Quick Summary
A well-designed Shopify store can be an excellent way to grow your business. But how do you get the products in front of the right people? It can be a challenge. You might have a great product, but if no one knows it exists, you’re missing out on potential sales. That’s where Google Ads come in.
A Google Ads campaign can be a great way to drive targeted traffic, generate leads, and increase your revenue. So through this blog, I’ll explain how the Shopify experts set up Google Ads for their stores. Let’s begin.
To set up the best Google Ads campaign, there are a few basics to cover. These include:
After covering these prerequisites, you can go ahead with the Google Ads setup. Just make sure to use the same email address as the Shopify account for an easy sync.
The setup process begins with visiting ads.google.com and either signing into or creating a new account. You will be asked to create a new campaign, but it’s best to skip this step at this moment. We’ll pick it up later.
Step 1: Sign into or create a new account.
Step 2: Switch to Expert Mode and create the account without starting a campaign.
Step 3: Confirm your business details like country, time zone, and currency.
And that’s it, the Google Ads account is ready. Next is the Google Merchant account.
Your products are displayed in the Google search results through the Google Merchant Center. Then millions of shoppers can discover, explore, and buy your products.
Step 1: Go to Google Merchant Center and click Get Started.
Step 2: Use the Google Ads email account and enter your business info.
Step 3: Choose On My Website as the checkout option, so the customers go to your Shopify store.
After the Merchant Center account is done, it’s time to link it to your Shopify store.
Before connecting the Shopify store with Google Merchant Center, make sure the store is live and isn’t password protected. Then, add your store URL to the Google Merchant Center and verify your website.
After the store is linked, you’ll be able to create Google Ads campaigns and attract customers to shop from your store directly from Google search.
If you need help with this setup, you can opt for our professional Shopify development services. We are well-versed with the ad campaigns and can ensure the best results.
If you are trying to set up Google ads, there’s a good chance you have also set up Facebook Pixel in your Shopify store. In that case, it’s important to track the performance of your ads, so it’s easier to see how successful it is.
In that case, we recommend you use Google Tag Manager. With it, you can easily add and manage Google Analytics, track ad conversions, remarketing tags, and even third-party scripts.
Here’s how you connect Shopify with Google Tag Manager.
If you don’t already have a Google Tag Manager account, create one. Here’s how you proceed.
Step 1: Go to tagmanager.google.com.
Step 2: Sign in with your Google account.
Step 3: Click Create Account and fill in the details like account name and country.
Step 4: Choose Web as the container type and name it (something like “Shopify Store”).
Step 5: Click Create and accept the terms and conditions.
After the container is created, you will get two pieces of code from Google. One would be for the header and the other one for the body. These will come in handy for the further process.
After the GTM account is created, install this tool on your Shopify store. Here’s how it goes.
Step 1: Sign into your Shopify store account and visit the admin panel.
Step 2: Navigate to Online Store > Themes and then click on ‘Edit Code’ under the ‘Actions’ section.
Now, the code excerpts from Google Tag Manager will come in use.
Step 3: In the theme.liquid file, paste the header code excerpt under the <head> tag.
Step 4: Paste the body code immediately after the <body> tag.
Step 5: Click ‘Save’ to apply the changes.
That’s it; the GTM is not up and running on your eStore. Next, you need to manage the tags through this platform.
If you have an “AW-” tag, it will help set up the Google Ads conversion tracking. Here’s the process.
Step 1: Sign into Shopify, navigate to the App store, download the Google & Youtube app.
Step 2: Review the required permissions and click ‘Install’.
Step 3: If this app isn’t already connected to Google, click ‘Connect Google Account’. Sign in using the same Google Ads account.
Step 4: There will be a banner ‘Just want to set up Google Ads conversion measurement’. Click ‘Get Started’.
Step 5: Select your Google Ads account, then click ‘Connect’.
Now, your account will send conversion info automatically to Google Ads. But what if you have a “G-” tag? Well, this tag is for Google Analytics.
For this part of the process, you will need to ensure your Google Analytics tracking is set up correctly. Here’s how you do it.
Step 1: Just like with the previous process, download the Google & Youtube app (if you haven’t already).
