So, what does this mean for your ad strategy? Let’s dive into how this change can work to your advantage — and why now is the time to start exploring Standard Shopping once again, diversifying your ad mix.
Why Reintroduce Standard Shopping?
Standard Shopping has often taken a back seat since Performance Max came on the scene, but with Google’s latest update, Standard Shopping campaigns are strategically making a comeback. Surprised? We were, too - Google’s emphasis on Performance Max since it was launched felt like Standard Shopping was on the path to being sunset.
However, Google’s decision to allow ad rank to determine prioritization—rather than automatically favoring Performance Max—reflects its recognition of evolving advertiser needs. This shift is about giving brands greater flexibility and addressing some key challenges associated with an exclusively Performance Max-driven strategy.
Here’s why they’re worth reconsidering:
- Increased Control Over Visibility: Performance Max is still a powerhouse, but Standard Shopping allows you to strategically promote specific products that may not perform well or get visibility in Performance Max. This gives brands more control over what’s visible and can help drive up visibility on products that need a boost.
At the same time, this change reflects Google’s response to advertiser feedback. Many marketers felt constrained by Performance Max’s “black-box” nature, where automation controlled product visibility with limited transparency. Reintroducing Standard Shopping enables advertisers to strike a better balance between automation and strategic control.
- Improved Ad Relevance with Ad Rank Priority: By shifting to ad rank, Google enables campaigns with the highest quality and relevance to take the lead, regardless of campaign type. This change empowers marketers to use Standard Shopping to fine-tune product reach and match ads with more qualified, high-intent traffic.
For advertisers, this is a game-changer. Higher ad relevance improves overall campaign performance by driving more qualified traffic, reducing wasted spend, and boosting the likelihood of conversions. By prioritizing ad rank, Google is rewarding advertisers who focus on quality—through better targeting, creative, and bid strategies.
At Code3, we’ve already started reintroducing Standard Shopping campaigns into our media mix and are seeing exciting results. On average, CPCs have fallen between 7%–20%, these lower costs allow brands to stretch their budgets further while maintaining or improving overall ad performance.
This shift isn’t just about making ads compete—it’s about empowering advertisers to optimize campaigns for maximum relevance and efficiency.
Enhanced Flexibility in Campaign Budgeting and Testing: With the ability to set specific budgets and bid strategies for Standard Shopping, you now have more room to test product categories and drive visibility on lower-performing items without compromising top performers already in Performance Max. For instance:
Bidding Strategies: Standard Shopping supports manual CPC or specific automated bidding strategies like Target ROAS, giving you the ability to adjust bids at the product or product group level. Performance Max optimizes bids across the entire campaign, making it harder to isolate and prioritize individual products.
Budget Allocation: With Standard Shopping, you can allocate budgets to specific campaigns or product groups, ensuring that underperforming or niche items receive dedicated attention. Performance Max automatically redistributes budgets based on overall performance, which can leave certain products behind.
How to Maximize the Benefits of Standard Shopping in Your Campaign Mix
Reintroducing Standard Shopping into your mix isn’t just about adding more campaigns—it’s about refining how you reach the right audience with the right product at the right time. Here are some ways to make it work for you.
1. Prioritize Inventory Based on Performance
Performance Max is ideal for high-performing products that already attract quality traffic, since it relies on its algorithm to decide which products to prioritize, using machine learning to maximize overall campaign performance. While this automation is powerful, it can sometimes result in "zombie" products—items that are overlooked or underutilized because they don’t initially meet the campaign’s performance benchmarks but Standard Shopping shines in bringing attention to products with low performance or untapped potential. With this new structure, use Performance Max for bestsellers and rely on Standard Shopping to boost lower-priority or seasonal products. By segmenting campaigns based on product performance, you gain greater control over inventory management and can strategically allocate budget where it’s most needed.
2. Gain More Insights with A/B Testing
Standard Shopping campaigns provide a valuable testing ground to experiment with different audiences, bidding strategies, and ad groups. By running Standard Shopping alongside Performance Max, you can compare performance across audiences, review which campaigns drive the highest return on ad spend (ROAS), and identify where specific product ads gain traction.
One of the biggest advantages of Standard Shopping is the ability to take a more granular approach to audience targeting. While Performance Max casts a wide net by utilizing Google’s machine learning and vast network, Standard Shopping allows you to implement more specific targeting, giving you the flexibility to fine-tune how and who you reach. Here’s how:
- Customer Lists and Remarketing: Standard Shopping allows you to use remarketing lists to target users who have previously interacted with your site but haven’t converted. For example, if a shopper added an item to their cart but didn't purchase, you can specifically target them with tailored ads to nudge them toward completing the transaction. This ensures that you're showing the right products to the right users at the right time.
- Location and Device Targeting: With Standard Shopping, you can target users based on their location or device type. If you sell products that are more popular in certain regions or perform better on mobile devices, you can adjust your targeting accordingly. For example, you can create different campaigns for desktop and mobile devices or even target specific regions where certain products are more popular.
3. Optimize for Full-Funnel Performance
Combining Standard Shopping and Performance Max lets you create a full-funnel strategy that drives awareness and conversions through a balanced approach. Performance Max can cover the broader spectrum, bringing in higher-volume traffic, while Standard Shopping zeroes in on shoppers closer to the point of purchase. The dual-campaign setup ensures that products are aligned to the right part of the funnel, boosting the likelihood of conversion at every stage.
What This Means for Your Brand
For brands, this update from Google means there’s no longer a one-size-fits-all approach to shopping campaigns. Reintroducing Standard Shopping allows for greater control, customization, and data-driven insights that benefit overall campaign performance. Here’s the takeaway:
- Experiment with Product Visibility: Use Standard Shopping to increase visibility on low-performing or niche products without sacrificing the reach of high-performing items.
- Optimize for ROI: With ad rank determining visibility, you can now focus more on quality traffic, targeting potential customers more likely to convert.
In this new setup, you’re no longer locked into relying solely on one campaign type. By reintroducing Standard Shopping, you gain greater control, flexibility, and the opportunity to optimize for every stage of the buyer’s journey. It’s time to rethink your campaign mix and leverage the strengths of both to maximize your advertising potential on Google.