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Advertise with Google Shopping in 2024
In this blog, we will explain everything about advertising with Google Shopping in 2024. We will keep you updated on the latest developments in Google Ads and give you tips and tricks to get the most out of your advertisements in 2024.
Written by
Sem – Advertising Specialist
What is Google Shopping?
Google Shopping is an online service from Google where businesses can visually display their products in Google’s search results and on the specific Google Shopping website. The main goal of Google Shopping is to help internet users in searching and comparing products from different sellers. It is possible to perform searches based on product category, brand, and price.
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The listings on Google Shopping are presented in a visual format. Each listing displays images of the product, along with the price, information about the seller, and any available discount coupons or offers. In addition, users can view reviews of both the seller and the products, so they can make an informed purchase decision.
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To access Google Shopping, users can perform a search on Google.com and then go to the “Shopping” tab in the search results. It differs from a regular search result because it is specifically focused on products and prices, while regular search results can contain a broader set of search results, such as websites, news articles, and images.
How does Google Shopping work?
Google Shopping allows you to create product feeds and submit them to Google. The product feeds contain information about your products, such as images, prices, descriptions, and the name and website of your business. After submission, the feeds are reviewed by Google to ensure they comply with their guidelines.
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Once your product feed is uploaded to Google Shopping, there are two ways in which your products can be visible on Google. The first is through the free feed option, which will cause your products to appear in the organic search results of Google Shopping. The second option is through the paid advertisement option, which will cause your products to appear at the top of the search results or on product list pages. Both options can be useful for your business: the free feed can increase your brand awareness, while paid advertisements can drive more traffic and sales to your website.
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Is Google Shopping free?
Google Shopping allows you to display your products through a free and a paid option. You can create a feed through Merchant Center, which is free. Once your feed is submitted and approved by Google, it will be displayed among the organic search results. Keep in mind that organic search results have less visibility and reach compared to advertised products. The free option is useful for businesses looking to increase their brand awareness without investing in paid advertising.
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Google Shopping Ads
In addition to free Google Shopping feeds, you also have the option to create paid advertisements on Google Shopping. You can create these paid advertisements in the same way as free feeds, by submitting product information to Google through a Merchant Center account. Unlike free feeds, paid advertisements will be shown at the top of the search results or on product list pages, making them more visible and have greater chances of being noticed by users.
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In contrast to normal search advertisements, Shopping campaign ads are visually visible. This reduces the likelihood that people who click on the ad have a different intent than what you are advertising for, and the ads are also displayed above the search results, resulting in more impressions.
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Paid Google Shopping ads use a cost-per-click (CPC) pricing model, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This makes it a more efficient way of advertising, as you only pay for actual interaction with the ad. It is possible to optimize the ad for return on ad spend (ROAS), and the system will then optimize the ad for the desired revenue that you want to achieve from your ad spend. This makes the ad even more efficient and targeted towards your goals.
Why use Google Shopping for your business?
Google Shopping ads can be useful for a wide range of businesses, but are particularly suitable for e-commerce businesses and businesses that sell physical products. Google Shopping can be useful for businesses for several reasons:
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Increased visibility: Google Shopping ads appear at the top of the search results and can drive more traffic to a company's website.
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Targeted advertising: Google Shopping enables businesses to target specific demographics and interests, increasing the chance of reaching the right audience.
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Comparative shopping: Google Shopping makes it easy for users to compare prices and products from different retailers, increasing the chances of a product being selected by a company.
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Increased sales: By making it easy for potential customers to find and compare products, Google Shopping can increase the chances of a sale.
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Measurable results: Google Shopping provides businesses with detailed analysis and metrics, enabling them to optimize their campaigns and improve their ROI.
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Integration with e-commerce platforms: Google Shopping enables easy integration with e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce and more, allowing businesses to manage their products and sales more easily.
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Cost-effective: Google Shopping is a cost-effective way to reach potential customers, as payment is only made when a user clicks on the ad.
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Setting up a Google shopping campaign
To set up a Google Shopping campaign, you need to create a Merchant Center account, upload a feed and link it to your Google Ads account. Once you have done that, you can create a new Shopping campaign in Google Ads and select the products you want to advertise from your Merchant Center account. Then, you can set your campaign budget, targeting options, and bidding strategy. Finally, you need to create ad groups and ads within your campaign and then start the campaign. It is important to regularly optimize your campaign by analyzing performance data and making adjustments.
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How to optimize a Google Shopping campaign?
To optimize a Google Shopping campaign, do this:
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Use negative keywords: Identify and add irrelevant search terms as negative keywords to prevent your ads from being shown to unqualified customers.
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Optimize your product feed: Make sure your product feed is up-to-date and contains accurate information, such as product titles, descriptions, reviews, and images.
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Use targeting options: Use targeting options such as location, language, and device type to reach the right audience.
