Google Ads is different from Meta. People on Google are actively searching for what you sell. They have intent. That makes them valuable. It also makes the competition fierce.
Here's how to set up Google Ads for e-commerce without wasting your budget on rookie mistakes.
Start With Shopping Ads
For e-commerce, Shopping ads should be your first priority. They show your product image, price, and store name right in search results. People can see what they're clicking on before they click.
To run Shopping ads, you need:
- Google Merchant Center account
- Product feed (your Shopify or platform likely auto-generates this)
- Google Ads account linked to Merchant Center
Setting Up Your Product Feed
Your product feed is the foundation. Garbage in, garbage out. Make sure every product has:
- Clear, keyword-rich title
- Detailed description with relevant terms
- Accurate pricing and availability
- High-quality images (white background preferred)
- Correct product category
- GTIN/UPC if available
Google uses this data to match your products to searches. Better data means better matching.
Campaign Structure
Don't dump all products into one campaign. Segment by:
- Product category
- Price point
- Margin
- Performance (bestsellers vs. others)
This lets you control bids and budgets at a granular level. Your bestsellers might deserve more budget than new products.
Bidding Strategy
Start with Manual CPC or Maximize Clicks while you gather data. You need conversion data before smart bidding strategies work well.
Once you have 30+ conversions per month, test Target ROAS or Maximize Conversion Value. Let Google's algorithm optimize, but only after it has data to learn from.
Search Ads: When to Add Them
Once Shopping is profitable, add Search ads for branded terms and high-intent keywords.
Branded: People searching your brand name. Cheap clicks. High conversion. Protect your brand from competitors.
High-intent: Keywords with buying intent. "Buy [product]," "[product] free shipping," "[product] near me." These people are ready to purchase.
Negative Keywords Matter
Review your search terms report weekly. Add irrelevant terms as negatives. Common ones to block:
- Free, DIY, how to (informational intent)
- Jobs, careers, salary (wrong intent entirely)
- Competitor brand names (unless you want them)
- Wrong product variations
Budget Allocation
Start with a budget you can sustain for 90 days. Google Ads needs time to optimize. Stopping and starting kills momentum.
Rule of thumb: If your target CPA is $30, budget at least $30-50 per day to get enough data. Underfunding means slow learning and frustrating results.
Tracking Setup
Before you spend a dollar, make sure tracking is perfect:
- Google Ads conversion tracking installed
- Conversion value passing correctly
- Google Analytics linked
- Enhanced e-commerce enabled
You can't optimize what you can't measure. Get tracking right first.