What Is Google Shopping?
Google Shopping is a tool that simplifies the way we discover and compare products from multiple retailers. Accessible via Google Search or the Shopping tab, it serves as a hub where users can browse a curated selection of products from different websites. The ultimate goal? To make it easier for people to find exactly what they need.
When a user clicks on a product, they’re seamlessly directed to the retailer’s site to complete their purchase. It’s a straightforward process, designed to connect shoppers with what they’re looking for quickly and efficiently.
What Are Free Listings on Google Shopping?
Google Shopping features two distinct types of product placements. The first is ad placements, which allow businesses to promote their products through paid campaigns. The second is free listings, where products are showcased organically in product grids at no cost to the retailer, providing an opportunity for increased visibility without a budget.
How Are Products Displayed in Google Shopping?
When exploring Google Shopping, you’ll notice that products are organised into different sections. Each section is designed to help users seamlessly navigate and find exactly what they’re looking for. Here are three common sections we can see in Google Shopping:
Popular Products: Showcasing trending products based on user engagement.
Deals Grids: This section highlights products with significant discounts or special offers.
In Stores Nearby: Displays products available at local retailers based on your location.
How to Rank Your Organic Listings in Google Shopping?
In most cases, the Google free listing feature is switched on by default, but you can change the status on the free listings page in Merchant Centre. If you wish to find out if your products qualify for free listings, you can check Google’s free listing guide.
Influencing the ranking of these products organically in Google Shopping requires a strategic approach with many factors coming into play, below we have listed a few of the essential items we believe will improve your organic visibility in Google Shopping:
Verifying Product Data for Free Listings
When aiming to rank your products organically on Google Shopping, the first and most crucial step is to validate your product data. Without accurate and complete data, your listings may not even appear. Here’s how you can ensure your product data is ready:
Check the Merchant Center
- Log in to Google’s Merchant Center to verify that your product information meets all requirements.
- Address any flagged issues to ensure your listings are eligible to display.
Use Google Search Console
- Access the Merchant Listings tab to get a detailed overview of your product data.
- Quickly identify and fix errors highlighted by Google.
Match Your Product to the Search
Much like using the right tools in SEO to target specific audiences, aligning your product listings with user search intent is critical for ranking within Google Shopping’s product grids. To be eligible for both branded and non-branded queries, your product details need to match the search precisely.
For example
When users search for a specific product—say, “size 12 red basketball shoes”—your listing must reflect these exact attributes, including size, colour, and type. This ensures relevance and improves your chances of appearing in the results.
Provide Comprehensive Product Details
Successful product listings in Google Shopping require comprehensive data, the more information you provide, the easier it is for Google to understand and showcase your products to the right audience.
Key Areas to Focus On:
Product Attributes
Fill in every available field, including size, colour, material, brand, and SKU. These attributes help Google match your product to specific user searches.
Google Product Data Documentation
Pricing and Availability
Keep your pricing accurate and up-to-date, and specify stock availability to ensure your listing meets user expectations.
Images and Descriptions
Provide high-quality images and clear, descriptive text that highlights your product’s features and benefits.
Product Titles
In Google Shopping, product titles play a pivotal role in determining how well your listings perform. These titles are the first thing users see, serving as a direct connection between your product and their search intent.
For example:
Align Titles Across Platforms
Ensure the feed title, product page title, and organic title tag are consistent to maintain clarity and avoid misrepresentation.
Focus on Key Attributes
Include essential details like brand, size, colour, material, and model to match specific search terms users are likely to enter.
Product Reviews
Google displays combined product reviews, taken from multiple sources on free listings. To be a part of this, you need to participate in the Product Ratings program, which allows you to be eligible to have aggregated star ratings displayed on your products.
There are three ways to gain this eligibility to show product ratings on your shopping listings, which are outlined in Google’s Product Rating Eligibility Guide.
Product reviews play a significant role in influencing rankings and building trust on Google Shopping. When multiple retailers list the same product, Google combines reviews from across sources to create a holistic view of its performance. For products sold exclusively through your platform, having a substantial number of positive reviews directly impacts your visibility and helps you stand out in competitive queries.
Tips for Gaining and Managing Reviews:
Encourage Customer Feedback: Proactively request reviews from satisfied customers to steadily grow your review base.
Engage with Feedback: Respond to both positive and negative reviews to show your commitment to customer satisfaction.
Key Selling Point
After covering the essentials, the next step to improving your product’s performance in Google Shopping is emphasising your key selling points. These are the factors that set your product apart and play a crucial role in influencing its ranking within product grids.
What Are Key Selling Points?
Competitive Pricing: Offering a better price than competitors.
Flexible Return Policies: A clear and customer-friendly return policy.
Fast and Reliable Shipping: Highlighting quick shipping options.
Building a Winning Strategy for Improving Organic Visibility on Google Shopping
Achieving success in Google Shopping’s product grids is within reach when you focus on the right elements. By validating your product data, matching your listings to relevant search queries, and providing detailed, accurate information, you lay a strong foundation for organic visibility.
Consistency in product titles, accumulating reviews, and showcasing key selling points like pricing, returns policies, and shipping times can make all the difference. These factors not only enhance your chances of ranking at the top but also ensure your products meet the expectations of potential customers.
Need help navigating the world of e-commerce? Consider reaching out to nimbl. As a boutique digital marketing agency, we specialise in Ecommerce SEO, and understand how to best help your business weave through the ever-changing online shopping landscape.
