How to Run Ads for Shopify Store: Essential Strategies for Success

Running ads for a Shopify store is one of the most effective ways to drive traffic and increase sales. Earlier, we discussed Shopify ad ideas to gain some campaign inspiration. However, simply launching a campaign is not enough—you need a clear strategy to reach your target audience and maximize your return on investment (ROI). In this article, we'll explore the rather technical part of how to run ads for Shopify store. Stay with us to attract more leads and convert them into loyal customers. 

Why Does It Matter to Run Google Ads for Your Shopify Store?

Google Ads can be a game-changer for Shopify store owners, helping you reach a wider audience and attract targeted traffic to your site. Since Google is the world's most popular search engine, advertising there gives you a direct line to potential customers actively searching for products like yours. Without Google Ads, you may miss out on this high-intent traffic, limiting your store's growth. 

Here is a list of the most important benefits of using Google Ads for your Shopify store:

• Targeted Traffic: Google Ads allow you to reach customers actively searching for products similar to yours, which leads to higher intent and relevance.
• Scalability: You can scale your ad spend based on performance, easily adjusting campaigns to grow with your business.
• Measurable Results: Google Ads provide detailed performance metrics, helping you track ROI and optimize campaigns for better outcomes.
• Fast Results: Unlike Shopify SEO, which takes time, Google Ads deliver immediate traffic, enabling faster conversions and quicker sales.
• Customizable Ad Formats: From search ads to display and shopping ads, you can choose different formats to suit your store’s needs and audience.
• Enhanced Brand Visibility: Google Ads increase your store's visibility in search results, making it easier for new customers to discover your products.

Key Factors to Consider Before Adding Ads to Shopify Store

Before adding ads to your Shopify store, there are several important factors you should consider to ensure your campaigns are successful and cost-effective. Here's a list of key aspects to keep in mind:

• Budget: Determine how much you're willing to spend on ads and what your expected return on investment (ROI) should be.
• Target Audience: Clearly define who your ideal customers are to ensure your ads reach the right people.
• Ad Formats: Choose the most suitable ad type for your products, whether it's search, display, or shopping ads.

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• Landing Pages: Ensure that your landing pages are optimized for conversions, providing a smooth and engaging experience for visitors.

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• Tracking & Analytics: Set up tools like Google Analytics to track your ad performance and make data-driven decisions.
• Competitor Analysis: Study your competitors’ ads to understand what’s working in your industry and to differentiate your approach.

How To Run Google Ads For Shopify Store

Running Google Ads for your Shopify store is one of the most powerful ways to drive traffic and increase sales. However, for a successful ad campaign, you need to follow the correct setup process and optimize each step carefully. Below is a detailed, step-by-step guide to help you get started with Google Ads for Shopify in 2023.

1. Set Up Your Google Ads and Shopify Accounts

Before you can run Google Ads, you'll need to have both a Google Ads account and a Shopify account. If you haven’t already signed up, both platforms offer free trial versions. Setting up accounts on both platforms is fairly simple:

• Google Ads: Go to ads.google.com, and sign up using your Gmail. Google Ads allows you to set up campaigns and track your ad performance.
• Shopify: Sign up at shopify.com to create your online store. Shopify will be the eCommerce platform that powers your store, and it integrates easily with Google Ads.

If you’re reading this article, chances are you already have both accounts, so let’s move further.

2. Install the Google & YouTube Sales Channel on Shopify

The next step is to connect your Shopify store with Google Ads through the Google & YouTube Sales Channel, available in the Shopify App Store. This app acts as a bridge between Shopify and Google, allowing you to run Google Ads and track performance right from within Shopify.

Here’s how to do it:

• Go to the Shopify App Store.
• Install the app and integrate it into your Shopify store.
• Follow the prompts to connect your Google Ads account to Shopify.

This app provides a convenient interface for syncing product data from your store with Google Ads, automating the process of setting up Google Shopping Ads. It also allows you to track performance metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions directly through Shopify, making it much easier to manage your advertising in one place.

