Google Shopping Tutorial
Google shopping is an advertisement service that is offered by Google for businesses that want to carry out shopping campaigns. The aims of this campaign include the promotion of local and online inventory, boosting traffic to your website and finding better-qualified leads.
To start your campaign, go to the Merchant Center on Google then create the campaign. Google then uses the campaign to create ads that are used all over the internet.
Adwords vs. Shopping Campaigns
There are a number of differences and similarities between AdWords and shopping campaigns. The first and major difference is that as opposed to AdWords, shopping campaigns employ both the use of descriptions and images. Adwords uses keywords only.
Secondly, shopping campaigns don’t use keywords entirely. Shopping campaigns base their results not on the keywords used, but rather on the product name and descriptions. In this case, the product names are their own descriptions.
Shopping campaigns also have as extensions, just like AdWords. These extensions are:
- Google Merchant Promotions, which enables the advertisers to include special offers on their products.
- Local Inventory Ads. This extension allows you to display info on your product. The closest location that you can find these products is indicated, and the aim of this extension is to increase urgency.
- Product Ratings. This is an extension that includes the ratings of your product all over the internet to give your product one final review. This is indicated by the five-star rating below your product’s name.
What are the Benefits of Shopping Campaigns?
There are quite a number of benefits that are associated with running shopping campaigns on Google. They are:
- The customer can see exactly what products they are buying before clicking on the ads. For this reason, most clicks on the products are qualified leads.
- More traffic is received on these websites. Shopping campaigns include ads everywhere on the internet, and this means that there is a wider number of people who can see them, which reflects it a more traffic for your website.
- With shopping campaigns, you are able to better see the performance of your product as compared to other products. This way, you are able to see what products are performing well and what products you need to sell better.
- Shopping campaigns also give you a broader presence on the internet and an increase in your brand awareness. Shopping campaign uses both Adwords and images to entice the customer hence the reach is wider and easier.
Costing
Just like Google Display and Adwords, you are charged every time someone clicks on the ads that lead directly to your site. You are also charged when a click leads to the Google-hosted landing page for your local inventory.
This is known as cost-per-click, and you decide the amount you are willing to pay by bidding. Most times, you pay less than your maximum bid.
Requirements for Shopping Campaigns
First, you will need Google accounts. You will have to create accounts with both the Merchant Center and Google Adwords then link them together.
Secondly, you will be required to follow the policies by Google on Shopping Campaigns and Google Adwords. This is to ensure that your business and products adhere to all the requirements of Google policies.
Finally, every thirty days, you are required to send your product data. Product data is sent via merchant Center, and it enables Google to create the ads that will be used for your product.
Setting up Multiple Campaigns
The question most people are asking is, to set or not to set multiple campaigns?
Multiple campaigns are seen as a better option for several reasons. First, multiple campaigns enable you to set budgets and geo targets all in tune with the daily target that you intend to achieve on that day.
Secondly, by setting up multiple campaigns, you get more value at a lower cost. There is some product, for example, shampoo, which you realize has more clicks in the evening than during the day. Or maybe winter coats which are clicked on more in colder regions than regions with a tropical climate.
By getting this information from the reports, the multiple campaigns enable you to set up these campaigns at specific times, in specific regions and on specific days. This enables more value at a lower cost, as some campaigns are not run full time.
Campaign Priorities
While conducting a Google Shopping Campaign, ensure that you have clearly set out your campaign priorities.
While setting up your campaign, indicate the products that you want to sell more off, then prioritize these products. This is indicated by either high, medium or low priority.
If you give a product a low priority, Google tends to show less of that product. A product with a high priority is shown more in the ads by Google.
If you have a business and you want to raise the awareness of your brand, Google Shopping Campaigns are the way to go. Just go to the Google Merchant Center and Google Adwords, create accounts and get started.
Remember that with shopping campaigns, the attraction is in the image and description of the product. Therefore, ensure that the image is of high quality and the descriptions and offer are eye-catching and on point. This takes you on your way to more traffic and even more sales.