Google Ads campaign for an e-commerce shop and process

This is a fictional example of a campaign plan based on typical processes for companies of this type and size.

Many online shops waste a large portion of their advertising budget on clicks that never convert. This example shows the campaign plan and concrete process Karina Vester Schultz at Vester Marketing developed for a Danish online shop selling handmade ceramics and home décor, and what it delivered in four months.

The starting point for the Ads campaign

Online shop with handmade ceramics and home décor. Owner had self-managed Google Ads at approximately DKK 4,000/month for six months with sporadic results:

• ROAS of approximately 1.4: for every 1 DKK spent, 1.40 DKK in revenue was generated.
• CPA of approximately DKK 320 vs. average order value of DKK 480
• One broad campaign with all categories mixed
• No negative keywords or ads shown for ‘ceramics recipe’, ‘ceramics course’, etc.
• Conversion tracking not correctly implemented
• Landing pages: broad category pages with 40+ products

The campaign plan

A written campaign plan was drafted and reviewed with the client before any changes were made to the existing account. The plan outlined four phases, including specific deliverables, a timeline, and expected KPIs.

Phase 1: Conversion tracking and account audit (weeks 1–2)

Implement correct Google Ads conversion tracking via Google Tag Manager. Conduct full account audit. Existing budget unchanged during this phase.

Phase 2: New campaign structure and negative keywords (weeks 3–6)

Replace broad campaign with three segmented campaigns: bestselling high-margin products, seasonal categories and brand. Build keyword list with purchase intent and minimum 80 negative keywords. Reduce budget to DKK 2,500/month during testing.

Phase 3: Ad copy and landing page optimisation (weeks 3–8)

Rewrite ad copy with concrete product benefits and clear CTA. Create product-specific landing pages for the bestseller campaign.

Phase 4: Scaling and Performance Max test (weeks 7–16)

Scale budget to DKK 4,000/month once positive ROAS is confirmed. Test Performance Max campaign. Ongoing optimisation based on search query reports.

Execution: What was done?

How the various phases were carried out.

Weeks 1–2: Tracking and Audit

Proper conversion tracking implemented via Google Tag Manager. A full account audit was conducted, revealing that two product categories accounted for over 70% of conversions but received less than 30% of the budget.

Weeks 3–6: New structure launched

Three segmented campaigns launched with a reduced test budget. Over 80 negative keywords added. Budget allocation adjusted based on actual conversion data.

Weeks 7–16: Scaling

Budget scaled to 4,000 DKK/month. Performance Max campaign tested; it delivered a lower ROAS than the search campaigns and was scaled back after six weeks.

Results after 4 months

The figures are based on other projects I have worked on throughout my career.

ROAS: From 1.4 to 2.8 (+100 %)

CPA: From DKK 320 to approximately DKK 198 (-38 %)

CTR on primary campaigns: From 2.1 % to 4.6 %

Budget on irrelevant clicks: From an estimated 25 % to under 10 %

Landing page conversion rate: From 0.9 % to 1.7 %

Monthly sales from Google Ads: +75 % with the same total budget

Lessons learned from the campaign

After a campaign, it is always important to analyze and measure the results.

What worked best

Proper conversion tracking was the most transformative first step, and without it, meaningful optimization was impossible. Negative keywords had an immediate impact on the budget. For e-commerce, the combination of segmented campaigns, proper tracking, and product-specific landing pages is the most effective path to positive ROAS.

What would be done differently

Performance Max was launched too early and before there was sufficient conversion history. Moving forward, Performance Max will be introduced only after a minimum of 3 months of stable tracking.

Next steps

With a well-functioning Google Ads setup, the next natural step is a parallel SEO campaign that gradually reduces reliance on paid traffic and lowers the total cost per customer acquisition.

See how you can use Vester Marketing for your SEA campaign

Are you considering Google Ads for your online store? Vester Marketing offers a no-obligation review of your existing account.