Google Shopping Feed For Shopify

Losing money online in your business can be a frustrating experience, yet companies tend to operate at a loss. Google Shopping Feed For Shopify One of the main reasons these businesses do so is due to the lack of optimizing their Google Shopping campaigns or feeds.

One of the most important things you must do with your Google campaigns on platforms like Shopify is to optimize them accordingly so your products appear online. Before delving into these optimization techniques, it's essential to understand what Google Shopping is and how you can move forward?

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Table of Contents

  • 1 What is Google Shopping Feed for Shopify?
  • 2 Why Do You Need One for Your Shopify Store?
    • 2.1 There are plenty of advantages
  • 3 How to Create One for Your Shopify Store?
    • 3.1 1. Manually creating the feed
    • 3.2 2. Create the feed automatically
  • 4 How to Create a Shopify Google Shopping Feed Manually?
  • 5 How Does the Product Data Feed Get Created on Shopify Automatically?
  • 6 The Google Shopping Feed FAQ
  • 7 Conclusion

What is Google Shopping Feed for Shopify?

Formerly known as just the Product Listing Ads, Google Shopping has evolved in time. It is a primary service offered by Google around the world. Customers can view, compare, and search for many products using the feed view.

When a customer uses Google to search for a product, the Shopping Feed features the same. They can also appear on the results page of the search engine or even under a shopping tab. Like, for example, if a customer searches for "red running shoes," they might see ads that appear like this

You can view multiple products on the shopping feed, as shown above. The products are from multiple vendors and brands and can be chosen based on the user's wishes.

Why Do You Need One for Your Shopify Store?

It must be noted that one of the most critical elements when advertising online is Google Shopping. Optimization of the feed is the ultimate goal, and it needs to contain accurate information so the user can make a clear decision.

The goal for optimization is to allow Google to match your brand's products with a customer's search. Unlike the other search ads, there isn't an option to bid on specific keywords and also market these products, as it is based on Google's algorithm.

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A properly optimized shopping feed can categorize items and help shoppers find exactly what they want. It's important to note that the feed is mainly for shopping ads while the keywords are used for search ads.

There are plenty of advantages

The feed also needs a data source which synchronizes the product feeds. It provides the necessary information about the product from the Shopify store, from which the listing ads are generated.

If people search for an existing or relevant product feed, they can do so by purchasing from the site itself directly.

It's super easy once you understand how it works. You give Google the necessary information about the product, and Google uses its algorithm to finalize the ad that needs to be shown.

Google's Shopping Ads is one of the best in the business in the field of online marketing. More than 3/4th of clicks online came from search ads for many digital marketers.

It gives you as a business owner access to an incredible tool that can optimize the product search. This can convert customers from potential buyers. The process can seem long and also consuming, which is why Shopify is available.

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How to Create One for Your Shopify Store?

Once you've understood the basics of Google Shopping, it becomes essential to create your own. You can learn to create your feed by two methods- automatically or manually.

1. Manually creating the feed

In case you don't have many products that need to be added to the feed, you need to do it manually. In case you've to go forth and complete that, you can enter all of the related product details on Shopify.

These feeds can be filled as per the specifications. Shopify will automatically take it up from there to upload it on Google Shopping.

2. Create the feed automatically

With this method, an app or a service can be used to traverse the Shopify store. It can do "web-crawling" and extract the necessary information that's necessary. It is super useful when there are plenty of products which have to be fed.

The algorithm needs to feed the right information. However great the description or the title is, it must be recognized. If it doesn't, it won't feature on Google's many touchpoints.

It's crucial that the info that you provide is relevant, accurate, and also optimized. This can increase all your chances of gaining a front-row seat on the search page.

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How to Create a Shopify Google Shopping Feed Manually?

To manually create the product feed, you've to make a template file for the feed.

In case you use the option for smart shopping with Google, you've to go forth and enter all of the relevant details in different attributes present in the tab to add products. The ads end up using the same and match relevant search queries.

This includes raw data attributes, which can help get more relevant clicks on these ads. It is important to note that these can be optimized, and here's the process to do it –

  • Use the SKU as an "id"- You will have to fill the product variant's SKU. The ID needs to have Unicode characters that stay constant even if you're selling in other countries. In case you've not been selling a product, you can discard the ID and not use the same ID later on.
  • Use the title as a "product title" – This is another important attribute that can work in your favor. The title is similar to the title that's present on-page. In case you use it the right way, this attribute can also be used to help in optimizing the search. There are a few details that can't be missed, including –
  1. Use the attribute of the brand.
  2. The product name contains keywords that are used the most.
  3. The color, model, size, and identification of a variant
  4. Any specific identification
  5. Avoid using the symbols of pipeline and hyphens, and don't use any promotional material or superlatives on the title.
  • The Product Description – The attribute for the title, with the description, is one of the most important details. It contains the most important functions – the keywords which can help Google determine what kind of search query is relevant for a page.

It isn't as crucial as the title, but a few things need to be considered when entering the description. This has to be done so that you get max benefit out of the shopping ads.

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  1. Ensure you the product is described with any important information with the relevant keywords
  2. Make sure it is descriptive and brief and doesn't give many details or a back-story that isn't helpful.
  3. Don't be too vague or try to be a salesman. Add the information that is relevant to the product and avoid any promotional texts or links.
  • Use the "Link" of a product page – Here, in this particular attribute, you need to place the link that takes you to the Shopify landing page, and this must also be a verified Google domain and should start either with HTTPS or HTTP. The link must also contain a URL that's encoded and complies with the RFC 2396 and RFC 1738 to maintain the overall uniformity.
  • Use the variant image or the URL for the link for images – As required, the image link or image URL links the product to a variant image present on the Shopify store. It also needs to be present on the main image of the variant.

