- "I want to run Google Shopping ads to increase sales on my e-commerce site created with Shopify."
- "I don't know how to set up Google Shopping Ads"
- Please tell me step by step how to set it up
This article is for such people. "Google Shopping Ads" is an essential method for promoting an EC site. However, we often receive inquiries from people who don't know how to set it up or what they need to prepare.
It would be a shame not to distribute ads that have a high chance of producing results just because you don't know how to do it.
We will explain as carefully as possible so that everyone who uses Shopify can get started with Google Shopping Ads as easily as possible.
This article will be divided into two sections: [Introduction] and [Settings].
Please use this article as a reference and start preparing to run Google Shopping ads on Shopify.
[Introduction] What are Google Shopping Ads?
Google Shopping Ads (previously called Product Listing Ads) are one of the ad menus in Google Ads, and they allow you to display product information highly relevant to the keywords searched by users as ads in search results, etc. They can be said to be truly ads specialized for EC.
Unlike regular search ads, it is possible to display ① the product name, ② a photo of the product, and ③ the price of the product, making it a major feature that allows you to visually appeal to your products. By delivering it at the same time as regular search ads, you can appeal to more potential customers with your products.
What you need to run Google Shopping ads
To deliver "Google Shopping Ads" on Shopify, you will need to prepare the following two items. *We assume that Google Ads has already been prepared.
- Google channel (Shopify app)
- Google Merchant Center
Now, I will explain these two things and how to prepare them.
Explanation of Google channel (Shopify app) and how to prepare it
What is Google channel?
Google channel (formerly Google Shopping) is a Shopify-exclusive app. By installing this app on Shopify, you can sync product data in Google Merchant Center and Shopify. If you can sync product data with Merchant Center, you can use that product data for Google Ads.
How to install Google channel
- Access the Shopify app store from your Shopify admin page
- There is a search box, so search for "Google"
- "Google channel" will be displayed, click on it
- Download the app
Next, we will prepare Google Merchant Center.
Google Merchant Center: What it is and how to prepare
What is Google Merchant Center?
Google Merchant Center is a Google service that allows you to manage product information. You can also list your products on Google Shopping by registering them in Google Merchant Center.
How to register for Google Merchant Center
(1) On the "Google Merchant Center" website, click the login button in the upper right and select "Log in to Google Merchant Center." *Please log in with your existing Google account or a newly created Google account.
(2) Enter information such as your business name (service name), the country in which you do business, your checkout address, the tools you use, etc. *The information you enter on this page can be changed at any time.
(3) Agree to the terms of use and press “Create an account” to proceed to the next screen.
(4) Your Google Merchant Center account creation is now complete.
Now you have everything you need to run Google Shopping Ads.
[Settings] Explaining how to deliver Google Shopping ads with Shopify
Next, we will explain the specific settings on Shopify and Google for actual delivery, and how to link them together.
Setting points
- Understand the settings on Shopify to deliver Shopping Ads
- Understand the settings on Google Merchant Center for delivering shopping ads
- Understand the settings on Google Ads to deliver shopping ads
- Learn how to set up Smart Shopping Ads on Shopify
We will introduce the above four.
Finally, we will explain how to set up Smart Shopping Ads on Shopify as well as points to note after distribution, so we encourage you to try running Google Shopping Ads on Shopify.
How to set up Google channel
(1) Click "Google" at the bottom of the left menu of the Shopify admin screen, then click "Connect Google Account" in the center of the screen.
Once you install the app, it will appear at the bottom of the left menu.
(2) You will be redirected to a screen where you can select the Google account you want to link to Shopify. Select the Google account that is linked to the "Google Merchant Center" and "Google Ads" accounts you want to link.
(3) A message will appear stating that various data will be brought in from Google and linked, so click "Allow."
(4) You will be redirected to a screen like the one shown in the screenshot. Check the "Store Requirements" at the bottom of the screen to see if your site meets the requirements. If there are no problems, click on each item and select "Confirm." If there are any items that do not apply, proceed with the corresponding measures first.
(5) Click "Settings" on the top left of the menu.
(6) Linking "Shopify", "Google Merchant Center", and "Google Ads" There are sections to link "Google Merchant Center" and "Google Ads" with Shopify, so link the corresponding accounts.
(7) Product feed settings Set the target country, language and shipping settings for ad delivery in "Product feed settings" at the bottom of the screen. If the target country is Japan, select "Target country": Japan "Language": Japanese. Regarding shipping settings, if you have set shipping rates on the Shopify side, select "Automatically import shipping settings", if you have set shipping rates on the app side, select "Manually set shipping settings in Google Merchant Center". (Even if you have set shipping rates on the app side, selecting automatic may result in an error.)
(8) Further down, under “Product Settings,” leave the settings as default (SEO Product Name (recommended)).
How to set up Google Merchant Center
(1) Log in to the Google Merchant Center you created, click "Continue" in the red frame of the capture. * On the screen you are redirected to, enter the information required for Google Shopping Ad delivery: "Set shipping cost," "Add product data," "Verify and apply for ownership of website URL," and "Link account." By the way, you do not need to set "Tax" when delivering ads within Japan.
*You can also reach the input screen by clicking the wrench mark in the top right corner → List on Google.
(2) Confirm and apply for ownership of the website URL. Since you are connected to Shopify, there is no need to enter any information for “Set shipping fees” and “Add product data,” so you will need to confirm and apply for ownership of the website URL.
*Please note that you must enter "Shipping Fee" if you have selected "Manually set up Google Merchant Center shipping settings" on the Shopify side.
