Categories
While most people realize that you need a Google Shopping feed to make a successful Google Shopping campaign, few realize you could focus on other strategies like ad groups and your bids in the auction, but you will not see the results you want without also optimizing your feed.
Get a quick refresher on what your Google Shopping feed is and how to set it up, then explore what you can do to optimize it. We include a range of strategies, from those that any beginner should be able to adapt with ease to those that only experts will want to try.
When you first set up your Google Shopping in the Merchant Center, you will need to create a feed. This feed is the file that contains all of the products you sell. That file includes attributes for each product, with those attributes defining products so that they are unique.
There are two types of feeds for Google Shopping and the Merchant Center: primary and supplemental.
Primary feeds provide the data that the Merchant Center requires to show your products. As long as your primary feed meets the policies and specifications for product data from Google, you can just submit a primary feed and be done. If it does not meet the requirements for the Merchant Center, you can adapt it with supplemental feeds and other advanced feed features.
Supplemental feeds can also help by overriding or enhancing product data to improve the performance of both free listings and paid ads.
You should use your primary feed to define, add, and remove product data. You also use them to set the country targeting and language, as well as to organize the feed rules that the product data will follow.. Another important note is that you should have each individual product listed in one primary feed.
Remember that supplemental feeds cannot remove or add products. They also cannot stand alone. Instead, you use them for updating product data or for providing extra information. One supplemental feed can even add information for more than one primary feed.
You connect supplemental and primary feeds with the “id” attribute. Always confirm that the “id” attributes match exactly. Otherwise, the supplemental feed will not update the product data.
As with most things, Google makes it easy to create a new shopping feed. Go to the navigation menu and click on “Products” and then “Feeds.” You can choose whether you want to make a feed that is primary or supplemental. You then check the box next to the name of the programs you want to send the feed to.
You can send Google your product data in a few ways. The easiest method is to use an e-commerce platform supported by Google and then import the product data. If you are tech-savvy and use the Google Content API for Shopping, you can also send the data in the form of a feed.
The attributes are one of the most crucial parts of your feed as they define your product.
Some of the attributes will have set values that are accepted or standardized. Examples include “condition” and “availability.” Others let you add any value you want, such as “title” or “ID.”
With that information in mind, it is time to look into strategies that can help you with Google Shopping feed optimization.
No matter the type of marketing campaign you are creating, you will always want to make sure you think about your customers and keep them in mind as you create a strategy. Your Google Shopping feed is no exception to this rule.
Think about which products are the most popular among your customers or have the strongest effect on your performance and prioritize your resources on those products. Whenever you are working on the products and their attributes, make these a priority. However, do not ignore other products.
You always want to provide accurate product data, not only to optimize your Google Shopping campaign but also to help attract and maintain customers. After all, they want to know that they will find the product they expect when they click on the link and place an order. Providing accurate product data can also reduce your return rate, as the product is likely to work as the customers expect.
Providing accurate data for your products includes a few key components.
There are several ways that you can ensure your products always show accurate information regarding prices and availability. You can use structured data markup, the Content API, or automated feed delivery.
Do not overlook the importance of this step, as there tends to be latency between when your website updates and the data in your Google Merchant Center updates. The latency increases with more complex structures.
Google even has the Automatic Price Update feature to help ensure you display accurate pricing data. When you use this feature, Google will use your website’s structure data to crawl the website. Then, it uses that information to keep your product listings updated.
Just keep in mind that the Automatic Price Update only updates price and availability, nothing else. Another factor to consider is that if the system has to update your prices too frequently, Google may disapprove of the full feed or just some products. Luckily, Google will show you if this is an issue when you look at the diagnostics tab.
You can find Automatic Price Update under Automatic Improvements in the Settings menu.
Your product_type values provide a great deal of detail regarding your products, so you want to ensure that they are as detailed as you can make them. Set up the product types, so they start with a general category and end with a specific one. Do not use promotional text, search query terms, or synonyms in your product types, and always aim to make them at least two or three levels deep.
For example, if you were listing a short-sleeve shirt, it could go Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Shirts > Short-Sleeve Shirts. You could add further categories for other details, such as brand, style, or size.
Including detailed values for product_type can also help you with bidding as well as reporting. This is especially true for categories that Google does not predefine, such as “Sneaker” as a sub-category for shoes. Since the lack of Google predefining the term means you cannot use it as a google_product_category, using it as a product_type attribute opens up more possibilities and helps you better structure your product feed. The categorization would look something like Women > Shoes > Sneakers.
To get the most value from your product types, remember to create multiple levels. Creating the level for “Sneakers” is a perfect example. This will let you evaluate the data for all your sneakers as a whole and compare them to other categories of product types, such as “Sandals” or “Heels.”
This is important because if you do not create that product type, you may miss valuable insights. After all, you would have to look at data for each of the sneakers you have separately and then combine that information. By creating a product type for them, you can get an overview at a glance.
To get those product_type values as detailed as possible, you want to make sure that each product has unique information for its product ID and title. Part of this is ensuring you use the same ID for a given product, as that lets you track historical data. Use the title to let shoppers know the main product specifications or features, as outlined below.
