Ultimate Guide To Google Shopping Feed Optimization

Daniel Reeves - January 20, 2021

Google Shopping campaigns are a must have for any eCommerce website. But it’s not simply set and forget, constantly tweaking, testing, and optimizing your product feed is an essential part of PPC management.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the key aspects of optimizing your data feed.

Contents
1) Why eCommerce Stores Need A Google Shopping Feed
2) Why You Need To Optimize Your Shopping Feed
3) Google Shopping Guidelines
4) How To Optimize Your Google Shopping Feed

What is Google Shopping Feed?

The Google Shopping feed can be defined as a file containing a list of all the products you want to advertise through the Merchant Center. Whenever you add these products, you’ll assign attributes to them, and the feeds will help attributes to group these products with one another.

A product feed or product data feed can be defined as a file with all the attributes and a list of products. It can be organized so that it can be advertised, displayed, and compared in a unique and special way. It generally contains an image, identifier, copy, title, and also the product attributes too!

Why Do You Need to Create One for Your eCommerce Store?

eCommerce is one of the trickiest yet most sought after digital exercises for a large number of companies. It helps them grow their reach while also accessing a large number of customers at the same time.

Here’s why you need to create one for your eCommerce store

1. To show up in the right product search query

Your products must be optimized because, first and foremost, it can help your customers search for your products and services. Imagine having a full setup store with the most beautiful images but not having anyone visit because the names and descriptions aren’t updated as required or needed.

When a customer enters a particular query for a product, they expect to access the product immediately. Proper optimization will allow you to ensure your products show up in the right search query.

2. To make a prospective buyer click on the shopping ad

The internet is a massive playground for marketers, and one of the most critical requirements is to get customers to click on your product. How do you do that? With the right optimization.

Prospective buyers need to receive as much information as possible from the content provided, and that’s something you can help them with.

As you optimize your ads, you’ll increase the likelihood they will click on your shopping ad and hopefully purchase from you.

3. To easily optimize your Google Shopping ads

More than anything else, the introduction of a product feed and proper addition of information can help you optimize all of the products as needed.

This also makes it easier for you to add any new products in the future.

Why Should You Optimize Your Google Shopping Feed?

1. Increase Visibility in Google Shopping

It’s essential that you’re able to increase the overall visibility of your Shopping feed. More customers mean more chances of completing a purchase, and that’s why you need to increase your visibility on Google Shopping.

Ensure that you upload all your products properly and the content is updated because ultimately, a poorly optimized product feed will reduce your visibility across Google.

2. More Clicks which leads to more sales

On the internet, more clicks are directly related to more sales. As more people discover your brand and product offerings, it’s all they need to head forth and purchase from you, giving you a higher chance of closing on a number of sales with ease.

3. Improved Segmentation

With the right number of text and content for your products, you’ll be able to improve the overall segmentation. This makes it easier for you to be able to understand each product and its breakdown.

With easier segmentation, you can ensure that your products are filed correctly, making it easier for the customer to seep through the information and make a purchase when required.

4. Increased Relevancy

More ads mean greater relevance, and that’s one of the most significant factors in digital marketing. Only if your product is highly relevant will it get the right people to buy at the right time.

Sales are all about showing the right product to the right customer at the right time, and increased relevancy is another reason you must ensure that your shopping feeds are highly optimized.

Google Shopping Feed Guidelines

Before embarking on creating your shopping feed, you must ensure that certain feed specifications are followed based on Google’s guidelines. These include –

a. Promote products available for direct purchase

It’s vital that you’re able to promote those products that are available for direct purchase. This is because customers expect a certain standard of service online, and you should be able to provide it to them.

Primary to these expectations is providing customers with products available for them to purchase directly off your site.

b. Use at least one official language

When you’re selling in multiple countries, there should not be any confusion regarding the information being portrayed. This can be managed by using an official language when required.

Ensure that wherever you’re selling, the customers can access all the information they require without worrying about the language barrier.

c. Tell customers about your return and refund policy

The return and refund policy you provide your customers needs to be in line with your offerings. You need to be upfront with them on this information to set expectations right from the get-go.

Once you’re able to do this, it becomes simpler for you to sell products and customers to trust you as well.

d. Collect user information responsibly and securely

Collecting user information is yet another important need for any brand online. How else are you going to get them to purchase from you again whenever needed? That’s why you need to ensure that you’re able to capture this important information during a purchase.

However, it’s important to note that user information needs to be collected in such a manner that it doesn’t leave the customer feeling cheated. They have a right to know that their data is being used for marketing purposes and nothing else, and you need to have this disclaimer wherever appropriate.

e. Verify and claim your website URL

Your customers need a place to visit if they want to know more about your brand and what it offers. One of the best places to do that is on your website, and the information provided there needs to be up to date. One of the first steps you should take with regard to your website is claiming the URL.

