How to create a search engine ad for products?

More and more entrepreneurs are moving their businesses online, permanently using an online store. With those who want to create product advertisements in search engines in mind, we have prepared a brief guide that will suggest which e-commerce solutions to apply.

Read our tips and learn how to promote products from your online store independently.

Product Advertising on Google Search

Google is the world’s most popular search engine, so it’s no surprise that you can attract the most users by using Google Ads campaigns. Product ads, also known as Google Shopping ads, are a special form of promotion displayed in a dedicated section on the main search results page. They present users with images of items, descriptions, and current prices. Google Shopping acts as a comparison tool and is available exclusively for online stores. When a potential customer enters a query related to a specific product or product category, product ads will appear at the top of the page. The user will see the product name, price, website name, current discount, and shipping cost.

Advantages of Product Advertising

Using Google Shopping ads allows you to showcase your online store’s offer attractively and benefits from a convenient billing model. Since the campaign is synchronized with your store’s website, customers always receive up-to-date information about the product. Any changes—price, availability, photos—are automatically updated in the campaign, allowing customers to assess the product’s appeal even before clicking the ad. By leveraging product ads, you can better tailor your message to potential buyers, attracting valuable traffic to your site. Additionally, campaigns have a broad reach—customers may see several of your ads simultaneously, and the campaign can be combined with sponsored links. This increases your chances of gaining new, committed customers. Campaign results are thoroughly measurable—you decide how detailed the report should be. Reports for individual specific products are even available.

Technical Requirements and Setup of Google Shopping Campaigns

To launch a campaign, you will need an account in Google Merchant Center and an active Google Ads account. Google Merchant Center is used to submit information about your store, brand, and product feed. Check whether the system your online store is based on supports integration with Google Merchant. Some systems require purchasing an additional plugin to allow submission of the shopping list in XML format.

Each promoted item must include parameters such as: identifier, title, description, link, image link, availability, price, category, brand, and condition. The XML file should be downloaded and uploaded to your advertising account. Another essential requirement for launching product ads is an active SSL certificate and HTTPS protocol on your website. These ensure your domain is trustworthy and secure for both users and Google bots.

Prohibited Content in Product Campaigns

Google precisely defines which content may be promoted in the search engine and which is forbidden or restricted. Prohibited products include, among others: counterfeit luxury brands, dangerous products (weapons, drugs, explosives, tobacco products), and forged documents. Additionally, Google opposes content promoting violence, intimidation, discrimination, and graphic materials. It’s important to remember that Google also fights unfair competition. For this reason, it does not allow promotion of content by users attempting to generate artificial traffic, those trying to bypass verification processes, or websites offering no valuable content.

Ads for certain products may be subject to display restrictions in specific locations or to underage users. Google limits the promotion of erotic content, nudity, alcoholic beverages, gambling-related content, and dietary supplements.

The budget you need to prepare for product advertising will depend on factors such as the industry, the number of items in the campaign, competitor activity, and optimization efforts (for example, by removing ineffective keywords). However, it is undoubtedly worth taking advantage of the opportunity to gain new customers and additional traffic to your site. It is also advisable to keep up with changing trends in e-commerce and deepen your knowledge to find the best way to promote your online store.