black friday success

Retail
Written By Derick Dick

Optimising Google Shopping Ads for Black Friday Success

Black Friday isn’t just a single day anymore - it’s a full-on sales season. For brands across Northern Ireland and beyond, it’s one of the most competitive moments of the year. Customers are searching with intent, ready to click “buy” and Google Shopping (via Performance Max) is one of the most powerful ways to capture that demand.

At Elevate Media, we believe Black Friday isn’t about blending in with the noise, it’s about cutting through with precision, creativity, and smart optimisation. This guide shows you how to get your Google Shopping ads battle-ready for the biggest retail moment of the year.

Step 1: Get Your Feed in Fighting Shape

Your product feed is the backbone of your Shopping campaigns. If it’s messy, incomplete, or inaccurate, your ads won’t stand a chance.

Key feed must-dos:

  • Keep your data clean: Check that titles, prices, availability, and GTINs are correct and match your site.

  • Use high-quality visuals: Crisp, clutter-free product images win clicks.

  • Optimise product titles: Add descriptive keywords shoppers are searching for (brand + product + key feature).

  • Categorise correctly: Google Product Categories and attributes like size, colour, and material give your ads more relevance.

⚡ Pro Tip: Run a pre-campaign feed audit. It’s like servicing your car before a road trip, non-negotiable.

Step 2: Label What Matters

Custom labels are your secret weapon during Black Friday. They let you group products into smart buckets so you can push hard where it counts.

Examples:

  • “Black Friday Deals” :- for all discounted items.

  • “High Margin” :- so you know where to spend more.

  • “Best Seller” :-products with proven conversion history.

This gives you precision control over bidding, budgeting, and messaging.

Step 3: Master Promotions & Sale Pricing

Black Friday is about urgency and Google gives you tools to showcase deals directly in ads.

  • Sale Price Attribute: Use this when you’ve dropped a product’s price. Google shows a “Sale” tag with strike-through pricing.

  • Merchant Promotions: Perfect if you’re running offers via discount codes or at checkout. Set these up early in Merchant Center so they go live on time.

Done right, your ad looks like a deal magnet ,pulling clicks away from competitors.

Step 4: Nail Your Bidding Strategy

Black Friday traffic is fierce, and CPCs can spike. Smart bidding keeps you competitive without draining your budget.

  • Maximise Conversion Value or Target ROAS are your go-to bidding strategies.

  • Allow Google’s algorithm to learn, but keep an eye on return.

  • If competition gets hot, set bid caps or temporary limits to stay profitable.

⚡ Pro Tip: Don’t panic when CPCs rise, t’s expected. Focus on profitability, not just cheap clicks.

Step 5: Budget Like a Pro

Running out of budget before midday on Black Friday is a nightmare. Plan for the surge.

  • Allocate across the season: Don’t blow it all on one day. Momentum builds from early November.

  • Plan daily pacing: Ensure budgets stretch across the entire day.

  • Stay flexible: Be ready to reallocate budget to top-performing products or campaigns.

At Elevate Media, we often stagger spend, scaling in the run-up, pushing hard on Black Friday, and keeping momentum into Cyber Monday.

Step 6: Monitor & Adapt in Real Time

Black Friday is no time to “set and forget.” You need eyes on the data.

Watch these closely:

  • CTR: Are your titles and images doing the job?

  • CVR: Are people actually buying, or just clicking?

  • ROAS: Are you staying profitable?

  • Search terms: Trends shift fast, optimise negatives and discover new opportunities.

If something’s underperforming, pivot quickly. If a product is flying, back it with more budget.

Step 7: Learn & Level Up

The sale may end, but the insights are gold. After Black Friday, review:

  • Which products drove the most conversions

  • Which custom labels paid off

  • How your bidding and budget pacing performed

Document it, refine it, and roll it into your next campaign. That’s how you get sharper every year.

Your Black Friday Checklist

Before launch, make sure you’ve:
✔ Cleaned & optimised your feed
✔ Set up sale prices / Merchant Promotions
✔ Created smart custom labels
✔ Locked in your bidding strategy
✔ Planned budgets and pacing
✔ Scheduled monitoring alerts

Ready to Dominate Black Friday?

At Elevate Media, we help brands cut through the Black Friday chaos with campaigns that are sharp, creative, and performance-driven. From feed audits to real-time optimisation, our team makes sure your Google Shopping ads don’t just show up, they stand out.

👉 Let’s make this Black Friday your biggest yet. [Contact us today] to get started.

Derick Dick
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