Do Google Ads work for home, garden, and lifestyle brands?

Ah, the age-old question that keeps many a marketer up at night: Do Google Ads actually work? Well, grab your favourite mug, fill it with your beverage of choice, and let’s dive into this hot topic – specifically for our friends in the home, garden, and lifestyle sectors.

Let’s cut to the chase: Yes, Google Ads do work for home, garden, and lifestyle brands. But don’t just take our word for it. Let’s unpack why, and more importantly, how to make them work even better for you.

Google – Is it still relevant?

First things first, let’s address the elephant (or should we say, gorilla?) in the room. With all the buzz around TikTok and other platforms, is Google still relevant?

Spoiler alert: Absolutely.

While TikTok might be the cool kid on the block, Google remains the go-to for people with actual buying intent.

Think about it: when was the last time you went to TikTok to search for a new lawnmower or the perfect throw pillow for your couch? Probably never.

Google, on the other hand, is still the search engine, commanding a whopping 85% market share in the UK.

It’s where people go when they have questions, and more importantly, when they’re ready to whip out their wallets.

Budgets and ROI

Now, let’s talk pounds and pence. One of the burning questions we often get is, “How much do I need to spend to see results?”

Here’s our slightly controversial take: If you can’t commit to at least £100 a day (that’s about £3,000 a month), you might want to hold off.

Why? Two reasons:

Below this threshold, you’re unlikely to see meaningful returns.

If you’re working with an agency, you don’t want your management fees to eat up most of your budget, leaving pennies for actual ad spend.

But don’t let that number scare you. It’s all about running the math. Consider your average cost-per-click, how many clicks you need for a conversion, and what that conversion is worth to you.

A little reverse engineering goes a long way!

Campaign types: what should I be running?

When it comes to campaign types, it’s not one-size-fits-all. For our ecommerce clients, Performance Max and Shopping campaigns often take the spotlight. For service-based or lead-gen clients, good ol’ Search campaigns still reign supreme.

Speaking of Performance Max, it’s a bit like that brilliant but slightly eccentric friend we all have. Incredibly powerful? Yes. A bit of a handful sometimes? Also yes.

It’s a data hog with a ravenous appetite for conversions. Use it wisely, feed it the right data, and it can outperform all other campaign types.

But beware: if you don’t know what you’re doing, it can go off the rails faster than a runaway train.

Bid strategies and common pitfalls

When it comes to bid strategies, we’re fans of “horses for courses.” Max Conversion Value for some, Target ROAS for others.

It all depends on your goals and where you are in your campaign lifecycle.

But let’s talk about what keeps us up at night: the common mistakes we see. Drumroll, please…

Conversion tracking gone wild: Almost every time we look at a new account, conversion tracking is… let’s just say, “creative.” Make sure you’re tracking the right things, the right way.

Retargeting neglect: 95-98% of people who click your ad will leave without converting. Retargeting is your secret weapon to stay top-of-mind. But so many brands either don’t do it or do it poorly. Don’t be one of them!

So, do Google Ads work for home, garden, and lifestyle brands?

You bet they do! But like any powerful tool, they need to be wielded with skill, knowledge, and a dash of creativity.

Remember:

• Google is still king of intent-based search.
• Budget wisely and do the math.
• Choose the right campaign types and bid strategies for your goals.
• Track conversions like your business depends on it (because it does).
• Don’t forget retargeting – it’s your second chance at a first impression.

There you have it, folks! We’ve only scratched the surface of this vast topic, but we hope this has given you a taste of what’s possible.

Now, if you’ll excuse us, our tea’s gone cold and it’s time for a top-up.

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