Case Study: Scaling a Skincare Brand Using Google Ads & Merchant Center
Niche: Skincare & Beauty Products
Campaign Duration: October 24 – May 16
Budget: £8,980 GBP
Total Clicks: 54,700
Impressions: 4.28 Million
Conversions (Sales): 1,050
Approved Merchant Center Products: 389
Avg. Cost Per Conversion: £8.55
🧴 Client Background
This UK-based skincare brand had a growing online presence but was struggling to get consistent product sales through Google Ads. They had a beautiful line of 389 products listed in their Merchant Center, ranging from acne treatment creams and vitamin C serums to hydrating face masks and organic sunscreens.
Their goal was simple:
“We have amazing products. We just need the right traffic—and buyers.”
They approached me to scale their Google Shopping and Search Ads, while keeping ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) healthy and sustainable.
🎯 Project Objectives
Increase product visibility and online sales across Google platforms.
Drive targeted traffic from users actively searching for skincare solutions.
Keep the average cost per conversion under £10.
Utilize Google Merchant Center to run effective Shopping Ads for all 389 approved products.
Build a full-funnel structure: awareness → consideration → purchase.
🧪 Challenges
Massive Product Catalog: 389 products meant granular targeting and feed optimization were essential.
High Competition: The skincare market is one of the most competitive verticals in Google Ads.
Brand Awareness: The client was not yet a household name—especially when competing with brands like The Ordinary, La Roche-Posay, and CeraVe.
ROAS Pressure: The brand wanted to avoid “click waste” and ensure each visitor had genuine purchase intent.
🛠️ Our Strategy & Execution
✅ 1. Full Merchant Center Optimization
Before running ads, I ensured every product feed was 100% optimized:
Titles rewritten to match top-performing search terms: e.g., “Vitamin C Face Serum for Oily Skin – 30ml”
Added high-quality images, accurate GTINs, custom labels for promotions
Categorized products using Google’s taxonomy to match with buyer intent
Utilized the “best sellers” tag using performance-based custom labels
✅ 2. Campaign Structure & Segmentation
I created a tiered Shopping campaign structure:
Top-performing products campaign (based on past sales, margin, and demand)
New product campaign (testing visibility for recently added items)
Low-cost/high-volume product campaign to increase order volume & upsell later
In addition, I launched branded and non-branded search campaigns, and set up Dynamic Remarketing for cart abandoners and product viewers.
✅ 3. Smart Bidding Strategy + Manual Refinement
Used Target ROAS bidding for Shopping campaigns, adjusting targets based on product margin.
Simultaneously, I monitored product-level performance and paused unprofitable SKUs weekly.
I also excluded non-converting search terms manually, especially generic ones like “best skincare cream” with high spend but no ROI.
✅ 4. Advanced Audience Targeting
Leveraged Google’s custom intent and in-market audiences to target:
Users searching for specific skincare concerns: “hyperpigmentation treatment,” “acne cream UK,” “anti-aging night cream.”
Age groups most likely to buy: Women 25–45
Geo-focused delivery (only shipping within the UK, so I optimized for city-level performance)
✅ 5. Landing Page & CRO Advice
While I wasn’t responsible for full web design, I worked closely with the client’s dev team to:
Reduce page load time by compressing product images
Add “Trustpilot review” badges and “100% money-back guarantee” badges
Create urgency: “Only 12 left in stock” on bestsellers
Implement clear return policy & free shipping thresholds
| Metric | Performance |
|---|---|
|
Ad Spend |
£8,980 GBP
|
|
Total Clicks |
54,700
|
|
Impressions |
4.28 Million
|
|
Total Conversions |
1,050 Sales |
|
Average CPC |
£0.16
|
|
Conversion Rate |
1.91% |
|
Average Cost per Conversion |
£8.55 |
|
Merchant Center Products |
389 Approved |
💬 Client Feedback
“We saw our first consistent flow of orders ever through Google Ads. The Shopping campaign now drives over 30% of our monthly sales, and we’re planning to double our ad spend with confidence.”
🌟 Highlights
✔ Scaled from zero to 1,050 confirmed purchases in under 7 months
✔ Maintained a low cost per conversion of just £8.55 in a saturated market
✔ Used product segmentation and smart bidding to prioritize high-margin products
✔ Built a reliable traffic and conversion machine using Merchant Center + Google Ads
📌 Final Thoughts
This campaign proves that even in one of the most saturated online markets—skincare—you can still generate profitable results with the right structure, creative targeting, and ongoing optimization.
If you’re in the beauty, skincare, or health industry and want to run profitable Google Ads that generate real sales, let’s talk.
📩 Click here to get your brand’s free campaign analysis.