Google Shopping ads show your products, with image, price and store name, when someone searches for them on Google. For an online store they’re often the most direct line from a search to a sale. In The Sockery’s account, Google Ads (Search and Shopping together) recorded 4,129 conversions at A$12.12 each. This guide covers what Shopping needs, how I structure it, and what to check before you scale.
What Shopping ads need before they run
Google lists the requirements (Google Ads Help):
- A Google Merchant Center account linked to your Google Ads account.
- Compliance with Shopping ads policies, which differ from standard Google Ads policies.
- Product data that meets Google’s product data specification, updated at least every 30 days.
- Products added to the feed for the Shopping ads destination.
In practice, the feed is where most Shopping accounts win or lose. Titles, product types and prices decide which searches your products can show for.
How I structured The Sockery’s Google account
The Sockery is an Australian online sock brand competing with mass retailers and global fashion brands. On Google, the work had three parts:
- Search on high-intent terms such as “socks Australia” and “novelty socks”.
- Separate campaigns for men’s, women’s and compression socks, so each line could get its own budget and be judged on its own numbers.
- Shopping for product listings, running alongside Search.
Budget then followed return. Spend was weighted towards campaigns converting under A$12 per order, and search terms were reviewed every week. The top terms reached 14–18% click-through at under A$0.26 per click.
| Google Ads result | Figure |
|---|---|
| Conversions | 4,129 (+58% year on year) |
| Cost per conversion | A$12.12 (down 17%) |
| Clicks | 56,937 |
| Impressions | 2.79M |
| Top cities | Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney |
What to check before you scale Shopping
- What counts as a conversion. If add-to-carts or page views are counted as purchases, every bid decision is built on the wrong number.
- Feed titles. Do they use the words people actually search for, such as product type, size and material?
- Product groups by margin. A product that sells well at a thin margin can still lose money. Group products so you can bid on what you keep.
- Search terms. Review them weekly and exclude the ones that take spend without sales.
- The product page. Shopping sends people straight to it. Clear sizing, shipping costs and trust signals matter. At The Sockery, sizing guides, unique product descriptions and trust badges were part of the on-site work.
Shopping or Performance Max?
Performance Max can include Shopping inventory, but it decides more on its own. Whether it suits your store depends on your feed, conversion data and margins. I cover that in Performance Max for Australian eCommerce.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Merchant Center to run Google Shopping ads?
Yes. Google requires a Merchant Center account linked to your Google Ads account, product data that meets its specification, and compliance with Shopping ads policies.
Should I run Performance Max instead of Shopping?
It depends on your data, feed and margins. I cover when Performance Max works for Australian stores in a separate article.
What should I check first in a Shopping account?
What counts as a conversion, whether your feed titles match how people search, and which products and search terms take spend without sales.
These figures are specific to one business, market and period. They show what a well-structured account can do, not a forecast for your store.