How to Use Google Ads to Boost Shoe Sales?
Updated: Aug 29
If you own a shoe brand and hope to improve sales through the Google AdWords platform, this in-depth guide is for you.
Google ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) is a platform that allows businesses of all types to get in front of relevant people via paid advertisement.
Whether you are entirely new to Google ads or want to know the advanced techniques that can take your shoe business to the next level, read on.
Let's get into the details.
What are Google Ads?
Before jumping into how you can leverage the Google ads platform for your shoe business, let's see how the platform works.
It's a pay-per-click advertisement model where an advertiser pays a fixed bid amount in return for a click from a user.
So, you don't pay anything unless someone clicks on your Google ads. However, you don't want clicks from just "anyone."
As a shoe seller, you want clicks from people who are looking for a business like yours. We'll be discussing how you can attract the right people later in this article.
How to Use Different Ad Types to Boost Sales of Shoes?
Advertisements surround us everywhere. From text to image to video, businesses of all sizes use every way imaginable to get their offerings in front of relevant people.
As a shoe brand, that should be your goal to get in front of the right people. To do that effectively, you'll need to understand the different ad formats that the Google ads platform offers.
After reading this article, you'll be able to understand the ad types and how to use them effectively to increase your shoe sales online.
So without further to do, let's dive in.
Search Ads
As the name suggests, Search ads are text ads that appear above the organic results on the SERPs (search engine results pages).
Using search ads, you can get in front of prospects actively looking to purchase shoes online. You'll have to create an ad that follows the Google guidelines while being persuasive enough to get clicks from searchers.
The above screenshot shows a couple of ads for the keyword "shoes for running." Appearing at the top of the search results when shoe-related keywords are searched for gives you a shot at making a sale precisely because people searching on Google have the intent to buy.
Remember that you'll only be charged whenever someone clicks on your ad, making search ads quite efficient and effective, granted success ultimately comes down to doing proper keyword research while optimizing your ads for the right audience, of course.
Display Ads
Display ads are ads that appear on Google partner websites. They tend to be more visual than search ads and can appear on any part of a website, sometimes as banners and image ads.
Display ads are ideal when targeting people on the awareness stage. People that are not actively searching for products to buy.
Remember, as opposed to Search Ads, the Display Ads show up as people casually browse the web. Their intent at this moment is not necessarily to buy anything because they're just hanging out on their favorite website when your offering showed up.
Chances are you don't get a highly qualified lead that's ready to pull out their wallet, but don't let this discourage you. Display ads still serve a purpose – letting the world know you exist. With Display Ads, people can start to associate your brand as they begin to see it around the web on their favorite sites; best of all, because Display Ads target customers in the awareness stage, they are much cheaper than Search Ads.
Use Display Ads to initiate the process of getting customers into your sales funnel. You can provide something of value to them, for instance, a guide for new runners in exchange for their emails.
Your Display Ad keywords are also different than search ads. You don't target "Shoes for running" here. But, you can target something like "running parks near me." Google will show your ad on relevant websites.
Shopping Ads
Shopping ads appear in the exact location as search ads but in a different format. These ads target prospects that are in the consideration stage of their journey.
People searching for "best running shoes" know what they are looking for and, in many cases, are ready to buy on the spot if their search provides good results.
Shopping ads are a great way to attract potential customers to your online store. If you have inventory on your website that you can sell right away, use shopping ads to make quick sales.
Moreover, shopping ads tell the searchers about the price, ratings, and other perks you offer along with the product. You can also show an attractive image of the product to get them to click on your ad and convert.
In short, shopping ads provide adequate information to people that are clear on what they're looking for, maximizing the chances of conversions for your shoe brand.
How to Use Shopping Ads to Boost Sales of Shoes?
Google shopping ads allow you to upload product photos. Probably the best thing about a shopping ad is that you can show your product right on the image thumbnail.
So, if someone clicks on your shopping ad, they are already sold on the shoe. In other words, you're getting high-quality traffic to your store, and a high conversion rate is sure to follow.
Just make sure the image is high-quality, clear, and has a clean (preferably white) background.
