How to Run Google Shopping Campaigns: A Complete Guide
Google Shopping campaigns are one of the most powerful tools in any e-commerce marketer’s arsenal. Unlike traditional text ads, Shopping ads display product images, prices, and store names directly in search results, giving potential buyers the information they need before they even click. For online retailers in Singapore, this visual format translates to higher click-through rates and more qualified traffic compared to standard search campaigns.
In 2026, Google Shopping has evolved significantly, with Performance Max campaigns now dominating the landscape alongside standard Shopping campaigns. Whether you are a small Shopify store selling artisanal products or a large retailer with thousands of SKUs, understanding how to set up and optimise your Shopping campaigns is essential for maximising your return on ad spend. With Singapore’s growing e-commerce market and increasingly competitive digital advertising space, getting your Shopping campaigns right can make the difference between profitability and wasted ad spend.
This guide walks you through every step of running successful Google Shopping campaigns. You will learn how to set up your Google Merchant Center, create and optimise your product feed, choose the right campaign type, implement effective bidding strategies, and avoid common pitfalls. We have also included Singapore-specific advice on GST handling, shipping configurations, and local market nuances that can affect your campaign performance.
Step 1: Setting Up Google Merchant Center
Google Merchant Center is the foundation of every Shopping campaign. It is the platform where you upload and manage your product data, and it connects directly to your Google Ads account. Without a properly configured Merchant Center, your Shopping ads simply will not run.
To get started, navigate to merchants.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Click “Get Started” and enter your business information, including your business name, country (Singapore), and website URL. Google will ask you to verify and claim your website, which you can do via an HTML tag in your site’s header, a Google Analytics connection, or a Google Tag Manager container.
Once your account is created, configure your shipping settings. For Singapore-based retailers, you will need to set up shipping rates for local delivery. Go to “Shipping and returns” in the left navigation and create a shipping service. Define your delivery areas, transit times, and costs. If you offer free shipping above a certain threshold, configure that here as well. Accurate shipping information is crucial because Google displays shipping costs in your ads, and discrepancies between your ads and checkout page can lead to account suspension.
Next, set up your tax settings. In Singapore, GST at 9% should be configured correctly. Navigate to “Tax” settings and ensure your prices reflect the correct tax treatment. Most Singapore retailers display GST-inclusive prices, so confirm this matches your product feed data. Finally, link your Merchant Center to your Google Ads account by going to “Settings” then “Linked accounts” and entering your Google Ads customer ID. This connection allows your product data to flow into your advertising campaigns. If you need professional help with your Shopping ads setup, consider working with a Google Shopping ads specialist.
Step 2: Creating Your Product Feed
Your product feed is a structured data file that contains all the information about the products you want to advertise. Think of it as a spreadsheet where each row represents a product and each column contains a specific attribute like title, price, image URL, and availability.
Google accepts product feeds in several formats: Google Sheets, XML, tab-delimited text files, or via the Content API. For smaller catalogues with fewer than 500 products, Google Sheets is the easiest option. For larger catalogues, an XML feed generated by your e-commerce platform is more practical. Most platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento have plugins or built-in features that automatically generate and sync your product feed.
Every product in your feed must include these required attributes: id (a unique identifier), title, description, link (the product page URL), image_link, availability (in_stock, out_of_stock, or preorder), price (including currency, e.g., “59.90 SGD”), brand, condition (new, refurbished, or used), and GTIN or MPN. Optional but highly recommended attributes include additional_image_link (for extra product photos), sale_price, product_type, google_product_category, colour, size, material, and custom_labels.
When creating your feed, pay special attention to the product titles and descriptions. These are the fields Google uses to match your products to search queries. A product title like “Blue Shirt” is far less effective than “Men’s Slim Fit Oxford Cotton Shirt – Navy Blue – Size M.” Include relevant keywords naturally, but do not stuff them. Descriptions should be detailed, accurate, and highlight key selling points. Prices must include the correct currency code, and for Singapore, this is SGD. All image URLs must point to high-quality images that meet Google’s requirements: at least 100 x 100 pixels for non-apparel items and 250 x 250 pixels for apparel.
Step 3: Optimising Your Product Feed
A well-optimised product feed is the single most important factor in Shopping campaign success. Even with a generous budget and aggressive bidding, poor feed quality will limit your results. Feed optimisation involves refining every attribute to improve ad relevance, click-through rates, and ultimately conversions.
