Optimizing Shopping Ads On Google

Updated January 12, 2023

5 Ways to Attract Shoppers

Shopping Ads on Google are a great way for a retail store to drive traffic to their online and brick-and-mortar stores. Studies show that if potential customers view products (especially those in stock), it influences purchasing behavior. Rather than build endless lists of display or search ads, Google shopping gets your products literally one click away. Read our five tips for optimizing shopping ads to get the most out of your online advertising.

Optimizing Shopping Ads

If you are thinking about starting a shopping campaign then here are our top five tips on how start optimizing Shopping Ads on Google:

1. Fill in Everything – Fill in all of the attributes in the data feed. The data feed is the list of information Google requires to advertise your product. It asks for things like: Size, Brand Name, Gender and much more. If you really want to maximize your ads, fill in all of the categories you can. Not only does this make your ad appear better when someone searches for it, but it also helps Google deliver your product at the right time, to the right searcher, thus further optimizing shopping ads. The more Google understands your product and target audience, the more accurate the search results.

2. Match Terms With Google – When you’re filling in the attributes in the data feed, make sure that you’re matching the terms used by Google. For example, if you’re selling ladies shoes, make sure that Google uses the term “ladies” (versus “female”). In some cases, matching terminology is fairly simple; when it comes to colors it is always worth double checking. Google won’t necessarily be able to correlate your indigo-colored sneakers to a search for “blue Nikes.”

3. Find Out Your Product’s UPI – As mentioned above, leaving out any information will reduce the chances of your products showing up within the right searches. This is especially relevant when it comes to giving Google your product’s unique product identifier. The UPI is bascially a lookup code Google can quickly use in order to categorize your product, making it easier for them to determine when to display it. Previously the UPI was optional but now it is mandatory.

4. Take a Pretty Picture – Photos are obviously very important for shoppers. This is a no-brainer when you’re optimizing shopping ads. Space is limited, so it’s important to keep the image as clean as possible; ideally your photo contains only the product without distracting backgrounds. Be sure to avoid watermarks. Lastly, make sure the image is taken from an angle where a shopper can fully see the product. Anything that doesn’t fit the standards will be disapproved by Google.

5. Optimize Your Titles – Just like with any other Google ad campaign,  maximize the limited space you’re given. Shopping campaigns are no different. Important things to consider in your title are: 1) the brand name – if it’s a popular brand, consider adding it to the front of your title (e.g. Bose Headphones) and 2) color and size – add any relevant information after the product name. This is especially important if you have several sizes or colors that aren’t shown in the image used in the add.

Those are our top 5 tips on getting started with optimizing shopping ads. Did I miss anything? If so, let me know by leaving a comment below.

Photo credit – Top: Herry Lawford