What would the world be without the ability to sit yourself down and purchase all of the things you need (or want), right at your fingertips? Online shopping, and specifically Google shopping, has changed how we shop today in 2020.
If you’ve ever been browsing for a specific product but weren’t sure of what brand you wanted, Google shopping can help to do this work for you. As a consumer, you end up saving time jumping from website to website and can browse a large variety of products based on your paid search.
Google shopping is an incredibly useful tool for businesses as well as it can help to drive traffic. The best part? It’s traffic that is more likely to convert.
What is Google Shopping?
Google shopping is an ads system for retailers through the Google search engine. When someone searches for a certain product it will show them relevant shopping ads at the top of their search. This allows potential customers to compare products right in the search engine.
When they click on an ad, it takes them directly to the page on the website where they can purchase that particular product.
Retailers can purchase Google ads to have their product displayed at the top of search results, where their products are usually shown alongside similar products from competitors.
Google shopping ads include space for a product image, a product title, the price of the product and the name of the retailer. There are also options for displaying reviews and retailer-specific information.
How much do Google Shopping ads cost?
One of the great things about Google shopping ads is that you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad. This is referred to as a Cost Per Click (CPC).
Businesses will place a shopping ad on Google and then pay each time the ad is clicked on. CPC will vary based on the niche of the ad, however the average cost per click is around $0.66.
You can learn more about CPC and pay-per-click advertising in our blog: What is PPC & How Paid Search Marketing Works.
The Benefits of Google Shopping
Google shopping comes with a lot of great benefits, which is why they have become so popular with users in over 40 countries!
Rank at the top of search results
When someone is looking for a specific product online, they generally start by searching on Google. Your product comes up at the very top of their search which is a major reason that it’s beneficial to use Google shopping ads. They show up before regular search ads and organic results.
Visual formatting benefits
Shopping ads have the most premium spot of real estate on search results pages. They also include a visual aspect with a product image which is known to attract more clicks.
Say you were to have an ad pop up with just words with one beside it that includes a product image along with pricing details. It’s more likely that you will click on the visual ad. The visual element is also useful for consumers who need help figuring out exactly what it is that they are looking for.
They can view different product types, colors, prices, and more, all from a single search.
Targeted intent
Another great benefit of Google shopping ads is that they don’t try to interrupt the targeted customer. Rather let the customer come to them.
The customer has intent behind what they are searching for. This means that Google shopping ads show up when users are actively looking for a solution.
How to Use Google Shopping
There are a number of steps to take in order to use Google shopping to its full potential. To start, you will want to make sure that you have a Google AdWords account set up for your business. You can then attach this to your Merchant Center account.
You will also want to make sure that you have an online store which meets all of the requirements to register with Google Merchant Center, as well as a product catalogue.
Your product catalog should be detailed with the product description, price, and ratings. This will help to get desired clicks and be chosen over competitors.
How to Upload Products to Google Shopping
Create a product feed
Create your product feed in order to upload them to Google Merchant. After your feed is created you will validate the data provided in order to make sure that it is accurate.
Be sure to enter detailed descriptions and use high-quality images.
Link your AdWords account to Google Merchant
You can link each of these accounts from your Merchant account. Just use the drop-down menu to click on ‘account link’ and select ‘AdWords’. From there, type in your account ID.
Create a shopping campaign on AdWords
You will then create your shopping campaign in AdWords by defining ad groups and creating categories for each product that you are looking to sell. You can then choose products from each of the created categories that you want to show in your ads.
From there, determine how much each click on your ads will cost by deciding how much the bid will be worth.
How to rank at the top of the Google search results page
In order to make sure that your ad appears at the top of the Google search results page, you have to do a little more than just taking the steps to set it up. Luckily there are some tips you can follow to help better guarantee your ad will appear and convert in Google shopping.
Always ensure that your product sheets are properly written, include a detailed description and pricing information. This can help your ad to get chosen over bidding competitors.
Optimizing your AdWords campaign is also incredibly beneficial for helping your ad to rank on the Google search results page. You can adjust your CPC bids, use custom tagging, and use results to make ongoing adjustments.
Keyword research is also powerful when it comes to Google ads. While you cannot bid on specific keywords, you should still take the proper SEO actions. Optimize product images, titles and product descriptions for best results.
Outcomes and Expectations
Now that you know how Google shopping works and how you can set up your ads for the best results, what can you expect in your journey moving forward?
It’s common to not get immediate results right when you’re starting out with your campaigns.
You will need to evaluate what is and isn’t working with your campaigns and use that information to help determine what adjustments should be made for better results.
In the long-term using Google shopping can help to boost website traffic and get your products noticed by eager potential customers. This boost in traffic can give you leads and sales that might not have been possible otherwise.
Use this guide to getting started with Google shopping and optimizing your ads, and you will be well on your way to creating campaigns that will increase your conversion rate!
Get Started with Google Shopping
Now you know more about Google Shopping, and how you can use it to your business advantage. This means it’s time to get started! If you’d like help with Google shopping ads or any of your other digital needs, Blue Water Marketing can lend you a hand with that! Consider giving us a call.