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Set a budget: Set a budget for your campaign and keep an eye on your costs to ensure you get a good return.
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Analyze performance data: Use the data from the Google Ads platform to determine which products, ad groups, and keywords are performing well and which are not.
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Try different bidding strategies: Experiment with different bidding strategies such as Target ROAS, Maximize Clicks, and Manual CPC to discover which works best for your campaign.
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Monitor and adjust: Continuously monitor the performance of your campaign and adjust it as necessary to improve performance.
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Google Shopping Feed
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There are several ways to upload a product feed to Google Merchant Center:
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Manual upload of feed: You can manually upload a feed by creating a file in a supported file format (such as XML or CSV) and then going to the "Feeds" section of your Merchant Center account and clicking the "New Feed" button. You can then select the file you want to upload and set your feed attributes.
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API integration with e-commerce platforms: Many e-commerce platforms, such as Shopify, have a built-in integration with Google Merchant Center. You can set up the integration in your Shopify store by going to the "Apps" section, searching for "Google Merchant Center," and following the instructions to connect your store. Once you've connected your store, your product feed will be automatically sent to Merchant Center.
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For Shopify, you can do this by installing the "Google Shopping" app from the Shopify app store and then following the instructions on the app page. This will connect your Shopify store to the Google merchant center, and you can start advertising your products on Google shopping.
Google Shopping Reviews
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You can add reviews to your Google Merchant Center account through review apps. Review apps are third-party apps that allow you to collect customer reviews and then import them into your Merchant Center account.
Here are the general steps to add reviews to your account through a review app:
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Install a review app: There are several review apps available, such as Yotpo, Loox, and Judge.me, that integrate with Google Merchant Center. Choose one that best fits your needs and install it on your website.
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Collect reviews: Once the app is installed, you'll start collecting customer reviews by asking customers to leave feedback about their purchases.
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Import reviews: Once you've collected a number of reviews, go to the settings of the review app and export the reviews in a format that's compatible with Merchant Center.
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Add reviews to your Merchant Center account: Go to the Products section of your Merchant Center account and find the product you want to add reviews to. Click on the product and select the Reviews tab. Then import the reviews you exported from your review app.
Verify and publish: Google will verify the reviews, after which you can publish them.
It's important to keep in mind that Google has a strict policy regarding reviews, and only reviews from verified buyers are accepted. In addition, reviews that don't comply with Google's policy will be rejected.
Keep in mind that it's always a good idea to double-check the merchant center's policy as it can change, and make sure the app you're using is up-to-date and approved by the merchant center.
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Advanced strategies for scaling and maximizing ROI
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Here are some advanced strategies you can use to scale and maximize the return on investment (ROI) of a Google Shopping ad:
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Use automated bidding strategies: Google Ads offers several automated bidding strategies, such as Target ROAS and Maximize Clicks, that can help you optimize your bids and maximize your ROI.
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Make use of retargeting: With retargeting, you can target users who have previously interacted with your website or shopping ads. This can increase the chance of conversions and help you achieve a better ROI.
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Optimize your product data: Optimize your product data by including detailed descriptions, high-quality images, and accurate pricing information. This can help your products stand out in search results and attract more clicks.
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Make use of Google Surfaces: Google Shopping is now available on multiple surfaces, such as Google Search, Google Images, and the Google Shopping tab. By utilizing these platforms, you can reach a wider audience and increase the chance of conversions.
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Use customer reviews: As discussed, customer reviews can help improve the performance of your Shopping ads. They can increase trust and credibility, and help your products stand out in search results.
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Use Google Analytics to track conversions: Use Google Analytics to track how many conversions your campaign generates and how much revenue they generate. This gives you more insights to make data-driven decisions.
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Use Performance Max Ads: Performance Max Ads can automate your ad creation, targeting, and optimization. This allows you to reach more potential customers with minimal effort.
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Experiment with ad formats: Experiment with different ad formats, such as Showcase Shopping ads and Gallery ads, to see which format works best for your products.
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Use product groups: Organize your products into product groups based on characteristics such as brand, product type, and price range to have more control over your bidding and targeting options.​
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Remember that it is important to regularly monitor your campaign and adjust as needed. These advanced strategies will help you maximize your ROI, but it is always important to test and measure the performance of your campaign to make sure it is effective.
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Performance Max Campaign
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Performance Max ads is a new advertisement format recently introduced by Google Ads, designed to help businesses maximize their return on investment (ROI) across all their advertising campaigns. It is a machine learning-powered solution that optimizes campaigns in real-time automatically using data from multiple sources such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, and Google Cloud. It also offers more flexibility and control in targeting and bidding management.
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It is a good alternative to Google Shopping advertisements as it provides more advanced targeting options and bidding management, allowing you to maximize your ROI. Additionally, you can use machine learning to optimize your campaigns in real-time, which can help you make data-driven decisions and improve the performance of your advertisements.