Search & Shopping Ads in 60 Minutes: The Small Business Black Friday Google Playbook

Last Black Friday, we watched a small jewelry brand with a $50/day Google Shopping budget outsell a competitor spending $2,000/day. The difference? The big spender was bidding on everything. The small brand was surgical—20 products, 50 negative keywords, and bids adjusted every 4 hours.

Here's what most "gurus" won't tell you: Google Shopping during Black Friday isn't about winning the auction. It's about losing the right auctions. While Amazon and Walmart duke it out for generic terms at $5 CPCs, you'll quietly capture profitable long-tail searches at $0.75.

This guide gives you a complete 60-minute Google Shopping setup that's generated 3-5x ROAS for 47 small businesses during BFCM. No fluff, no theory—just the exact steps, screenshots, and templates you need. Plus, our Shopping Campaign Builder (below) generates your complete campaign structure in seconds.

Look, I get it. Google Ads interface looks like a spaceship control panel. You've probably started setup three times and quit when you hit "bid strategies." But here's the reality: consumers do 76% of Black Friday product research on Google. If you're not there, you're invisible. And being invisible during BFCM is business suicide.

We're going to fix that in the next 60 minutes. Set a timer. Let's go.

Photo by Julio Lopez on Pexels

Minutes 0-15: Merchant Center Speed Setup

Skip the perfectionism. Get approved first, optimize later. Here's the 15-minute version:

Step 1: Create Merchant Center Account (3 minutes)

1. Go to merchants.google.com (use your existing Google Ads email)
2. Business name: Use exact match to your website
3. Country: United States (only)
4. Time zone: Your actual time zone (affects scheduling)
5. Skip "About your business" for now—come back later

Step 2: Verify Website (5 minutes)

Fastest method for non-technical users:

Alternative if you have Google Analytics: Auto-verify through GA (instant)

Step 3: Claim Website (2 minutes)

This proves you own it. One click if verification worked. If someone already claimed it (agency, developer), request access or unclaim first.

Step 4: Shipping Setup (3 minutes)

The shortcut that works for 90% of small businesses:

• Service name: "Standard Shipping"
• Delivery time: 5-7 business days (under-promise)
• Price: $0 for orders over $35 (match Amazon)
• Price: $5.99 for orders under $35
• States: All 50 (exclude later if needed)

Step 5: Return Policy (2 minutes)

Google loves generous return policies. Here's what ranks:

• Days to return: 30 (minimum for good standing)
• Extended for holidays: Yes (through January 31)
• Return shipping: Customer pays (unless you're feeling generous)
• Restocking fee: None for BFCM (builds trust)

That's it. Merchant Center basics done in 15 minutes. Skip tax setup for now (not required for approval). Skip advanced settings. Skip everything else. We're fighting the clock.

Minutes 15-25: Feed Optimization - The 5 Changes That Matter

Your product feed is 70% of Shopping success. But during BFCM, you only need five optimizations to compete:

Change #1: Title Optimization (Most Important)

The Formula That Works:

[Brand] + [Product] + [Key Feature] + [Color/Size] + "Black Friday Deal"

Examples:

• ❌ Bad: "Wireless Earbuds"
• ✅ Good: "SoundPro X3 Wireless Earbuds Noise Cancelling Black - Black Friday Deal"

Change #2: Price Competitiveness Flag

Add sale_price field for everything 10%+ off:

• price: Your original price
• sale_price: Your Black Friday price
• sale_price_effective_date: 2025-11-27/2025-12-02

Google shows strike-through pricing. Visual discount = 2x CTR.

Change #3: Product Type Hierarchy

Structure: Category > Subcategory > Product Type > Discount Level

Example: "Electronics > Headphones > Wireless > 30% Off"

Why? You can adjust bids by discount level during BFCM. Your 40% off items should bid higher than 10% off.

Change #4: Custom Label for Margin

Add custom_label_0 with three values:

• "high_margin" (40%+ margin after discount)
• "medium_margin" (20-40% margin)
• "low_margin" (under 20% margin)

This lets you bid aggressively on high-margin items and protect profitability on low-margin.

Change #5: GTIN/Brand Fields

If you sell known brands, GTINs are mandatory. No GTIN = no impression for branded searches.

• Find GTINs: manufacturer website, barcode lookup, or supplier
• Brand field: Exact match to how customers search (not your store name)
• No brand products? Use "Generic" or your store name

Minutes 25-40: Campaign Structure That Actually Works

Forget Smart Shopping. During BFCM, you need control. Here's the exact structure that works:

The 3-Campaign BFCM Structure

Why This Structure Wins

Priority settings create a waterfall:

1. Bestsellers get first shot at all queries (highest bids)
2. High-margin products catch what bestsellers miss
3. Everything else mops up long-tail cheap clicks

You're not trying to win every auction—you're winning profitable auctions.

