It’s no secret that the statistics. A significant 47% of American internet users begin their product searches on Amazon, compared to 35% who opt for Google. While Google remains used to be for online shoppers, Amazon has become a powerhouse in ecommerce search.
Via India Media Group. This information is certainly attention-grabbing. We are seeing a change in how potential customers search for products online. You might be considering abandoning your Google Shopping campaigns altogether and putting all your resources into Amazon. [Humorous comment about Mr. Bezos’ personal life removed for professionalism.] However, that would be a mistake. Almost 300 million Americans are online, which translates to a massive number of people still turning to Google to find products like yours. Ignoring Shopping ads is like having a physical store that’s only open during the least busy hours. Furthermore, the that Jumpshot study mentioned previously highlights that Shopping listings are more effective at converting prospects into customers compared to Amazon listings. While 35% of Google product searches result in purchases within five days, only 20% of Amazon product searches do the same. On average, it takes 20 days from a Google product search to a purchase, compared to 26 days on Amazon. This proves that Shopping ads are not only effective but also deliver fast results. However, effectiveness isn’t guaranteed. To maximize returns, optimizing your Google Shopping feed is crucial. Even the best Google Shopping feed won’t compensate for a poorly structured campaign. Download our free guide to discover what it takes to create successful campaigns!
What is a Google Shopping feed?
In short, your Google Shopping feed is essentially a spreadsheet. It’s designed to describe and organize your product catalog in a way that Google can easily access and understand. Let’s delve into more detail. Shopping campaigns function differently than traditional Search campaigns. In Search campaigns, advertisers bid on keywords to determine which search terms trigger their text ads. In contrast, Shopping advertisers lack direct control over which search queries activate their Shopping ads.
Instead, Google relies on crawling Shopping advertisers’ websites and feeds to determine ad relevance for specific search queries. This means the effectiveness of your ads depends on the quality and completeness of your Google Shopping feed. You might notice a familiar concept here: Google Shopping feed optimization shares similarities with SEO. Both involve providing relevant information to rank for specific search terms on Google. Shopping advertisers with a limited product range can create their feeds manually in Google Sheets. For those with larger inventories, an app or service that automatically crawls their websites and generates Google-friendly feeds is recommended.
Optimizing your Google Shopping feed
This section will cover the key elements of a Google Shopping feed, along with essential optimization advice. To ensure these tips are reliable, I consulted with Kelly McGee and Sam Drane, experts from our marketing services team who consistently deliver excellent results for our ecommerce clients. Before we dive in, let’s address a recurring theme: When it comes to your Google Shopping feed, providing comprehensive information about your products is crucial. Detailed product descriptions enhance the relevance of your ads. Conversely, limited information hinders Google’s ability to accurately match your ads with search queries.
Product title
The blue, clickable text at the top of your Shopping ad is your product title.
Kelly and Sam emphasize that optimizing your product title should be your top priority when working on your Google Shopping feed. Sam advises against “keyword stuffing,” recommending to “choose a primary keyword and place it as close to the beginning of your product title as possible.” Treat your product title like a webpage title. Google prioritizes titles when determining relevant search results. While keyword stuffing is discouraged, detailed descriptions are encouraged. Online shoppers often use long-tail keywords when they’re ready to make a purchase. Including details such as brand, color, size, style, model, gender, measurements, and other pertinent attributes increases your chances of capturing users with high purchase intent.
Product image
Your product image is simply the visual representation of your product.
Kelly emphasizes the importance of high-quality product images: “Product images are critical for your Google Shopping feed. They need to look professional, as poorly presented images deter clicks.” Unlike product titles, which focus on relevance for Google, product images are all about attracting attention. Consider them your brand’s first impression. A professional image reflects positively on your brand. There are also specific a few rules to keep in mind: avoid watermarks, extra text, and logos.
