Steve Madden
Activating Search Ads to drive incremental revenue and acquire high-intent customers on TikTok
The objective
Standing out in a competitive landscape while turning intent into action
With rising competition in fashion retail and evolving consumer behaviors, Steve Madden needed a way to stand out and convert intent into action, while still building brand equity. To grow revenue and remain top-of-mind, the brand set out to increase discoverability, capture high-intent shoppers, and support core product categories.
Recognizing that fashion lovers actively search for style inspiration on TikTok, Steve Madden identified TikTok Search Ads Campaign as a powerful way to capture that intent. This approach helped turn search interest into measurable outcomes while supporting the brand’s goal of continuing to test TikTok products.
The solution
Building an evergreen Search strategy with keyword relevance and creator content
Steve Madden, in partnership with January Digital, launched branded and non-branded Search Ad campaigns to target both loyal fans and new shoppers. They structured ad groups by product categories (sandals, heels, sneakers) and applied keyword match strategies to ensure strong relevance.
To align with TikTok Search Ads Campaign best practices, the team implemented a Cost Cap (CPA) bidding strategy for branded keywords and optimized for cost per landing page view (LPV) on non-branded terms, supporting both performance efficiency and full-funnel reach.
To drive stronger engagement, the team amplified influencer organic content, ensuring that the creative matched the user’s search intent, a core principle for improving relevance and campaign effectiveness.
This always-on Search strategy helped Steve Madden connect content, intent, and conversions, delivering performance while staying grounded in TikTok’s Search Ads Campaign best practices.
The results
Search Ads deliver high iROAS and drive incremental growth
Within just one month, Search Ads proved to be one of Steve Madden’s strongest-performing channels on TikTok. According to Measured, branded search campaigns delivered a $4.08 iROAS. Compared to their non-search campaigns, Search drove a 54% lower CPA.
From GA4 reporting, Steve Madden saw an average cost per session of just $0.63 across branded and non-branded keywords, making TikTok Search a reliable and cost-effective driver of incremental revenue and performance.
Tips & takeaways
Leverage Search Ads to reach high-intent shoppers: Use branded and non-branded keywords to capture demand from users actively searching for products in your category.
Match creative to keyword intent: Aligning ad creative with specific search terms improves relevance and engagement, especially when using Spark Ads and creator-led content.
Segment campaigns by product category: Organizing ad groups by product types (like sandals, heels, sneakers) allows for better optimization and budget control.
Use a full-funnel strategy: Combine Search Ads with upper-funnel brand efforts to build awareness and then convert intent into action.
Monitor performance across platforms: Measure success using a mix of in-platform data, GA4, and third-party tools like Measured to get a complete picture of impact.
TikTok Search Ads has given immediate and impactful business results for Steve Madden. As the search landscape rapidly evolves, TikTok has emerged as a key destination. The results speak for themselves—TikTok Search has delivered significant incremental revenue with the highest iROAS of any TikTok tactic- proving to be an invaluable new touchpoint for our strategy.