3. Connect Your Google Ads Account to Shopify

After installing the Google & YouTube Sales Channel, the next step is to connect your Google Ads account to Shopify. Here’s how you do it:

• Navigate to the Google Sales Channel in your Shopify dashboard.
• Click on the option to connect your Google account.
• Ensure that your Google Ads account is linked by signing in with the same Gmail you used for Google Ads.

By linking your accounts, you make sure Shopify can pull data from your Google Ads campaigns, which helps with optimizing and tracking your ads. It also enables you to track conversions (like purchases or sign-ups) that result from your ad campaigns, which is critical for calculating the return on your ad spend (ROAS).

4. Create a New Campaign in Google Ads

Now that your Google Ads account is linked to Shopify, it’s time to create your first campaign. This is where you’ll define your ad objectives, audience, and budget. Here’s how to start:

• In the Google Ads dashboard, click on the “New Campaign” button.
• You’ll be asked to choose a campaign goal based on what you want to achieve. For most Shopify store owners, you’ll either be looking to drive sales or generate leads.some text
  • Sales: This objective is for driving product purchases through your ads.
  • Leads: Choose this if you want to capture potential customer information (e.g., emails for remarketing).

For example, choosing “Sales” will optimize your campaign towards product purchases, while “Leads” will prioritize gathering contact information like email sign-ups.

As an eCommerce business owner, you should probably go with “Sales”.

5. Select the Right Campaign Type

Once you've set your campaign goal, you need to choose the campaign type that best fits your store’s needs. The most common Google Ads campaign types for Shopify are:

• Search Campaign: Best for targeting high-intent users who are actively searching for products like yours. These ads appear in Google search results.
• Shopping Campaign: Ideal for eCommerce stores. These ads show product images, prices, and descriptions directly in Google search results.
• Display Campaign: Great for building brand awareness through banner ads that appear across Google’s Display Network.
• Video Campaign: If you have a strong video ad strategy, you can use these ads to target users on YouTube.

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YouTube Video Campaign Example

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For a Shopify store, Shopping Campaigns are particularly effective because they allow potential customers to see images of your products along with the price. This creates a visual connection with shoppers before they even click through to your store, increasing the likelihood of conversions.

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6. Optimize Your Campaign Settings

With your campaign type selected, it’s time to optimize your settings. Pay close attention to the following:

• Budget: Set a daily budget that aligns with your overall advertising goals. Start small and increase as you see results.
• Bidding Strategy: Google Ads offers different bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions or Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition). Choose one based on what matters most to you—clicks, conversions, or impressions.
• Geographic Targeting: Define which countries or regions you want your ads to be shown in. This is particularly important if your Shopify store only ships to certain locations.

Next, you’ll be asked to enter your Shopify store’s URL, which Google will use to display ads linking directly to your website. You can also track specific actions, such as form submissions or product purchases, depending on your objectives.

7. Publish and Monitor Your Campaign

Once all your settings are configured, review everything carefully, then hit “Publish” to launch your campaign. After publishing, you’ll need to monitor the performance of your campaign closely:

• Track conversions: Use the built-in Shopify and Google Ads tracking tools to see how well your campaign is converting leads into customers.
• Optimize regularly: Based on the performance data, you can tweak your ads, budget, or targeting. For example, if one ad is performing better than others, allocate more of your budget to that ad.

This eCommerce Marketing Benchmark report will help you navigate all the necessary metrics:

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Regularly monitoring your ad performance is key to a successful campaign. By making small adjustments over time, you can ensure that your ads are always optimized for the best possible return on investment.

Run Ads for Your Shopify Store with Promodo

Now that you know how to run ads for your Shopify store, we wish you smooth sailing. If you have too many products to advertise, or you would simply prefer focusing on more important business aspects, we are here to help. The Promodo team will set up highly effective ads for your Shopify store, ensuring each product gets enough attention from online shoppers and lurkers. Take a look at how we helped eCommerce businesses achieve impressive results:

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