Google Ads Campaign Structure for Ecommerce

Google Ads Campaign Structure for Ecommerce

The presenter recommends separating ecommerce Google Ads activity into four campaigns, each with a distinct role. This can reduce overlap, clarify budget control, and prevent brand traffic from making prospecting campaigns appear more effective than they are.

Recommended Four-Campaign Structure

1. Brand Search — Capture Existing Demand

   • Target the business name and close variations.
   • Keep Brand Search separate from Shopping/Performance Max (PMax) and non-brand Search so brand performance and bids can be controlled independently.
   • Brand keywords may convert 3–5× better than other terms and often have low CPCs.
   • Start around $10–$20 per day, then scale toward 90% impression share for the brand name.
   • Add brand keywords as negatives in PMax to reduce overlap and prevent PMax from receiving credit for brand conversions.

2. Shopping or Performance Max — Prospect to Cold Audiences

   • Reach people searching for products, whether or not they know the brand.
   • For a new account with fewer than roughly 30–40 conversions, start with Standard Shopping. PMax may struggle without enough conversion data.
   • Test PMax once sufficient data is available.
   • A “feed-only” PMax setup—with no creative assets, so it serves Shopping inventory only—may work, but platform changes mean it should be tested rather than assumed to be effective.

3. High-Intent Search — Target Specific Non-Brand Purchase Queries

   • Target product-specific searches where the product is a direct answer, such as “tennis bracelet under $500,” rather than broad category terms.
   • Use exact and phrase match to retain direct bidding control over selected queries.
   • Find candidate terms in PMax or Shopping search-term reports. Look back about 90 days and identify terms that converted substantially better than others.
   • Start small—around 20% of the PMax budget—and evaluate CPA over the first 30 days before changing the budget.

4. Retargeting — Re-Engage Interested Visitors

   • Retarget visitors who did not buy through Display, Gmail, YouTube, or Search.
   • Launch only after the other three campaigns are profitable and generating enough traffic.
   • A practical starting audience is add-to-cart visitors from the past 30 days.
   • Begin with about 10% of total ad spend. Retargeting audiences are relatively small.

Operating Principles and Metrics

• Give each campaign a distinct role:
  • Brand Search captures existing demand.
  • Shopping/PMax prospects at scale.
  • High-Intent Search targets proven non-brand queries.
  • Retargeting follows up with near-buyers.
• Separate brand traffic to improve data quality and avoid overstating prospecting performance.
• Track Brand Search impression share and assess High-Intent Search using CPA during its initial 30-day test.
• Treat account structure as something to test and refine. Platform changes can affect tactics such as feed-only PMax.

Presenter and Source

Presenter: Denis Kabakov, associated with Online Labs Source: “Google Ads Campaign Structure for Ecommerce” (video)