Are Google Demand Gen campaigns worth testing for eCommerce advertisers? Why is my GA4 audience so much smaller when I import it into Google Ads

Another week, another trio of great questions from our patients. And we're happy to help! Got questions for the PPC doctors? Share them here.

Q: I'm an eCommerce retailer. Should I try out Google Demand Gen campaigns? I worry that it's just another revenue stream for Google, and I won't actually see results.

A: Your skepticism is understandable. Google Demand Gen campaigns can feel like just another way for Google to generate revenue. However, they offer unique opportunities that might be worth exploring for your eCommerce business.

Google Demand Gen campaigns are designed to create demand for your products by reaching potential customers across YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and the Google Display Network. Unlike traditional search campaigns that capture existing demand, these campaigns should generate new interest.

Here are some of the pros of Demand Gen campaigns:

Audience Reach: Demand Gen campaigns target a broad audience across multiple Google platforms. This means you can reach potential customers who aren't actively searching for your products but are likely to be interested based on their browsing behavior and interests.

Creative Flexibility: You can use engaging ad formats, such as video and rich media, which capture attention and drive higher engagement rates compared to standard text ads.

Incremental Growth: While traditional search campaigns capture existing demand, Demand Gen campaigns build brand awareness and create new demand, potentially leading to incremental sales growth.

Cost-Effectiveness: CPCs on these platforms are often lower than on the search network, allowing you to reach a larger audience with the same budget.

Here are some tips for launching your first Demand Gen campaign:

Budget Considerations: Success with Demand Gen often requires a substantial budget for testing and optimization. It's recommended to start with at least $2K-$3K to see meaningful results.

Content Strategy: Top-of-funnel, engaging, and educational content tends to perform better than direct "buy now" messages.

Prioritizing Campaigns: It's best to focus on Demand Gen campaigns after you've already maximized the potential of your Shopping, Search, and other Google campaigns and are looking for new ways to drive incremental revenue.

Industry-Specific Results: Certain industries like sports, hobby, and apparel see better results than others due to the visual and interactive nature of rich media ads, which resonate well with audiences interested in visually appealing and lifestyle-related products.

Start with a test: Before diving in, we recommend running a small-scale test. Set a clear budget, define your target audience, and create compelling ad creatives. Monitor the results closely and compare the performance against your existing campaigns.

Measuring results: When comparing the test Demand Gen campaign to other campaigns, keep in mind that Demand Gen campaigns are intended to drive brand awareness and incremental revenue. You shouldn't expect these campaigns to have the same ROI as search campaigns, where you're targeting searchers with a clear interest in your offerings. You know how retargeting campaigns always look like they're performing better than prospecting campaigns on paper, but in reality you must build your funnel with prospecting to even have users to retarget in the first place? Demand Gen campaigns are like prospecting campaigns, but their targeting is even more broad than traditional search prospecting campaigns. So keep that in mind when comparing results. It's up to you to determine if the incremental sales and brand exposure are worth the money for your business. Happy testing!

Q: GA4 says my audience has 40,000 users. I imported the audience into Google Ads, where it says there are only 3,000 users in the audience. Why is there such a big difference?

A: Ah yes, almost all of our patients see discrepancies between GA4 and Google Ads audience sizes. This can be attributed to several factors:

Data Collection Differences: GA4 tracks all users visiting your site, but Google Ads only tracks users who are signed into their Google accounts and have consented to ad personalization.

Audience Eligibility: Google Ads has stricter rules about audience eligibility. Users must meet specific criteria to be included in remarketing lists, which might exclude some users from GA4 data. For example, users need to have engaged with your site in a way that makes them eligible for remarketing, such as visiting a specific page or completing a particular action.

Matching Rates: The match rate between GA4 users and Google Ads can vary. Not all GA4 users will be found in Google Ads due to differences in how user data is matched and stored.

Time Lag: Imported audiences can take some time to fully populate in Google Ads. If you've recently imported the audience, it might still be processing.

Cookie Consent: Especially in regions with stringent privacy regulations, users must consent to tracking for personalized ads. Any users who don't consent won't be included in the Google Ads audience.

To avoid the consequences of this data privacy based audience shrinkage, collect more first party data and use that data for ad targeting. You can read our article about cookie depreciation to understand the difference between first-part and third-party data. Good luck!

Q: I own a restaurant in a city that attracts lots of tourists. Our restaurant is quite aesthetically pleasing, right on the water, and I want to start running ads on Meta that showcase photos of our gorgeous restaurant. How can I target users that aren't currently in our city but are planning to travel here soon?

A: Running ads on Facebook and Instagram to attract tourists planning to visit your city is a great idea! Here's how to target users who are planning to travel to your city:

Target by Travel Intent: Use the location targeting feature to target users who have shown an interest in or are planning to travel to your city. In the ad set settings, select "People traveling to this location."

Behavioral Targeting: Under the detailed targeting section, select behaviors that indicate travel intent, such as "Frequent Travelers," "Currently Traveling," or "Upcoming Travel."

Interest Targeting: Target users interested in travel-related activities, pages, or groups related to tourism in your city. This can include interests like "Travel," "Tourism," "Travel Planning," and specific tourist attractions in your city.

Custom Audiences: Create custom audiences using data from your website, such as visitors to your "Contact Us" or "Location" page, as these users might be planning a visit.

Lookalike Audiences: Use lookalike audiences based on your current customers or website visitors to find users with similar profiles who might be interested in visiting your restaurant.

Seasonal and Event-Based Targeting: Align your ads with local events, festivals, or tourist seasons. This helps attract visitors who are planning trips around these times.

Your restaurant sounds lovely. Perhaps I'll plan a visit. I could use a vacation!

We're here every other Monday to answer all your important paid media questions. Ask us anything here. We'll email you the answer ASAP, and only share your question in the next edition if it's okay with you. Happy bidding!

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