Most ecommerce business owners assume that their best-selling products should also be their best-performing Google Ads campaigns.
It seems logical. If a product consistently generates strong sales, putting advertising dollars behind it should create even more growth. Yet many ecommerce brands discover the exact opposite. They launch Google Ads campaigns promoting their top sellers only to find disappointing returns, rising costs, and shrinking profitability.
If you’ve ever wondered why your star products struggle in paid search, you’re not alone. After years of managing Google Ads campaigns for ecommerce businesses, I’ve seen this scenario play out repeatedly.
The reality is that a product’s sales performance and its advertising performance are often two very different things.
The Biggest Misconception About Ecommerce Advertising
One of the most common mistakes ecommerce businesses make is assuming that sales success automatically translates into advertising success.
A product may be your best seller for reasons that have little to do with paid advertising.
For example, your product might benefit from:
- Strong organic search rankings
- Repeat customers
- Positive word-of-mouth referrals
- Email marketing campaigns
- Brand recognition
- Prominent placement on your website
These factors can drive significant sales without requiring you to pay for every visitor.
Google Ads, however, operates under a completely different model. Every click has a cost, which means profitability depends on your ability to acquire customers at a reasonable price.
A product that sells extremely well organically may not necessarily perform well when every visit comes with an advertising expense attached.
Competition Can Destroy Profitability
One of the primary reasons best-selling products struggle in Google Ads is competition.
Popular products attract competitors. If you’re selling a product that generates strong demand, chances are many other retailers are selling it as well.
As a result, advertisers aggressively bid against one another for the same keywords.
Higher competition leads to:
- Increased cost-per-click (CPC)
- Higher customer acquisition costs
- Reduced return on ad spend (ROAS)
I’ve worked with ecommerce businesses whose best-selling products generated thousands of dollars in monthly sales, yet their Google Ads campaigns consistently underperformed because advertising costs were simply too high.
In these situations, the problem isn’t the product itself. The problem is the economics of the marketplace.
When too many advertisers compete for the same traffic, profitability becomes increasingly difficult to maintain.
Thin Margins Leave Little Room for Advertising Costs
Many best-selling products are successful because they’re competitively priced.
Unfortunately, competitive pricing often means lower profit margins.
This creates a significant challenge when running Google Ads.
Consider this example:
Product A
- Selling price: $50
- Profit margin: 20%
- Gross profit: $10
Product B
- Selling price: $150
- Profit margin: 50%
- Gross profit: $75
If both products require similar advertising costs to acquire a customer, Product B has substantially more room to absorb those expenses while remaining profitable.
This is why volume alone should never be the deciding factor when choosing products to advertise.
Google Ads rewards products that can support customer acquisition costs, not necessarily products that sell the highest number of units.
Existing Demand Can Create a False Sense of Success
Many best-selling products benefit from strong existing demand.
Customers already know the product. They are actively searching for it and are often ready to buy before they ever visit your website.
This can create the illusion that the product will perform exceptionally well in paid advertising.
However, much of the product’s success may stem from brand recognition or established demand rather than your marketing efforts.
When you begin advertising, you may initially capture those highly qualified searches. But once you’ve exhausted that audience, Google starts showing your ads to broader and less qualified prospects.
As a result:
- Conversion rates decline
- Cost per acquisition rises
- Return on ad spend decreases
What appeared to be an advertising opportunity was actually a demand-generation issue. The product was already benefiting from customers who intended to purchase regardless of your ads.
High Search Volume Doesn’t Always Mean High Purchase Intent
Another common mistake is assuming that products with high search volume automatically make great advertising candidates.
In reality, search volume and purchase intent are not the same thing.
Popular products often attract shoppers who are:
- Comparing prices
- Reading reviews
- Researching features
- Exploring alternatives
- Gathering information before making a decision
These users may generate plenty of traffic but not necessarily immediate sales.
On the other hand, a niche product with lower search volume may attract highly motivated buyers who are much closer to making a purchase.
From an advertising perspective, buyer intent is often more valuable than traffic volume.
A smaller audience of highly qualified shoppers can outperform a much larger audience of casual researchers.
Your Hidden Winners May Be Better Advertising Opportunities
One of the most valuable lessons ecommerce advertisers can learn is that their most profitable ad products are often not their best-selling products.
Instead, the strongest opportunities frequently come from what I call “hidden winners.”
These products typically have several characteristics in common:
- Higher profit margins
- Lower competition
- Unique product features
- Less price sensitivity
- Strong conversion rates
Because these products aren’t as heavily contested in the marketplace, advertising costs tend to be lower. Combined with stronger margins, they often generate significantly better returns on ad spend.
