How To Take Advantage Of The Rising Popularity Of Google Product Listing Ads

Since Introduced The Popularity Of Google Product Listing Ads Continue To Grow

The first time US advertisers were introduced to Google Product Listing Ads was back in 2011, so to say that PLAs are new to the game would be a bit misleading.

However, in the 5+ years since its introduction, PLAs have seen incredible and consistent growth with 2016 shaping out to be yet another incredible year. And this growth is making more and more advertisers take a second – and closer – look at the potential that’s packed inside their PLAs.

Want proof of the popularity of PLAs? PLAs account for 43% of all retailers’ Google search ad clicks and – perhaps more significantly – 70% of non-brand clicks in Q1, according to a report by Merkle.

Most advertisers are rolling up their sleeves and optimizing for non-brand search terms, which has resulted in even more competition for these non-branded terms.

Advertisers have to adapt, which is why they must begin to shift their focus away from text ads and, rather, optimize for those ad units driving the most growth.

For The Remainder of 2016 Advertisers Should Be Focusing On:

Time To Go Mobile

Yeah, we know, you’re sick of hearing about the “Year of Mobile.” But the statistics prove that 2016 is all about the untethered shopper.

PLA phone spend and clicks grew incredibly in Q1, up 193 percent and 162 percent, respectively. PLA growth on desktop and tablet devices is solid, but falls short when compared to mobile’s activity.

A part of this increase in mobile spend (and clicks) is the result of an uptick in mobile usage by shoppers; however, another factor has been the increase in size of PLA units on phones, which was announced in the fall of 2015.

The Impact Of Search Partners On PLA Traffic

Historically, search partners have made up just a small portion of PLA traffic. But that began to change in August of 2015.

But why?

Experts turn to two major changes that account for this increase:

• PLAs began to show in image searches (with this traffic classified as coming from search partners)
• Big-name retailers (Target, for example) began to show PLAs on their sites

With search partner PLA traffic performing at a nearly identical cost per order as Google.com, it has become a fantastic way for advertisers to expand their PLA programs.

What’s This All Mean For Advertisers?

Simply put, Product Listing Ads must be your number one priority when it comes to paid search optimization. So, how do you make PLAs your priority? Here are a few tips:

1. Make sure your product feeds meet (and exceed) Google’s requirements
2. Ensure your feeds are up-to-date
3. Make sure your Shopping campaigns are structured intelligently to bid products and manage negatives without a hitch
4. Use your negatives (and campaign priorities) to segment campaign traffic by query type
5. Use a smart bidding platform that can bid products and devices to efficiency targets
6. Address or feed errors and violations quickly
7. Stay on top of monitoring your search term reports

What happens if you fail to make PLAs your priority? You could be missing out on the biggest channel of paid search growth available to you. But don’t worry – OperationROI can help. Contact us today by calling 1-888-277-5429 or by filling out our contact form to learn more about what we can do for you and your PLAs.