(3) Enter the URL of the relevant website in the "Website URL" field and click "Save."
(4) In the next step, you need to prove that the owner of Google Merchant Center is the same as the owner of the website. Click on each option to see the instructions, so choose the method that is easiest for you and proceed with the ownership verification.
(5) Integrate Google Merchant Center with Google Ads
We will link Google Merchant Center with Google Ads.
Click on the "spanner mark in the upper right" → "Link Account". You will be redirected to a screen like the one shown in the screenshot, so make sure you have selected the appropriate Google Ads account, and if there are no problems, click on "Link". A link request with Google Merchant Center will be sent to Google Ads.
(6) Check that the product has been registered correctly
Let's check if products are being sent to Google Merchant Center properly from Shopify. Click "Products" → "Diagnose" on the left menu. You will be redirected to a page with a graph like the screenshot. This graph shows the number of approved products, the number of pending products, the number of rejected products, etc.
If there are any errors or warnings, the specific error or warning content will be listed below the graph. A red "!" mark indicates "disapproval," and a yellow "⚠" mark indicates "warning." Prioritize correcting the red "!" marks, which indicate disapproval, first. It is not necessary to correct "warnings," but depending on the content, they may affect your advertising results, so correct them as much as possible.
How to set up Google Ads
(1) Log in to the Google Ads admin page and click “Tools and Settings” in the upper right corner, then “Linked Accounts.”
(2) There will be a list of tools that can be linked to Google Ads. Click on "Details" for "Google Merchant Center."
(3) You will receive a link request, so click "Show details"
(4) The request details will be displayed, so click "Approve."
This completes the linking of Google Ads with Google Merchant Center.
Shopping Ads Delivery Settings
Finally, I would like to explain how to create a Shopping Ad campaign. In Google Ads, you can create two types of Shopping Ads.
- Regular shopping campaigns
- Smart Shopping Campaigns
A Smart Shopping Campaign is a fully automated shopping ad that combines shopping ads and Google remarketing ads to optimize performance based on specified goals, such as "maximizing conversions" or "target return on spend (ROAS)."
Normally, you would create the above campaigns from the Google Ads admin screen, but in the case of Shopify, you can create a "Smart Shopping Campaign" from the Shopify admin screen.
This time, we will explain the steps to create a "Smart Shopping Campaign" from the Shopify admin screen.
*This explanation is based on the assumption that all of the tools described above have been integrated and configured.
How to set up Smart Shopping campaigns in Shopify
(1) Click “Google” at the bottom of the left menu on the Shopify admin screen, then click “Create Campaign” under “Smart Shopping Campaigns” under “Marketing.”
(2) You will be directed to a screen where you can enter the "Activity name (the name to be displayed on Shopify)" and "Budget (daily advertising budget)." Enter the appropriate information for each and click "Book."
"Activity name" is not the name that will be displayed on Google Ads, so you can enter it freely. "Budget" can also be changed later on the Google Ads side, so there is no problem in setting it without thinking too much.
(3) Once you have completed the settings, you will be redirected to the screen shown in the screenshot below. (In this example, we have set the "Activity Name" to "Test."
(4) Now that the settings on Shopify are complete, go to Google Ads and check to see if the Smart Shopping campaign was created successfully.
The campaign name will be written in English as shown above, so change it to a name of your choice.
*Please note that the campaign is OFF in the captcha, but immediately after creating it from Shopify, the campaign is ON.
This concludes the explanation of the steps to create a Smart Shopping campaign from Shopify, but I would like to tell you about some points to keep in mind after running a Smart Shopping campaign.
Points to note about Smart Shopping Ads
To put it simply, if you do not set the goals of your Smart Shopping ads properly, the number of times they are displayed will drop dramatically within 2-3 days of being delivered, and your ads will almost completely stop being displayed.
This is due to the fact that the bidding method for Smart Shopping Ads is fully automated. As mentioned above, Smart Shopping is a fully automated shopping ad that can optimize performance based on specified goals such as "maximizing the number of conversions" and "target return on spend (ROAS)."
If you just read this explanation, you might think that Google's machine learning will be used to optimize delivery to achieve significantly better results.
However, machine learning only works well if there is enough data. In the case of Smart Shopping Ads, if the goal setting (Target ROAS, etc.) is not set to a value that suits the account, Google will determine that the goal cannot be achieved and will reduce the display of ads.
What's more, even if you reset the target, the ad display doesn't come back. (By the way, Google recommends a minimum of 200% or more when setting a target ROAS.)
As a countermeasure, we recommend creating a regular shopping campaign at the same time as a smart shopping campaign. If the goal setting of the smart shopping campaign does not work well and ad display drops dramatically, try switching to a regular shopping campaign and operating it with "Enhanced CPC" for a while to accumulate operational data.
Once you have accumulated some operational data, try running a Smart Shopping campaign again.
[Summary] How to install and set up Google Shopping Ads on Shopify
In this article, we have explained the specific settings required to implement and deliver Shopping ads on Shopify.
[Summary of this article]
- If you understand the linking procedures and methods properly, it is not that difficult to deliver shopping ads.
- You can also set up Smart Shopping campaigns on Shopify.
- Using only Smart Shopping campaigns may weaken ad delivery
Please use this article as a reference to run Google Shopping ads on Shopify. If you are considering outsourcing web advertising, please consult with us, the third company in Japan to be certified as Shopify Experts.
*This article is current as of September 2020. Due to future updates or changes to Shopify specifications, it may not be possible to set up exactly as described in this article.
