By Eileen Buleza –
Google’s shopping ads are a huge part of the 2017 SEM strategies and budgets for many ecommerce companies. Since shopping campaigns are managed and optimized differently than standard search campaigns, here are 5 quick optimization tips to improve Shopping campaign performance.
1. Have a dedicated Shopping ROI
Shopping campaigns will perform differently than search ads or social or remarketing campaigns. Therefore, determine an appropriate ROI level and optimize your campaigns to this metric, not your standard paid search metrics.
2. Leverage RLSA & Customer Match bidding
Improve ad coverage with your most important audiences (or reduce coverage on less important ones). Leverage your search remarketing or customer match audiences in Shopping through bid modifiers.
3. Special Offers
Be sure to opt into the special promotions element in your Google Merchant account and leverage this feature for discounts and shipping specials.
4. Geo-target modifiers
Identify priority geo-targets and bid modify accordingly. For example, one of Lever’s retail clients sees 16% improved ROI on campaigns in close radius to a brick and mortar store.
5. Continually monitor product level performance
With Shopping, it is always important to understand your top selling products. Don’t simply rely on feedback on priorities, review your shopping and Google Analytics product level data to identify top sellers across the site, but also specifically in Shopping. Then take action in updating your campaign priorities. Especially pay attention during holidays and promotional runs, as special product lines and sales can greatly change the landscape of products, and you want to make sure your feed and campaign priorities reflect this both before and after a holiday or promo run.
What are some of your shopping optimization basics in 2017?
Want more information on Shopping ads? If you missed it, please check out our previous post, Growth Through Shopping Ads.