Google Smart Shopping Campaigns

Google Smart Shopping Campaigns

22 October 2020 |

SEM and SEO

Smart Shopping Campaigns (SSCs) are an automated type of Google shopping campaign which can be easily created, configured and maintained in order to streamline campaigns and become the successor of standard campaigns. 

Google Smart Shopping Campaigns are available to run across search, display, YouTube and Gmail and can be completely automated. SSCs incorporate dynamic remarketing, and an account running SSCs must have a remarketing list with conversion tracking activated in order to successfully run across the display network. 

How can we set up a SSC? 

SSCs can be easily set up and don’t require continuous manual optimisations. It is crucial however that the product feed is set up with high accuracy including availability of products, and text as well as images are updated regularly. The SSCs should be monitored to ensure they are meeting the ROAS goal. The bidding strategy used is “maximise conversion value”, and this strategy enables a ROAS goal across SSC campaigns. 

Smart Shopping Campaigns vs Standard Campaigns

Smart Shopping Campaigns Standard Shopping campaigns 
Supports Maximise conversion value bids yes no
Can be shown on the display network  yes no
Can be shown on Gmail and YouTube yes yes
Allow to create several groups of products No, just one per campaign yes
Supports negative keywords no yes
Supports bid adjustments per device no yes
Supports bid adjustments per audience no yes

 

Smart shopping automates a lot of manual tasks which can be considered its main asset, however there is less transparency in the platform when it comes to keyword targeting and bid adjustments. The main difference between Standard shopping campaigns and SSCs are the automation of tasks in SSCs which are time saving. SSCs are beneficial for ecommerce campaigns which are focused on obtaining a certain outcome. 

Although SSC are time savers, less time managing campaigns manually does not equal less conversions. According to Google, SSCs drove 20% more conversion value when compared to Standard Google Shopping Campaigns of a similar value. 

Want to test Google Shopping over the Christmas period? Reach out to the ADMATIC search team for more information.

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