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With the recent integration of Google Shopping into the unified search experience, the platform's user base and product visibility have undergone a complete transformation.
Previously, the additional step of clicking on a separate tab created friction and reduced the likelihood of online purchases. However, with the revamped Google Shopping experience, any search, image, or video related to a product can now trigger a sale within minutes.
Furthermore, thanks to the shift toward personalized search experiences, potential buyers can easily find the right products, leading retailers to take full advantage of the benefits offered by Google Shopping.
What is Google Shopping?
Google Shopping is a platform that allows users to discover and compare physical products based on their search criteria. Consider it a sales channel and a virtual storefront window.
When used correctly, Google Shopping enhances product visibility, enabling you to reach more customers and markets.
Google Shopping organizes products by category, displaying the number of reviews, star ratings, estimated prices, and images. This information is extracted from your product feeds and website, underscoring the importance of maintaining updated and comprehensive product pages and listings.
Users can delve deeper into each product by clicking the "View details on Google" button to access additional information.
To be featured in the "Best Things for Everything" section, you need a popular product that appeals to users and meets Google's algorithmic standards. This requires a focus on SEO.
However, please note that only a few categories qualify for this additional source of sales, including Babies & Toddlers, Electronics, Games, Arts & Crafts, Health & Beauty, Home & Office, Outdoors & On the Road, Pets, and Sports & Fitness. Nonetheless, even if your product doesn't fall into these categories, you can still sell on Google Shopping as long as you offer physical products.
Even outside the Google Shopping platform, users searching for products can encounter image ads on Google Search, Google Images, and YouTube. This makes Google Shopping a powerful tool for online retailers, regardless of their product offerings.
How to Set Up Google Shopping?
To set up Google Shopping for your products, navigate to your Google for Retail space and access the Merchant Center. Before setting up Google Shopping, ensure that you have an online store selling physical products that accept payments and returns. Clearly display product prices and provide contact information.
Enter your store's URL, complete the necessary fields, and upload your products to get started.
How to Add Products to Google Shopping?
There are three ways to add products to your Google Shopping account. You can connect your online store, upload products individually, or list multiple products without connecting your store.
Additionally, you can set up ads to increase exposure for your products. However, note that this entails creating a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign, which incurs costs.
To initiate this, access the Merchant Center and create a Performance Max campaign. The ads are based on your budget and product feed. Link your Merchant Center account to your Google Ads account to enable this feature.
Promoted articles appear above organic search results, making it advisable to pay for ads when adding products to Google Shopping.
How to Optimize Your Google Shopping Feed
Optimizing your Google Shopping feed involves following some basic recommendations. Google provides specific tips for optimizing listings based on product categories and target audiences.
When it comes to physical products, apparel and accessories, as well as technology, are significant categories. Consequently, Google's recommendations vary slightly for these categories.
For apparel and accessories:
- High-quality pictures that accurately depict the product's colors, dimensions, and finish are essential. Include images showing the item on a model, as well as close-ups and standalone shots. The primary product image should feature a model. All images should be high-resolution. Create accurate product titles and descriptions, incorporating relevant search terms such as brand, model, color, dimensions, pattern, etc. Additionally, include subjective terms like "for women," "for men," unisex, casual, athleisure, as well as the category, accurate pricing, discounts (if applicable), availability, and shipping policy/costs.
- Accurate product description. Instead of listing your item as "Dark jeans by [Brand Name]. $35," try "Boot-cut jeans for women by [Brand Name]. Dark-wash, boot-cut jeans for petite women. Size 6 US. Made of 97% cotton and 3% elastane. Sizes run small. In-stock. Priced at $35 with free shipping."
For wireless products and services, adhere to the following requirements:
- Clearly display the final price, including activation fees and other necessary additional payments.
- List each variant of the product separately. If the product is available in multiple colors and sizes, treat each variant as a distinct product. For example, if a product is available in three sizes and three colors, there should be nine separate listings.
If your products don't fall into these categories, consult Google's best practices for merchants selling under other product categories or business models.
Google Shopping Feed Requirements
By following these basic practices, retailers can avoid problems and friction during the shopping process:
- Only list products that are available for sale.
- Clearly state your return and refund policy.
- Adhere to Google's guidelines for listing, advertising, and your website.
- Keep your listings up to date and regularly use your Google Merchant Center account.
- Take into considerations Google Shopping requirements on images. For apparel items, images should be at least 250 x 250 pixels and smaller than 65 megapixels. For all other products, images should be at least 100 x 100 pixels and smaller than 65 megapixels.
Conclusions
In conclusion, your Google Shopping product feed serves as an extension of your brand. While some customers may already be familiar with your brand when using Google Shopping, others may discover you for the first time.
Therefore, providing customers with the best shopping experience should be a top priority, particularly considering that customers coming through this channel are often at the bottom of the sales funnel.
To ensure a positive and successful sales channel, focus on being specific, updating information regularly, and following Google's recommendations.
As your sales grow, so will returns and exchanges. To streamline your operations, consider using a single platform that centralizes post-checkout processes, from fulfillment and shipping to tracking, delivery notifications, incident management, returns, and exchanges.
Improve efficiency, save costs and time, and ultimately offer the best purchasing experience to your customers, regardless of the sales channel. Try Outvio.
