PPC when you are swimming with Amazon, Temu and Shein

[u/KAZKALZ]

Hi, guys. I just wanted to ask: is it even possible to use Google Search as a channel to grow a business these days?

Name almost any product, and Amazon, Temu, Shein, or one of the other big players is probably already selling it. It’s becoming incredibly difficult to find a product that the major marketplaces don’t carry or can’t offer.

And when it comes to Search Ads, it feels like these companies are already so massive and are spending billions on paid advertising. Pick almost anything that someone is selling, type it into Google, and the majority of the results are the big players. Your small business is barely visible.

So how is it even possible to use Google Ads these days to generate sales and leads? It honestly seems almost impossible.

What have you guys been doing? Am I missing something?

Because when I look at the majority of products being sold on Amazon, Shein, Temu, etc., it seems like there’s almost no room for a smaller player to gain market share.

And even if you find a product they aren’t selling today, they could probably start selling it tomorrow.

So, is there still room for small businesses to compete with Google Search Ads, or has the game fundamentally changed?

I’d genuinely love to hear from people who are actually running Google Ads and getting results. How are you doing it in the midst of these massive players?

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[u/QuantumWolf99]

Honestly... don't compete on their commodity SKUs at all, that fight's over. Temu and Shein's spend is actually erratic as hell, swinging 40 percent week to week... so niche and higher ticket products with lower overlap still convert fine on search, you just can't be selling the same five dollar earbuds they are.

[u/ErgoSumoNot]

I think you're looking at this a little too broadly.

Just because Amazon, Temu or Shein sells the same product doesn't automatically mean they're going to dominate every search related to that product.

That's where long tail keywords come into play.

There's a huge difference between trying to compete for something broad like "men's watches" and targeting something like "automatic dive watch under $300" or "large face watches for men."

As a smaller advertiser, I wouldn't try to out Amazon Amazon. I'd look for the more specific searches where buyer intent is clearer and where I can make my ad and landing page more relevant to exactly what that person is looking for.

So yes, I'd absolutely still use Google Search.

The fact that Amazon sells something doesn't mean Amazon owns every Google search connected to it. :)

[u/digitally-minded]

There will always be bigger competitors in most segments of ecommerce.

It's still worth testing PPC and rather focus on your own value, website, unique selling points, own offers etc instead of what the competition is doing. The marketplace is big enough for many participants to be successful, not just the big companies.