Why add Google when Meta is working?
Meta creates demand. People see a Reel, don't buy, and later search your brand name or the product category. If you aren't on that results page, a competitor or a reseller is. Branded Search and Shopping catch that demand for the cost of a click.
The second reason is reach. Google says Demand Gen can reach up to 3 billion monthly users across YouTube (including Shorts), Discover, Gmail, Maps and its display network [1], and you can run the same vertical video you run on Reels there. In Google's own data from Nov to Dec 2023, Demand Gen campaigns that added a product feed got 33% more conversions at a similar CPA [2].
The third reason is CAC. A brand that depends on one channel has no lever when that channel gets expensive. Two channels with separate auctions give you somewhere to move budget.
Which campaigns should a DTC brand run, and in what order?
| Order | Campaign | What it does | Judge it on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Branded Search | Shows your own ad when people search your brand, so competitors and resellers can't take the click. | Cost per order vs. blended CAC |
| 2 | Shopping or feed-based PMax | Shows products, prices and images to people searching the category. | ROAS above breakeven |
| 3 | Non-brand Search | Bids on problem and category searches your feed doesn't match well. | CAC on new customers |
| 4 | Demand Gen | Runs your proven Meta video and stills on YouTube, Shorts, Discover and Gmail. | New-customer CAC over 2 to 3 weeks |
| 5 | YouTube video campaigns | Reach at scale once Demand Gen proves the creative. | Lift in branded search and blended CAC |
Our guide to running Meta ads on Google covers step 4 in detail: which cuts go to Shorts and in-stream, and what doesn't transfer.
Why does the product feed matter so much?
In Shopping and feed-based Performance Max you don't choose keywords. Google uses your product title to match products to searches, allows up to 150 characters, and notes that people usually see only the first 70 or fewer [4]. A title like "The Original" matches almost nothing. "Women's Merino Wool Crew Socks, Cushioned, 3-Pack" matches what people type.
- Put the most important details first: product type, main attribute, then the variant (color, size, pack) [4].
- Leave promotional text out of titles. Google asks you not to add phrases like "free shipping" or use all caps [5].
- Keep price and availability in the feed identical to the product page, or items get disapproved.
- Fix titles with a supplemental feed so your store's own feed stays untouched.
How should a DTC brand set up conversion tracking?
Google's bidding learns from the conversions you send it. If it sees half your orders, it bids for the wrong people. Meta's pixel and Conversions API don't report to Google, so you need a Google purchase conversion of your own.
- 01One primary purchase conversion
Use a single purchase action as the primary goal. Add-to-cart and page views can be secondary, but they shouldn't drive bidding.
- 02Send the order value
Pass the value of each order so you can move to Maximize conversion value or a target ROAS later.
- 03Add first-party data
Enhanced conversions send hashed first-party data, such as the customer's email, with each conversion so Google can match more orders [6].
- 04Check before you spend
Place a test order and confirm it appears in Google Ads before you raise budgets.
How do you keep CAC in check on Google?
Work out your breakeven ROAS before you set targets. If your gross margin after product cost, shipping and fees is 60%, breakeven ROAS is 1 divided by 0.60, about 1.67. Below that, each first order loses money.
| Gross margin | Breakeven ROAS | Max CAC on a $60 order |
|---|---|---|
| 40% | 2.50 | $24 |
| 50% | 2.00 | $30 |
| 60% | 1.67 | $36 |
| 70% | 1.43 | $42 |
Report branded and non-brand campaigns separately. Branded Search usually shows the best ROAS because those buyers already know you, and blending it in hides whether the rest of the account finds new customers.
Selling supplements, skincare or anything health-related? Google's rules for these products are stricter than Meta's. Read the category guide before you launch: supplements, skincare, pet supplements, telehealth or peptides.
How RunAds handles this
RunAds is an AI agent that does this work in your own Google Ads account. Mission Control reads your store, plans the launch (feed-only Performance Max, Demand Gen and a Shopping test), writes the ads, makes images from your product photos, and waits for your approval before anything goes live. Feed Doctor rewrites weak product titles through a supplemental feed and leaves your store's feed untouched. The Shopping launcher and Demand Gen wizard cover the rest of the plan above.
For tracking, RunAds installs on Shopify, records orders, and sends conversions from Google ad clicks back to Google Ads. You can also connect Meta and see its spend and results beside Google. 1,500+ businesses have signed up. You start with 500 free credits, which cover your first $100 of Google ad spend; see pricing or the ecommerce product page.
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