Woocommerce Google Shopping: all you need to know.

What is Google Shopping

Before we talk about how Google Shopping can help your WooCommerce store, let’s understand what is it. Google Shopping is the combination of two platforms, Google Ads (Google Adwords) and the Google Merchant Center. With Google Ads you can build and optimize your campaigns controlling budget and bids. In the other hand the Google Merchant Center is where your product data feed is allocated.

Google Shopping campaigns combine dynamic remarketing and dynamic search ads, by uploading your product feed to Google. Then, Google will automate the process by displaying your products based on relevant searches.

How efficient is it?

80% of all retail search ad spend is for Google Shopping campaigns (source Fierceretail)

The current trend in the market for online stores is to invest on Google Shopping for the ease of use and the high efficiency.

How can I create a Google Shopping campaign for Woocommerce?

We must choose a clear objective. What do you want to achieve? Increase sales? Get leads? Website traffic? 

Once you have defined your objective, proceed to shopping and select your merchant center. Now, set up budget, target countries and bidding. We recommend to create ad groups for the different products categories you would like to upload.

Automatic bidding at Google Shopping works pretty well, although, you will be able to increase CPC or maximize clicks. Another way to increase conversions is to run promotions. Like Percentage discount, Monetary discount, free gift with a purchase or free shipping. Promotions can be very effective all season and very powerful during the holiday season.

A very important piece to be successful with Google shopping campaigns, is to include product ratings (from 1-5 stars), remember to enable this from your Google Merchant center. If you have your review feed, remember to link, because you need at least 50 reviews to enable this.

Add remarketing for your Google Shopping campaigns to re-engage customers that have previously been attracted by your products.

Advantages and disadvantages of Google Shopping.

The main advantage is acquiring high quality traffic, as they will be viewing your product description with, price, delivery options and comparing with competition. This will result with a better conversion as search ads do not result as visual or effective.

The main disadvantage is clearly linked to the fact that customers will be comparing you with other players (big ones), like Amazon or other big retailers. So make sure to have good branding, be different and compete in prices.

Google shopping is not the only ad you should run.

For a Woocommerce store, running Google Shopping ads is going to be very useful, but that is not the only strategy your should focus on. 

Do not forget to use other Google ads services, like search ads, display ads, remarketing or retargeting ads. This will allow you to have a more complete campaign that will be able to reach in detail, your potential customers.

Too complicated?

Let’s face the truth, running Google Ads campaigns is not easy. If you are not an expert or a marketing guru, should you hire an agency or not run those campaigns?

Well, running Google Ads and Google Shopping campaigns for Woocommerce owners is not impossible and you do not need to be a guru or hire an agency anymore. Woocommerce extensions can be awesome, if you know which ones will work for you.

Google Shopping Ads for Woocommerce: This extension will help you setting your products and running Google Shopping ads. Easy to use, quick to download and set up. Just try it out and see how it works (and converts).

Clever Ads campaigns for Woocommerce: If you want to reach your audience and get quality traffic by using all Google Ads power, this extension for Woocommerce is highly recommended. It will automate Search Ads, Display ads and banners, Remarketing Ads and much more by just providing basic information about your store, your target and your products. 

Extra tip: are you familiar with the PMAX campaigns carried out by both Google and Microsoft? They’re quite remarkable and worth your attention!