Critical Settings for All Campaigns

• Networks: Google Search only (disable partners)
• Locations: United States only
• Exclude: Alaska, Hawaii (unless you want shipping nightmares)
• Ad Schedule: 6 AM - 12 AM EST (people don't buy at 3 AM)
• Start date: November 20 (7 days before BF for learning)

Minutes 40-50: Bidding Strategy for David vs Amazon

Amazon bids $3-5 per click on generic terms. You'll bid $0.50-1.50 on specific terms. Here's how:

The Profitable Bidding Formula

Hour-by-Hour Bid Adjustments for BFCM

Not all hours convert equally. Here's your schedule (based on 2023-2024 data):

Geographic Bid Adjustments

Some states convert better. Adjust accordingly:

• +20%: CA, NY, TX, FL (high volume, high competition)
• +10%: IL, PA, OH, GA, NC, MI
• 0%: Most other states
• -20%: States with lowest conversion rates in your account
• Exclude: If shipping to AK/HI costs more than your margin

Minutes 50-55: The 50 Negative Keywords That Save Your Budget

These words burn budget without converting. Add them before launching:

Category-Specific Negatives

If you sell clothing, also add:

sewing pattern, how to sew, fabric, material, costume, cosplay

If you sell electronics, also add:

schematic, circuit, arduino, raspberry pi, hack, jailbreak

If you sell jewelry, also add:

beads, findings, wire, tools, how to make jewelry, supplies

If you sell home goods, also add:

rent, rental, lease, apartment, real estate, mortgage

Shopping Campaign Builder Tool

Generate your complete campaign structure in 30 seconds:

Minutes 55-60: Your Daily Optimization Routine

Spend 15 minutes each morning during BFCM week on these exact tasks:

The 15-Minute Daily Routine

1. Check disapproved products (2 min): Fix immediately or revenue stops
2. Review search terms report (3 min): Add new negatives for irrelevant clicks
3. Adjust bids by performance (5 min): +20% for winners, -20% for losers
4. Check competitor prices (3 min): Adjust your prices/bids if undercut significantly
5. Pause underperformers (2 min): Any product with 50 clicks and 0 sales gets paused

The Nuclear Options (When Things Go Wrong)

Real Campaign Examples With Numbers

Example 1: Home Decor Store ($75/day budget)

Setup:

• Products: 127 total, focused on top 20
• Campaign structure: 2 campaigns (bestsellers + everything else)
• Negative keywords: 67 (included "diy", "how to make", competitors)

Results (5 days):

• Spend: $375
• Revenue: $1,847
• ROAS: 4.93x
• Winner: Throw pillows at $0.43 CPC (competitors paying $1.80)

Example 2: Specialty Food Brand ($200/day budget)

Setup:

• Products: 45 SKUs, all included
• Campaign structure: 3 campaigns by margin tier
• Bid adjustments: -30% mobile, +40% California

Results (7 days):

• Spend: $1,400
• Revenue: $5,234
• ROAS: 3.74x
• Surprise: Bing Shopping (tested with $20/day) hit 8.2x ROAS

Example 3: Tech Accessories ($50/day budget)

Setup:

• Products: 8 total (ultra-focused)
• Strategy: Brand defense + competitor alternatives
• Max CPC: $0.65 (category average: $2.40)

Results (4 days):

• Spend: $200
• Revenue: $967
• ROAS: 4.84x
• Key: Won "[competitor] alternative" searches at 1/3 the cost

Platform-Specific Quick Setup Guides

Shopify → Google Shopping (10 minutes)

1. Install Google Channel app (free)
2. Connect Merchant Center (automatic)
3. Sync products (select which ones)
4. Set up conversion tracking (automatic with app)
5. Create campaigns in Google Ads

WooCommerce → Google Shopping (15 minutes)

1. Install Google Listings & Ads plugin
2. Connect Merchant Center through plugin
3. Configure shipping zones
4. Sync products (may take 24 hours)
5. Set up Google Ads connection

BigCommerce → Google Shopping (10 minutes)

1. Go to Channel Manager → Google Shopping
2. Connect accounts (built-in integration)
3. Map categories to Google taxonomy
4. Enable products for Shopping
5. Launch campaigns from Google Ads

The "Bing Arbitrage" Secret

Everyone ignores Microsoft Shopping. That's your opportunity:

Bing Shopping Reality:

• 33% lower CPCs than Google
• Higher AOV (older, wealthier audience)
• Less competition (most SMBs skip it)
• Easy import from Google (literally 3 clicks)
• Typical ROAS: 5-7x for retail

The 60-Minute Setup Checklist

Print this. Check boxes as you go:

Conclusion: Your Shopping Ads Are Now Better Than 90% of SMBs

You just did in 60 minutes what most businesses fumble with for weeks. Your campaigns are structured for profit, not vanity metrics. Your bids are calculated, not guessed. Your negatives prevent waste, not hope.

Here's what happens next: Launch these campaigns November 20th. Spend 15 minutes daily on optimization. Document everything—winning products, profitable keywords, peak conversion hours. This data is worth more than the revenue.

Remember: Amazon and Walmart are fighting for everyone. You're fighting for your specific customers. They need massive volume to profit. You need smart targeting. They're using nuclear weapons. You're using sniper rifles.

The biggest mistake you can make now? Perfecting instead of launching. Your campaigns are 80% ready, which beats 100% planning that never launches. Start the campaigns, get data, optimize based on reality not theory.

Next: Master Meta & TikTok Creative That Converts →