Google Ads Performance Max campaign, combined with enhanced sales tracking, boosted ecommerce conversions by 251%, as showcased in this case study.
Introduction
We partnered with an ecommerce company with over 7 years of experience in the market, Arta Tradiției. They specialize in selling personalized gifts and decorations for important life events such as weddings, christenings, birthdays, and specific holidays.
The partner needed us to implement Consent Mode v2, and accurately track sales in Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads. Also, restructure Google Ads campaigns since the budget was generating no measurable return.
After two weeks, we implemented Consent Mode v2, set up tracking properly, and ran a Google Ads Performance Max Campaign smoothly.
The Challenge
Challenges in E-commerce Sales Tracking
The partner did not set up sales tracking properly, which led to incorrect attribution of conversions to Google Ads as their source.
As a result, they spent the budget inefficiently, preventing them from setting a realistic Cost per Acquisition (CPA) or choosing a consistent bidding strategy.
Discover the setups for monitoring e-commerce sales here.
Problems with Existing Google Ads Strategy
Because of issues with WordPress, WooCommerce, plugins, and Merchant Center, we couldn’t use product categories or other types of portfolio segmentation for the campaigns. As a result, the campaigns always advertised all the products from the catalog.
Solution
Consent Mode v2
Using a recommended CMP by Google, we set up Consent Mode v2 on the website, to provide the user a better understanding of how their data was being used.
Google Merchant Center
We configured the Google Merchant Center account to receive specific data, such as Product Type. This adjustment allowed us to create Performance Max or Shopping campaigns for targeted product categories.
Improving Sales Tracking
At the heart of enhancing sales tracking are data layers. Once they are populated, we can transmit the relevant e-commerce data to GA4 or GAds. Including transaction ID, value, currency, email, phone number, and address.
To improve website analytics and user behavior understanding, we took the following steps:
- We used Google Tag Manager to push important data into the data layers
- We created a Google Analytics 4 Key Event
- With Google Tag Manager:
- We set up the conversion action in Google Ads for future sales campaigns
- We completed the setup for Enhanced Conversions in Google Ads
- We completed the Dynamic Marketing for Remarketing setup
- We implemented Hotjar on the website to gain better insights into user behavior
Google Ads Performance Max Campaign Creation
We audited the Google Ads account, analyzed previous results, and reviewed data from Google Search Console and Google Analytics
We also analyzed WooCommerce data and compared it to existing data to identify the source of previous conversions.
The headlines and descriptions were created by analyzing user behavior on the site. We also considered search behavior shown by internal search and Google Search Console.
The Google Ads strategy focused on Performance Max campaigns, promoting categories of products, and analyzing their performance based on their seasonality. A fair amount of products perform better in certain months or periods. (ex. Wedding gifts and decorations)
Results and Impact
Google Ads Performance Max and Enhanced Sales Tracking
We analyzed the results by comparing performance one month before implementing all the mentioned setups and one month after. We also conducted an ongoing monthly analysis.
As mentioned earlier, it was impossible to obtain data on conversions from Google Ads for the month before the collaboration. The partner had not set up tracking, and they did not use the catalog created in Google Merchant Center for the campaigns.
Therefore, we derived the values for the previous month from a correlation between Google Analytics and WooCommerce data..
- 37.5% decrease in daily budget
- 251.43% increase in the number of conversions after the first month
- 82.08% decrease in Cost per Acquisition
- 1625.27% Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) after the first month, a 414.90% increase compared to the month before
Key Takeaways
Google Ads Performance Max and Enhanced Sales Tracking
- Improved Tracking Boosts Efficiency: Implementing Consent Mode v2 and properly setting up Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads tracking allowed for precise attribution of conversions. This led to a significant 82.08% decrease in Cost per Acquisition and a drastic improvement in sales tracking accuracy.
- Restructured Google Ads Strategy Drives Performance: The restructuring of the Google Ads campaigns, focusing on Performance Max and product category segmentation, led to a more targeted approach. This resulted in a 251.43% increase in conversions after the first month, even with a 37.5% decrease in daily budget.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: By integrating insights from Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and WooCommerce, we develop an effective strategy tailored to the seasonal performance of product categories. This drove a 1625.27% ROAS after the first month, a 414.90% increase compared to the prior month.
- We implemented tools like Hotjar for user behavior analysis. This provided deeper insights into customer journeys and allowed us to further refine our marketing strategy. As a result, we improved the user experience.
Conclusion
Strategic adjustments in tracking, data analysis, and ad campaign structure can significantly improve the performance of an e-commerce company. Key factors in the success of this project included the integration of Consent Mode v2, improved sales tracking through Google Analytics 4, and the use of Google Ads Performance Max campaigns.
These efforts not only streamlined the ad budget but also led to measurable improvements in conversion volume and a dramatic increase in ROAS. By continuously analyzing data from Google Ads Performance Max, WooCommerce, and user behavior tools, this e-commerce company has set itself up for sustained success with a scalable and efficient advertising model.
If you have an e-commerce and want to achieve similar results with Google Ads, feel free to reach out to me here.
Flavia Groza-Bocăneț