Whenever you can, be sure to include a GTIN attribute value. Google uses the GTIN (Global Trade Identification Number) value to better understand the product. This lets Google add details regarding your product. It also lets it serve free listings and Shopping ads in more relevant ways, boosting your visibility and likely your results as well.
Following a Google update in late September 2019, your feed will not be disapproved for not having GTINs, but you may notice limited performance.
There are some cases where it is impossible to use a GTIN as it does not exist. An example would be a product without one, such as items you are selling with your own brand name or those you manufactured. If this is the case, just let Google know by going to the attribute called “identifier_exists” and making sure it is set to “False.”
For the best results with your Google Shopping feed, you should make sure that your landing pages and product data line up. This starts with using the same product description and title in the product listing on your feed as you do on your landing page. This prevents confusion and reduces the risk of customers leaving your page because they think they did not find the product they wanted.
One of the most important aspects of this matching to consider is the color name, as it is frequently overlooked. You want to use consistent color names instead of changing between terms, like “Dark Blue” and “Midnight Sky” or even “Midnight Blue.” While most people understand that they are all functionally the same, you could confuse customers. This type of inconsistency could even lead to Google disapproving your account.
That is a very important tip as it goes against what used to be common practice. In the past, experts would suggest changing unusual color names like “Midnight Blue” to something users are more likely to search for like “Dark Blue” or something like “Pomegranate” to “Red.” This made sense in the past, but with the requirement for matching information between landing pages and your product data, that is no longer the case. If you keep following that old advice, your product will likely be disapproved.
The landing page and product description should align in terms of the product variants and words. If customers click on the correct ad, they do not want to have to input the size, color, or another variant again. Requiring them to do so can increase the risk of them leaving your page without purchasing.
The attributes of your products should do more than just appear in the feed you upload to Google Shopping. When used correctly, they can also help drive traffic.
The best way to go about doing this is to add the most important attributes to the product title. Some of the important attributes include the brand name, gender, color, size, personalization options, and age group. For example, instead of just listing a shirt’s title as “Shirt,” it would be something like “Adidas short-sleeve shirt in black, Medium.” This way, you convey the brand, color, size, and extra attributes (such as short-sleeves).
If you want to automate this process, you can try using the new DataFeedWatch AI features. With DFW AI, you can generate optimized product titles and descriptions for thousands of products in minutes, ensuring all important information is included in the right order. You’ll also have the flexibility to review the results and decide whether to use them or customize them further.
The following are some of the attributes you should try to include in the title for various product categories:
Mentioning that there are certain attributes in the product title is not enough for some beginners. Take a closer look at some of the attributes you definitely want to include in the product title when possible.
As you craft the perfect title for your products, you do not want to include the product details in just any order. Put the most important information in the beginning, as this will ensure that potential customers can see that information even if the title gets truncated. This is very important because most ad formats will cut off at least part of the title.
Choosing which details are the most important goes back to knowing your potential customers. Going back to the previous example of “Adidas short-sleeve shirt in black, Medium,” think about which of those traits is most important to your shoppers. You can put “shirt” later in the title than the example, as the product image will let shoppers easily tell that it is a shirt. You can also likely do the same thing with “black” and maybe even “short-sleeve.”
But, if your customers tend to look for matching workout gear and therefore shop based on color, you want “black” closer to the beginning of the title. If your clientele is usually brand-conscious, you should put “Adidas” at the front.
Creating the title for your products will involve making similar judgments, regardless of the type of product you sell.
If you are not sure how to order the various components of the title, follow the general rule of Brand, Product Type, and then Attributes.
In the case of gendered products, like clothing, it would be Brand, Gender, Product Type, and then Attributes.
Google lets you set up five custom labels that you can add to your shopping feed. Use them for structuring your budget and your campaign. You can easily set the labels up in the Google Merchant Center. There, you can apply labels based on categories.
You can then use the custom labels to separate products into various campaigns and give each a different budget. You could even use the custom labels to divide campaigns based on your strategy or goals.
Although you can use custom labels for anything you want to, some of the most common uses include bestsellers, price range, profit margin, and any other value that you cannot fit somewhere else.
Some people overlook the product description when optimizing their Google Shopping feed, but it should be part of your optimization strategies. When someone clicks on your product, the description will appear under the title.
Use the product description to include keywords that you could not fit into the product title and ideally place them closer to the beginning of the description. However, do not go crazy with the keywords as you don’t want it to seem overstuffed.
The images you choose for your Google Shopping feed are incredibly important to your click-through rates and conversions. Remember that high-quality images are ideal as they will showcase the details of your product. There are several aspects to this.
There is a better chance of your product showing up for its relevant searches if it has a high-quality image, thanks to Google’s algorithms. Additionally, having a high-quality image dramatically increases the chances that you will get the attention of shoppers.
Remember that many people shop on smartphones, which makes it even more important to opt for high-quality images. Smartphones have high-resolution screens, so customers will be able to view the tiny details of your image, letting them get visual answers to their product questions. Additionally, a higher-quality photo will make it easier to spot details, even on the small screen of a smartphone or as a thumbnail image on the smartphone.
