A friend of mine, runs a mid-sized online store specialising in home decor. He was convinced his Google Shopping campaign was going to crush it. His team had spent weeks preparing: product feeds polished, budgets set, and ads showcasing eye-catching discounts on their items.
The campaign launched and clicks were looking promising. But by the end of the day, it was clear something was wrong. Sales were nowhere near projections, return on ad spend (ROAS) was dismal, and the cost per conversion had skyrocketed.
What went wrong? After digging into the data, we realised his product feed had inconsistencies, targeting was too broad, and aggressive bidding burned through the budget without bringing in any high quality sales.
We used the experience to refine his strategy and eventually turn things around into a profitable Google Ads campaign. Here’s how you can learn from her experience and optimise your campaign even if your Black Friday didn’t go as planned.
Step 1: Audit and Optimise Your Product Feed
Your product feed is the foundation of any successful Google Shopping campaign. In the case of my friend’s account the titles were too generic, and some discounts didn’t show up properly in the feed.
- Added Clear, Keyword-Rich Titles: Replace “Table Lamp” with “Modern Gold Table Lamp with USB Port.”
- Wrote Comprehensive Descriptions: Use keywords customers are likely to search for, and highlight benefits like “easy to clean” or “energy-efficient.”
- We Ensured Pricing Were Accurate: Mismatched discounts or outdated pricing will confuse shoppers and hurt your credibility.
Google Ads Tip: Make your feed as appealing and accurate as possible—this is what fuels Google’s algorithm to match your products with relevant searches.
Step 2: Review Your Audience Segmentation
My friend discovered his campaign was burning money on demographics that weren’t converting. For instance, younger audiences clicked on ads but didn’t buy, likely because they weren’t his ideal customers.
- We Analysed Demographics: We used campaign data to identify which age groups, genders, and locations converted—and which didn’t.
- Excluded Non-Performing Segments: We reduce or eliminated bids for audience segments with low conversion rates.
- Focus on Device Usage: In this example case, desktop users converted better than mobile users for the store. The solution was to increase desktop bids and improve the mobile checkout experience for the next sale.
Google Ads Tip: Not every click is created equal. Focus your budget on high-intent audiences.
Step 3: Adjust Your Bidding Strategy
The campaign started with an aggressive automated bidding strategy, which drained the budget early in the day without enough conversions to justify the spend. We decided to pivot to a more controlled approach:
- Switching to Manual CPC: This allowed us to bid higher on profitable product categories and lower on underperforming ones.
- Segmenting Product Groups: We focused the budget on products with a strong track record or higher margins.
- We Set Bid Limits: We stopped allowing automated bidding chase expensive clicks that didn’t convert.
Google Ads Tip: Control is key. Fine-tune your bids for profitability, not just traffic.
Step 4: Evaluate Your Promotions and Messaging
The biggest realisation on this campaign was that deals weren’t compelling enough compared to competitors. While our ads touted “10% off,” others in her niche were offering 30% or more.
- We Offered Competitive Discounts: Research your competitors and make sure your promotions are in line – or better.
- Make Clear Ad Creatives: We updated the ads to emphasise the value of his store offers, using clear, bold headlines like “50% Off – Today Only.”
Google Ads Tip: A great product feed and strategy won’t matter if your promotions don’t grab attention.
Step 5: Leverage Insights
After analysing the data, we were able to target ads more effectively:
- Retargeting Abandoned Shoppers: Ads offering free shipping or an additional discount brought hesitant buyers back.
- Reallocating Budgets: We shifted the budget into the best-performing categories and reduced spend on products that didn’t seem to attract sales.
- Used Search Term Reports: This helped refine keywords and improve targeting for future campaigns.
Google Ads Tip: Every campaign (even a failed one) offers insights to help you optimise for next one.
Turn Losses into Lessons
The early forays of this business into Google Shopping Ads didn’t go as planned, but some quick adjustments turned future campaigns into successes. The key takeaway? A failed campaign isn’t a failure if you learn from it.
Audit your product feed, focus on high-intent audiences, control your bidding, and ensure your promotions are competitive and clear. By leveraging your data and making strategic adjustments, you can transform an underperforming campaign into a roadmap for future success.
Use what you learn to win the long game.
