While most Shopify store owners pour their Google Ads budget into Shopping and Performance Max campaigns, they completely overlook one of the highest-converting campaign types available: branded search ads. These are the ads that show up when someone searches for your brand name — and if you are not running them, your competitors might be.
What’s in This Article
The immediate reaction most store owners have is: “Why would I pay for clicks on my own brand name? I already rank number one organically.” It is a fair question, but the answer is that branded search ads are not about ranking — they are about controlling the narrative, protecting your brand, and capturing every possible click from people who are already looking for you.
Branded search campaigns typically deliver 20-50x ROAS because the traffic is ultra-high intent — these are people who already know your brand and are looking for your store specifically. The cost per click is usually $0.10-$0.50 AUD for brand terms (compared to $1-$5 for generic keywords), making it one of the most efficient campaigns you can run.
Why Branded Search Ads Matter More Than You Think
There are four compelling reasons to run branded search ads, even if you rank number one organically.
Competitor conquest protection. Your competitors can (and do) bid on your brand name. When someone searches “Your Brand skincare,” a competitor’s ad can appear above your organic listing, stealing clicks from people who were specifically looking for you. Branded search ads push competitor ads down the page and ensure you occupy the top position. Even if only 5-10% of searchers click a competitor ad, that is revenue being siphoned from your brand equity.
Control your messaging. Your organic listing shows whatever Google decides to display — usually your homepage title and meta description. A branded search ad lets you control the exact headline, description, and extensions. You can promote current sales, highlight free shipping, showcase specific products, or direct traffic to a specific landing page. That messaging control is worth the cost.
Dominate the search results page. Running both a paid ad and ranking organically means you take up more real estate on the search results page. This pushes competitors and review sites further down and gives the searcher multiple opportunities to click through to your store. Studies show that running both paid and organic listings increases total clicks by 50% compared to organic alone.
Capture mobile searches efficiently. On mobile, the first search result takes up most of the visible screen. If that result is a competitor’s ad and your organic listing is below the fold, many mobile users will click the competitor without scrolling. A branded ad ensures you are the first thing mobile searchers see.
Setting Up a Branded Search Campaign
Branded search campaigns are simple to set up but need to be structured correctly to avoid wasting budget on irrelevant searches.
Create a dedicated brand campaign. Never mix branded keywords with generic keywords in the same campaign. Branded traffic behaves completely differently (much higher CTR, much higher conversion rate) and needs its own campaign to avoid skewing your data and bidding.
Use exact match and phrase match for brand terms. Add your brand name, common misspellings, and brand + product combinations as keywords. For “Aussie Glow Skincare,” your keyword list might include: [aussie glow], [aussie glow skincare], “aussie glow moisturiser,” “aussie glow reviews,” and common misspellings like [aussi glow] or [aussie gloe]. Start with exact and phrase match to maintain control — avoid broad match on brand terms as it can trigger irrelevant searches.
Write compelling ad copy. Your branded ad should reinforce trust and direct action. Headline 1: “Aussie Glow Skincare — Official Store.” Headline 2: “Free Shipping Over $80 AUD.” Headline 3: “Shop Our Best Sellers.” Description: “Australian-made natural skincare trusted by 12,000+ customers. Shop our award-winning range with free returns.” Include all relevant ad extensions: sitelinks to key pages (Best Sellers, New Arrivals, About Us, Contact), callout extensions (Free Shipping, Australian Made, 30-Day Returns), and structured snippets.
Set a modest budget. Branded search is cheap — most stores only need $5-$15 per day for branded campaigns. You are not trying to drive massive volume; you are protecting existing demand. Set a manual CPC bid or maximise clicks bidding strategy with a max CPC cap of $0.50-$1.00 AUD.
Non-Branded Search: Capturing New Customers
Beyond brand protection, Google Search ads can also capture new customers searching for your product category. Non-branded search campaigns target generic keywords like “best moisturiser for dry skin” or “organic skincare Australia” — searches where the person has not yet decided which brand to buy from.
Target high-intent commercial keywords. Focus on keywords that signal purchase readiness: “buy [product type] online,” “best [product type] Australia,” “[product type] sale,” and “[product type] free shipping.” These keywords cost more ($1-$5 CPC) but convert at 3-5% because the searcher is actively looking to buy.
Use Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) or tightly themed ad groups. Group closely related keywords together and write specific ad copy for each group. An ad group for “organic moisturiser” should have ads that mention “organic moisturiser” in the headline — not a generic ad about skincare. Relevance between keyword, ad copy, and landing page is the single biggest factor in Quality Score, which determines your ad rank and cost per click.
Send traffic to the most relevant page. Do not send non-branded search traffic to your homepage. Send “organic moisturiser” searches to your moisturiser collection page. Send “best serum for ageing skin” to the specific product page for your anti-ageing serum. The more relevant the landing page, the higher your Quality Score, the lower your CPC, and the higher your conversion rate.
Search Ads and Shopping Ads: Working Together
- Search + Shopping = maximum coverage. Running both search and shopping ads for the same keywords gives you two opportunities to appear on the results page. Shopping ads show product images and prices in the carousel, while search ads appear in the text results. Together, they capture different types of searchers — visual browsers and text readers.
- Use search ads for category and comparison terms. Shopping ads work best for specific product searches. Search ads work best for broader category terms where the searcher has not chosen a specific product yet. “Best running shoes” is better suited to a search ad leading to a curated collection, while “Nike Air Max 90 size 10” is perfect for Shopping.
- Coordinate messaging. If your Shopping ads show price, use your search ad to highlight benefits beyond price: “Free 30-Day Returns,” “Trusted by 10,000+ Runners,” “Same-Day Dispatch.” This gives the searcher complementary information across both ad formats.
Protect Your Brand, Capture New Customers
Google Search ads for Shopify stores serve two purposes: protecting the brand demand you have already built and capturing new customers who are searching for what you sell. Branded campaigns are cheap insurance with incredible ROAS. Non-branded campaigns are targeted prospecting that reaches people with genuine purchase intent. Together with Shopping and Performance Max, they create a complete Google Ads ecosystem that covers every stage of the search journey.
Inside the eCommerce Circle, Google Search strategy is part of our Promotion pillar. We help members set up branded protection campaigns, identify high-value non-branded keywords, and build the campaign structures that maximise Google Ads ROI for Australian Shopify stores. If you are only running Shopping campaigns and have not explored Search, you are leaving money on the table.