Whenever you can, do your best to avoid putting placeholders in your feed instead of product images. This will not capture customers’ attention. Instead, put in a photo whenever possible. This not only improves your ability to catch the attention of customers, but it also helps you maintain a professional image.
As you choose the perfect image for your product, pay attention to the variants in the image. It is very important that the picture you use matches the material, color, size, and other variations of the featured product.
You should also confirm that the images you choose do not have watermarks or other text over them.
There are two main types of images that you will want to choose from. Product images show off the product, typically on a neutral background. Lifestyle images show the product in use. For example, if you are selling a purse, the product image would be a close-up of the purse itself. The lifestyle image would be someone holding the purse, possibly while shopping or going about other daily activities.
There is no hard-set trend as to which of these image types will do best. You will have to think about your target audience. Ideally, you should do some A/B testing to see which type of product image performs best for your products and brand.
As a business, you know that customer ratings make a big difference in attracting potential shoppers as well as making the conversion. Google has a program to let you take advantage of this: the Google Product Rating Program.
When you participate in this program, product ratings for your items will appear on the Google Shopping feed and on Google search results for your product. Google gets the ratings based on aggregated ratings from sources that include consumers, editorial sites, merchants, and third-party review aggregators. The ratings show up as one to five stars and also let people know how many reviews the figure is based on.
Google’s first step to finding these ratings for your products is to look at your GTIN and use it to find ratings for the product. If there is not a GTIN in your feed, Google will use less-accurate methods but can still provide ratings. In these cases, it will use the product URL, SKU, or Brand with the MPN paid. You can share your ratings and reviews with Google and viewers via a review feed (if you have at least 50 reviews for a product), an approved review aggregator, or via Google Customer Reviews.
If you have strong product ratings, especially compared to your competitors, you should definitely consider activating this feature. It will boost your credibility and traffic, increasing your likely sales.
If your reviews are currently less-than-stellar, you should probably keep this feature inactive until you get them back up.
As you work towards Google Shopping feed optimization, remember that Google has multiple tools designed to help you, including Merchant Promotion. This feature lets you easily promote promo codes and coupons on the Google Shopping ads. It is currently available in the limited countries.
To take advantage of Merchant Promotion, you will need to fill out a brief form and wait for the approval. After that, you can easily create a new promotion whenever you want.
There are four types of promotions to include, some of which also let you select among additional options. They include:
As an example of some of the choices you will have as you set up your new Merchant Promotions, if you choose a Percent Off promotion, you can choose whether customers buy a certain number of items and get a certain percentage off or buy a number of items and then get another of the same item for a percentage off.
As you set up the promotions, Google will put you in complete control. You choose the minimum purchase amount and the amount of the discount (when applicable). You also create a promotion title and promotion ID and then choose the dates for your promotion.
The most important part of setting up your Merchant Promotions is the ability to choose what products get the promotional code. You can choose to promote items within a certain product type, item group ID, item ID, or brand. Or you can use a “promotion_id” to set it up. You can also apply the promotion to all products.
When you optimize your Google Shopping feed, your ultimate goal is to expand your reach and make more sales. One of the many features Google offers to do this is the automatic currency conversion tool. This tool lets you show the same product feed in various countries with or without the same currency and language.
The easiest way to take advantage of this feature is to use it to reach other countries that use the same language, whether or not they use your base currency. Assuming your feed was set up to be in English and use USD, you could use the tool to convert it to the currencies (or sell in USD) in other countries with the English-speaking option, including Canada, Australia, and the UK, as well as Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. You will notice that some countries have multiple language options, letting you target shoppers in English even in countries that do not have English as their national language.
Setting up this feature is incredibly straightforward and quick. Just go to Products and then Feeds. Navigate to whichever feed you want to add countries. Go to Settings and Add. You will see your options of countries and languages to add. The next time the feed is uploaded, the changes will be active.
Optimization tests can be incredibly useful for most campaigns, including your shopping feed. If you are not sure about implementing some of the tips on this list, try them out in an A/B test and compare the results. Or just make the change and compare key performance metrics.
An example of this could be as simple as adding color to the product titles for items that come in various colors, such as clothing.
Just be sure that you compare like with like, meaning you need to account for other factors that would cause variations in your key performance metrics. An example of one of those variations would be the day of the week or time of the year that you compare results for.
No Google Shopping campaign is complete without Google Shopping feed optimization. Taking a few steps to structure your product feed will do wonders for improving your ability to achieve your campaign’s goals. Much of your optimization will focus on the title, product types, and categories, but your efforts should be well-rounded for the best results. If you follow the above advice, your feed should be on track to deliver the results you want.
How much did you enjoy this article?
We will help your ad reach the right person, at the right time
Actionable insights discovered for you. Now you can do more in less time.
PPCexpo Keyword Planner will help you align your keywords with the customers’ intent.
Frequent audits will help you optimize your PPC campaign for success.
Visualizations give you the ability to instantly grasp the insights hidden in your numbers.
Experience the new revolution in reporting … click your way to insights, don’t scroll.
Calculate the number of combinations in your PPC campaign. It may surprise you.
Related articles
