Google Shopping Overview
Google Shopping ads appear at the top of Google search results as product cards with images, prices, and seller names. They are powered by a product feed submitted to Google Merchant Centre, which feeds into Google Ads Shopping campaigns.
Free listings are also available via the Surfaces Across Google programme, which shows your products in unpaid Shopping results. This requires the same Merchant Centre setup as paid Shopping but generates traffic without ad spend.
Google Merchant Centre Setup
Create a Google Merchant Centre account at merchants.google.com. You will need to verify and claim your domain. The easiest way is via Google Search Console: if you already have GSC verified, you can connect it directly.
Set your business information: store name, website URL, business country (UK), and currency (GBP). Configure your shipping settings to match your actual shipping costs and delivery timeframes. Inaccurate shipping information is one of the most common reasons for product disapprovals.
Product Feed Requirements
Your product feed must include: id, title, description, link, image_link, availability, price, brand, and GTIN (barcode) for products that have one. Additional attributes like colour, size, age_group, and gender improve product matching and eligibility for some Shopping formats.
Submit your feed via the Google and YouTube Shopify app, which automatically syncs your Shopify product catalogue to Merchant Centre. The app handles most required attributes automatically, pulling data from your product fields.
Optimising Product Titles
Product title is the most important attribute in your feed for both matching and click-through rate. Google matches your title to search queries, so include the most important keywords at the beginning.
For apparel: Brand + Gender + Product Type + Key Attribute. Example: "Levi's Men's 501 Original Fit Jeans - Blue". For electronics: Brand + Product Name + Model + Key Spec. Avoid promotional text like "Best" or "Sale" in titles.
Bidding Strategy
Start with a manual CPC campaign to gather data before using automated bidding. Set bids at product group level, bidding higher on your best-converting product categories.
After 30-60 days of data with 50+ conversions, switch to Target ROAS automated bidding. Set your target based on your actual ROAS from the manual campaign period. Avoid setting an aggressive target ROAS immediately as this can cause the algorithm to restrict delivery.
Monitoring Performance
Monitor your Shopping campaigns weekly. Key metrics: impressions, clicks, CTR, conversion rate, CPA, and ROAS. Segment performance by product type, brand, and individual product to identify your top and bottom performers.
Use Search Terms reports to find irrelevant queries triggering your ads and add them as negative keywords.
Common Feed Errors
Missing GTINs: Required for branded products. Add barcodes to your Shopify products and map them in your feed.
Incorrect shipping values: Ensure your Merchant Centre shipping rules exactly match your Shopify shipping rates.
Image quality: Images must be at least 250x250px, but 800x800px or higher is recommended. Watermarks and promotional text on images cause disapprovals.