Start with your product titles. Place the most important keywords at the beginning of the title, as Google truncates titles after approximately 70 characters in most display formats. Follow a structured format based on your product type. For apparel, use: Brand + Gender + Product Type + Attributes (colour, size, material). For electronics, use: Brand + Product Name + Model Number + Key Specifications. For example, “Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB Titanium Black” is far more effective than “Galaxy Phone.”
Optimise your product images by using high-resolution photos on a clean white background for your main image. Include lifestyle images as additional images to show the product in use. Ensure images are well-lit, accurately represent the product, and do not contain watermarks, promotional text, or borders. Google penalises ads with poor image quality, so invest in proper product photography.
Use the google_product_category attribute to classify your products accurately using Google’s taxonomy. This helps Google understand what you are selling and match your products to relevant queries. Use the most specific category available rather than a broad parent category. Additionally, leverage custom_labels (custom_label_0 through custom_label_4) to segment your products by profit margin, seasonality, best-seller status, price range, or promotional status. These labels do not affect ad display but are invaluable for campaign structuring and bid management.
Regularly audit your feed for errors and warnings in Merchant Center’s “Diagnostics” tab. Common issues include mismatched prices between your feed and landing page, missing GTIN values, and image quality problems. Address all disapproved products promptly, as a high disapproval rate can affect your overall account health. For a broader understanding of how Shopping campaigns fit into your advertising strategy, explore our guide on Google Ads costs in Singapore.
Step 4: Choosing Your Campaign Type
In 2026, Google offers two main campaign types for Shopping ads: Standard Shopping campaigns and Performance Max campaigns. Each has distinct advantages and trade-offs, and the right choice depends on your goals, experience level, and the degree of control you want.
Standard Shopping campaigns give you granular control over bidding, product grouping, and search query targeting. You can see exactly which search queries triggered your ads, set individual bids for product groups, and add negative keywords. This level of transparency makes Standard Shopping ideal for advertisers who want to closely manage their campaigns and have the expertise to do so. However, Standard Shopping ads only appear in the Shopping tab and search results, limiting your reach compared to Performance Max.
Performance Max campaigns use Google’s AI to serve your ads across all Google properties: Search, Shopping, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and Maps. You provide creative assets (images, videos, headlines, descriptions) and set a target, and Google’s algorithm handles the rest. Performance Max typically delivers broader reach and can discover audiences you might not have targeted manually. The trade-off is reduced transparency, as you get less visibility into search queries and individual placement performance.
For most Singapore e-commerce businesses starting out, we recommend beginning with a Standard Shopping campaign to build a baseline understanding of your product performance and search query landscape. Once you have solid conversion data (at least 30 conversions per month), transition to Performance Max to scale your results. Some advanced advertisers run both campaign types simultaneously, using Standard Shopping for their highest-priority products and Performance Max for broader catalogue coverage. If you are unsure which approach suits your business, our Google Ads management team can help you develop the right strategy.
Step 5: Setting Up Bidding Strategies
Your bidding strategy determines how much you pay for each click and directly impacts your campaign’s profitability. Google Shopping offers several bidding options, and selecting the right one depends on your campaign maturity and objectives.
Manual CPC (cost-per-click) gives you complete control over your bids. You set a maximum CPC for each product group, and Google will not exceed that amount. This is ideal for new campaigns where you do not yet have conversion data. Start with conservative bids (SGD 0.50 to SGD 1.50 for most product categories in Singapore) and gradually increase them based on performance. Manual CPC allows you to quickly identify which products and search queries are profitable, providing a foundation for automated bidding later.
Enhanced CPC is a semi-automated strategy that adjusts your manual bids up or down based on the likelihood of conversion. Google raises your bid when a click is more likely to convert and lowers it when it is less likely. This is a good stepping stone between fully manual and fully automated bidding, offering some optimisation while maintaining a degree of control.
Target ROAS (return on ad spend) is the most popular automated strategy for mature Shopping campaigns. You set a target ROAS percentage (e.g., 400% means you want SGD 4 in revenue for every SGD 1 spent), and Google’s algorithm adjusts bids in real time to achieve that target. This strategy requires at least 15 conversions in the past 30 days to work effectively, though 50 or more conversions produce significantly better results. Maximise Conversion Value is similar but focuses on generating the highest total revenue within your budget, without a specific ROAS target. This can be useful when scaling campaigns or during peak sales periods.
