Google Search Campaigns can generate good results for ecommerce stores since they allow advertisers to reach online customers when they are actively searching for products.
Recently, Google is increasingly guiding the advertisers to use automated settings and broad match format in search campaigns. While this can generate results in some cases, it can also lead to ineffective campaign structures that yield poor results.
Ecommerce stores should spend their budgets wisely and adapt smart tactics to maximize their performance.
When many ecommerce stores all bid aggressively for the same generic terms, CPC levels may rise significantly. This can drain campaign budgets quickly without generating satisfactory results. When they all depend on the Google algorithm to find them potential customers, they cannot escape from increased competition.
The 5 KEYS Framework can help these stores overcome this challenge, benefit from additional opportunities and improve their conversions.
Each KEY focuses on a different aspect such as products, buying intent, audience, your brand, and competitors. This can help you improve your results and use your budget more effectively.
Now, let’s take a look at these KEYs.
1. PRODUCT KEY: Keywords Related to Your Business
These keywords are usually the names of your categories or products.
Ecommerce stores should implement SEO projects to target these keywords, but this may take time and it may be difficult to achieve success.
Using Google Ads search campaigns to target the keywords related to your business can provide a quick and effective solution.
Ecommerce stores should focus on certain strategies to maximize conversions.
For example, if they use dynamic search campaigns to target these keywords, the Google algorithm may show their ads for ineffective generic keywords. If these keywords have high search volume, this can lower the campaign performance.
This can be an issue also in standard search campaigns. Some of these keywords may consume your budget, leaving no room for the keywords that can actually generate high conversions. To prevent this, you can include selected categories in your campaign.
If you have sufficient budget, you can try to leverage the Google algorithm by selecting the maximize conversion value bidding option in your search campaigns.
Targeting generic keywords in broad match format may provide a larger pool of data, enabling the Google algorithm can find users who are more likely to convert. However, while this can work well for larger stores that have dozens of daily conversions, small or newly established stores may struggle to achieve effective results.
You should have a strong negative keywords list and monitor the search terms section closely. If the Google algorithm matches your ad with irrelevant or ineffective keywords and broad match targeting fails to deliver strong performance, you can switch to other matching formats.
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PROVEN TACTIC
Many ecommerce stores may target the same generic keywords like category names. When they all use broad match format and maximize conversion value bidding, it may be harder to differentiate your store. You may focus on phrase or exact match formats, target specific bestselling subcategories and products to gain competitive advantage.
Since the Google algorithm may trigger your ads for irrelevant queries, it is important to monitor the search terms section daily.
Since generic keywords often have high search volume, it is a good idea to refine your audience to achieve budget efficiency and increase conversions.
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2. INTENT KEY: Keywords Related to Customer Shopping Journey
Targeting keywords related to your business allows you to cover category and product names. Focusing on the customer shopping journey can extend your reach and help you benefit from lower competition keywords.
You may skip the awareness stage, as customers at this stage are at the beginning of their journey. Even if you provide valuable information and convince them to buy a product, there is no guarantee that they will purchase it from your store.
Targeting customers at the consideration stage can be more effective. To match the search queries that are used at this stage, you may consider adding keywords such as “best, top, or which” to your target keywords.
At the conversion stage, you target potential customers who are actively looking for products to buy. For this reason, you may add keywords like “prices, online shopping, or shop online” to your keywords. You may consider keywords such as “deals, discount” only if they provide competitive advantage. If not, it may be better to exclude them.
3. AUDIENCE KEY: Keywords Related to Target Audience
After targeting the keywords related to your business and customer shopping journey, you will be covering a wide range of keywords. As many other ecommerce stores also focus on these keywords, the competition will likely be high.
Focusing on your audience can be the key to benefit from opportunities. It can help you tailor your messages, which can increase your conversions.
A simple way to discover profitable niches relevant to your products is to type “for” after the name of your categories in the Google search box.
Shoppers often look for products that meet their needs perfectly. They search for items that are relevant to their segment or solve a specific problem.
You can increase your conversions by addressing their needs or offering products tailored to their niche.
This strategy is more effective than targeting generic keywords like “face creams” and bringing all of the users to your main face creams page where they see different types of products.
