The biggest conversion booster (and killer) of Shopping Ads

People don’t like to gamble with their money.

They want to buy things that feel legitimate, trustworthy, and reliable.

The keyword here is “feel.”

Because trust is a perception.

People buy a product not because it is credible.

But because it looks and feels credible.

That’s why even the best product—backed by reviews, research, and experts—can lose to a lesser-known brand…

If it triggers even a hint of doubt.

The opposite is also true.

You can have an average product and still outsell bigger brands—if you build a stronger feeling of trust.

So, how do you shape that perception?

Here's a simple 3-step framework to help you with that (from highest to lowest impact):

1. Brand Perception

This is your strongest trust lever.

If your brand is recognized and respected, you’ve got people’s trust before they even see your ads.

Think about it:

If you see two ads—one from Nike and one from RandomShoeCo. Which one do you trust more?

When people trust your name, they trust what you sell.

It’s social proof on steroids.

Of course, branding isn’t something you can create overnight. You can’t fake this in your ad.

It takes time to build—through customer experience, reviews, partnerships, and social media presence.

But be aware of its importance.

And invest in building your brand steadily over time.

2. Stack Confidence Builders

This is trust built inside the ad itself.

These elements matter most when you're reaching people who don’t know your brand yet.

Because they’ll be the key factors in whether people click.

This includes:

• Clear titles

• High ratings

• Good reviews

• Believable claims

• Reasonable pricing 

• Clean, high-res product images

• Owning the top spots in Shopping results

• Trust badges, testimonials, and a clean layout on your landing page

Each of these shapes how people see your product in seconds.

The more you optimize them, the more confident buyers feel.

3. Avoid Confidence Killers

Even after someone clicks, the sale isn’t locked in.

You still need to keep their trust all the way through.

This means:

• No hidden fees

• Accurate shipping info

• Clear return & refund policy

• Visible contact, support info

• Consistency between ad and landing page copy

We’ve seen brands lose sales over one small mismatch, like a wrong shipping time.

The rule here is simple:

Stack as many trust signals as possible. Eliminate anything that causes uncertainty.

Trust is fragile.

You have to do everything right to build it.

But it only takes one small slip-up to lose it.

The moment a customer feels even slightly skeptical, they're gone.

Especially on Shopping, where the other option is just right beside you.

So don’t leave any room for doubt or confusion in your ads or landing pages.

Trust is your strongest conversion booster.

But if you’re not careful, it can also be your biggest conversion killer.

Jackson

Founder and CEO of Echelonn

How we can help:

• Get a free Google ads audit: For brands spending more than $20k/mo. or making over 1 million annually, we’ll identify the key bottlenecks in your account, and turn it into a free 90-day scaling plan. Click here.

• Get our E-commerce Growth Toolkit: Get access to our free resources and tools including the Product Feed & GMC Optimization Checklist, YouTube Shorts Ads Playbook, and 12 Plug-and-Play Dashboards. Click here.

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