Every Google Ads Shopping and Smart shopping campaign that is managed by a Search Ads 360 bid strategy with Google Ads auction-time bidding enabled uses the same conversions for optimization because auction-time bidding performs best when each shopping campaign uses the same conversions.
To set the same conversion source for shopping campaigns that are managed by a Search Ads 360 bid strategy, you are required to share Floodlight and all other conversion data under the sub-manager account with Google Ads.
Search Ads 360 conversions are included in Google Ads conversion columns
When sharing is enabled for shopping campaigns, Search Ads 360 conversions will be included in the "Conversions" (the Google Ads Conversions column is named "Client conversions" in Search Ads 360) and "All conversions" columns for each shopping campaign in Google Ads. That is, all conversions reported in the Search Ads 360 Conversions column will also be reported in Google Ads conversions columns for each shopping campaign.
In a search campaign, you can override the sub-manager-account level reported conversions by selecting one or more conversions in the search campaign. In a shopping campaign, if you report the shared Search Ads 360 conversions to the Client conversions column, you can't override the sub-manager account-level reported conversions.
If you report the conversions in Google Ads conversions columns, Search Ads 360 will update the "All conversions" and "Conversions" columns in all Shopping campaigns (including those already in Google Ads conversion-based bid strategies. In search campaigns, the conversions are reported in the Google Ads conversions column only if the Google Ads campaigns aren't managed by a Google Ads conversion-based bid strategy).
The Client conversions columns contain both the previously reported on conversions in Google Ads and the Search Ads 360 conversions.
Report conversion setting is required for auction-time bidding
By default, the "Conversion reporting for Shopping campaigns" setting is turned off. When "Conversion reporting for Shopping campaigns" is off, the conversion sources of Google Ads Shopping campaigns in your Search Ads 360 sub-manager account will not be changed, even though the Search Ads 360 sub-manager account conversions are shared. In addition, Shopping campaigns will not be eligible to use Google Ads auction-time bidding, even if the Shopping campaigns are included in Search Ads 360 bid strategies.
When the "Conversion reporting for Shopping campaigns" setting is turned on, all Google Ads Shopping campaigns managed by the Search Ads 360 sub-manager account will have their Google Ads conversion source updated to match the Search Ads 360 shared conversions. After enabling, we recommend checking ROAS targets in Google Ads bid strategies to make sure they are aligned with the Search Ads 360 conversions.
After you enable "Conversion reporting for Shopping campaigns" for best initial performance, we recommend waiting one week before adding Shopping campaigns to a Search Ads 360 Target ROAS bid strategy.
If "Conversion reporting for Shopping campaigns" is turned off after being turned on, any Shopping campaigns in Search Ads 360 bid strategies will use intraday bidding. We recommend that you always check the conversion source of Shopping campaigns if you turn off the "Conversion reporting for Shopping campaigns" setting.
While Google Ads Shopping and Smart Shopping campaigns must use the same conversions to use Google Ads auction-time bidding, the campaigns can (optionally) use the report conversions and online sales or store visits conversions.
If you choose this option, the reported conversions and the online sales and store visit goal will appear as a separate goal from the reported conversions in Search Ads 360. In addition, a separate conversion action set will appear in Google Ads.
Note that the Google Ads "New customer acquisition" is supported by Search Ads 360.
Instructions
How to enable conversion-data sharing and use Google Ads auction-time bidding in Shopping campaigns
- Sign in to your new Search Ads 360.
- Navigate to a sub-manager account.
- From the page menu, under “Tools and settings”, click Conversions.
- Click Settings.
- Click Share conversions to expand the section, and select the checkboxes.
- Click Turn on to confirm that you want to:
- Share all Google Ads-related conversion data in the sub-manager account with linked Google Ads accounts.
- Enable Google Ads auction-time bidding in the Search Ads 360 sub-manager account.
- Click Save.
- Select the checkbox to report the Search Ads 360 conversions for all Shopping campaigns in the Client Conversions column for all shopping campaigns in the sub-manager account.
- Click Save.