Google has launched a new advertising program called Performance Max for Marketplaces, which makes it easier for sellers on major e-commerce platforms to promote their products on Google’s advertising channels.
The key draw? Sellers no longer need a website or a Google Merchant Center account to get started.
The official Google Ads help documentation states:
“Performance Max for Marketplaces helps you reach more customers and generate more sales for your products through a marketplace. After connecting your Google Ads account to the marketplace, you can create Max Performance campaigns that send buyers to your products” .
The move recognizes the growing importance of online marketplaces like Amazon in product discovery.
For sellers who already have products in marketplaces, Google offers a way to leverage its advertising ecosystem, including Search, Shopping, YouTube, Gmail, and more.
As e-commerce marketer Mike Ryan noted on LinkedIn:
“Surveys vary, but a recent single-choice survey showed that 50% of consumers start product searches on Amazon, while a multiple-choice survey showed that 66% of consumers start on Amazon.”
The source of their data is a 2023 report from PowerReviews.
Starting
To use Performance Max for Marketplaces, sellers need an active account on a participating marketplace platform and a Google Ads account.
Google has not yet revealed which markets are included. We’ve reached out to Google for a list and will update this article when we receive it.
Once accounts are linked, marketers can launch top-performing campaigns, pulling product data directly from the marketplace catalog.
Google’s documentation says:
“You don’t need to have your own website or Google Merchant Center account.
And:
“You can use existing product data from the marketplace to create ads with product information, pricing, and images.”
Sales conversion tracking is handled by the marketplace, and sales of the advertiser’s products are attributed to their Google campaigns.
While details about Performance Max For Marketplaces are still emerging, Google provides information when asked directly.
Navah Hopkins states on LinkedIn received these additional details:
“I finally got a direct response from Google that we DO need a Merchant Center for this, we just don’t need one to begin with.”
Differences with standard performance Max
Here are the key differences from regular top performing campaigns:
No URL expansion, auto-generated assets or video assets No cross-account conversion tracking or new customer acquisition models No audience segmentation reports
Why SEJ cares
Performance Max for Marketplaces represents a new way to use Google advertising while operating on third-party platforms.
Getting products to show up in the Google ecosystem without the overhead of a standalone e-commerce presence is a significant opportunity.
How this can help you
Through the Google ecosystem, merchants have new ways to connect with customers.
Performance Max for Marketplaces is a potential difference maker for smaller retailers who have struggled to gain traction through standard Google shopping campaigns.
Established merchants who invest in Google Ads may find that the program opens up new marketing opportunities. By making an entire marketplace catalog available for ad serving, marketers could uncover previously undiscovered pockets of demand.
The success of Performance Max for Marketplaces will depend on its execution and adoption by major players such as Amazon and Walmart.
Featured image: Tada Images/Shutterstock