When setting your initial bids, consider your product margins. Calculate your break-even ROAS by dividing your average product price by your average profit per product. For instance, if a product sells for SGD 100 with a profit margin of SGD 30, your break-even ROAS is 333% (100 / 30). Set your target ROAS above this break-even point to ensure profitability. Account for additional costs like shipping, payment processing fees, and returns when calculating margins.
Step 6: Product Segmentation and Grouping
Effective product segmentation allows you to allocate your budget efficiently and bid differently based on product performance, margins, and strategic importance. Without proper segmentation, you risk overspending on low-margin products while underfunding your most profitable items.
In Standard Shopping campaigns, create product groups by subdividing your “All products” group using attributes like brand, category, product type, item ID, condition, channel, and custom labels. Start by segmenting by category or product type, then further subdivide by brand or performance tier. For example, a fashion retailer might create top-level groups for “Men’s Clothing,” “Women’s Clothing,” and “Accessories,” then subdivide each by brand or price range.
Custom labels are your most powerful segmentation tool. Use them strategically to create performance-based groupings. Assign custom_label_0 for margin tiers (high, medium, low), custom_label_1 for performance tiers (best sellers, average performers, new products), custom_label_2 for seasonality (evergreen, seasonal, clearance), custom_label_3 for price ranges (premium, mid-range, value), and custom_label_4 for promotional status (on sale, full price, bundle). This labelling system lets you set higher bids for high-margin best sellers while maintaining lower bids for clearance items.
For Performance Max campaigns, segmentation happens through asset groups and listing groups. Create separate asset groups for different product categories, each with tailored creative assets and audience signals. For instance, your premium product line should have different imagery, headlines, and audience targeting compared to your value range. Listing groups within each asset group determine which products are included, functioning similarly to product groups in Standard Shopping.
Consider creating separate campaigns for different strategic priorities. A common structure includes a “Hero Products” campaign with higher budgets and aggressive bids for your top 20% of products, a “Standard” campaign for the bulk of your catalogue, and a “Catch-All” campaign with lower bids for remaining products. This tiered approach ensures your best-performing products always receive adequate budget allocation.
Step 7: Using Negative Keywords Effectively
Negative keywords are essential for Standard Shopping campaigns, as they prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant or unprofitable search queries. Unlike Search campaigns, you cannot add positive keywords to Shopping campaigns, so negative keywords are your primary tool for controlling which searches trigger your ads.
Start by reviewing your search terms report regularly, ideally weekly for new campaigns and bi-weekly for established ones. Navigate to your Shopping campaign in Google Ads, click “Insights and reports,” then “Search terms.” Look for queries that are generating clicks but no conversions, or queries that are clearly irrelevant to your products. For example, if you sell premium furniture, you might add negative keywords like “cheap,” “free,” “DIY,” “second hand,” and “used.”
Create a structured negative keyword list organised by theme. Common categories include: competitor brand names (unless you deliberately want to show for competitor searches), informational queries (“how to,” “what is,” “review,” “comparison”), price-sensitive terms (“cheap,” “budget,” “free,” “discount” — if selling premium products), irrelevant product variations (colours, sizes, or styles you do not carry), and geographic terms for locations you do not serve.
Apply negative keywords at both the campaign and ad group level. Campaign-level negatives apply to all product groups within that campaign, while ad group-level negatives offer more granular control. Use exact match negative keywords for specific terms you want to block and phrase match for broader exclusions. Be careful not to over-negate, as overly aggressive negative keyword lists can significantly reduce your impression volume and limit campaign reach.
An advanced technique involves using negative keywords to funnel high-intent searches to specific campaigns. For instance, you might create a high-priority campaign for branded searches and use negative keywords in your generic campaign to exclude brand terms. This ensures branded searches always route to the campaign with the higher budget and more aggressive bids. This “priority-based” structure was more common with Standard Shopping but remains a valid strategy for advertisers who want precise query-level control.
Step 8: Setting and Achieving ROAS Targets
Return on ad spend (ROAS) is the most critical metric for Shopping campaigns. Setting realistic targets and systematically working towards them requires a data-driven approach that balances profitability with growth.
