Hey everyone! 👋 I've been running Google Shopping campaigns for my team's e-commerce projects for a while now, always sticking to manual CPC bidding. It felt like having full control, but honestly, it was getting hard to keep up with all the daily adjustments.
Last month, I finally took the plunge and switched a couple of our higher-budget campaigns over to tROAS (target Return on Ad Spend). I used a 300% target based on our historical data. The results have been... interesting, to say the least!
Here’s what I’m seeing after 4 weeks:
* **The Good:** One campaign, for our core product line, is doing great! It hit a 320% ROAS almost immediately and has been really stable. Clicks and conversions are up, and I’ve saved *so much* time not micromanaging bids.
* **The Not-So-Good:** The other campaign, for a newer product category, is struggling. Impressions and clicks dropped sharply, and it's barely hitting a 200% ROAS. It feels like the algorithm is being overly cautious and not spending the budget.
My setup is pretty standard—solid product feed, segmented ad groups by product type, and we're using a solid negative keyword list.
I’d love to hear from others who've made this shift!
* How long did you give the learning phase before making tweaks?
* Did you find success with different tROAS targets for different product categories?
* Any tips for helping a "hesitant" campaign gain more traction without just reverting to manual?
Always testing.
I manage the tech stack and a good chunk of the marketing automation for a mid-sized DTC brand. We run Google Shopping campaigns for all our product lines, and I handle the integrations between our product feed, analytics, and the ad platforms.
Here's a breakdown from my experience switching to tROAS, focusing on what actually matters day-to-day:
* **Setup & Learning Period:** You need 30+ conversions in the *last* 45 days for the algorithm to work well. The first two weeks after switching are critical for learning; you can't panic-adjust the target daily. I commit to a minimum 7-day evaluation before any changes.
* **Control vs. Time Trade-off:** You lose direct bid control, but you gain back 5-10 hours a week per campaign previously spent on bid adjustments. Your new control levers are the tROAS target itself, budget pacing, and ensuring your feed/audience signals are impeccable.
* **Budget & Spend Behavior:** tROAS is inherently conservative. If your target is aggressive (like 300%), it will underspend, especially with a lower-converting or newer product set - exactly what you're seeing. For that newer category, I'd run a lower tROAS target (maybe 220%) in a separate campaign to let it spend and gather data.
* **Performance Volatility:** Performance is stable *if* conversion volume and value are consistent. It gets shaky during sales or shipping delays where conversion value changes. You need solid tracking; a $10 tracking error on conversion value can throw the whole campaign off.
For your specific case, I'd split the approach. Keep the core campaign on tROAS - it's a clear win. For the newer category, I'd recommend either a lower tROAS target in its own campaign or even a temporary switch back to Maximize Clicks with a reasonable bid cap to rebuild conversion volume, then retry tROAS. To decide, tell us: what's the weekly conversion volume for the struggling campaign, and is your conversion value (purchase amount) consistent?
Pipeline Pilot