30-second summary:
Google Shopping is still a paid PPC channel. However, you can still enjoy its free traffic. Video and display formats aren’t the only options for online acquisition. They are better for brand awareness and influence targets. But offline conversion tracking is not always considered. Google Gallery Ads is a new format that Google integrates into the Search Network. These ad formats are optimized for mobile displays and allow advertisers to have a greater impact than a text ad.
Google has released smart features that allow you to purchase ads across its various channels. These features allow marketers to expand their reach and try new methods. There will always be learning curves, as is the case with novelty.
We analyzed the effect of these updates on over 13,000 accounts at SEISO, the PPC insight platform. This is how to make them work for your business.
SEISO collaborated on content creation
1. Register for Google Shopping to be listed free
Google Shopping is still a paid PPC channel. However, you can enjoy the free traffic. There is a free option. Google obliterated most price comparison websites (Shopping.com Shopzilla, BizRate and others) from its SERP after the introduction of the shopping channel. Google was punished by the European Commission for violating EU antitrust rules. In 2017, Google was fined EUR2.42 billion ($3Billion) for “giving an illegal edge to another Google product, its comparative shopping service.” Organic search optimization is where you must ensure that your products are in the top positions.
How to make it work
Optimizing your Shopping Ads is the first step. Then, find out which products convert best. To get shopping reports, you can use SEISO Google Shopping Analyzer (free to try) You can then adjust your product feeds and product pages to focus on margin-positive products.
Source: SEISO report for non-performing products within your shopping feed
After trimming the pages and feed, you can access your Google Merchant Center account via the Growth Menu. You will see a channel called “Surfaces across Google”. It is best to make it “ACTIVE”. This feature was initially only available in the USA and India, but it is now being offered worldwide.
2. You can get impressions in YouTube and display ads, but you don’t have to pay for any sales.
When it comes to online purchase, video and display formats may not be the first type of ad that you think of. These formats are popular for brand awareness and reaching influence targets.
Google is now trying to convince you otherwise. Why? Google has so many data about users’ profiles and intents that it can predict what they will purchase. Facebook’s platform was built on the information they have about users through their browsing and sharing. Google has a deep understanding of its users. This includes their search queries and the media they consume (videos and pages with AMP) and past purchases, thanks to Gmail receipts.
This data-rich database allows the algorithm to identify the new console that the user is looking for. It only shows the user relevant ads when he is ready and willing to buy. Google will earn more revenue per page if it only shows users converting ads.
Performance-based targeting is now possible for YouTube Ads as well as the Display network. This will usually result in a lower reach than Trueview campaigns or CPM, but it will allow you to control your budget and get incremental conversions.
This is a black box. Google’s algorithm will determine whether to show your ad based on the amount of money it generates. This is a positive cycle that will result in a lot of volume if your products reach the right audience. Your campaign may not pick up if it doesn’t.
How to make it work
You can use Smart Display in conjunction with a bidding strategy for tROAS or tCPA. This will allow you to keep the Smart Display benefits without losing control.
To identify the most relevant audience for your project, you can use SEISO’s audience analysis section. You can even try it free of charge.
3. While customer acquisition is important, it is not as good as NEW customer acquisition
Not all conversions are created equal. A purchase made by a new customer on your site is more valuable than one made by a returning customer when it comes to acquisition channels. Loyalty is important and it’s essential to care for existing customers. However, search engine marketing is not the best or most cost-efficient way to do this. Email marketing and earned social media CRM are better ways to re-engage customers. To maximize customer lifetime value, you must combine loyalty and acquisition.
Knowing how much you can expect to make from a user over the long-term will allow you to adjust the amount that you pay for a new customer to an existing one.
Google Shopping now allows you to take into account the lifetime value. Click “Settings” to enter the conversion goals. Select the “New customer acquisition” option. You will need to indicate the incremental price that you are willing pay for this customer type versus a returning customer. If your conversion cost per acquisition is $42, and the new customer value is $38, then you can set the CPA to $38. The campaign will pay $80 to new customers, and $42 to existing customers.
How to make it work
Track your customers. There are two methods to track them, and you should use both.
Connect your Google Analytics account and Google Ads account. The algorithm will be able to see all sales on your website, even if they come from another channel. Depending on the status of the customer, you will need to display one or the other tag.
This should be aligned with your promotion strategy. To increase your most-recruiting products, you should focus on your product selection. These are the ones that will usually bring in new customers and make your website a success.
4. Take it offline! How to track offline conversions
It is easy to forget that the majority of business happens offline. Zoom calls and online shopping may seem like the only way to go, but they aren’t. However, offline conversion tracking is not always considered. Google reports that 30 percent of mobile searches are local and is the fastest growing segment. 75% of local searches are completed within 24 hours. This is a significant number of conversions that are lost due to online tracking.
Just for this purpose, the new version of Google Ads’ local campaign is available. Local campaigns use GPS or Wifi to determine the user’s location. Google will show ads about business advertising presence near the current location of the user.
How to make it work
You will need an omnichannel tracking system that incorporates offline elements to be successful. You will then be able measure various types of conversion. Each campaign should have a set conversion actions.
Google tracks in-store traffic from users’ locations captured using their OS and Apps. All points of sales addresses and GPS coordinates must be registered. Online purchase via the Conversions API offline or bulk sheet upload.
You will be able optimize for each of these goals once your conversions begin to appear in the interface. You can optimize each campaign’s potential against each target by moving further! You can use the SEISO campaign optimization software for free.
Source: SEISO PPC Campaign Optimisation Tool
5. Use your imagination! Be creative!
You can test Gallery Ads and Showcase Shopping Ads via Search! 85 percent of respondents place more importance on visual information that text information. At least 50% of respondents prefer visual information to text in all categories, except electronics, household goods and wine and spirits (Intent Lab Research, Feb 2019).
Gallery Ads is a new format for displaying ads that Google has integrated into its Search Network. These ad formats can only be used on mobile displays and advertisers have greater impact with them than text ads. Google will continue serving the same user with your creatives for new placements, such as:
YouTube: On the “Home”, screens, where more than 90% users claim they have discovered new brands and products. Gmail: Discovery ads, which are currently being rolled out by Gmail Ads, allow you to extend your reach beyond Gmail to other Google-owned surface.
They are also shown on the main results pages as Showcase Shopping Ads
Google is constantly adding new features to try. It is important to test as soon as possible to have a State-of-the Art Google Ads account. You are already optimized for the feature and have the best position once it reaches mass adoption.
The SEISO analysis report has more to offer than just expert tips, account activity analysis and more than 75 criteria.
Are you optimizing your Google Ads Campaigns? SEISO is available for FREE TODAY. Click this link: www.seiso.io/en
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