Begin by establishing your baseline ROAS. Run your campaign on manual CPC or Maximise Clicks for two to four weeks to gather initial performance data. Calculate your actual ROAS by dividing total conversion value by total ad spend. This baseline tells you where you stand before applying any optimisation. For Singapore e-commerce businesses, a healthy baseline ROAS typically ranges from 300% to 600%, though this varies significantly by industry and product type.
Once you have your baseline, set incremental improvement targets. If your current ROAS is 350%, aim for 400% in the next month rather than jumping straight to 600%. Gradual increases allow Google’s algorithm to adapt and prevent drastic drops in traffic volume. When switching to Target ROAS bidding, set your initial target 10-20% below your current actual ROAS. This gives the algorithm room to learn and avoids immediate traffic losses that occur when targets are set too aggressively.
Improve your ROAS through a combination of feed optimisation, negative keyword refinement, and product segmentation. Products with ROAS below your target should have their bids reduced or be moved to a lower-priority campaign. Products with ROAS significantly above your target may have room for bid increases to capture more volume. Regularly review your product performance report and reallocate budget from underperformers to top performers.
Understand the inverse relationship between ROAS targets and traffic volume. A higher ROAS target means Google will bid more conservatively, showing your ads to fewer but more qualified users. A lower ROAS target means more aggressive bidding and higher visibility, but potentially lower profitability per click. The optimal balance depends on your business goals. Growth-focused businesses might accept a lower ROAS to gain market share, while profitability-focused businesses prioritise higher ROAS even at the cost of reduced volume. For expert help with ROAS optimisation, consult our Google Ads management services.
Step 9: Making Seasonal Adjustments
E-commerce performance fluctuates throughout the year, and your Shopping campaigns need to adapt accordingly. Seasonal adjustments involve modifying budgets, bids, product priorities, and creative assets to align with changing consumer behaviour and demand patterns.
In Singapore, key shopping seasons include Chinese New Year (January-February), the Great Singapore Sale (June-August), Singles’ Day (11 November), Black Friday and Cyber Monday (November), and the year-end holiday period (December). Plan your campaign adjustments at least two to three weeks before each major sales event. Increase your daily budgets by 50-100% during peak periods to capture incremental demand, and adjust your ROAS targets downward slightly to allow for increased competition and higher CPCs.
Use Google Ads’ seasonality adjustments feature (found under “Tools” then “Bid strategies” then “Advanced controls”) to inform the algorithm about expected changes in conversion rates. For example, if you know conversion rates spike by 30% during your annual sale, set a seasonality adjustment for those dates. This helps automated bidding strategies respond appropriately rather than over-correcting to sudden performance changes.
Update your product feed with seasonal information. Apply sale_price attributes for promotional periods, update custom labels to flag seasonal products, and refresh product images to reflect seasonal themes where appropriate. Ensure your Merchant Center promotions are configured to display sale badges on your Shopping ads, as these visual callouts significantly improve click-through rates during competitive sales periods.
After each seasonal peak, review performance data to refine your strategy for the following year. Document what worked and what did not, including budget levels, ROAS achieved, top-performing products, and any issues encountered. This historical data becomes invaluable for planning future campaigns and setting more accurate forecasts.
Singapore-Specific Considerations
Running Google Shopping campaigns in Singapore involves several unique considerations that differ from other markets. Understanding these nuances can give you a competitive advantage over advertisers who apply generic global strategies.
GST compliance is a critical factor. As of 2026, Singapore’s GST rate is 9%. Your product prices in Merchant Center must match your landing page prices exactly, including GST. Most Singapore retailers display GST-inclusive prices, so ensure your feed reflects this. If you sell to both local and international customers, configure your Merchant Center shipping and tax settings to handle multi-country pricing correctly. Discrepancies between your feed prices and checkout prices are the most common reason for Merchant Center account suspensions in Singapore.
Shipping configuration for Singapore should account for the country’s small geographic size. Most local deliveries can be completed within one to three business days, and consumers expect fast, affordable shipping. Free shipping thresholds are common, with SGD 50 to SGD 80 being typical for mid-range retailers. Configure your Merchant Center shipping settings to accurately reflect your delivery timescales and costs, as these appear in your Shopping ads and influence click-through rates.
The Singapore market is multilingual, with English being the primary language for online searches but significant Chinese, Malay, and Tamil-speaking populations. While most Shopping campaigns target English searches, consider creating separate product feeds with Chinese-language titles and descriptions to capture Mandarin-language searches. This strategy can uncover low-competition search queries that your competitors are missing.
