Case Study
61% Increase in Google Ads Revenue at the Same Budget
When it comes to getting your products in front of consumers who are ready to make a purchase, few marketing tactics compare to Google Ads.
Google Ads uses the pay-per-click (PPC) model. These types of advertising campaigns allow you to have total control over your ad placement and budget, and you pay when your ad is clicked. This is what makes Google Ads one of the most cost-effective ways to reach your target audience.
The caveat? The results you get from Google Ads will only be as good as your strategy. A successful campaign requires monitoring your results over time and adapting accordingly. If you don’t allow your search engine marketing (SEM) strategy to evolve, your results will eventually stagnate too.
That’s exactly what happened for one luxury home goods and decor retailer. Although they were already running paid search ads, their campaign types were outdated and no longer aligned with Google Ads best practices.
They knew they needed the help of an ecommerce PPC agency to overhaul their paid search strategy.
In this case study, we’ll illustrate the tactics Whitecap used to help this client increase their revenue from Google Ads by 61.39% year-over-year, from $113,148 to $182,615. These results were achieved within the first two months of account launch, and without increasing advertising spend.
The Challenge
This company was already running Google Ads, but the shopping campaign type they were using was two generations old. Additionally, there were numerous available targeting methods that were not being utilized in their campaigns.
Ultimately, this company’s paid search ROI was not as high as it could have been. They needed an updated strategy to boost the performance of their Google Ads campaigns.
Why Whitecap?
This client is an established distributor of fine furniture, decor, artwork, and other luxury home goods. As an ecommerce retailer, their top priority is to deliver their target demographic to their online storefront.
To accomplish this successfully, they needed to partner with an SEM agency that specializes in ecommerce, and that knows the ins and outs of the online advertising landscape.
They found the right partner in Whitecap. Our PPC Director holds all five Google Ads certifications and was previously employed at Google. He specializes in managing every aspect of our clients’ Google Ads campaigns to grow their traffic and sales.
The Solution
Although this client wasn’t starting their Google Ads efforts from scratch, their paid search strategy did need a major facelift. This is the process we followed to make that happen.
Update to Performance Max
To begin, we migrated all of their shopping campaigns to the newest type (Google’s Performance Max). We ensured all best practices were followed, including dedicated asset groups and audience signals. This step was essential for building a strong foundation for all current and future ads.
Shopping Feed Audit
In order to drive performance higher, we performed an extensive audit of their Google Merchant shopping feed and worked with the client in the following areas:
Reviewed all disapproved products and explored ways to get them reinstated
Reviewed all products with a warning and options to improve performance
Reviewed all product titles
Reviewed product categorization
Keyword Analysis
We also performed a detailed analysis of their existing keywords and search terms. This allowed us to create a much more intuitive account structure with a focus on improving quality score. It also enabled us to understand the factors that had historically been driving the best results, so we could continue to emphasize those factors. This included:
Tailored ad groups for each keywords theme
Strong ad copy
Use of all applicable ad assets (formerly “ad extensions”)
Expand Targeting Methods
From there, we created an extensive dynamic search ad structure to take advantage of the numerous targeting methods that were not being fully utilized. These included:
Category URLs
Product URLs
Page Content
Page Titles
URL Content
Remarketing Campaign
One area we focused on was remarketing. We created a display campaign targeting website visitors who had abandoned their shopping carts. This step included both audience creation and building the display ads.
Ongoing Google Ads Support
Finally, upon launch of the client’s new Google Ads campaigns, we continued providing support through the following services:
Keyword optimization
Text and display ad testing and optimization
New campaigns and ad groups creation
Bid management
Landing page optimization and testing recommendations
Quality score optimization
Monthly reporting of key statistics
The Results
So, what was the payout for all of these efforts?
Within the first two months of account launch — and with the same amount of ad spend as the previous year — our client’s revenue from Google Ads increased by 61.39% year-over-year, from $113,148 to $182,615.
That’s a monthly increase of nearly $35k, without the need to increase their ad budget.
The Benefits
Through working with Whitecap, this client was able to improve their return on ad spend by a substantial amount — even while their Google Ads budget remained exactly the same.
More revenue for the same investment is every ecommerce brand’s goal. Ongoing SEM support from Whitecap has helped the client maintain their improved paid search performance.
The Takeaway
Pay-per-click advertising is an incredibly powerful tool to have in your ecommerce marketing toolkit. But like with any tool, how you use it matters.
While setting and forgetting Google Ads campaigns may still yield some good results, the ROI of optimized and carefully tended paid search campaigns will be much higher.
Work with Whitecap to Improve Your Paid Search ROI
If you’re a business looking to take your Google Ads strategy to the next level, request your free, zero-obligation quote today.