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E-commerce PPC

Google Ads for DTC & Online Retailers

Profitable ROAS, not just revenue from discount-hunters.

We run Google Ads for DTC brands, online retailers, and ecommerce operators on Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. Our focus is on profitable ROAS (after COGS, shipping, and returns) — not the top-line revenue number that flatters the dashboard.

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10+ yrs
Inside Google before this
500+
Brands we've worked with
Vertical
E-commerce-specific playbooks
What breaks

Why E-commerce Google Ads fail.

01

Product feed quality is the hidden ceiling

Broken, incomplete, or poorly attributed Google Merchant Center feeds are the number one cause of underperforming ecommerce campaigns. Most agencies never touch the feed — they just tweak bids on whatever Google has to work with.

02

ROAS without unit economics is misleading

A 4.0 ROAS feels great until you back out 40% COGS, 12% shipping, 8% returns, and 15% payment processing. Many accounts 'hitting target ROAS' are unprofitable at the unit level. Optimization targets need to be net-contribution-margin, not gross ROAS.

03

Performance Max is a black box that punishes bad setup

PMax works well for ecommerce — when the feed, creative, and conversion data are right. When they're not, PMax silently wastes spend on Display inventory. Most accounts don't know how to see where PMax spent their money.

What works

E-commerce PPC tactics that actually produce revenue.

Tactic 01

Google Merchant Center feed optimization first

Before any campaign work: clean the feed. Title rewrites with primary keyword in first 70 chars, custom labels for margin tiers, GTINs populated, image hygiene, product categories correct. This alone typically lifts performance 20-40%.

Tactic 02

Performance Max with asset group discipline

Run Performance Max — ecommerce is what it's built for — but split asset groups by margin tier, seasonality, or product category. Never one giant asset group. Use custom labels in the feed to power asset group segmentation.

Tactic 03

Search brand + non-brand separation

Branded search ('YourBrand sneakers') gets its own campaign with separate budget from non-branded ('running shoes'). Brand ROAS always looks good; non-brand does the acquisition work. Mixing them means you can never tell if new-customer acquisition is working.

Tactic 04

Customer Match for LTV-based bid modifiers

Upload high-LTV customer lists as Customer Match audiences. Bid up for visitors matching the high-LTV segment, bid down for serial returners or discount-only segments. Smart Bidding can't see this without your first-party data.

Tactic 05

Margin-aware conversion values, not revenue

Pass margin-adjusted conversion values into Google Ads, not order subtotal. A $200 apparel order with 60% margin is worth $120 of contribution, not $200. Smart Bidding optimizes toward whatever value you pass — pass the right number.

Our playbook

How we run E-commerce campaigns.

01

Week 1: Feed audit + unit economics mapping

We audit your Google Merchant Center feed for errors, quality issues, and structural gaps. We map your actual contribution margin per product category so Smart Bidding optimizes toward profitable conversions, not just revenue.

02

Week 2: Feed optimization + PMax asset group restructure

Feed cleaned, titles rewritten, custom labels populated for margin and seasonality. Performance Max asset groups split by margin tier. Branded and non-branded Search campaigns separated.

03

Week 3: Launch + Customer Match integration

Campaigns live with margin-adjusted conversion values. Customer Match audiences uploaded and layered with observation bid modifiers. First optimization cycle on day 7.

04

Month 2+: Scale on new-customer acquisition cost

Once new-customer data accumulates, we shift optimization from blended ROAS to new-customer acquisition cost. This is how DTC brands break the treadmill of diminishing returns on existing-customer retargeting.

Frequently asked

Questions about E-commerce Google Ads.

What is a realistic ROAS target for ecommerce Google Ads?

Depends entirely on margin. A 40% gross margin product needs at minimum 2.5x gross ROAS to break even (before shipping and returns). Premium DTC with 60%+ margins can target 4-6x ROAS. Low-margin categories (electronics, appliances) need 8x+ or they're structurally unprofitable on paid traffic.

Should ecommerce use Performance Max?

Yes, as a primary channel — but only with clean feed data, correct conversion values, and disciplined asset group segmentation. PMax punishes bad setup by silently wasting spend on low-quality Display and YouTube inventory. With good setup, it typically outperforms standalone Shopping + Search for ecommerce.

How important is the Google Merchant Center feed?

Critical. Feed quality is the largest single lever in ecommerce Google Ads. Most agencies underinvest in feed optimization because it's unglamorous work. A well-optimized feed typically outperforms a poorly-optimized one by 20-40% on identical campaigns — before any bid or keyword changes.

Should ecommerce optimize toward revenue or margin?

Margin, always. Smart Bidding will optimize toward whatever value you pass as conversion value. Pass gross revenue and you'll scale toward high-revenue-low-margin products. Pass contribution margin and you'll scale toward actual profit. The infrastructure to do this is a Shopify app plus GA4 event customization.

What's the minimum ad spend for ecommerce Google Ads?

$1,500-$3,000/month for niche DTC with strong feed quality. $5,000-$15,000/month is common for mid-market DTC scaling on paid. $25,000+/month for enterprise ecommerce. Below $1,500/month, Smart Bidding cannot accumulate enough conversion data to optimize effectively — you'll stay stuck in manual CPC mode.

Google Ads vs Meta Ads for ecommerce — which one?

Both, usually. Google captures high-intent demand (people searching for your product category). Meta creates demand and handles discovery. Running both with unified attribution (typically Triple Whale, Northbeam, or GA4+BigQuery) consistently outperforms either channel alone for DTC ecommerce above $50K/month ad spend.
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