Set a clear goal before you start

Before coming up with ad copy or targeting keywords, decide what your goal is. Without a goal, your campaign will be unproductive, and you’ll end up wasting advertising dollars.

Rationale behind running GSA campaigns:

-         To generate more organic/paid conversions (higher click-through rates = more organic clicks).

-         To increase brand awareness.

-         To increase traffic to your site.

Any successful GSA campaign will address at least one of these reasons. More advanced campaigns can address two or more of these reasons at the same time.

Common pitfalls of poor GSA campaigns:

-         Poor product targeting.

-         Not addressing any of the above reasons.

-         Focusing too much on the conversion rate and not enough on the CTR.

Enable Paid Product Ads to increase awareness

If you only run GSA campaigns to drive purchases, you’ll be missing out on a huge opportunity. Product ads also drive awareness of your brand, in addition to your product or service.

Create a shopping ad campaign with rich product descriptions

One of the most important aspects of a successful GSA campaign is the product descriptions within the ad copy. Google Shopping ads feature product images and short, rich descriptions that allow potential customers to quickly understand the product and know whether it’s right for them.

These ads are awesome because they offer a virtual shopping experience. The product descriptions allow shoppers to learn about the product and make a purchase decision without ever having to leave your website.

Be sure to include loss-leaders

For many e-commerce businesses, GSA is the first interaction that a potential customer has with your brand and product offerings. One idea is to offer a loss-leader campaign, where you offer a product at a super low price. This product is a throwaway item that you don’t expect to sell many of. Its goal is to get people to click on the ad and drive them to your site. Once they’re on your site, they’ll see more products, learn more about your brand, and hopefully make a purchase.

Add trigger words in your ad copy

There are certain words that people use when shopping online. These words are called “trigger words” and they help people narrow down their shopping, driving them to click on the ad that’s most relevant to their needs.

Two common trigger words are “new” and“sale”. These words are incredibly powerful because they trigger an emotion in the reader. What can you do with these words? You can use the word “new” to promote a new product or service. You can use the word “sale” to highlight an item that’s on sale.

Final Words

Running effective GSA campaigns takes time and effort. Once you get the hang of it, though, you’ll be amazed at the return on investment from this channel. Keep in mind that GSA campaigns are along-term play, not a one-off campaign. The best way to approach GSA is as part of a wider digital strategy. Focus on growing your brand, increasing traffic, and converting that traffic into long-term customers.

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