PPC vs. SEO
PPC vs. SEO for eCommerce in 2026: compare costs, timelines, and ROI. Learn when to prioritize paid ads vs. organic search — and how to use both together.
Understanding and Improving Google Ads Impression Share in 2026
Impression Share (IS) is the percentage of eligible impressions your ads actually won. If IS is 40%, you missed 60% of auctions you could have entered. The diagnostic step is whether you lost IS to budget or to Ad Rank.
Key impression share metrics
| Metric | What it tells you | If it is low |
|---|---|---|
| Search IS | % of Search auctions won | Raise budget and/or improve QS |
| Search Lost IS (budget) | Missed for budget | Increase daily budget if ROAS allows |
| Search Lost IS (rank) | Missed for Ad Rank | Improve QS, bids, or ad relevance |
| Top IS | % above organic results | Aim high on brand (e.g. 80%+) |
| Abs. Top IS | % in position #1 ad | Priority for brand campaigns |
Targets for eCommerce (2026)
- Brand keywords: Aim for very high Search IS (e.g. 90%+) and strong Top IS — missed brand impressions are competitor opportunities.
- Hero high-margin products: ~70%+ IS where profitable.
- Non-brand category: ~40–60% can be healthy if ROAS holds; do not chase IS at the expense of margin.
- Remarketing: ~70%+ for cart abandoners and warm lists.
How to improve IS
- Quality Score: Tighter keyword-to-ad relevance, faster clearer landing pages, better CTR from copy + assets.
- Budget: If Lost IS (budget) is high and ROAS beats target, increase budget until efficiency or volume caps out.
- Bid / tROAS trade-offs: Sometimes lowering an overly aggressive tROAS increases IS by allowing more competitive bids while staying profitable.
Related: Improve CTR · Campaign types guide · Pillar guide