In many cases, shifting advertising budget away from a company’s top seller and toward these overlooked products can dramatically improve campaign profitability.
How to Identify the Right Products for Google Ads
Rather than asking, “What is my best-selling product?” ecommerce advertisers should ask a different question:
“What is my most profitable product to advertise?”
When evaluating products for Google Ads, focus on the metrics that directly impact profitability:
- Profit Margin
Higher margins provide more flexibility to absorb advertising costs.
- Conversion Rate
Products that convert well naturally generate better advertising performance.
- Competitive Landscape
Less competition often means lower cost-per-click and higher profitability.
- Search Intent
Prioritize products with keywords that indicate strong buying intent.
- Average Order Value
Higher order values can improve return on ad spend.
- Customer Lifetime Value
Products that attract repeat buyers may justify higher acquisition costs.
Testing multiple products and analyzing performance data will often reveal opportunities that aren’t obvious from sales reports alone.
Final Thoughts
Your best-selling products aren’t always your best advertising products.
While it may seem counterintuitive, popular products often face intense competition, thinner margins, and higher acquisition costs that make profitable advertising difficult.
Meanwhile, less obvious products with stronger margins, lower competition, and higher buyer intent frequently become the true winners in Google Ads.
The most successful ecommerce advertisers understand that advertising decisions should be based on profitability—not popularity.
Instead of automatically promoting your top sellers, evaluate your product catalog through the lens of customer acquisition economics. By focusing on products that can generate profitable growth, you’ll create stronger campaigns, better returns, and a more scalable ecommerce business.
Remember: the goal isn’t simply to drive more clicks. The goal is to make each click count.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Should I stop advertising my best-selling products altogether?
Not necessarily. Best-selling products can still play an important role in your Google Ads strategy, especially if they attract new customers or support brand awareness. The key is to evaluate their profitability, not just their sales volume. If a best-selling product generates a positive return on ad spend (ROAS) and contributes to overall business growth, it may still deserve advertising budget.
- How can I tell if a product is a good candidate for Google Ads?
Look beyond total sales and evaluate factors such as profit margin, conversion rate, average order value, competition level, and customer lifetime value. Products with strong margins, lower competition, and high purchase intent often make better advertising candidates than products that simply generate the most sales.
- Why do high-performing organic products sometimes struggle in paid search?
Organic sales often benefit from factors like brand recognition, repeat customers, email marketing, and strong search rankings. In paid search, every visitor has a cost. A product that performs well organically may not generate enough profit to offset advertising expenses, especially in competitive markets.
- What metrics should I focus on when evaluating product performance in Google Ads?
Key metrics include:
- Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
- Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
- Conversion Rate
- Cost Per Click (CPC)
- Profit Margin
- Average Order Value (AOV)
Focusing on these metrics helps you determine whether a product is truly profitable to advertise.
- Are niche products better for Google Ads than popular products?
In many cases, yes. Niche products often face less competition, resulting in lower advertising costs. They may also attract highly targeted buyers who are further along in the purchasing process. This combination can lead to better conversion rates and stronger profitability compared to more popular products.
- How much does competition affect Google Ads performance?
Competition can have a significant impact. When multiple advertisers bid on the same keywords, cost-per-click increases. Higher CPCs make it more difficult to achieve a profitable return, particularly for products with lower margins. Understanding the competitive landscape is essential before scaling ad spend.
- What’s the best way to find my “hidden winner” products?
Start by analyzing your product catalog for items with:
- Above-average profit margins
- Strong conversion rates
- Lower advertising competition
- Higher average order values
- Unique selling points
Then test these products in smaller campaigns and compare their performance against your top sellers. Often, the products generating the highest profit—not the highest sales volume—become your most successful Google Ads campaigns.
Need Help with Google Ads? If you’re ready to take your online store’s performance to the next level with Google Shopping Ads but need a helping hand, consider reaching out. I’m Andy Splichal, author of Make Each Click Count and host of the Make Each Click Count podcast. Whether it’s about creating high-performing Shopping Ads or mastering your overall Google Ads strategy, I’m here to help. Let’s make those clicks count!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andy Splichal is the founder and managing partner of True Online Presence, author of the Make Each Click Count book series, host of the Make Each Click Count podcast, founder of Make Each Click Count University and certified online marketing strategist with twenty plus years of experience helping companies increase their online presence and profitable revenues.
He was named to Best of Los Angeles Awards’ Most Fascinating 100 List in both 2020 and 2021. To find more information on Andy Splichal, visit trueonlinepresence.com or read The Full Story on his website or his blog, blog.trueonlinepresence.com.