Smart Shopping is a Google ad format that combines the best of both standard Google Shopping ads and Google Display Remarketing ads, giving you a chance to pull assets from your product feed and serve them up in different combinations across Google's networks.
It works like this: Google will pull assets -- including images, headlines, logos, descriptions, and videos -- from your product feed and test them in a variety of different combinations as it serves ads across the Google Search Network, the Google Display Network, YouTube, and Gmail. Google automates both ad placement and bidding.
You can learn more about Smart Shopping campaigns from Google's support site here [external link].
Marin Support
Marin currently supports syncing and reporting of Google Smart Shopping campaigns, ad groups, product groups, and ads. We plan to support additional features (including creating, editing, and URL Builder support) in future updates.
Identifying Smart Shopping Objects In Marin
You can filter for your Smart Shopping objects in several ways.
- From the Campaigns tab, filter the Subtype column for "Smart Shopping"
- From the Ads tab, filter the Creative Type column for "Smart Shopping"
Getting Started
Because Smart Shopping ads run on several different Google networks and combine various ad technologies, Google recommends you do the following prior to launching Smart Shopping campaigns:
- Set up conversion tracking
- Add a global site tag to your website
- Have a remarketing list of at least 100 active users
- Set up and link your Google Ads and Merchant Center accounts to one another
- Set up your product feed
- Familiarize yourself with Shopping ad policies
If you'd like to learn more about Google's Getting Started recommendations, check out their support article here.
Important Notes
- Due to a Google API limitation, Marin does not show an ad preview featuring the ad's long headline and short headline. We're hoping to add this functionality at a later date, pending API availability.
- Google currently has a limitation of up to 100 Smart Shopping campaigns per Google Ads account.
- In Marin, the Group Type column does not exist.
- Smart Shopping campaigns rely on a remarketing audience. According to Google, for your Smart Shopping campaign to remain active, your remarketing audience must:
- Be continually adding new people
- And have at least 100 active users associated with your account