Step 2: If not already connected, click ‘Connect Google Account’ and choose the account linked to your store.
Step 3: Click ‘Get Started’ under the ‘Looking only to set up Google Analytics 4’ banner.
Step 4: Select your GA4 property, click ‘Connect’.
Now, your Shopify store will send all data related to your Google Analytics account and the Tag Manager will GA4 starting with “G-”.
After integrating your eStore with GA, you’ll be able to manage the Google Ads and analytics more effectively through GTM.
For Google Ads Conversion Tracking
Step 1: Open the Google Tag Manager and select your Shopify container.
Step 2: Click Tag, then New Tag.
Step 3: Choose Google Ads Conversion Tracking and enter your AW- Conversion ID and Label from Google Ads.
Step 4: Set the tag to trigger when conversion (like a purchase) happens on the “Thank You” page.
Step 5: Click ‘Save and publish’.
For Tracking Google Analytics 4:
Step 1: In Google Tag Manager, click ‘New Tag’ and then ‘Google Tag’.
Step 2: Enter your G- measurement ID from GA4.
Step 3: Set the tag to trigger on All Pages to track visitors across your site.
Step 4: Click ‘Save and publish’.
Finally, as you may understand, it’s important to test the tags before finalizing everything. Make sure they are firing correctly.
In Google Tag Manager, click Preview to enter Debug mode. Then, visit your Shopify store and check if the conversion and analytics tags are triggering as expected.
If everything is as planned, return to Google Tag Manager and click ‘Submit’ to publish your changes.
This process can be a little tricky for those without the prior experience. So we recommend you opt for our professional Shopify services for the best results.
Rather than running around with a megaphone, Google Ads is about reaching the target customers exactly when they are looking for products similar to yours.
Let’s see how you can create a successful Google Ads campaign for your store.
After the Google Ads account is linked into Shopify, you’ll be ready to create the first campaign.
Step 1: On the Google Ads dashboard, click ‘+ New Campaign’.
Step 2: Choose the objective, like “Sales”, “Website traffic”, etc. and then click ‘Continue’.
After creating a new campaign, you need to choose the right target audience. That will get the best results for your campaign.
To that end, go to the Audience settings, and define the type of people based on customer segmentation. For Shopify, use the “Demographics” and “Interests”.
Next, you need to create ad copies that are compelling enough to captivate the target audience. For Shopify eStores, try to focus on the USPs of your products. Take care of the headlines, descriptions, and visuals.
It’s crucial you have a predetermined daily budget for the Google Ads. How much are you willing to pay? Decide after carefully considering your target audience and the kind of traffic and sales output you are aiming for.
There’s also the bidding strategy. If you’re just starting, go for ‘Maximize Clicks’ to ensure the best traffic numbers within your budget. You can also set up the bidding manually if you have enough data on how your campaign is performing.
After you are satisfied with the setup, click ‘Save and Continue’ and the campaign will be launched. Then, you will need to monitor its performance regularly with respect to key metrics like click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and cost per click.
Use the data to see how well the ads are doing and if there is anything to improve them. If you are spending too much without any positive results, then either adjust your budget or the campaign.
If you need help with this or other aspects of your ad campaign, hire our Shopify development experts. We’ll ensure the best results.
Google Ads is an online advertising platform that allows businesses to display ads on Google Search and other Google properties. When integrated with Shopify, it enables you to target potential customers searching for products or services similar to yours.
Here are a few mistakes to avoid.
You can measure the success of your Google Ads campaigns using various metrics, such as:
In today’s competitive digital landscape, effective online advertising is crucial for the success of any Shopify store. Google Ads offers a powerful platform to reach your target audience and drive sales.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can set up and optimize your Google Ads campaigns to maximize your return on investment. Remember to define the goals, conduct through KW research, create a compelling ad copy, and set a realistic budget and bidding strategy.
So, let’s set up the best Google Ads campaign for your eStore. Have a consultation with us today!
Ankur Shah is a tech-savvy expert specializing in eCommerce solutions. With a deep understanding of WooCommerce and Shopify, he helps businesses optimize their online stores for success. Whether it's implementing new features or troubleshooting issues, Ankur is your go-to guy for all things eCommerce.