Singapore consumers are highly price-conscious and frequently compare across platforms like Shopee, Lazada, and Amazon.sg. Ensure your Shopping ad prices are competitive by regularly benchmarking against marketplace prices. Google’s price competitiveness report in Merchant Center shows how your prices compare to other advertisers, helping you identify products where price adjustments could improve performance. For a comprehensive approach to your Singapore e-commerce advertising, explore our digital marketing services.
Common Errors and How to Fix Them
Even experienced advertisers encounter issues with Google Shopping campaigns. Here are the most common errors and their solutions to help you troubleshoot problems quickly.
Merchant Center account suspension is the most serious issue. Common causes include price mismatches between your feed and website, missing or incorrect contact information, violations of Google’s Shopping policies (such as prohibited products), and misrepresentation claims. To resolve suspensions, first identify the specific policy violation in your Merchant Center notifications, fix the issue across your entire product catalogue, then submit an account review. Prevention is better than cure, so implement automated price monitoring to ensure your feed always matches your website.
Product disapprovals reduce your ad coverage and overall campaign performance. The most frequent disapproval reasons are missing GTIN or MPN values, low-quality images, incomplete product data, and landing page issues. Review disapproved products in the “Products” tab of Merchant Center, filter by “Disapproved,” and address each issue systematically. For GTIN-related disapprovals, note that custom or handmade products can be exempted by setting the identifier_exists attribute to “no.”
Low impression share indicates that your products are not showing for relevant searches. This can result from low bids, poor feed quality, or limited budgets. Check your “Competitive metrics” columns in Google Ads to see your impression share, lost impression share due to rank, and lost impression share due to budget. If budget is the constraint, consider reducing your product scope or increasing your daily budget. If rank is the issue, improve your bids or feed quality.
High click costs with low conversions suggest targeting or landing page issues. Review your search terms report for irrelevant queries and add negative keywords. Check your landing page experience: does the product page load quickly, display accurately on mobile devices, and make it easy to add the product to cart? Landing page quality directly affects both your ad rank and conversion rate. Ensure your product pages include clear pricing, high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and a prominent call to action.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much budget do I need to start Google Shopping campaigns in Singapore?
We recommend starting with a minimum daily budget of SGD 30 to SGD 50 for a small product catalogue (under 100 products). This provides enough data for the algorithm to learn while keeping costs manageable. For larger catalogues or competitive industries, a daily budget of SGD 100 to SGD 200 is more appropriate. The key is to start conservatively, gather performance data for two to four weeks, then scale your budget based on actual ROAS results. You can learn more about expected costs in our guide on Google Ads costs in Singapore.
Should I use Standard Shopping or Performance Max campaigns?
If you are new to Google Shopping, start with Standard Shopping campaigns to build a foundation of data and understanding. Standard Shopping offers more transparency and control, allowing you to see exactly which search queries trigger your ads and set precise bids. Once you have at least 30 conversions per month, consider testing Performance Max alongside your Standard Shopping campaign. Many successful advertisers use both, with Standard Shopping for high-priority products and Performance Max for broader catalogue reach.
How often should I update my product feed?
At minimum, update your product feed daily to reflect current prices, availability, and product information. Most e-commerce platforms can automate this through scheduled feed fetches or API connections. Beyond automated updates, manually review your feed monthly to optimise titles, descriptions, and images. Perform a thorough feed audit quarterly, checking for disapproved products, missing attributes, and opportunities to improve data quality.
Why are my Shopping ads not showing for relevant searches?
Several factors can prevent your ads from showing. First, check that your Merchant Center account is in good standing with no policy violations. Verify that the specific products are approved (not disapproved or pending). Ensure your bids are competitive enough for the search queries you want to target. Review your budget to confirm it is not being exhausted early in the day. Finally, check that your product titles and descriptions contain relevant keywords that match the search queries you expect to trigger your ads.
How do I track the performance of individual products in my Shopping campaigns?
In Google Ads, navigate to your Shopping campaign, click “Products,” then “Shopping products” to see performance data for each product in your feed. Key metrics to monitor include impressions, clicks, click-through rate, cost, conversions, conversion value, and ROAS. You can also use the “Products” tab in Merchant Center to see click and impression data alongside product status information. For more advanced product-level analytics, integrate your Google Ads data with Google Analytics 4 to track post-click behaviour like add-to-cart rates and checkout completion.
