Google Ads remains the most powerful customer acquisition channel for e-commerce — if you know how to use it. The problem is most brands either waste budget on the wrong campaign types or hand too much control to Google's automation without the right guardrails.
Here's how we structure Google Ads for the e-commerce brands we manage.
The 2026 Campaign Structure
Stop overcomplicating it. For most e-commerce brands, you need three things:
- Performance Max — for broad reach and shopping
- Standard Shopping — for control on your best products
- Brand search — to protect your brand terms
Performance Max: Friend or Foe?
PMax divides opinion. We've seen it work brilliantly and we've seen it burn budgets. The difference is almost always in the setup:
- Asset quality: Upload 15+ images, 5 headlines, 5 descriptions, and at least 1 video. The more assets, the better the algorithm performs.
- Audience signals: Give Google your customer lists, website visitors, and similar audiences as signals — not targeting.
- Product feed: A clean, optimised feed is the foundation of PMax. Title, description, images must be excellent.
- Bidding: Start with Maximise Conversions. Switch to Target ROAS once you have 50+ conversions per month.
💡 The biggest PMax mistake: Letting it run without checking the search terms report. Add negatives regularly or you'll waste budget on irrelevant searches.
Standard Shopping: Still Worth Running
Run Standard Shopping campaigns alongside PMax for your top 20% of products. It gives you more control over bidding and helps you understand which products actually drive profitability.
Product Feed Optimisation
Your product feed is your most important Google Ads asset. Most brands get this wrong. Key optimisations:
- Titles: Include brand + product type + key attributes (colour, size, material)
- Images: Clean white background for shopping. Lifestyle images for display.
- GTINs: Always include product barcodes where possible
- Custom labels: Tag products by margin, bestseller status, seasonality
Bidding Strategy by Stage
- 0-50 conversions/month: Maximise Conversions (let Google learn)
- 50-200 conversions/month: Target ROAS at a slightly lower target than your goal
- 200+ conversions/month: Aggressive Target ROAS with portfolio bidding
What a Good ROAS Looks Like
It depends entirely on your margins. A brand with 60% gross margins can afford a 3x ROAS. A brand with 30% margins needs 6x+ to be profitable. Know your numbers before you set targets.
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