Once you claim it, your customers have a legit address to head towards, and you can verify it easily online. The process doesn’t take more than a few days, and once you register it, it becomes simpler for you to go forth and make sales as you wish.

f. Website requirements

i. Provide Accurate contact information

First and foremost, the information you provide on the site needs to be up to date and relevant as required. This can be done by updating the information every few months and ensuring that the customer can get as much information as possible to convert into a sale.

ii. Secure your website checkout process

The website checkout process is one of the most critical steps for you to make sales, and it can make or break your eCommerce aspirations. No matter what, this is one page that cannot be compromised, and you need to secure the website checkout process as required if you’d like your customers to complete a sale soon.

iii. Display the Return policy

When customers buy your products, they need to be clear on the return policy too. This is especially true for eCommerce brands that run in the clothing and apparel space as they tend to have a high return rate.

Your return policy can be one of the essential factors in convincing your customers to convert, so ensure it’s always displayed.

iv. Billing terms and conditions

The billing terms and conditions are yet another factor that needs to be looked into. This can ensure that users can complete the checkout process without being levied extra amounts right at the end!

v. Ensure your site users can complete the checkout process

Finally, the checkout process! This must be properly optimized so that site users can quickly complete it and you ensure a smooth transaction.

Signing in to the Merchant Center account regularly is important because you can keep updating information as required!

h. Make sure your data meets the google product data specification

The data you provide on the Google backend must be in line with their data specifications as required. This makes it easier to upload information in the future as well.

How to Optimize Google Shopping Feed

a. Product Titles are the First Thing to Optimize

The product titles contain the first set of information that a customer wishes to see. Whenever you’re uploading your information on the Shopping feed, it needs to include the product titles in the right format so that it can be properly understood –

i. Put what’s necessary for the title

The key information you provide needs to be in line with the product you’re selling. Ensure that the title captures all of the critical information a customer would like to know about the product.

ii. Add Category And Brand To Product Title

This ties back to the brand itself and helps a customer identify the product and the seller faster. You can add the brand name and category onto the product title to make it easier to work with.

iii. Add Specific Product Info Like Size, Material & Condition

Specific product information can be that extra selling factor for customers to understand more about your product. Make sure you include it wherever possible.

b. Always Use High-Quality Images

i. Provide the highest resolution image_link

The best and highest resolution of an image link always works best for any brand. You need to ensure that the products you’re selling look inviting for a customer to purchase.

ii. Don’t use placeholder images or ones with logos

The more professional an image looks, the higher the chance to push a customer to purchase. Try to avoid placing random placeholder images or logos or image promo messages, as these can be off-putting and spoil the entire experience.

c. Product Types

Clean up your product types – combine plural and singular duplicate product types as one.
Nest Your Product Types
Provide the right product_type values that you have

d. Provide Accurate Product Data

Data that’s most accurate gives your customers the chance to know a product’s relevancy and help them purchase it easier. It gives them an understanding that your brand is reliable and can be depended on to provide top-notch stuff.

e. Maintain Price As Well As Availability

Price and availability are two crucial things to consider because customers ultimately want the best deal. Keep an eye on your stock levels are ensure your product feed is kept up to data accordingly.

If you’re not seeing conversions check your product price compared to its competitors, can you do any special offers?

f. Use Google_Product_Category Values That are at Least 2-3 Levels Deep

Using Google_product_category values that allow the customer to delve further into the product and understand it more or less guarantees you a conversion. Make sure you do this exercise once every few days, and it can be rewarding.

You can download a full category list here

g. Use a Unique Product id and Title Value for Every Item in Your Product Data

This practice ensures that no two items show up on a single search query, allowing your customer to get what they came for.

h. Provide the GTIN When Possible

The GTIN is an identifier that is used for trade. These identifiers can be used to look up any potential information on the product from a single database belonging to a manufacturer, retailer, researcher, collector, or other entity.

i. Clean The Product Data

Ensure the data is 100% clean and plagiarism-free. This means that it needs to be optimized once in a while, so make sure you have a good copywriter to check the following

Misspellings – No misspellings must be entertained. Make sure they’re corrected immediately.
Use of another language – The country you’re selling in is most important. Use only the language that is recognized there.
Wrong use of capitalization – Don’t wrongly capitalize your content and confuse the customer.

You can do this feed optimization through third-party apps like AdNabu for Google Shopping that helps you do these processes in less time & an error-free manner.

Conclusion

Thus, it becomes easier to understand why Google shopping feed optimization is such an important process.

Ensure you keep checking on it every once in a while because it can otherwise have an adverse effect on your brand. If you find you don’t have the time to do this you can look into getting help with your PPC management or you can find out more about our PPC packages.

Once you do so, you’ll begin to see a marked improvement in how people and customers respond to your brand, making it easier to sell online!

Guest Post Contribution from AdNabu

AdNabu helps improve sales in Google Ads for shopify stores. If you are running google search, google shopping, or display campaigns in Google Ads, Their apps help to increase your sales.