Fur parents will spend almost anything just to make sure that their pets are healthy and well-tended to. That’s why there is a never ending stream of new pet brands and products emerging.
Many of these brands are using Google Ads to advertise, resulting in a very competitive marketplace.
In this article, we’ll have a closer look at the different places in the Google network where you can advertise your pet products. We’ll also take a look at the unique challenges of the pet industry when using Google Ads.
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How Does Google Ads Work For Pet Products?
When you choose to promote your pet products using Google Ads, you’ll be able to advertise them on the following platforms:
- Google search results
- Google Shopping tab
- Other third party websites
- YouTube
Each platform has its own way of delivering your ads, but they all share the same mechanic: you pay Google every time someone clicks on your ads.
Interesting Campaign Types for Pet Products
Google offers various campaign types for pet products. You can choose to run traditional search ads or you can also up your game by targeting potential customers in YouTube, and other third party websites.
Google Search Ads for Pet Products
This is the most common type of ad in Google. Also known as Text Ads, Google Search Ads are ads that appear on the results page whenever someone searches for a product on the Google search engine.
Here’s an example of a Search Ad for a pet product:
Google Search Ads can be the ideal campaign type for well-established pet businesses or brands because most people tend to include brand names when searching online.
Considering this, you may gain higher conversion rates if your business is already popular since people will be specifically searching for your products or brand.
Google Shopping Ads for Pet Products
Another place you can advertise your pet products is through Google Shopping. This is the ad type that’s most prominent on the page whenever a commercial term is searched for.
Here’s what Shopping Ads look like for pet products:
A great advantage of Shopping Ads is that they are fairly simple to set up. Unlike text ads, which make use of keywords, Shopping Ads utilize your product data to decide which search queries the ads will appear for.
Just upload the details of your pet products to Google through a product feed, and the system will automatically create the ads for you.
In order to maximize this campaign, plan out your bidding strategy thoroughly, as you will be charged every time someone clicks on your Shopping ads.
Display Ads for Pet Products
An effective way of making your pet products known to your target market is by showing your ads on popular websites. Display Ads make it easy to achieve this goal.
Since many websites today are part of the Google Display Network, you will have no problem getting visibility for your products.
Here is an example of a Display Ad for pet products.
Google has a web crawling technology that collects user data. Use this technology to your own benefit by showing ads that are related to your potential customers’ search queries.
YouTube Ads for Pet Products
YouTube Ads give you the ability to show video instead of static images.
Because people are so hooked on their pets, showing a video allows you to tap into those emotions.
Here is an example of a YouTube ad for a pet business:
If you have the right content and marketing approach for your pet products, YouTube Ads could be your most powerful and effective advertising platform.
5 Unique Challenges That The Pet Brands Faces With Google Ads
Now that we know what Google Ads can do for your pet business, let’s explore the unique challenges of the pet industry.
Competition from big retailers
Due to the increasing demand for pet food and supplies, the competition has also surged in response.
A few companies have emerged as category leaders within the space, Petco, Chewy, and you’ll see them in almost every search result.
So if you’re going to go head to head with companies with deep pockets, you have to be willing to spend or take on a radically different approach!
Pet food is hard to sample
Pet food ranges widely in quality. And pet owners are REALLY picky about what they feed their animals.
That means a website has to work hard to explain exactly what the product contains.
Especially if it’s a new brand, customers have to be willing to take a leap of faith. Then they run the risk that their dog simply refuses to eat the new thing 🙂
One solid way to build up your reputation across all your marketing channels is through customer reviews, media publications, and product endorsements.
Growing demand for healthier food options
Related to the above challenge, customers are getting more conscious about healthier or more sustainable options.
Changing preferences might require innovation on the side of the brands, but that also presents a new opportunity.
Growing demand for bigger variety of products
The pet industry is also faced with the ever-increasing number of products and their variations. It is difficult to predict which pet product will sell more in the long run because new products and brands are constantly being introduced.
While this might sound overwhelming as a small pet brand, it’s also an opportunity. If you know exactly who your customer is, you can put hyperfocus on a couple of SKUs and really make them stand out instead of trying to be all things to all pets.
Shipping favors the bold (Or big)
Pet food is heavy. Which means it’s expensive to ship. Tack heavy price competition on top of that and it’s the perfect storm.
Getting the logistics right is hard for smaller brands, especially if you’re competing against the logistical armies of the ecommerce giants.
So figure out if this is an area you want to go head to head. And if not, how you can differentiate.
Examples of Pet Brands Using Google Ads
Despite the challenges posed by Google Ads, many pet brands still use this platform because of its many benefits.
Here are a couple of pet brands that promote their products through Google Ads:
Purina
Example of a branded search ad:
Iams
Example of a generic search ad:
Blue Buffalo
Example of a generic search ad:
Petco
Example of a Shopping ad:
Chewy
Example of a Display ad:
Is It Worth To Use Google Ads To Sell Pet Products?
Google is an extremely popular advertising platform. People use it to find information on almost anything these days, including pet products. Taking advantage of this platform to promote your pet products certainly has its advantages, as long as you have a well-designed campaign strategy to weed out unnecessary expenses and generate more profit.
