5.6×
Return on ad spend — 563% ROAS, $45.8K value generated on $8.1K spend, at $0.07 average CPC.
Most Shopify apps compete in a red ocean — Shopify ads is crowded and getting more expensive. Google Ads is the blue ocean few apps are fishing in: less PPC competition for Shopify-app keywords and cheaper clicks. The apps using Google's AI campaigns with precise conversion value reporting are growing quickly, at 4–5× ROI. That's what we run.
Shopify prohibits bidding on its brand name — which scares most apps off Google entirely. The workaround is well-established: skip the term, run a comprehensive negative-keyword list of other ecommerce platforms, and you're left with Shopify-intent searches without ever bidding on "Shopify." We've run this playbook for years and maintain the negative list. Once you reach 30 conversions, AI takes over.
Independent research across thousands of accounts (Optmyzr) shows value-based Smart Bidding crushing everything else: Maximize Conversion Value campaigns returned ~575% ROAS versus ~137% for manual CPC. We can confirm this across the dozens of Google Ads campaigns we've run for Shopify apps. Smart Bidding is only as good as its conversion data: through Google Ads revenue attribution for Shopify apps in Prys, we send Google your install, subscribe, and payment events — with their click IDs and per-keyword values, not averages. The AI optimizes on real revenue instead of clicks.
We start on manual CPC while conversion volume builds — AI bidding needs roughly 30 conversions to work, and because Prys reports three funnel events per merchant, you reach that threshold much faster than payment-only tracking. Then we switch to Maximize Conversion Value and advanced campaign types (PMax, AI Max) and scale.
Some keywords can't run to the Shopify domain, so those campaigns run to landing pages. We don't build them — we make them fully attributable: Shopify app landing page tracking via Prys carries every click through to install, subscription, and payment, so Google's AI keeps its value feed whichever destination you run.
~$2K/mo is a typical start; we size it together on the first call. Plan for a 3-month testing period; we expect to return at least your media cost within it.
Usually yes; for some keywords Google requires a non-Shopify landing page. Either way, attribution stays end to end.
You can — Prys sends the conversion values self-serve. This service adds the campaign strategy, structure, negative-list craft, and ongoing optimization from the team that has done it across 100+ Shopify apps.
It can work for small apps that target a significant need with healthy search volumes and have a good funnel and monetization.
Running the same value feed into a second AI channel? See Meta ads for Shopify apps. Full playbook: the Google Ads playbook for Shopify apps.
Free growth assessment — we'll show you exactly where the upside is, and quote on the call.
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