To increase relevance, you can target subcategory or faceted navigation pages. Creating content pages for these audiences is also a good idea. You can perform this for your best-performing categories.
You should provide valuable information, highlight relevant products, explain why your products are the best fit for this audience.
You can explore even further to uncover available niches within these audience segments.
For example, you can type “women” after “for” to see if there are additional target segments such as women over 40, 50, or 60.
Please notice that the searchers are also using additional keywords I mentioned in the customer shopping journey section, such as “best”.
4. BRAND KEY: Branded Keywords
Branded keywords include your brand or website name in the search query.
Even if your ecommerce store has the first organic search rank for these keywords, you should create a search campaign.
As branded keywords represent the people who know your brand, they generate high conversions.
Since you cannot announce sales campaigns with organic search listings, branded search campaigns are perfect for communicating result-oriented sales messages and convert warm audiences.
You should be careful if you use your brand name in broad match format. Since the Google algorithm determines which keywords are relevant to your brand name, it may display your ad for irrelevant or ineffective generic search terms.
5. COMPETITIVE KEY: Competitor Keywords
It may be a good idea to test the performance of competitor names.
If you operate in the same niche and your target audience is identical, you can achieve good results.
There are different ways to approach this type of targeting.
You can target the competitor names directly, use phrases, or target generic keywords that may be used with your competitor’s name. In some cases, Google’s algorithm may itself match generic terms with competitor brand names.
Certain factors may lower your conversions when you target competitor keywords.
You will likely have a low-quality score, because of lower relevance, landing page experience, and click-through rates. This can result in an ineffective campaign structure. Also, when online customers are searching for a specific brand, they may have high brand loyalty.
Despite these challenges, it may still be a good idea to test these keywords and decide based on performance.
To sum it up,
Targeting the right keywords is crucial for the success of search campaigns. Many brands do not structure their campaigns in detail, often targeting a high number of generic keywords in a single search campaign.
This approach can drain the budget quickly, decrease efficiency, and lower the conversion rates.
The 5 KEYS Approach can help you leverage effective keywords and gain competitive advantage.
You should identify your target keywords carefully and monitor the search terms closely to see which queries trigger your ads.
If you delegate this task to others, they may lack a clear conversion perspective and this can lead to poor results.
Industry Examples: How the 5 KEYS Can Work Together
Women’s Fashion
PRODUCT KEY
women’s dresses
black evening dress
women’s winter coats
party dresses
INTENT KEY
party dresses sale
buy evening dress online
best dresses for New Year party
AUDIENCE KEY
Chique party dresses for women over 40
Evening dresses for plus-size women
Trendy black dresses for women in their 20s
BRAND KEY
ABC online shop
ABC dresses
ABC dresses sale
ABC evening dresses collection
COMPETITOR KEY
DEF dresses
FEG evening dresses
evening dresses (broad match format to let the Google algorithm you’re your ads when competitor brand names are searched)
Consumer Electronics
PRODUCT KEY
gaming laptop
55-inch smart TV
wireless headphones
robot vacuum cleaner
INTENT KEY
best laptop deals
which smart TV is the best
buy wireless headphones online
robot vacuum deals
AUDIENCE KEY
laptops for university students
best smart TV for seniors
headphones for runners
gaming laptops for beginners
BRAND KEY
ABC online shop
ABC laptop
ABC smart TV
ABC headphones
COMPETITOR KEY
XYZ headphones (if you are the producer and XYZ is the competitor)
XYZ shop / electronic shop (if this is the competitor store)
Beauty
PRODUCT KEY
anti-aging cream
skin creams
women’s perfumes
INTENT KEY
best perfume gifts
which anti-aging creams are the best
skin cream deals
buy perfume online
AUDIENCE KEY
anti-aging creams for women over 50
skin cream for dry skin
beauty gifts for teenagers
perfume gifts for men
BRAND KEY
ABC online shop
ABC skin cream
ABC perfume
COMPETITOR KEY
XYZ skin cream (if you are the producer and XYZ is the competitor)
XYZ shop / cosmetics shop (if this is the competitor store)