Quick tip: include your target keyword, for instance, "best kids' shoes," in the title, description, and alt tags of your image.
This will help Google position your ad on relevant searches.
Not only that, but you can also use shopping ad "extensions" to maximize the click-through rate and consequently your sales.
These extensions include:
Promotions
Price drops
Product ratings
Your prospects won't want to miss a product with a high number of 5-star ratings and a limited-time price drop. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a real thing, so use the tactic wisely.
YouTube Ads
Google shows YouTube ads before, within, or after relevant YouTube videos. You can use video ads to put your product in front of people that like watching videos.
For instance, it makes sense to pitch an athletic shoe or sneaker to a person watching a video related to jogging or track and field. Why? Well, because if this person enjoys watching videos related to running, the odds that he enjoys going on a run himself are pretty good, and do you know what all runners need? You guessed it running shoes.
Your prospects might view a significant portion of your ad as required by YouTube. A good practice is to strive to capture the viewer's attention within the first 5-seconds and keep it throughout the entirety of the video; remember, an engaged viewer is worth a lot more than an obligated viewer that simply can't skip the ad.
This allows you to deliver your message in detail, improving the customer's chances of considering your product or offer.
YouTube also puts a display ad next to the video to remind the viewer to act on your offer. Make sure to use an actionable CTA (call-to-action) to direct the viewers to your landing page.
Actionable Call to Actions should give prospects clear and precise instructions as to what they should do. For example, click here for an exclusive 20% discount on select shoe models.
Universal App Ads
If you have an app, you can market it on the Google Network. Google places your app in a variety of locations based on your target audience.
You'll just have to provide the ad copy and images. The platform combines the two and places the ad where your target audience is present.
We've just covered the types of Google ads available to you in your journey to boost shoe sales. Let's now discuss how you can create an impactful ad for your shoe business.
How to Create a Google Ad to Boost Shoe Sales?
A Google ad is simple to create, an effective one that converts consistently, not so easy. Plenty goes into crafting a compelling ad that brings the right people to your store.
From keyword research to designing a search-engine-friendly landing page, there are quite a few things that you need to focus on.
Let's dive into one of the first and most essential parts of the Google ads creation process: "Keyword research."
Targeting the right keywords is vital to attract the right prospects. Search engines like Google can only bring customers to businesses through search queries.
When someone puts a keyword or key phrase into the search bar, Google fetches a laundry list of results against that keyword.
How does it find the most relevant results for a particular search term? We'll be discussing it later in the article.
For now, let's see how you can find the right keywords for your shoe business to generate more sales.
How to do Keyword Research for a Shoe Brand?
Keyword research will help determine what your target customers are searching for and consequently how to reach them effectively. By having a clear understanding of your customers' interests and likes, you simplify the advertisement-making process as you can create something you know will speak effectively to the specific customer you're hoping to target.
In a nutshell, if you create a shoe ad with relevant copy that appears for specific keywords, you will more than likely improve your click-through rate (CTR).
Although getting prospects to visit the page is only half the battle getting them to convert and purchase is the ultimate goal.
So how do you find the relevant keywords your prospects are using to buy shoes online?
We suggest using a practical and free keyword research tool, "Google Keyword Planner."
Not only does it provide the search volume, cost-per-click, and competition for a keyword, but it fetches a list of related keywords as well.
Google Keywords Planner
Sign in to your Google ads network account and go to "keyword planner" in "tools and settings."
The tool shows two options. You can either search for new keywords or find information about existing ones.
Go to "Discover new keywords."
Let's say you have a large inventory of leather shoes, and you want to give the sales of these a boost.
Allow Google to help you, trust us; it's in their best interest; after all, if the ads work for you, you will continue to invest in them.
Let's put in the keyword "leather shows."
After you press get results, the tool will tell you the search volume, cost-per-click, and keyword competition.
The search volume for leather shoes should be high enough to bring enough prospects to your store, giving you the chance to convert them.
The CPC is the amount you'd be paying Google ads for every click it generates for you. You want it as low as possible, of course.
Finally, if the competition is low, you'd have a better chance of ranking for that keyword and at a lower cost since the bid for each click is less competitive.
