Part of: PPC
Google Ads management for ecommerce
We set up and manage Google Ads search and performance campaigns for Shopify stores. That means a clear account structure, tracking you can trust, regular clean-up of search terms and reporting that compares Google's figures with your store's own. We do not promise a return on ad spend.
Is this right for you?
Who it is for
Stores that want to reach people already searching for their products, have tracking that records real orders, and can fund a test budget.
When it is not
Stores whose tracking does not match their orders, whose margins cannot cover the cost of a click, or who need sales this week from a very small budget. We would rather fix those first than spend your money.
What is included
- Account structure built around your products and margins
- Search campaigns for the terms your customers actually use
- Conversion tracking checked against your real orders
- Regular search term reviews and negative keywords
- Performance Max with agreed limits, where it suits your store
- Monthly reporting that compares Google's figures with your store's
Google Ads puts your products in front of people while they are searching for something like them. We build and manage the campaigns, keep the account clean and report on what your store actually sold. We work with stores that have reliable tracking and a budget they can afford to test with.
This page is part of PPC. That page helps you choose between channels. This one explains the work once Google Ads is the right choice.
What the work involves
Account structure
A tidy account is easier to read, easier to fix and harder to waste money in. We group campaigns by what you sell and how much each product can afford to spend, not by habit. If Shopping ads are part of the plan, they sit in their own campaigns, as set out in Google Shopping.
Search terms and negatives
The search terms report shows what people typed before they clicked. It is where money leaks. We read it regularly, add negative keywords for searches that will never buy, and use the good terms to improve what you bid on. This is dull work and it is most of the job.
Conversion tracking
Google Ads learns from the sales you tell it about. If tracking misses orders, double-counts them or counts the wrong action, the account optimises towards the wrong thing. We check it against real orders before spending much. GA4 setup and audits goes deeper if the problem is wider than ads. For most Shopify stores, Google’s own Google & YouTube app sets up conversion tracking, and consent mode must be in place for UK and EU visitors.
Performance Max, with guardrails
Performance Max is Google’s automated campaign type, which runs across several Google surfaces from one budget. It shows ads across Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Maps and Discover. Google has added more reporting and controls since it launched, including results by channel, search term reports and negative keywords. It can work for stores with strong product data, clear conversion tracking and enough sales for the system to learn from. It also hides detail. Our guardrails are:
- We keep brand search separate where we can, so Performance Max does not take credit for people who were already looking for you.
- We check which products it spends on, and limit those that do not earn their place.
- We do not run it on weak data and call the result a test.
- We say so plainly if it is not working, and what we would do instead.
What we measure
We report on the numbers that matter to a store: revenue and orders from ads, the cost of winning a customer, and how those compare with your margins. Alongside Google’s figures we show what your store and analytics recorded, and explain any gaps. We will not hide a poor month. We will say what we think caused it and what we suggest.
We do not promise rankings, revenue or a return on ad spend. Nobody can, because Google, your competitors and your customers all affect the result.
What it costs
Our fee depends on how much needs managing, and your ad spend is paid to Google separately. It is managed on a monthly retainer, from £500 a month for our services. See the pricing page for how we charge.
Where it fits with other work
- If your customers also use Bing, Microsoft Ads can be built from the Google account.
- To remind people who visited and left, display ads are a separate job with different risks.
- Ads are only as good as what people see. For that, see ad creative and static ad design.
How we do it
Every project is different, so timings depend on its size and complexity. You get a realistic timeline in writing before work starts, and we never promise results by a date.
Step 1: Check the basics
We look at your tracking, product pages and margins before building anything, because ads send people to all three.
Step 2: Plan the structure
We agree how campaigns are split, which products lead and what a sensible starting budget is, and write it down.
Step 3: Build and launch small
We set up search campaigns first, add Performance Max only if it suits, and start with a modest budget you have agreed.
Step 4: Review and tidy
We read the search terms, add negatives, pause what is not earning its place and report plainly on what happened.
What it costs
Retainers start from £500 per month and cover our services only. They do not include your ad spend, or any software or other subscription costs. One-off optimisation projects are priced by current need or an agreed hourly rate. Our pricing page has the detail.
Questions people ask
How much should I spend on Google Ads?
Enough to learn something, and no more than you can afford to lose while you do. It depends on your margins, average order value and how competitive your products are. We work out a starting budget with you and increase it only when your store's own sales records support it.
Do you use Performance Max?
Sometimes, with limits. It can work well when the product data and tracking are sound, and badly when they are not. We explain what it is doing, keep the account structured so you can see where money goes, and say so if it is not earning its place.
Can you promise a return on ad spend?
No. Results depend on your prices, products, competitors and how well the store converts. We can tell you what looks realistic for your store, and report honestly on what happened.
How do you know the results are real?
We compare what Google reports with what your store and analytics recorded. They rarely match exactly, because they count differently. When they differ, we say by how much and why we think so.
Who owns the Google Ads account?
Your account stays in your name. If you do not have one yet, we set it up in your name and you give us access. That way you keep the history and the data, whoever runs it.
Will you manage Shopping ads as well?
Yes. They depend heavily on product data quality, so we cover them on a separate page. We usually look at search and Shopping together, because they share a budget and often the same customers.
Ready to talk it through?
Get a free, top-level audit of your website for SEO, your ad account for PPC or your analytics account. A subject matter expert at Advent reviews it, and we aim to send it within 5 working days of receiving access.