Product category
Although not visible to potential customers, your product category is a backend attribute that Google utilizes when displaying Shopping search results. It’s a mandatory element of your Google Shopping feed. To advertise a product, categorize it using Google’s Product Taxonomy (GPT). Available for download, the GPT is incredibly detailed, with over 6,000 categories and subcategories. “Product category plays a significant role in relevance,” says Sam. “Precise subcategory targeting enhances the relevance of your products.” In essence, be specific. If you sell baby socks, avoid broad categorization like this: Apparel & Accessories > Clothing Instead, opt for more specific categorization: Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Baby & Toddler Clothing > Baby & Toddler Socks & Tights Remember: More product information is always better.
Product type
Put simply, your product type is an additional backend attribute that helps Google determine relevance, but it’s optional, unlike the product category.
However, Kelly suggests it’s not truly optional. “While the GPT might offer a suitable categorization for some products, it’s common to wish for more specific options,” she explains. That’s where product type comes in. Use it to provide a more detailed picture of your product, which can lead to your ads reaching a more relevant audience. This attribute is crucial for sellers with niche products. While I don’t have the entire GPT memorized, I’m fairly certain a subcategory for “Bruce Lee Custom Merchandise” doesn’t exist. So, if your business revolves around handcrafted grandfather clocks shaped like Bruce Lee (let me know if you do!), leveraging product type is essential.
Product description
The text displayed below your product title and beside your product image is your product description.
A common mistake is using the product description for, as Kelly puts it, “fluff,” meaning adding excessive and irrelevant information. “Google analyzes your product descriptions for relevant keywords,” Kelly clarifies. “This is an opportunity to incorporate secondary keywords that weren’t included in your product title.” Just like your product title, avoid keyword stuffing. Be detailed and comprehensive, but don’t make it sound like spam. Prioritize placing important keywords near the beginning of the description, if possible. Surprisingly, you can even A/B test your Shopping campaigns to see which product description variations perform best.
Custom labels
This is less about optimizing your Google Shopping feed and more about advanced bidding strategies, but it’s still relevant. When structuring your Shopping campaigns, you organize your product catalog into groups or buckets based on criteria like brand, style, age group, etc. You then assign bids to these groups.
Via Savvy Revenue. Let’s imagine you sell athleisure wear and categorize your products by brand. You have separate buckets for lululemon, Athleta, and Outdoor Voices. While you could set bids at the bucket level, you might face an issue: Your best-selling product, a specific pair of lululemon pants, significantly outperforms other lululemon products. Naturally, you want to increase bids for this particular item. This is where custom labels come in. They allow you to differentiate between products within the same bucket and set specific bids accordingly. “I always recommend utilizing custom labels for my clients,” says Sam. “It’s a straightforward and effective method for segmenting your catalog and highlighting high-performing products.”
Miscellaneous product information
Needless to say, your product price is a mandatory element of your Google Shopping feed. Research your competitors’ pricing for similar products and ensure your pricing is competitive. For resellers, including the brand of each product in your feed is essential. Apparel sellers must list attributes like gender (male, female, unisex), color, size (small, medium, large, etc.), size type (regular, petite, maternity, etc.), age group, and size system (U.S., U.K., E.U., etc.).
Each product requires a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN). The GTIN is a unique identifier used to store product information in databases. Every item sold needs a distinct, universal GTIN to ensure consistent identification across various databases. Additionally, Google uses GTINs to group sellers offering the same product in Shopping search results. Finally, your Google Shopping feed must specify each product’s condition (new or used) and availability (in stock, out of stock, or available for preorder).
The impact of an optimized Google Shopping feed: essential for success
You might dedicate significant effort to perfecting your products, aiming for nothing less than the best before launching them. However, if those products aren’t reaching online shoppers, their impact diminishes significantly. The visibility of your ecommerce catalog relies heavily on the comprehensiveness of your Google Shopping feed. The effort you invest directly correlates to the results you achieve. This applies regardless of your business size. Whether you’re an independent seller manually creating your feed or a marketing director utilizing software solutions, feed optimization is non-negotiable. Ready to start selling? Create your campaigns and optimize your Google Shopping feed! You might also want to explore campaign structure optimization for ROAS. Learn more about it!