Google Shopping Changes (What You Need To Know)

Have you just entered the world of Google Shopping, or have you been around long enough to be a veteran? Google Shopping changes often, and several of the updates Google announced in 2016 shaped the way product ads work today. Here is a look at those changes, and what has happened since.

Feed rules let you fix product data inside Merchant Center

Feed rules arrived in Google Merchant Center as a beta feature. They let online merchants improve their data feeds without paying for expensive third-party tools. You can submit a file with any header and map it to Google’s product data specification, then use rules to fill in or change fields in bulk, which saves a great deal of manual work.

Feed rules are still a core part of Merchant Center, and Google has since redesigned the interface, including a newer experience called Merchant Center Next. Feed quality has become even more important, because the same product data now powers Shopping ads, free listings and automated campaigns such as Performance Max.

Feed requirements keep expanding

Google expanded its feed requirements in 2016, with deadlines later that year and in early 2017. Specifications change regularly, so check Google’s current product data specification before you update your feed. Two requirements from that time still matter:

Image requirements

Product images must meet Google’s minimum size, and larger, high-quality images perform better. Apparel images have a higher minimum than other categories. Use clear images on a plain background, without promotional text or watermarks, and make sure each product image link works.

Required attributes by category and country

Some product categories require extra attributes, such as size and color for apparel. These requirements have continued to expand, so your feed should include every attribute Google asks for in the countries and categories you sell in.

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Showcase Shopping ads pointed toward more visual ad formats

In 2016, Google introduced Showcase Shopping ads, a mobile format that grouped related products from multiple brands for broad searches such as “living room furniture.” Shoppers could tap into a brand to browse a range of products. It was designed to give users a more immersive experience, and advertisers running shopping campaigns were automatically included in a basic version of the beta.

Google’s shopping ad formats have moved on a lot since then. Shopping now includes more visual, automated and cross-surface formats, and many advertisers use shopping campaigns or Performance Max to reach shoppers across Google’s properties. Free listings are also available, so merchants can appear in Shopping results without paying for clicks.

GTIN: the change with the biggest long-term impact

GTIN stands for Global Trade Item Number, and it covers an item’s UPC, EAN, JAN and ISBN codes. Google’s 2016 announcement made these identifiers a bigger part of product feeds, and they remain very important. If a manufacturer has assigned a GTIN to a product, provide it. Missing or incorrect identifiers can lead to products being limited or disapproved, and they can also reduce how well Google can match your product to what shoppers search for.

Check your feed regularly in Merchant Center’s diagnostics for warnings, and fix them quickly.

Keep your shopping campaigns healthy

The details change, but the principle is constant: a clean, complete and accurate product feed is the foundation of successful shopping campaigns. If you want help, our team can manage your PPC campaigns and your product feed so your products show up in front of the right shoppers.