Learning Hub | Paid Search Advertising

Google Ads For eCommerce: What You Need To Know

When it comes to running ads, it seems like there are endless possibilities. Billboard? Commercials? Mailers? You think about your customers (or your buyer personas), their habits, and where they are in order to reach them. 

An e-commerce business is a little different than the accident attorneys you see on billboards along the highway, though. When running an e-commerce business, you know where your customers are—they’re online! Someone might hear about your business from a friend or your company might have a killer social media presence, but there’s also a good chance that what’s really getting them to your website is a Google search.

According to Statista, almost 30% of all global web traffic in 2019 came through a search engine, and as of June 2021, Google has a 92% market share (Sorry, Jeeves!). So, needless to say, running ads on search engines is an investment well worth it.

Why Google?

In case that 90+% of market share wasn’t convincing enough for you, there are plenty of other reasons that Google Ads should be on your radar. When people seek information in a search engine, they’re specifically looking for solutions to their problems. Solutions you can offer them.

Google also highlights these benefits:

    • Targeting ability: With Google Ads, you’re able to target users who search for certain keywords, narrow your audience down by age, location or language, prioritize certain days, times or frequency for your ads to appear, choose which types of devices to appear on, and choose where ads appear.
  • Control over your costs: An up-and-coming business doesn’t have the same resources as one that’s been around for years, so you need to make the most of your ad budget. Google Ads allows you to choose how much you spend per month, per day and per ad, and there’s no minimum. You also only pay when your ad is actually effective and someone clicks on it.
    • Easy-to-decipher analytics: Google Ads’ interface makes it easy to determine which ads you’re running are most effective. You can track which ads have been clicked, which led to a sale, and even how long they looked at your product or browsed before making a purchase!
  • Beginner-friendly campaign management: Chances are, once you get your footing, you’ll be running more than one campaign at a time. Google Ads’ My Client Center makes it simple to keep track of multiple campaigns at once and the Google Ads Editor desktop application even allows you to manage your campaigns offline.

What about bidding?

In order to get your ads in front of people’s eyeballs, you’ll need to choose a bidding strategy on Google Ads.

Did you get flashbacks to trying to snag a Princess Diana Beanie Baby on eBay when you read the word “bidding?” Luckily, this is a little different—and a lower stress. Well, depending on how much you wanted that Beanie Baby. 

There are three main types of bidding strategies available on Google Ads and they don’t involve you constantly having to monitor the page:

  • CPC (cost per click): Pay for each click your ad gets. This is the most common bidding strategy for newbies, with the lowest risk and decent ROI.
  • CPM: Bid and pay for every 1000 impressions.
  • CPV (cost per view): When running video ads, this bidding strategy charges per view or impression.
  • CPA (cost per action): Sets bids for you to get as many conversions as possible.
  • ECPC (enhanced cost per click): Google will automatically adjust your manual bids to increase your conversion rates.

Types of Google Ads

Are you overwhelmed yet? I hope not! There’s just one more bit of information we need to share with you as you begin the Google Ads journey for your e-commerce business, and that’s the types of ads you have to choose from. Not all Google Ads are those ones at the top of the search engine results. Here’s are Google’s main offerings:

    • Google Search Ad: This is the basic Google Ad that you probably had in mind when you started reading this article. It’ll show up on the top, bottom or sidebar of your search results, consisting of a headline, display URL and short description. This includes the Responsive Search Ads you’ll want to familiarize yourself with!
    • Display Ads: These are image ads that show up on websites or on your Gmail page. These can be a good choice if you’re selling a consumer product rather than a service.
    • Video Ads: Yep, Google and YouTube are intertwined. If you have video content that you’d like to use as advertising, you can manage that through Google Ads.
  • Shopping: You can promote your products under that “Shopping” tab on Google’s page. Another great option for a consumer product.

If none of these main ad formats seem to fit what you’re looking for, there is also Google’s Smart option that automates your ads across the web, Local ads to drive customers to a physical location, and Discovery ads that run across Google’s feeds. Of course, you can always choose more than one type!

Not sure what the right Google Ads options are best for your business? Contact us and we can help!