Many retailers struggle with managing vast Google Ads accounts packed with ad groups for individual products. While the intention is good, maximum control and coverage, the outcome often isn’t. This blog shows how one simple shift in structure led to +23.7% more conversions and why revisiting your fundamentals can be more powerful than chasing complex tactics.
The problem: over-segmentation is holding you back
Retail Google Ads accounts often mirror the product catalogue, one ad group per item. It feels precise, but it creates problems:
- Data is spread too thin for Smart Bidding to learn.
- Campaigns become harder to manage.
- The algorithm doesn’t get enough signals to optimize effectively.
Despite all the effort, performance stagnates. The structure becomes the bottleneck.
The shift: back to basics
We worked with a retail client whose Google Ads setup looked textbook-perfect on paper. But in practice, results weren’t scaling.
Instead of adding new features or automations, we focused on something else: the structure itself.
What we changed:
- Reduced each campaign to five ad groups, grouped by category or theme.
- Added one Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) campaign to catch long-tail traffic.
- Removed one-product ad groups and grouped ads around intent.
This change wasn’t complex. It was strategic.
The goal? Let the algorithm breathe and learn.
The results: simpler = smarter
Post-consolidation, the data spoke volumes:
- +23.7% increase in conversions
- -18.3% decrease in cost per conversion
- +86.4% increase in total conversion value
- +84.4% increase in conversion value per cost
With fewer but better-structured ad groups, the algorithm could do its job and performance followed.
Lesson learned: respect the fundamentals
This wasn’t about a flashy new tactic. It was about revisiting the basics. What made the biggest difference was:
- Cleaning up the structure
- Reducing complexity
- Giving the algorithm room to work
Sometimes, the smallest structural changes unlock the biggest growth opportunities.
It’s a reminder that the fundamentals matter, and when they’re right, everything else works better.
