How Does Google Shopping Work?

Have you ever searched for a product you wanted to buy on Google? You likely saw ads like the ones below at the very top of the search results. These are Google Shopping ads, and they’re one of the best ways to get your products in front of potential customers — right when they’re ready to buy.

Sections

What Is Google Shopping?

Google Shopping is like a personal online marketplace, curated just for you based on the products you’re looking for. You can get a preview of Google Shopping from the ads that appear at the top of the search results, but if you click over to the Shopping tab, you’ll really see what Google Shopping can do.

At first, it looks similar to what you might find on any major retailer. You have a list of products, and filters on the side that you can use to narrow in on the precise product you want. The only difference? These product results are pulled from stores across the web, rather than being limited to a single retailer.

It’s no wonder 59% of shoppers use Google to search for products they plan to buy. They can type in what they’re looking for, and Google will serve them with results from every brand that’s submitted their product data to Google.

As a retailer, investing in Google Shopping ads is a no brainer. To say this ad type is popular would be a no-brainer. Currently, Google Shopping ads represent over 75% of all U.S. retail search ad spend, and 85% of all clicks. Google Shopping ads are visual, and include everything a shopper needs to know to click the buy button — right from the comfort of Google search. What’s not to like?

Is Google Shopping Free?

Yes, there’s even a free version of Google Shopping. Prior to April 2020, Google Shopping was only available to retailers who paid to advertise their products. Then, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Google showed their support for small businesses by enabling free product listings.

Today, the Google Shopping results are a mix of paid and free listings. However, the top slots almost always go to paid listings. There’s good news, though. Google Shopping ads are cheaper than traditional search ads. The average cost per click for a search ad is $2.69. For Google Shopping ads, it’s only $0.66.

How to Sell on Google Shopping

Follow these three steps to get started selling on Google Shopping.

1. Create Your Google Merchant Center Account

First, you’ll need to sign up for a Google Merchant Center account. You’ll tell Google key details about your business, like your name, address, and website. You’ll also describe your checkout process and link any third-party platforms you use to sell and promote your products.

2. Upload Your Products

Next, you’ll prepare your product feed. Most brands upload a spreadsheet that contains the product information for each product they sell. If you use schema.org product markup on your site, however, you can have Google automate this process for you.

3. Create Your Shopping Ads Campaigns

Finally, you’ll link your Merchant Center account with your Google Ads account. You can find specific instructions to do that here. Once that’s done, it’s time to create your Google Shopping campaigns! Create an ad group, add your products, and watch the sales come in.

How to Optimize Google Shopping Campaigns

Google Shopping can boost your ecommerce sales fast. Supercharge your advertising campaigns with these 5 best practices.

Try Google Smart Shopping. Like Google’s Smart Display ads, Smart Shopping ads use a combination of your digital assets, product information, and what’s working for other advertisers to create and display your ads at the optimal time to drive purchases.
Segment your audience. Add remarketing lists to your campaigns, and you can customize your bids based on how shoppers previously interacted with your site, whether they’re a loyal customer or just abandoned their cart.
Make your photos stand out. Google requires images to be against a bland background, but with a little creativity, you can stand out from the crowd. Add a little visual interest by showing the product box alongside the product, or by using a different angle.
Optimize your product titles. Besides your photo, the next thing customers notice will be your product title. Use keywords that match what they’re looking for to increase the likelihood they’ll click on your result. Keep an eye on the character limit and put your most compelling keywords first.
Stay on top of it. Make sure to review and update your product feed regular. You don’t want Google to lower your ad quality score because of a pricing error. And there’s no point in paying for ads on products that are out of stock or discontinued!