How To Use Google Shopping To Sell Products Online
Updated on November 3, 2022 in Ecommerce by Alifiya Mustafa
Since its launch in 2012, Google Shopping has gained outrageous popularity in terms of buying products online. As of 2018, it has driven 76.4% of retail search ad spend, initiating 85.3% of all clicks on Google Ads or Google Shopping campaign ads.
Along with allowing retailers and merchants to reach a vast number of shoppers to sell products online, it exposes the customers to a hassle-free, need-oriented, and enhanced buying experience.
Another reason it reaps benefits to retailers is that when a customer clicks on a product link, they’re directed to the retailer’s website to make the purchase – Marketing, prospect lead, and sale – All at the same time when trying to sell products online!!
Why Should You List Your Products On Google Shopping?
There are some amazing benefits of using this platform to sell products online:
1. Prospect Customers
The best thing about Google Shopping Ads is that it fetches your products based on customers’ search keywords. The customers do not need to be aware of your brand or start-up to find you via Google. Your products can appear above the search results whenever Google matches the keyword to your product. This means, you can sell products online and they will only be shown to the customers who are actually interested in buying what you have to offer.
2. Google Shopping Ads Are Better Than Text-based Ad
Human minds feed on visuals, that is why text-based ads are declining by 6% year by year making campaigns like Google Ads/Shopping the best ROI options.
As per Search Engine Land – Google Shopping spend scaled up 40 percent year by year, average non-brand CPCs on product listing ads increased by 15% and Shopping ad impressions shot up by 47 percent year by year.
3. Easy to Work With
When you use Google Shopping to sell products online, all your Google platforms are linked together wherever your product-related details are. You can operate and manage this complete Google structure through a single Google Account and it is easy to set up accounts here.
By using its API, you can fetch your complete product data into Google – It’s as simple as that!
Rolling out text ads in an effort to sell products online is a common practice. But, text Ads require retailers to bid on keywords but Google Shopping has terminated the keyword process completely and rather pulls up the results based on the customers’ keyword searches.
If you haven’t started using this platform to sell products online yet, then my friend – You are missing out on so many good things that can flourish your eCommerce business!
How Do I Get On Google Shopping To Sell Products Online?
To sell products online through Google Shopping, your first step in this process would be to create a Google Account if you don’t have one. (Skip it if you got one already!)
Once you have your Google Account, you will have to set up 2 different accounts – i.e. for Google Ads and Google Merchant Center account.
- Setting Up Google Merchant Center Account
Google merchant Centre is where you send the details and data about all your products. So, when you start to sell products online, it can fetch the data of the products you want to be listed.
You may find this process daunting as it demands filling up various details and requires your product data to be accurate. You can add your products manually if they are very few, but if you have multiple products then you can create a product feed to upload multiple products at once.
Step 1: Got to Google Merchant Center Sign-Up page.
Step 2: Create an account using your Gmail ID and fill up all the details as requested and click continue.
Step 3: Click on Shopping Ads
Step 4: Verify and claim your website in Google Merchant Center. To do that → click on the settings icon → Tools → Business information.
Step 5: Add your business information → Move to the Website Page and enter your website URL and click Save.
Step 6: Once verified, click on Claim.
Uploading Products In Google Merchant Center
Your product submitting will depend on the way you choose to upload as mentioned earlier, i.e: You can either do it manually or create a feed.
Whichever way you choose, we recommend you doing it through a trusted Google Shopping integration that allows you to alter incoming product data at the scope.
Notes:
- If you are planning to upload your product data manually then you will need to have your data saved in CSV, txt, XML file.
- You might also face the issue of limited uploading.
- Your data might be fetched only once daily, which is not enough to keep your product stock new and accurate.
To set up a Google Merchant Center feed, do go through the linked documents to learn the outlining process:
When submitting your products in Google Merchant Center, we suggest you keep these few tips in mind:
- Do a bit of research to find out which products get included in Google Feeds and reap the best results
- Set up automated rules to optimize Product Listing Ads
- Authenticate feeds before submitting to Google
- Create import and feed schedules
- Be vigilant to errors
- Setting Up Google Ads Account
Step 1: Create your Google Ads account using the same Gmail you used for your Google Merchant Center account.
Step 2: Enter your Gmail address and your website URL.
Step 3: You will be then presented with many overwhelming options like to add your budget, location, keywords, networks, and text ad.
You will also be able to set from which all locations you want your leads to be generated to narrow down your marketplace.
Setting Up Your Google Shopping Account
Once you are done creating your Google Merchant Center and Google Ads Account, all that will be left to do is to link these two accounts!
Step 1: Go to your Google Merchant Center account → Click on the settings icon at the top left corner → Settings drop-down menu → Linked Accounts option.
Step 2: A box will appear asking for your Google Ads Customer ID.
At this stage a request will be sent to your Google Ads Account, to check that → Go to Google Ads Account → Setting and Tools → Click on the Google Merchant box → Accept request → View details → Confirm your ID
Step 3: Go back to your Google Merchant Center account → You will see your account is verified with your Google Ads Account.
Step 4: Go to your Google Ads account → Click on the campaign option → Select Shopping.
Step 5: On your Shopping Campaign page, add a campaign name → Add Merchant Identifier ID. make sure you have already added your product data to your Merchant Center account.
Step 6: Select the locations where you deliver → Save and continue.
Step 7: You will land on an Ad group page where you will be able to see the Product Groups Tab to see your options.
How To Include Your Products In Google Shopping Results For FREE!
If you are trying to sell products online then you should know that Google has recently announced that businesses would be able to list their product for free on Google Shopping.
Previously, all of the listings were paid ads, but now it will be more like search results, there will be a mix of both paid and organic search results. So, if you are someone who wants to sell products online, then you better make a list of products to list them on Google Shopping if you haven’t done that already.
Before you sell products online, there is one thing to remember that organic listing on this platform is only available in the USA for now.
If you live in the U.S, when you go to its site you will be able to see the label ‘Sponsored’ which will show you all the paid results but when you scroll it further and click on the label ‘About’, you will understand that those are the results simply based on the relevance of the search.
If you are located outside the U.S, then Google has said that the free product listing will roll out globally by the end of this year. So if you are reluctant to list your products now in the paid searches, then it would be a good idea to sell products online through this platform when Google will make the listings free for your location.
Setting Up Account To List products For Free
Step 1: Go to Google Shopping → Make sure your location is selected as the U.S.A
Step 2: As mentioned earlier, you will require to set up a Google Merchant Center Account. Here, when setting up your account – you will be able to see a ‘Surfaces Across the Google’ Option.
Step 3: Select this option to list your products for free.
Step 4: Once added, you will be required to add your products either manually or through the product feed.
Conclusion
Google Shopping has become a mammoth in the world of eCommerce where a maximum of retailers and merchants are trying to sell their products online. Along with fulfilling consumer needs, it is also proving to be beneficial for sellers.
With the ease of payment, shipping, improved keyword search results to reach potential customers, and the trust of Google, you get to achieve a wider market and an ultimate increase in sales.
If you sell products online or planning to then we recommend you create your Google Shopping Campaign today and make your first move in achieving the target audience you are thriving for. We highly recommended reading this blog’s 10 tips on improving your online store sales.
If you wish to learn more about eCommerce, product photography, Product Image Editing, and how to grow online, subscribe to the PixelPhant email newsletter below.
Try PixelPhant for free
Use PixelPhant to get more conversions for your online store with better product images.
Background Removal | Clipping Path | Color Correction | Cropping & Resize | Retouching | Shadows