How to boost your retail media search ROI
- Jul 9
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Mastering your retail media search strategy can persuade shoppers already in a purchasing mindset.
A new set of challengers is rising up to steal share of search from Google. No, they’re not Bing or ChatGPT – they’re retail media networks (RMNs).
While social media takes the reins of brand discovery, RMNs are becoming a mid-funnel consideration-driver where consumers go to learn more about brands they discover. Amazon is now the most popular place for US adults to start a product search, according to 2024 research, and EMARKETER predicts retail media ad spend will more than double over the next five years, reaching $129.93 billion by 2028.
So, how can your brand influence customers right where they already shop?
FAQs about retail search
What is retail media search marketing?
Retail media search marketing is a strategy that helps brands appear prominently on the search results pages of retailers’ e-commerce websites and mobile apps. It can be achieved by organic or paid media tactics, onsite or off-site, leveraging the value of the immense first-party purchase data retailers hold.
In other words, it’s applying the principles of search marketing to e-commerce sites and retail media networks (RMNs).
What is the difference between onsite and offsite retail media?
Onsite is a retail media solution that displays advertisements for brands within a retailer’s website or mobile app. An example is opening Walmart’s shopping app and seeing an ad for Premier Protein displayed at the top of the search results page for “protein shakes”.
Off-site is media published by a brand on external advertising platforms, including traditional search engines, social media, display, video, mobile, audio ads, and more. Currently, the biggest driver of off-site retail media growth is Connected TV (CTV)!
Is retail media the same thing as Google Retail Search?
Not exactly. Retail Search is a specific service provided by Google Cloud that some retailers use to employ similar Google Search type capabilities but with the retailer’s own products. Most retail media search ads are bought through RMNs or demand-side platforms (DSPs).
Why does retail media search matter for brands right now?
High purchase intent
Sponsored search advertising has exploded in the last couple of years because consumers come to retailer sites or apps already in a purchasing mindset – no demand generation required.
Precise targeting capabilities
Social media networks may have data on what you’ve shown interest in before, but retailers know what you’ve actually bought before. That makes their deep wells of first-party consumer data extremely valuable for efficient targeting and closed-loop measurement.
Trouble at Google
Retail search poses a huge threat to the search market dominance of Google, which regularly faces antitrust behavior allegations and steep competition from AI-powered search bots. While retail media search spend grows like ivy, traditional search ad spending growth will slow to just 0.9% YoY in 2028.
How can brands sharpen their retail media search strategy?
Five moves make the biggest difference: prioritize home page placements for visibility, segment audiences precisely using retailer first-party data, own long-tail niche keywords instead of relying on broad match, plan for the full nonlinear customer journey (not just the final click), and track the metrics that actually map to business sales growth.
Prioritize home page placements
The home page of a retailer’s site or app is a coveted placement for advertising because it’s the most visible with the widest reach, and it’s the most memorable thanks to the primacy effect. Here’s a good visualization of the purpose each page level of an e-commerce site serves:
Segment your audience
If your feminine product ads are being served to biologically male customers, those wasted impressions are wasted ad dollars. Every product isn’t right for every consumer! To optimize your retail media budget, you’ll need to get precise with your targeting and segment your audiences. Fortunately, the first-party data provided by retail media networks solve this problem very well, if you’re putting in the right audience parameters. Check out this excellent list of audience segments put together by the IAB:
Dominate your niche
Our own Senior Search Specialist, Michael Robbins, advises:
“Find the long-tail search terms that resonate with your consumers best, and aim to own those key terms. Be specific; do not take your hands off the wheel, going broad-match and letting the ‘algorithm’ do the work.”
Take this example from our back-to-school marketing guide: Adding contextual keywords to your search mix can boost visibility and drive sales. For instance, a granola bar company could add long-tail keywords like “granola bars for school lunches”, or “healthy after-school snacks” to their current bidding strategy.
Consider the whole customer journey
Despite the popularity of e-commerce and online shopping, most consumers are operating in a “click-and-mortar” style: either buying online and picking up in store, buying online and returning in store, or discovering brands in-store and following on social media. To beat the competition, you’ll need to meet your target customer at each point along their nonlinear journey.
Don't forget to influence them BEFORE they start shopping - using tactics like TV, video, audio and OOH to improve brand perception and credibility.
Choose your metrics wisely
As with any media tactic, it’s imperative to use the right metrics for your brand’s specific campaign goals. The report below from IAB Europe shows there’s still a discrepancy between the information sought by media buyers and what’s provided by media sellers.
For CPG brands advertising on retail media networks, of course, the most important result is growth in business sales. But over what timeline? And by what means? Which channels are worth continuing to invest in, and which aren’t?
These kinds of questions are more complex, and they’re answered with help from tools like:
Holistic measurement tools like DISQO
Brand lift studies (which predict next year’s growth)
The right media agency can help you figure out what goals and metrics make the most sense for your business and how you can exceed them! Your retail media search strategy is key to eclipsing your business objectives.
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