Google's reach is incomparable; their browser gets over 8.5 billion searches per day, so the chances of someone searching for your products are pretty high.
If you want products from your company's catalog to reach billions of potential customers, you'll need to know about Google product listing ads (PLA) . These are paid advertisement opportunities that Google offers to ecommerce companies, allowing them to showcase their products in front of their users.
Learning about product listing ads, their features, benefits, and best practices is key to driving higher sales for your company. We're going to break down PLAs in the article for you so you can do just that!
When you search for something related to a product in Google's search bar, below it, you'll see dozens of product listing ads with a little heading stating 'sponsored.' These are items that ecommerce companies and brands have paid Google to advertise based on the keyword someone has searched for. For example, if a person types into Google Search 'lavender candles for sale,' the first thing they'll see on their page is a set of sponsored rectangle-shaped advertisements with lavender candles. Product listing ads are commonly known as Google Shopping Ads and can also be found within the "Shopping" tab of Google search.
PLAs contain a product image that someone is selling, along with its name, essential information, and pricing. Google makes the company upload its product feed to its database, and it develops the ads based on the product data they've been provided with.
Google's product listing ads appear to someone based on what they've typed into the search bar. If the product you're selling matches up with the keyword the person has typed in, your listing will be displayed to them.
But before you create product listing ads, you'll first have to register with Google Ads and link it to a Google Merchant Center account. Next, you must create your product data feed to submit to them. In the feed, are all the product attributes needed including a photograph, product title, description, prices, and a link to the page where someone can purchase it. Once it's finished, you can start making campaigns to catch potential buyers' attention.
Google charges for their product listing ads on a cost-per-click basis. This system is set up so you only have to pay whenever a person taps on an ad for the product you sell.
Before you run your ads, you'll be given the option to bid with the amount you want to set for each keyword for your campaigns. After you've locked that fee in, you'll get charged that amount every time someone clicks on the ad that you've allocated it to.
A benefit of Product Listing Ads is that, with a few adjustments to your campaign, the same ad can show up in contextually relevant placements across the Google advertising ecosystem. For example, your PLAs can show up within Google image searches as well as on YouTube to further drive reach while still retaining their relevance.
No, Google Shopping Ads and Product Listing Ads are synonymous. Today, Google Shopping (shopping.google.com) shares most of the same experience as the Shopping tab within Google Search. So, while consumers can visit the original marketplace landing page to begin their search, all roads lead back to the same shopping experience within the main Google Search where your Product Listing Ads will appear along with other organic product listings.
Still on the fence about product listing ads on Google? Here's why they could be a great addition to your advertising strategy.
When compared to conventional text ads, product listing ads are known to get better results. The customer can see the details of the product through the images provided and better understand what is being offered to them before they click on it.
If you're a buyer and you see a visual representation of the product's key features that make it look appealing, your chances of clicking on it are much higher. If this were the case with every other customer, this would generate more clicks, boosting the company's click-through rate.
A common fear among company owners is the thought of spending chunks of dollars on advertising but the ads not being shown to the right people.
But, with product listing ads, you never have to worry about that because the advertisements are only shown based on what a person searches. They're only targeted to users who are actively looking for products similar to yours and are considering buying them, so you'll always reach a relevant audience and have a high chance of them buying something.
Business owners who've never looked into digital advertising before often think it's quite difficult to manage, but that's not the case with product listing ads.
Google makes it easy to register on their ads platform and merge your Google Merchant account with it to get started. Then, you'll need to upload your product feed into a spreadsheet and start designing your PLA campaign (Marpipe can help with this). If you ever need to make any changes to your campaign, it can easily be done through the platform; it's that simple.
Monitoring your ads is essential to be able to make necessary improvements to perfect them to sell more products.
When you use product listing ads, you'll be able to see statistics like how many people clicked on your ad, how often it was displayed, and the conversion rate. You can leverage this data to make informed ad decisions. For example, if a particular ad is performing exceptionally well, it may be beneficial to invest more in that ad.
You're missing out if you own an ecommerce company and haven't considered Google's product listing ads. When you consider how targeted they are, you'd be crazy to miss out on this opportunity. Customers are searching for the type of goods you're selling, and Google is giving you the chance to present your product to them while they're shopping; it's a must for every online business.
Keep in mind that you'll be vying with other businesses in your sector for prime spots beneath Google's search bar, so you'll want to make yourself noticeable. Watch your competitor's work on the basic product listing ad layout, and let Marpipe help you turn your product ads into real ad creative! Unlock our enriched catalogs and discover how to craft engaging ad creatives independently through our DPA Academy.
Running Product Listing Ads on Google? Marpipe unlocks even more scale with enriched dynamic product ads for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snap, and Pinterest. Learn more.
