Congratulations! You’ve successfully set up your Google Shopping campaigns, optimized your ads, and seen some results. Now that you’ve got the hang of the basics, it’s time to think bigger. Scaling your Google Shopping campaigns can lead to increased visibility, more traffic, and ultimately, more sales. But scaling comes with its own challenges and risks, so it’s important to approach it thoughtfully.

In this tutorial, we’ll cover how to expand your campaigns without blowing your budget. We’ll look at how to increase your product feed size, create Smart Shopping campaigns, employ remarketing strategies, explore new markets, and manage your ad spend effectively as you grow.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

1. Increasing Product Feed Size
2. Creating Smart Shopping Campaigns
3. Remarketing to Previous Visitors
4. Expanding into New Markets
5. Managing Ad Spend at Scale

I’ll also share some personal insights to help you avoid common pitfalls when scaling.

Step 1: Increasing Product Feed Size

One of the simplest ways to scale your Google Shopping campaigns is to increase the size of your product feed. By adding more products, you can reach a broader audience and improve your chances of making sales.

How to Add More Products to Your Feed

1. Identify Popular Products Start by identifying which products in your inventory have performed well. Look for items that have high conversion rates and low costs. You want to focus on products that you know your customers are interested in.

2. Add New Products If you have a larger inventory, consider adding more products to your existing product feed. You can do this by updating your feed in Google Merchant Center. Make sure to include all the relevant product details like titles, descriptions, images, and prices.

3. Utilize Variants If you sell products with different variants, like sizes or colors, ensure that each variant is included in your feed. Each variant can target different search queries and increase your visibility.

4. Optimize Listings for New Products As you add new products, don’t forget to optimize their listings just like you did with your existing products. Use high-quality images and well-crafted titles and descriptions to catch shoppers' attention.

When I first started scaling my campaigns, I was hesitant to add more products. I worried about not being able to manage them all. However, once I started adding my best sellers and optimizing their listings, my traffic and sales grew significantly. The key is to keep your product feed organized and up to date.

Step 2: Creating Smart Shopping Campaigns

Once you’re comfortable managing your campaigns, you might want to look into Smart Shopping campaigns. These campaigns use Google’s machine learning to automate ad placement and bidding. This can save you time and improve performance, especially as you scale.

What are Smart Shopping Campaigns?

Smart Shopping campaigns automatically optimize your ads across Google’s inventory, including Search, Display, YouTube, and Gmail. They combine standard Shopping and Display remarketing campaigns, allowing you to reach potential customers wherever they are.

When to Switch to Smart Shopping Campaigns

1. Performance Metrics If you have enough data from your regular Shopping campaigns (typically at least 20 conversions in the last 30 days), you can consider switching to Smart Shopping. This data helps Google’s algorithms understand what works for your business.

2. Time Management If you find that managing manual campaigns is taking too much time away from other important tasks, Smart Shopping campaigns can help automate the process.

3. Broad Audience Reach If you’re looking to expand your reach beyond just Google Shopping and into display networks and remarketing, Smart Shopping is a great option.

Monitoring Performance

While Smart Shopping campaigns automate much of the process, it’s essential to keep an eye on performance. Regularly check metrics like ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), impressions, and clicks. You can still make adjustments by setting target ROAS goals, which will help guide the algorithm in optimizing your ad spend.

I was skeptical about Smart Shopping campaigns at first. I thought I’d lose control over my ad spending. However, after making the switch, I found that it saved me time and still delivered great results. Just remember to monitor your performance and adjust your targets as necessary.

Step 3: Remarketing to Previous Visitors

Not everyone who visits your website makes a purchase right away. That’s where remarketing comes in. Remarketing allows you to target customers who have previously interacted with your site, increasing the chances of them returning to complete a purchase.

How to Set Up Remarketing

1. Create a Remarketing List In Google Ads, create a remarketing list based on user behavior. You can target users who visited specific product pages, added items to their cart, or even those who completed a purchase (to upsell).

2. Set Up Remarketing Ads Create engaging ads specifically for your remarketing lists. Use dynamic remarketing ads to show previous visitors the exact products they viewed, enticing them to return.

3. Adjust Bids for Remarketing Since these visitors are already familiar with your brand, you can afford to be a bit aggressive with your bidding strategy. Consider increasing bids for remarketing audiences to capture their attention again.

Remarketing was a game changer for my business. Initially, I wasn’t sure how effective it would be, but once I started targeting previous visitors, I saw a significant increase in conversions. It’s a great way to re-engage potential customers who may have just needed a little nudge.

Step 4: Expanding into New Markets

If your store has the potential for global reach, it might be time to consider expanding your ads into different countries. This can significantly increase your customer base and revenue.

Steps to Expand into New Markets

1. Research Target Markets Before diving in, conduct thorough research on potential markets. Look for countries with a demand for your products, a favorable competitive landscape, and a population that matches your target demographic.

2. Create Separate Campaigns for Each Market It’s best to create separate Google Shopping campaigns for each market you want to enter. This allows you to tailor your ads, bids, and budgets according to each country’s unique characteristics.

3. Localize Your Product Listings Make sure to localize your product listings for the new market. This includes translating titles and descriptions into the local language and adjusting any pricing or currency differences.

4. Understand Local Regulations Be aware of any legal requirements or advertising guidelines for each country. Each market may have different rules regarding taxes, shipping, and returns.

When I first expanded into new markets, I underestimated how much localization was needed. I quickly learned that simply translating my product descriptions wasn’t enough. It’s crucial to adapt your marketing message to resonate with the local audience. Once I got that right, my international sales took off.

Step 5: Managing Ad Spend at Scale

As your campaigns grow, so does your budget. Managing your ad spend wisely is crucial to ensure that your growth is sustainable.

Tips for Managing Your Ad Spend

1. Set Clear Budgets For each campaign or market, set clear budgets that reflect your growth goals. Monitor these budgets closely to avoid overspending, especially when testing new strategies.

2. Monitor Performance Regularly Regularly check your campaign performance metrics. Keep an eye on key indicators like ROAS and conversion rates. If a campaign isn’t performing as expected, consider adjusting your budget or re-evaluating your strategy.

3. Use Automated Rules Google Ads allows you to set up automated rules that can help you manage your spending. For instance, you can set rules to pause underperforming ads or increase bids for high-performing products based on specific criteria.

4. Focus on High-Performing Campaigns As you scale, it can be tempting to spread your budget across multiple campaigns. Instead, focus on the campaigns and products that are delivering the best results. Allocate more budget to those campaigns to maximize your returns.

When I first started scaling, I got a bit carried away and ended up overspending on campaigns that weren’t delivering. It was a hard lesson learned! Now, I always ensure I’m tracking performance and managing budgets closely to keep everything in check.

Final Thoughts

Scaling your Google Shopping campaigns is an exciting step, but it requires careful planning and management. By increasing your product feed size, utilizing Smart Shopping campaigns, employing remarketing techniques, expanding into new markets, and managing your ad spend effectively, you can grow your campaigns sustainably.

In our mini-course, we’ve covered the essential steps to set up, optimize, and scale your Google Shopping campaigns. Remember, each step is a building block to your overall e-commerce success. Don’t rush the process—take your time, analyze the data, and make informed decisions as you grow. Happy selling!