I run a small business on a shoestring budget. What is the best way to optimize ads as we go into the holiday season? What should I focus on and what can I skip, considering I have a non-existent budget? Thanks
Hey there,
What sort of products do you sell?
For the holiday season, I would say use the Promotions feature available in Google Merchant Center.
With promotions, you can highlight special deals across Google, from Search to the Shopping tab, even Chrome. Add a promotion to your products, and shoppers will spot a “special offer” link (like 15% off or free shipping) that makes your products stand out and gives them an extra reason to buy.
If budget is the issue, then only run promotion campaigns and choose your best-selling products.
Other than that, ensure your Google Shopping feed is on point so your ads have better chances of outranking competitors.
You can try using Smart Bidding as well, it will automatically choose the best options for you in real time.
What app are you currently using for your Google Shopping feed?
Hello graceofdesign, thank you for your question and for joining the Shopify AMA. My name is Emmanuel, founder of FeedArmy, and your host for today’s AMA.
You should definitely focus on improving your data feed, as this is the foundation of your performance. I explain here how a few improvements have a big impact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqFCRer5K4Y
To improve performance, following the requirements and recommendations here: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7052112?hl=en
If you are on a small budget for advertising, you might want to consider setting up standard shopping campaigns using an advanced setup explained here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiRIDzRrHno
Allowing you to bid based on search intent. It does require more work, but you can spend more effectively.
However, performance max is also a great campaign, if you have 30+ sales per month in the campaign, this should be doing good. So improve the assets if you have not done this yet.
There are of course hundreds of other things you can do, but the above should give you a head start in what to do.
Hi Emmanuel,
Thank you for your reply and for the links you provided. I’ll be sure to check the videos out.
Hello,
Thank you for the feedback, much appreciated.
I sell stationery (such as greeting cards, wedding invitations, menu cards, etc) and party supplies (such as gift wrap, bags, and bows, tableware, decor and balloons, bridal and wedding shower decor and games, etc). I have my Shopify account/site linked directly to Google. I am not using any additional apps for this.
I see. These items are definitely popular during the holiday season, so there is a chance the CPC will increase because many other competitors will be running similar product ads.
Look into your Quality Score as well. It can definitely help you rank better amongst competitors. Add negative keywords and run remarketing campaigns.
I recommend running ads on other platforms as well (if your budget allows).