The link also contains a set of minimum requirements, including –

  1. The product's main image and URL must comply with the codes prescribed for URL and RFC.
  2. The product must be displayed with regards to any of the other technical aspects
  3. There shouldn't be any watermark or text present right in the image, and there must be a white background behind it.
  • Use the variant "Price" – You need to mention the product price along with the currency that's also rounded to the nearest two decimals. These price-sensitive markets are the ones that require this. You've to also ensure the feed pricing matches the one that's present on the landing page.
  • Use the vendor as a "brand" – Yet another crucial attribute to identify a product is a brand. You can place the vendor's name first here. If you're also selling your own produce, then the brand name can be present in the attribute. In case there's no vendor or seller name, you've to place a supplier or manufacturer's one.
  • Use the barcode variant as the GTIN – This is an attribute that requires the GTIN that's provided by the product's manufacturer. The number must exclude the spaces and dashes and also follow the GSI guidelines.
  • Use the variant SKU as the "MPN" – In case the product doesn't have a GRIN that's valid, you must then mention the MPN, as that's the SKU.
  • Availability – This can be done in order to understand availability. Buyers can check if the quantity is in stock or not. If the quantity is more than one, then it can be marked as such, and if not, the "out of stock" option can be placed.
  • Condition – You can mention if the product is new, used, or refurbished.
  • Optional fields – Other attributes are optional apart from the basic attributes provided, and you can incorporate them in your feed as well.
  • Use the product type as a "product category" – You can also understand the category of product that's defined by your product. When you enter, it must fill in the entire product category on the landing page.
  • Colour – This is the easiest one to fill, as you fill the primary version. When there are variants, you can create a similar value with the item group ID for different colors.
  • Group ID – This can be utilized for many product groups available in many versions. This includes size, color, pattern, age group, material, and gender. You can use the parent SKU to make grouping more simplified.

With these techniques, it becomes easier to create a shopping feed with the help of manual steps.

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How Does the Product Data Feed Get Created on Shopify Automatically?

In case there are many products with different varieties that run into the hundreds, you can put them out manually in the data feed. It would typically take many hours otherwise, and this process shortens it entirely. One of the best ways to do it is by signing into a third-party provider and installing an app that generates the feed that's available on our site.

The most attempted option is to get an app already present on the Shopify platform. These can generate feeds automatically and also handle other Google Shopping aspects such as alternative feeds and diagnostic tabs.

The app makes this even better. It creates the feed, allows you to go forward and optimize it, and more. The exact website program for crawling as the merchant center for Google is also employed to extract the product's relevant information and create the product feeds.

These are steps that you need to follow for a Shopify product that's automatic in the feed –

  1. Sign in and install the feed app such as Easy Google Shopping feed, by us.
  2. Connect the Google Merchant Center with the store.
  3. Provide permissions to sync the feed data with the Google Merchant Center

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The Google Shopping Feed FAQ

How do I create a Google Shopping Feed?

A feed generally consists of a list of products with different attribute groupings that define these products uniquely. In the Merchant Center, the products are added to a supplemental or a primary feed. Once it's created, it can be added to the programs that you've signed on for.

To create a new feed, you can click the Products option on the navigation menu and click on Feeds. Create either a supplemental or a primary feed. Each program that you've signed up for appears as potential feed destinations. Check on the box next to the program's name and add the particular feed to that program.

The attributes define a product, including options such as availability or condition, and come with accepted or standardized values. The other values, such as title or ID, can be left open to be filled with your own value choice. By accurately describing the items using the necessary attributes, you can help users find them out easily.

The product data can be sent via a feed via the Google Content API for the Shopping ads. They can also be imported from the necessary supported eCommerce platform. It's better to use the imports or feeds from the eCommerce platform.

What is Google Merchant feed?

A feed can be defined as a file made of a product list that uses many groupings of attributes that define the products accurately. In the Merchant Center, these products get added to the supplemental or the primary feed. Once the feed has been created, it can be added effectively to any programs signed up for.

How do you rank on Google Shopping?

The first step in ranking on Google Shopping is to set up a Merchant Center account and then to optimize the product images. Then, you can collect and input the product feed data and link the Google AdWords account. Post this; you can create a Google Shopping campaign and place bids. Target and schedule the Shopping campaign and finally create ad groups for easier referrals.

Which of the Google Shopping feed attributes is not required?

There are plenty of Shopping feed attributes that aren't required. Some of them include Additional Image Link, Availability Date, Cost of Goods Sold, Sale Price, Expiration Date, Sale Price Effective Date, Unit Pricing Measure, and so on.

What is Google Product Category?

Google Product Category is an attribute that is used to categorize any item online. The category can be selected from the Google Taxonomy. By placing products in the product categories, you can help customers navigate better and access your product.

How do I optimize Google Shopping?

There are a few ways with which you can optimize the Google Shopping campaigns. These include
1. Optimizing the product feed and the campaign structure
2. Dividing products into ad groups
3. Finding losers v winners
4. Top vs others
5. Excluding the unprofitable products
6. Sub-dividing negative keywords
7. Adding negative keywords

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Conclusion

In conclusion, Shopping Ads are an incredible option with regards to the market range it covers and the touchpoints available for a product. It shouldn't be considered a cost in opportunity, as online businesses tend to become more competitive, with new players entering every day.

With over 10,00,000 businesses being powered by Shopify worldwide, they are indeed a trusted facilitator of online shopping services. They have plenty of expertise in Google Shopping Ads and can help your brand get to the next level.

You can easily manage Google feeds, update the older ones, add newer ones, customize product feeds and ad campaigns to the market you choose. In case you have a website that sells goods, you need to take up this opportunity and begin your own Google Shopping ad campaign and turn prospects into paying customers.

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