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{"id":1641,"date":"2023-08-02T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cherylroll.com\/google-shopping-optimize-free-product-listings-430104\/"},"modified":"2023-08-02T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T13:00:00","slug":"google-shopping-optimize-free-product-listings-430104","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cherylroll.com\/google-shopping-optimize-free-product-listings-430104\/","title":{"rendered":"How to optimize your free product listings in Google Shopping"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re a brick-and-mortar or ecommerce retailer, you’ll want to ensure your inventory appears as part of Google Shopping’s free product listings<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Below are key tips for retailers looking to optimize their free listings for search. <\/p>\n

What are free product listings on Google?<\/h2>\n
Google Shopping search results have consisted primarily of free product listings since April 2020<\/a>, marking a major shift for the formerly purely paid product. <\/p>\n
This change, which initially took effect for U.S. merchants only, was mirrored worldwide later in 2020<\/a>. <\/p>\n
Free product listings have been a win-win-win situation for shoppers, sellers, and Google alike. <\/p>\n
Consumers now enjoy improved access to a diverse range of products and convenient purchasing options. <\/p>\n
Sellers benefit from an expanded organic reach without any additional costs on their end. <\/p>\n
And for Google, the move allows them to better compete with other major players in the online shopping sphere.<\/p>\n
While, as the name implies, participation in the program is free, retailers must ensure they follow SEO<\/a> best practices to enhance their product listings.<\/p>\n
Doing so is the best way to maximize your chances of reaching various potential buyers across various Google destinations.<\/p>\n

Getting started with Google Shopping and free product listings<\/h2>\n
Just as businesses don’t need to pay for inclusion in Google’s search index, displaying products online through Google is also a complimentary service.<\/p>\n
Users traditionally access Google Shopping by clicking the “Shopping” tab on a results page. <\/p>\n
But free product listings can also appear within:<\/p>\n
\n
Google Images, including Google Lens.<\/li>\n
YouTube mobile or desktop.<\/li>\n
Rich result types<\/a> like popular products or shopping knowledge panels. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
All retailers with a Merchant Center account are eligible for free listings regardless of their participation in Google Ads. <\/p>\n
Simply opt in when creating an account. Ensure the Show your products in free product listings on Google<\/em> option is selected within the Manage Programs<\/em> menu. <\/p>\n
Free product listing types<\/h2>\n
Free listings can have a standard or enhanced appearance depending on the amount of product data you provide.<\/p>\n
Standard free listings<\/h3>\n
With only basic product data provided, Google’s standard free listings appear similar to a standard search result with some additional product-specific information. <\/p>\n
This type of listing may include a product description, price, user ratings, reviews, and stock availability. <\/p>\n
Google may source this information from your Merchant Center data feed<\/a> or, if it is not present, from your website via structured data markup. <\/p>\n
$\"Standard$ $\"Standard$ <\/figure>\n<\/p>\n
Enhanced free listings<\/h3>\n
These visually engaging and content-rich listings can appear across the Shopping tab and other Google destinations outside the results page. <\/p>\n
They require retailers to upload additional attributes, such as high-quality images, but can also boost traffic and drive more sales than the basic standard listings. <\/p>\n
$\"Enhanced$ $\"Enhanced$ <\/figure>\n<\/p>\n
Free local product listings<\/h3>\n
Local listings can promote your in-store inventory and drive traffic from searchers within your geographic region. <\/p>\n
Free local listings help small businesses connect with shoppers in the area who are actively considering products within a relevant category. <\/p>\n
This is an excellent way to drive traffic for products that shoppers might want to try on or view in person before purchasing.<\/p>\n
Other than purchasing at a local store, shoppers can buy products from free listings by checking out on your website. <\/p>\n
While shoppers can also purchase products directly on Google via the Buy on Google feature, this option will no longer be available starting September 26, 2023. <\/p>\n
Instead, Google has announced plans<\/a> to pilot a new streamlined buying journey for shoppers across Search and YouTube. <\/p>\n
Free product listings requirements<\/h2>\n
Before we can optimize, merchants must meet several requirements to have their products eligible to display in any capacity.<\/p>\n
For both standard and enhanced free listings, the following elements must be set up in Merchant Center:<\/p>\n
Claimed website<\/h3>\n
Merchants must verify they have authorized ownership of their website by adding an HTML tag or verifying via Google Tag Manager or Google Analytics. <\/p>\n
When a website is claimed in Merchant Center, already created feeds must be reset.<\/p>\n
Website information<\/h3>\n
Google wants shoppers to have the most seamless experience when purchasing from a product listing. <\/p>\n
They require sites to contain:<\/p>\n
\n
Contact and payment information.<\/li>\n
Return and refund policies.<\/li>\n
Billing terms and conditions.<\/li>\n
A secure checkout process protected by a valid SSL certificate. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Approved product feed <\/h3>\n
This can be manually built or automatically synced via integration options with ecommerce platforms. <\/p>\n
This list of all your products also includes the individual attributes of each product needed to generate free and paid listings.<\/p>\n
Minimum product data<\/h3>\n
Standard listings require each product’s ID, title, price, description, availability, link, and image_link attributes. <\/p>\n
For enhanced listings, the following information is also required:<\/p>\n
Additional product attributes<\/h3>\n
\n
Condition, brand, gtin, mpn, multipack, is_bundle, color, size, age_hroup, gender, item_group_id. <\/li>\n
Note that these can vary depending on the specific product type and category.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Shipping<\/h3>\n
\n
Specify your products’ shipping method and associated fees and rates within Merchant Center or the feed itself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Tax<\/h3>\n
\n
Note the sales tax for each geographic region you serve in Merchant Center or your feed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness email address<\/label><\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Claimed website<\/h3>\nMerchants must verify they have authorized ownership of their website by adding an HTML tag or verifying via Google Tag Manager or Google Analytics. <\/p>\nWhen a website is claimed in Merchant Center, already created feeds must be reset.<\/p>\n

Approved product feed <\/h3>\nThis can be manually built or automatically synced via integration options with ecommerce platforms. <\/p>\nThis list of all your products also includes the individual attributes of each product needed to generate free and paid listings.<\/p>\n

Minimum product data<\/h3>\nStandard listings require each product’s ID, title, price, description, availability, link, and image_link attributes. <\/p>\nFor enhanced listings, the following information is also required:<\/p>\n

Claimed website<\/h3>\n
Merchants must verify they have authorized ownership of their website by adding an HTML tag or verifying via Google Tag Manager or Google Analytics. <\/p>\n
When a website is claimed in Merchant Center, already created feeds must be reset.<\/p>\n

Approved product feed <\/h3>\n
This can be manually built or automatically synced via integration options with ecommerce platforms. <\/p>\n
This list of all your products also includes the individual attributes of each product needed to generate free and paid listings.<\/p>\n

Minimum product data<\/h3>\n
Standard listings require each product’s ID, title, price, description, availability, link, and image_link attributes. <\/p>\n
For enhanced listings, the following information is also required:<\/p>\n