Running successful Google Ads campaigns isn't as easy as flipping a switch and watching sales roll in.
For many Ecommerce brands, what starts with high hopes ends in wasted Ad spend, poor performance, and mounting frustration. At OutSearch, we've seen these pitfalls firsthand - and we know how to fix them.
In this article, we'll take a look at the most common reasons that Ecommerce brands struggle with Google Ads, and what you can do to turn things around.
Lack of In-House Expertise
Google Ads has become increasingly complex, with Performance Max, dynamic remarketing, audience layering, and bidding automation all playing crucial roles in success. Many Ecommerce brands try to run their Google Ads in-house to save money, relying on a generalist marketer or an overwhelmed founder. Unsurprisingly, this frequently results in underperforming campaigns that lack the strategic depth required to scale profitably.
Without a dedicated PPC expert who understands both the technical platform and Ecommerce customer behaviour, even well-intentioned campaigns can fail to gain traction and deliver growth and ROI for the business.
How to fix it: Partner with a Google Ads certified agency like OutSearch. Our team specialises in Ecommerce PPC and they live and breathes the platform every day. We know how to set up, test, and optimise Google Ads campaigns for sustainable ROAS.
The Revolving Door of Agencies
It's not uncommon for Ecommerce brands to cycle through multiple agencies within a short time span. Whether it's due to the low barrier to entry of setting yourself up as an Agency, inflated promises, poor strategies or communication, this churn leads to fragmented e-commerce data, misaligned goals, and lost momentum.
Each new agency often rebuilds campaigns from scratch, ignoring the historical performance data that could have guided smarter decisions. As a result, the ecommerce brand never truly gets off the ground.
How to fix it: Choose a partner who doesn't just 'run ads' - but deeply understands your business. At OutSearch, we invest in long-term client relationships and build continuity into your account so that data and progress isn't lost in transition.
Failure to Adapt to Platform Changes
Google Ads is not a 'set it and forget it' channel. The platform evolves constantly - from new campaign types (like Performance Max) to changing attribution models and data privacy rules. Brands that aren't staying ahead of these shifts quickly fall behind competitors who are keeping on top of the trends.
An outdated strategy that once worked a year ago may now be wasting thousands of pounds. If your campaigns still rely solely on broad keywords or standard Shopping campaigns, you're missing out on newer, more powerful formats and wasting Ad budget.
How to fix it: OutSearch stays ahead of the curve. We constantly test emerging features, adapt to algorithm changes, and proactively update our strategies to align with Google's evolution - so you're never left behind. If your Ad performance dips, we investigate immediately to fully understand the reasons why, be that campaign related or business related (e.g. popular products being out of stock) and correct course if needed.
Poor or Broken Conversion Tracking
It's impossible to optimise what you can't measure. It never ceases to amaze us how many Ecommerce brands have Google Ads accounts with broken, incomplete, or duplicate conversion tracking. This leads to inaccurate ROAS reporting, misguided decisions, and wasted spend.
Without proper tracking, automated bidding strategies (like Maximize Conversions or Target ROAS) also fail - because the algorithm is working with bad data. Good data is imperative to make good decisions from.
How to fix it: Before scaling spend, OutSearch ensures your tracking is watertight and fully tested. We audit your Google Ads, Google Tag Manager, GA4, and Ecommerce platform to ensure purchases, add-to-carts, and other critical actions are tracked precisely and in real time.
Misalignment Between Ads and Website Experience
Even the best PPC Ad in the world can't fix a slow website, clumsy messaging, poor mobile UX, or confusing checkout process. Many Ecommerce brands drive traffic to product pages that aren't optimised to convert, leading to high bounce rates and low ROAS.
Google Ads brings people to your website - but it's your site that must do the selling. The content on your landing pages is very important to align with Ads to ensure high QS (Quality Scores), which in turn will result in higher placements and lower CPCs.
Fix it: As part of our onboarding process, OutSearch reviews your landing pages and checkout flow. If there's friction in the buyer journey, we flag it and collaborate on CRO solutions - because your Ad performance depends on the full funnel.
How OutSearch Helps Ecommerce Brands Win with Google Ads
At OutSearch, we specialise in helping Ecommerce businesses break the cycle of underperformance.
We don't offer cookie-cutter or AI driven campaign setups, or one-size-fits-all strategies.
Instead, we deliver from experience with proven success factors including: deep ecommerce and business knowledge, proven google ads frameworks, real-time optimisation, transparent communication and clear performance tracking.
If you're tired of guessing, burning through agencies, or not seeing the results you expected, it's time to bring in experts who live and breathe Ecommerce PPC.
Let OutSearch help turn your Google Ads from a cost centre into a growth engine for your business.
by E-commerce Director Peter Howarth
Peter is an E-commerce Director with over 20 years of experience in business, online retail and digital marketing.
Managing development and digital marketing teams and Agencies, Peter is well versed in the key success factors in E-commerce.
Peter co-founded and grew a global e-commerce business from start-up to £25M revenue.
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