Curious as to why your ecommerce PPC campaigns are not converting?
The problem is not your budget. Or your keywords. The issue is most ecommerce brands are running ecommerce PPC campaigns without understanding the way their customers make buying decisions.
Here’s the reality of the situation…
Consumer buying behavior has changed drastically. And if your ecommerce PPC strategy has not changed with it, then your campaign is hemorrhaging money.
In this ecommerce PPC guide, you’ll learn exactly how to align your PPC efforts with the way people actually shop. So let’s get started!
Here’s What You’ll Discover:
- How Consumer Behavior Impacts Your PPC Results
- The Modern Ecommerce Customer Journey
- Strategies To Match PPC With Buyer Intent
- Optimizing Your PPC For Different Buying Stages
How Consumer Behavior Impacts Your PPC Results
Understanding consumer behavior is no longer optional.
Running ecommerce PPC campaigns without understanding how people buy means you will be targeting the wrong keywords, showing ads at the wrong time and sending your PPC traffic to pages that do not convert.
Think about it…
Using PPC services the right way, to reach people at specific moments in their buying journey. But if you do not know what those moments are, how can you appear at the right time?
The fact is that 72% of consumers expect an experience that is consistent across multiple channels. That means your PPC ads have to align with where they are at on their journey, whether that be on mobile, desktop, or hopping between both.
Here’s what’s changed:
Shoppers do not follow a linear path any longer. They bounce between social media, search engines, comparison sites, review platforms, and more before making a purchase. Your ecommerce PPC strategy has to be able to reach them at every touchpoint.
The Modern Ecommerce Customer Journey
Here’s the thing…
The customer journey used to be so simple, we used to call it linear. Someone searched for a product, clicked on an ad, and bought. Finished.
But this is not the way it works in 2025.
The customer journey in ecommerce is messy. It is chaotic. And it is happening all across different platforms at the same time.
Research shows that 68% of shoppers spend 60 minutes or less researching a product. Which means that you have a very short window to capture their attention and guide them toward making a purchase.
The Awareness Stage
If there is one place most ecommerce stores sabotage their PPC strategy, it’s at the awareness stage.
At the awareness stage, people have not figured out yet exactly what they want. They are browsing and looking at options. Your PPC ads at this point should be focusing on broad match keywords and brand awareness rather than direct sales.
Targeting conversion-focused ads to cold traffic is a waste of money.
The Consideration Stage
Well that’s where it gets juicy…
At the consideration stage, shoppers are comparing options. They are reading reviews, checking prices and evaluating their choices.
Your ecommerce PPC strategy here needs to focus on product comparisons, customer reviews and competitive pricing. Mobile devices are responsible for 70% of search ad impressions in the United States. Which means your ads need to be mobile-optimized and easy to navigate.
The Decision Stage
This is where you close the sale.
At the decision stage, shoppers have made a decision as to what they want. Now you just need to give them that little extra nudge. Your ecommerce PPC campaigns at this point need to help overcome objections with free shipping, limited-time offers and trust signals.
The conversion rate of PPC ads average 2.85% across industries. But when you align your ads properly with the decision stage, you can literally obliterate this average.
Strategies To Match PPC With Buyer Intent
This is where most ecommerce brands fumble…
They create one PPC campaign and think it’s going to be effective for everyone at every stage. That is like trying to use one key for every door.
Different buying stages require different ecommerce PPC approaches. Here’s how to get it right:
Use Intent-Based Keywords
Not all keywords are made the same.
Awareness stage keywords look like “best running shoes” or “gift ideas for dad”. Decision stage keywords look like “buy Nike Air Max 270” or “discount code for running shoes”.
Segment out your campaigns based on the intent of keywords. This will help you to control your budget, and show the right message at the right time.
Leverage Retargeting Campaigns
The fact is that most people are not going to buy the first time they visit your site.
Retargeting allows you to remain at the front of those potential customer’s mind as they make their way through their buying journey. You can create separate campaigns for product page viewers, cart abandoners, and past purchasers.
This one strategy alone can boost up your ROI greatly.
Personalize Your Ad Copy
Generic ads are a thing of the past.
Shoppers expect personalized experiences now. Which means that your ecommerce PPC ad copy needs to speak directly to where they are at in their journey.
For ads at the awareness stage, you should focus more on education and inspiration. For the decision stage, you should focus on urgency and offers. The more specific you can be with your ad copy, the better performance your campaigns are going to have.
Test Different Ad Formats
Video ads, shopping ads, display ads, search ads — they all have a time and place.
The key is to match the ad format with the buying stage. Video ads work incredibly well for both the awareness and consideration stages. Shopping ads are king at the decision stage when people know exactly what they want.
Do not only use search ads. Expand your ecommerce PPC efforts across different ad formats to grab attention at every stage.
Optimizing Your PPC For Different Purchasing Stages
Now for optimization…
Someone at the awareness stage has completely different needs than someone who is ready to make a purchase.
Below is how to optimize for each stage:
For awareness stage campaigns, focus on impressions and reach. Your cost per click could be higher, but that is fine, because you are here for brand awareness.
For consideration stage campaigns, focus on engagement. Track your metrics for time on site, pages per session and whether people are viewing multiple products.
For decision stage campaigns, the focus should be on conversions. Look at cost per acquisition, return on ad spend and conversion rate. This is where you want to be most aggressive with your bidding strategies.
Landing Page Alignment
Your landing page needs to be an extension of the promise you have made in your ad.
If your ad is targeting awareness stage keywords, send people to educational content. If it is targeting decision stage keywords, send them right to the product page with a clear call-to-action.
The disconnect between ad and landing page are one of the biggest killers of conversion in ecommerce PPC.
Monitor and Adjust
Consumer behavior is always changing.
What worked for you last quarter may not work this quarter. Set up regular reviews of your PPC campaigns so you can detect changes in behavior and adjust your strategy.
Wrapping This Up
Aligning your ecommerce PPC efforts with consumer buying behavior is not difficult — but it does require a change in mindset.
Stop treating all your potential customers the same. Acknowledge that they are at different stages of their buying journey and that they need different messages at different times.
When you match up your ecommerce PPC strategy with the way people actually shop, everything else changes. Your cost per acquisition starts to drop. Your conversion rates go up. And your return on ad spend flies to the roof.
The ecommerce brands that are winning with PPC in 2025 are the ones who have understood their customer journey, and aligned their campaigns to it. You now know how to do the same.
Start out by segmenting your campaigns by buying stage. Create different ad groups for awareness, consideration and decision. And watch your results soar.