Google Keyword Planner gives you data on the searched keyword and brings you a laundry list of related keywords to target. Google is usually very good with its suggested keywords.
Now, you have a list of keywords and the data to let you decide which one of them would be suitable to target.
But, it's essential to know about keyword match types before jumping into the ad creation process.
Keyword Match Types
Google AdWords offers a powerful platform where you can create ads against any search term you think will bring in customers.
But, can you target all the keywords that your potential customers are searching for? Well, you can't. Nor should you want to; no marketing budget in the world would sustain this much ad spend. The strategy should be to position your products/shoes in front of as many relevant prospects as possible.
Consider using the Google keyword "match types" feature to target a wide range of keywords. To use keyword match types effectively, you need to know them well, right?
Keywords are arguably the most crucial part of the process. Pick a keyword that's too broad or general, and you'll end up with visitors with less to no buying intent.
Target a too specific keyword, and you run the risk of not generating enough traffic to convert enough sales. Keyword match types tell Google how much variation you want in your keyword.
Broad Match Keywords:
By default, Google takes your keywords as broad match keywords. Careful; this default setting can cost you a lot of your marketing budget.
Why? Because it brings an audience searching for a wide range of variations of your keyword.
For instance, if someone is searching for "Hiking boots," Google may show one of your ads targeting "Tennis shoes" just because it's in the "shoe" family.
You don't want to attract the people searching for hiking boots if you hope to sell tennis shoes.
So, targeting broad match-type keywords isn't a good idea for a shoe brand simply because it's aimed at driving lots of clicks, not high-quality ones.
In our experience, "Broad Match Keywords" are ideal for general brand awareness because you can get more people to come in contact with your brand for a lower cost-per-click.
When it comes to selling specific shoes, broad match keywords will ultimately bring irrelevant traffic that won't convert.
Let's see what Google fetches for the term "Google ads."
As you can see above, the first two ads match the search intent of the searcher looking for the Google ads platform.
However, people who intend to do the marketing themselves will not be a good fit for the marketing agency appearing on the search results. Why? Because the search term indicates, the searcher is looking to handle the advertising themselves as Google Ads is controlled mainly by small businesses in-house.
Phrase Match Keywords:
Phrase match keywords provide more control to the advertiser than broad match. When someone searches for a phrase, your ad will show up for that exact phrase plus any words before or after it.
After a recent update by Google, close variations of your keyword will also show up in the search results.
So, if you want to target "Women shoes," Google will also match the keyword with queries like "new women size 38 shoes".
The flexibility widens the net, consequently attracting more prospective buyers to your landing page, thus increasing the probability of sales.
Exact Match Keywords:
As the name suggests, the exact match keywords place your ad only in front of people searching for this very term".
For instance, if one of your search terms is "running shoes," your ad will only show to people who type in running shoes on Google. In other words, your ad won't show on any searches that have any other words in front or behind the search term "running shoes."
Although the exact match type brings less traffic, the people who click on your ads will improve your conversion rate and reduce ad waste because what you're selling and what they are searching for are precisely the same.
The only caveat would be that you'd attract a small number of people due to the limited pool of people searching for such a specific term.
However, Google has also updated the exact match and factors in close variants and synonyms in the search terms.
Choosing the right match type is vital to generate sales, and efficient ad spend. You can also use multiple match types to get better results.
Using Negative Keywords to Filter Out Irrelevant Audience:
Negative keywords allow you to prevent Google from triggering your ad for certain words. For instance, if you don't want Google ads to show your ad for the term "free," you can make that a negative keyword in your Google ads campaign.
Target Long-tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are keywords that have more words than the standard keyword searched for on Google.
For instance, "How to use Google AdWords to boost the sales of shoes" is a long-tail keyword. And, as a shoe seller, you may want to attract people searching for "leather shoes for boys."
A lesser number of people would be searching for such a term, but you'd have a better chance at ranking for such terms as they'd be less competitive.
Plus, someone searching for something like "leather shoes for boys" will probably make a purchase decision as soon as they find a good option.
So, not only will you rank better for a long-tail keyword on Google, but you'll also attract high-quality traffic that can boost your sales numbers.
