Yes. Shopping for the majority of product queries (60-80% budget). Search for branded terms, competitor terms, and queries Shopping does not cover (20-40% budget). They complement each other.

What about Performance Max?

Performance Max combines Shopping, Search, Display, YouTube, and Discovery into one campaign. It works well once you have 50+ conversions per month feeding the algorithm. Below that threshold, separate Shopping and Search campaigns give more control.

How important is product feed optimization?

Critical for Shopping. Your product titles, descriptions, images, and attributes determine when and where your products show. A well-optimized feed can double Shopping performance without changing your bid strategy.

What ROAS should we expect from Shopping?

Varies by category and AOV. Typical profitable Shopping ROAS: 3-8x for most eCommerce. AOV under $30 needs higher ROAS (6-8x). AOV over $100 can be profitable at 3-4x. We benchmark against your margins.

We are not running Shopping yet — how do we start?

Set up Google Merchant Center, submit your product feed (Shopify has a built-in feed app), verify your domain, and create a Shopping campaign. We can have Shopping live within 1-2 weeks including feed optimization.

Google Ads Strategy

Google Shopping drives 76% of all eCommerce ad clicks. If your budget is split 50/50 with Search, you are doing it wrong.

Google Shopping Ads show your product image, price, and store name right in the search results. The customer sees the product before they click. They know the price before they click. By the time they land on your page, they are pre-qualified — they liked what they saw and they are ready to buy. That is why Shopping Ads convert at 2-3x the rate of text-based Search Ads for product queries.

Google Search Ads are text only. The customer clicks based on your headline and description, then lands on a page where they see the product for the first time. The qualification happens after the click — which means more clicks from people who were not actually interested. Higher CPC, lower conversion rate, more wasted spend.

For eCommerce, Shopping should be 60-80% of your Google budget. Search fills specific gaps: branded terms, competitor conquesting, and non-product queries where Shopping does not appear. But Shopping is the primary revenue driver for any store selling physical products.

76%

eCommerce Clicks (Shopping)

2-3x

Higher CVR vs Search

150+

Brands Managed

$23M+

Revenue Driven

We manage Google Ads for 150+ eCommerce brands. The data is consistent: Shopping Ads generate the majority of revenue at lower cost per acquisition for product searches. Search Ads complement Shopping for branded terms and broader queries. Here is how they compare and how to allocate.

Google Shopping Ads vs Google Search Ads — feature by feature

Feature	Google Shopping Ads	Google Search Ads
Ad Format	Product image + title + price + store name. Visual. Customer sees exactly what they are getting before clicking.	Text only: headline + description + URL. Customer clicks based on copy alone. Product reveal happens after the click.
Conversion Rate	Higher conversion rate (typically 2-4% for eCommerce). Pre-qualified traffic — they saw the product and price before clicking.	Lower conversion rate (typically 1-2.5% for product queries). Less qualification before click — people are still exploring.
Cost Per Click	Generally lower CPCs for Shopping ($0.30-$1.50). Less text competition. Bids are automated through product feed optimization.	Higher CPCs for competitive product terms ($1.00-$5.00+). Text ad competition drives up costs on popular keywords.
Control	Less direct control over when ads show. Google matches product feed to search queries. Optimization through feed quality, negatives, and bid strategy.	Full control over keyword targeting. Choose exact keywords, match types, and ad copy. More precision but more management required.
Best Use Case	Product-specific searches. Someone searching "blue running shoes size 10" sees your exact product with price. Highest intent, lowest friction.	Broader queries, branded terms, competitor conquesting, and queries where Shopping does not appear (services, non-product searches).
Setup Complexity	Requires a properly optimized product feed (Google Merchant Center). Feed quality directly impacts performance. Initial setup takes effort.	Keyword research and ad copy. Faster to launch but requires ongoing keyword management, bid optimization, and ad testing.

Our recommendation

For physical product eCommerce: allocate 60-80% of Google budget to Shopping Ads. It drives more revenue at lower cost per acquisition for product searches.

Use Search Ads for: branded terms (your brand name), competitor brand terms (conquesting), non-product queries that Shopping does not cover, and high-value long-tail keywords where Shopping competition is low.

Performance Max campaigns blend both (and more) — consider PMax for a unified approach if you have the conversion volume to feed the algorithm.

Pick Google Shopping Ads if...

Prioritize Shopping for any physical product store. It should be 60-80% of your Google Ads budget. Better pre-qualification, lower CPCs, and higher conversion rates on product searches.

Pick Google Search Ads if...

Use Search for branded terms, competitor conquesting, service-related queries, and long-tail keywords where Shopping does not appear. It complements Shopping but should not be the majority of product-focused budget.

Questions our best clients asked first

Is your Google Ads budget allocated correctly?

Book a call. We will audit your current Google Ads structure and recommend the right Shopping vs. Search allocation to maximize revenue from your ad spend.

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15 minutes. No pitch deck. Just your data and our honest take.

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