As user behavior evolves and market trends shift, we’ll refine your targeting parameters to ensure your ads reach the most relevant audience at the right time. Imagine dynamically adjusting demographics, interests, and placements based on real-time data to stay ahead of the curve.
- A/B Testing Evolution: Our A/B testing endeavors won’t stop at ad copy. We’ll continuously test different landing pages, ad formats, and call-to-action (CTA) variations to identify the winning combinations that drive the most conversions.
- Experimentation & Innovation: The digital advertising landscape is constantly evolving. We’ll stay at the forefront of industry trends, exploring new features and testing innovative campaign strategies to maximize your competitive edge.
Through this meticulous data-driven optimization process, your Google Ads campaigns will become a living, breathing entity – constantly evolving, adapting, and improving to deliver exceptional results. It’s a never-ending pursuit of performance, ensuring your campaigns stay laser-focused on driving sales and propelling your ecommerce business towards long-term success.
What Are Google Ads?
It’s worthless trying to convince you to use Google Ads if you have no idea what it is and how it works—which is why we’re taking this time to briefly explain to you how the platform operates.
Firstly, Google Ads is Google’s official paid advertising platform; in other words, it’s where users go in order to directly pay Google for their advertisements to be displayed across a number of properties that are either owned and operated by Google, or owned by other people that partner up with Google.
Depending on the type of Google Ad you choose (better known as a campaign type), your ad will be displayed on a different property. The most common campaign types that you’ll encounter are the following:
- Search ads: these are the sponsored listings that you find at the top of the search results whenever you look up something on Google.
- Display ads: these are the banner ads that you tend to find in the margins and between blocks of text on certain websites you visit.
- Video ads: these are the video ads that you generally find whenever you’re trying to watch a video on YouTube.
But no matter which campaign type you make use of, Google Ads still works the same: that is, through an auction system in which users “bid” on keywords depending on the maximum amount that they’re willing to pay for an interaction with those keywords.
Not all of these “interactions” are the same, and you can pay for different interactions depending on which one you choose. These can be either:
- CPC: short for “cost per click,” this means that you have to pay every time a user clicks on your ads.
- CPM: short for “cost per mille,” this means that you have to pay every time your ads are viewed 1000 times.
- CPE: short for “cost per engagement,” this means that you have to pay every time a user engages with your ads in some special way.
What Are Google Shopping Ads?
A particular campaign type that you will find on Google Ads is Google Shopping Ads. These are ads that appear in the Google Shopping platform, which is another property of Google, much like Google Search, Google Maps, etc.
Google Shopping takes your products and displays them for searchers, much in the same way Google Search displays your webpage or blog articles in the search results when someone is searching for information.
Much in the same way search ads put you at the top of the search engine results page, shopping ads also take your product listings and place them in prominent positions in the Google Shopping results page.
Does Google Have an Ecommerce Platform?
No, not exactly. While Google is a search engine with commercial capabilities, mainly through its Google Shopping feature, it doesn’t operate an ecommerce platform in the same sense that Amazon operates an ecommerce platform.
While Amazon, and other major ecommerce platforms like Etsy, eBay, and AliExpress, operate their own internal search engines (and also offer paid ads themselves), these search engines don’t function in the same way that Google does. While Google provides links to other websites, these ecommerce search engines direct you to products that are bought and sold through the platform itself.
Google Shopping, on the other hand, directs you to products hosted on other platforms. Therefore, it cannot be considered an ecommerce platform or online marketplace.
FAQs
What are the disadvantages of Google Ads?
Like everything in life, there are disadvantages to using Google Ads, with the biggest one being that you quite literally need to “pay to play,” meaning, that without pumping money into your Google Ads account, you won’t be able to advertise anything at all.
Moreover, since many, many businesses actually use Google Ads, it might end up being very difficult to stand out—and expensive too, especially in industries that are particularly competitive and have high CPC rates. Another disadvantage includes the fact that you need to stick to a low number of characters when creating your ads.
How do I rank my ecommerce website on Google?
You can do so by making use of SEO best practices and techniques that can boost your website’s organic visibility on Google. For example, by writing content that targets long-tail keywords that are not competitive, making sure your website is crawlable by Googlebot through a logical hierarchy, and gaining links from authoritative websites.
Where should people go after clicking your ad?
For every ad you put up on Google Ads, you should have an equivalent landing page that is not only relevant to the ad that directs them there, but reinforces the message of that ad. So, if someone clicks on your ad that promises a 30% discount, you cannot send them to a page that talks about a loyalty scheme, for example. Instead, your landing page needs to reinforce that 30% discount in order to convince that user to become a customer.
What is the best ad platform for ecommerce?
There are many ad platforms that are worth using, with Google Ads being one of them—however, don’t discount the power of other ad platforms, like Bing Ads, and paid social ads, like Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and TikTok Ads. In fact, our recommendation is to use as many ad platforms as possible to maximize your paid advertising results.
Can Google Sites be used for ecommerce?
Technically, yes, however you’re going to need to integrate third-party ecommerce solutions in order to use your Google Sites website for ecommerce. This might not always be the ideal solution.
