When a customer searches for “men's casual sneakers” and sees a photo, price, and store name before even clicking, the purchase decision starts there. Google Shopping is the most converting ad format for e-commerce — 30% higher CTR than text ads and up to 45% higher conversion rate.
How Google Shopping Works in 2026
Unlike traditional search ads (where you choose keywords), Google Shopping is based on product feeds. You upload your catalog to Google Merchant Center, and Google decides when to show each product based on the user's query.
Available formats:
- Standard Shopping Ads: Photo + title + price + store. Appears in the Shopping tab and search results
- Performance Max with Shopping: Your products appear on Search, Shopping, YouTube, Gmail, and Discover
- Local Inventory Ads: For physical stores — shows the product with “available at a store near you”
Google Merchant Center Checklist
- Create your account in Google Merchant Center and link it to Google Ads
- Upload the product feed: It can be automatic (Shopify, WooCommerce, Nuvemshop) or a manual spreadsheet
- Required fields: ID, title, description, link, image, price, availability, GTIN/EAN (when applicable)
- Optimize titles: Include brand + category + key attribute. E.g., “Nike Revolution 7 Men's Black Sneakers — Running and Gym”
- Images: White background, minimum 800×800, no watermark or text
- Approval: Google reviews each product — common errors: price discrepancies, image with text, incorrect availability
Performance Max: The Campaign Dominating 2026
Performance Max is the evolution of Smart Shopping. It places your products on ALL Google channels (Search, Shopping, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, Maps) with automatic optimization. In 2026, it completely replaced Smart Shopping campaigns.
How to Set Up:
- Set target ROAS (start with 200-300%, adjust based on results)
- Provide creative assets (images, videos, logo, texts)
- Set up remarketing audiences (buyers, visitors, cart abandoners)
- Let it run for 2-3 weeks before optimizing
Google Shopping managed by Google Partner Premier →
How much to invest: minimum budget of R$ 3,000/month for Performance Max with measurable results. For traditional Shopping Ads, R$ 1,500/month already allows valid testing.
Request a free audit of your Google Shopping →
Agency Kaizen — Google Partner Premier. Shopping campaigns managed by certified specialists.