How to Create an Effective Google Ad?
After hunting your target keywords, the next step would be to create an ad that brings your prospects to your landing page.
Your text needs to entice a browser to click on your advertisement. Google awards ads with a high click-through rate (CTR) with a lower cost per click. Why does Google do this? Well, because a high CTR tells Google that your ad effectively speaks to the people, Google is all for making its visitors happy.
Let's discuss the elements of an ad.
Headline
The headline is the first element that your prospects will notice in your ad. So, it's crucial to hook them and entice readers to read the rest of your ad copy.
Try to use your primary keyword at the beginning of the headline and tell your readers the unique selling point of your business.
It should be easy to read and optimized for mobile as well.
Display URL
The display URL section brandishes your site to users in many cases for the first time. Consider using a landing page URL that's descriptive and enticing to click on.
Body
The body of your ad tells potential buyers more about what you have to offer. You can also include a call to action in the body of your ad. Put yourselves in the buyer's shoes and give some deep thought to what gets you to take action; similar things would likely get them to take action as well.
Landing Page
Your landing page also plays a vital role in making or breaking your ad campaign. A Google ad's ranking is also dependent on whether your landing page is optimized for your target keyword or not.
Make sure your landing page:
Is relevant to your target keyword
It is user-friendly and has smooth architecture
Loads fast
How to Write Ad Copy that Converts?
Use the Right Keywords
First, you need to make sure you are using the right keywords in your ad copy. For instance, if you target people who want to buy shoes for kids, put the relevant keywords in the text.
It could be any variation of words around "Shoes for kids" or the exact phrase, as discussed before in the "keyword match type" section.
Pique Prospects' Interest
In an advertisement, your text characters are limited. It would be best if you are clear and concise. But, don't be boring. You need to pique their interest and stimulate their curiosity so that they click on the ad.
Here is an example headline: "2021 Best Shoe Lineup | Voted By Kids".
It's simple, to-the-point, and stimulates readers' curiosity about the shoes kids like best. We know parents want happy kids.
Write Actionable Call to Action
Your call to action will be the last element that will drive your potential visitors to click on your ad.
Make it actionable so that they want to click on it.
For instance, "Get our newest deal now" or "Claim 10% discount". Or something that makes prospects want to visit your landing page.
Improve Your Ad's Quality Score
If you think ad spend is the only determining factor in the advertisement rankings, you'd be wrong.
Google also ranks ads based on its quality score. Even if you were willing to outbid your competitor, your ad might still land at a lower spot if the ad and landing page are irrelevant to the search term you are advertising.
How do you improve your ad's quality score?
A high "quality score" essentially means your ad is more relevant to the search term your prospects are searching for.
So, optimizing your ad and landing page for target keywords and search intent is vital to achieving a high "quality score."
The click-through rate of your ad is also a factor that affects its quality score. The higher, the better.
So, a high ad quality score reduces your ad spend and brings more people to your landing page, improving your conversions/sales.
Improve Your Click-Through Rate
Your Google ads should deliver a reasonable click-through rate. The average CTR is around 2%, so anything above that would be outstanding.
Search ads are generally more clickable than display ads as they match more to the search intent. So, if you want to improve your CTR, focus more on search ads.
Your ad copy also impacts your CTR a lot. Writing words that drive action is an excellent way to entice prospects to click your ad. Or, you can add elements of curiosity to your ad, urging people to satisfy their curiosity by clicking on the Google Ad.
Use Location Bid Modifiers
Location targeting isn't only for brick-and-mortar shops. It works for online shopping too. Using location bid modifiers, you can place your ads in a particular geographic location.
For instance, if you sell thermally insulated boots, they will most likely perform poorly in hot weather cities, that is, unless a browser living in Miami expects to visit a cold-weather city, but that's the exception.
You can create ads for specific regions that have colder climates and gauge your ad's performance. Keeping a tab on your ad's effectiveness is essential.
Use Extensions
Google ads extensions are a great way to up your conversion game. You can include several practical add-ons to your ad to make it easier for people to get in touch with you.
Let's discuss them.
