Unlike search ads, Google Shopping Ads don’t allow you to bid on keywords directly. Instead, you set bids at the product group level, and Google determines when and where your ads appear based on:
- Product relevance
- Competition
- Bid amount
- Quality Score (Learn how Google evaluates Quality Score)
2. Manual vs. Automated Bidding Strategies
When setting up your Google Shopping campaign, you can choose between manual bidding and automated bidding:
Manual CPC Bidding
Best for: Beginners & businesses with tight budget control
- Allows you to set individual bids for product groups
- Gives full control over max CPC (Cost Per Click)
- Ideal if you want to adjust bids based on performance manually
Enhanced CPC (ECPC)
Best for: Businesses that want partial automation
- Uses machine learning to adjust bids based on likelihood of conversion
- Still allows manual bid adjustments while optimizing for conversions
- Good balance between control and automation
Maximize Clicks
Best for: Businesses focusing on traffic generation
- Google automatically sets bids to get the most clicks within your budget
- Great for brand awareness, but may not always lead to high-quality conversions
Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
Best for: Businesses looking to maximize revenue
- Google adjusts bids to maximize revenue based on your target ROAS
- Example: If you set a ROAS target of 400%, Google optimizes to earn $4 for every $1 spent
- Requires historical conversion data to perform well
Maximize Conversion Value
Best for: Businesses prioritizing high-value sales over traffic
- Focuses on getting the highest revenue per conversion
- Uses Google’s AI to adjust bids in real-time
- Works best with well-optimized product feeds (Learn how to optimize product listings)
3. Choosing the Right Bidding Strategy
To choose the best bidding strategy, consider:
| Business Goal | Best Bidding Strategy |
|---|---|
| Increase Traffic | Maximize Clicks |
| Better Control Over Costs | Manual CPC |
| Higher Conversions | Enhanced CPC |
| Maximize Revenue | Target ROAS |
| High-Value Purchases | Maximize Conversion Value |
4. Optimizing Your Bidding Strategy for Better Results
To get the most out of your bidding strategy, follow these best practices:
- Segment your product groups (Set different bids for high & low-performing products)
- Adjust bids by device (Increase mobile bids if most conversions come from mobile users)
- Use remarketing lists (Learn about retargeting with PLAs)
- Monitor performance regularly and tweak bids based on cost-per-conversion
5. Take Your Google Shopping Ads to the Next Level
Still unsure which bidding strategy is right for you? Our Paid Ads experts at Social Media Max can help you maximize ROI and reduce wasted ad spend.
📞 Call us at 0161 399 3517
📧 Email: Syed_66@hotmail.com
🌍 Visit Social Media Max for expert Google Shopping Ads management.