Callout Extensions
Callout extensions allow you to display additional information about your product. You can add the benefits of your shoes to make them more appealing to the target audience, warming up the lead even more.
Price Extensions
Price extensions allow you to display the price of your shoes in your ad. This means if a prospect clicks on your ad even after knowing the cost of your product, you have a better chance of making a sale since price won't be the determining factor.
Promotion Extensions
A promotion extension allows you to put your offers out there for the right people to see. It would appear just below your ad in bold text.
It also lets you write up to 2 lines about your promotional offer.
A prospect that clicks on your offer is taken to your landing page, where you can convert them from a lead to a customer.
Seller Rating Extension
Ratings are a great way to attract potential customers as people have grown to trust ratings. Google ads' rating extension works automatically and collects ratings from different sources.
A rating extension displays your product on a scale of 1-5. Moreover, it also shows the total number of reviews it has received.
There is a minor condition, though. Google only puts this extension to use for sellers with at least 150 reviews and a rating of 3.5 on average.
Positive reviews and 5-start ratings are significant influencers of sales. People want to know others like the item before they risk spending their money on it.
Look Out for Low-Performing Keywords
Some of your keywords might not perform well. Look out for keywords that are not getting enough clicks.
Don't hesitate to eliminate those keywords as they won't do any good to your campaign.
Eliminate Duplicate Keywords
Finding and removing duplicate keywords is imperative. Otherwise, you'd be competing against yourself.
However, it's OK to target multiple keywords for different geographical locations. As long as they are not competing with each other, you can use them effectively.
Utilize Google Ads Automation
You can use Google ads' innovative algorithm to help you make more sales for your shoe store. Google ads automation lets you create compelling ads without having to do too much work.
Use Dynamic Search Ads
Dynamic search ads utilize Google's algorithm to pull the most suitable headline in response to a search query from your prospects.
It selects the most appropriate landing page on your website, crafts a suitable headline, and puts the ad in front of the searcher.
As a shoe business, you'd have multiple products to sell. A dynamic search ad is ideal for identifying the right products for the search term and placing them on the results page.
So, you won't have to create an ad for every product.
Use Responsive Ads
With responsive ads, you give Google a few headlines and descriptions and let them mix and match to serve the best possible combination.
Write different variations of your headlines to let more people find your ad, expand your reach, and increase sales possibilities.
Remarket Potential Customers
Remarketing is simply putting your ad in front of people that already visited your landing page but didn't convert.
A study suggests that, on average, a consumer needs six visits before making a purchase decision. So, if you are not utilizing remarketing for your shoe business, you are missing out on a huge opportunity.
If a prospect hasn't bought on their first visit, you can do a few things to make them go through with the purchase:
Remind them that they forgot something in their cart
Ask them why they left their cart hanging
If the above tactics don't work, offer a limited-time discount to trigger FOMO (fear of missing out)
Or, you can offer free shipping to get them to act.
Offering a discount to every cart abandoner right away won't be practical as it would eat away your margins.
Another effective way is to make your shoes appear irresistible. Put a list of benefits that they'd get if they buy your shoes. And, don't forget to put up attractive shoe images and maybe even a video to remind them how amazing they look.
Run Seasonal Ads
You can also improve your sales through impactful seasonal ads. Customize your ads for the season you are running them on.
Take advantage of seasons and specific events to promote your shoe brand.
Analyze and Improve
Your ads won't always produce the results they should. You can always analyze them in the Google AdWords platform and make necessary tweaks.
If a keyword or a strategy is not working the way you hoped, don't hesitate to make the changes and test a different keyword or strategy.
Final Thoughts
Investing in Google ads can bring you a lot of sales for your shoe brand. However, it's not that straightforward.
You need to create ads that win the top spot in Google and hook the users. Your prospects should want to click on your advertisements.
Write persuasive and straightforward ad copy that can drive relevant traffic to your landing page.
Using the right keywords and keyword match types is imperative to attract the right people, improving your ROI.
At times hiring a provider of digital marketing services is the ideal way to go, but if you move forward on your own never stop looking for loopholes. There will always be room for improvement. Keep a critical eye and try to make necessary tweaks to your strategies.