Google Search supports a variety of shopping experiences, known as merchant listing experiences, in its search results. This includes product snippets, trending products, shopping dashboards, and image search.
To be eligible for these experiences, Google requires rich product data.
In the latest edition of Google’s YouTube Ecommerce Basics series, developer advocate Alan Kent shares tips for improving your product information to become eligible for these trials.
Below is a summary of the information shared on the Google site video.
Provide product data
The first step to making your product pages eligible for Google Merchant Listing Experiments is to provide the required product data.
This can be done through structured data on web pages, through the Google Merchant feed, or both. Google recommends doing both if possible.
If you’re just starting out, you might want to add structured data to your web pages and then add an automated Google Merchant feed. This feed is generated from the content on your Page and will help Google better understand your products.
After adding the structured data, use the Merchant Listing Report in Google Search Console to make sure it’s correct. This report will display any issues and help you fix them.
Provide pricing data
Submitting product pricing data to Google can be complicated because the search engine supports a growing range of options.
The first step is to review the pricing options used on your website and then read through Google documentation Click on pricing models to see what is supported.
Once you know what pricing your site uses and what Google supports, you may want to simplify the pricing data you provide to Google to avoid confusing shoppers.
Shipping information is an important component in determining the total cost of an item and a key factor in search results.
Determining shipping costs can be complex, as it depends on various factors such as the carrier used, the total weight and dimensions of the order, the shipping distance, and more.
It’s important to note that, like pricing, you may need to simplify the shipping information you provide to match what Google says supports.
Google says it’s safer to overestimate shipping costs to avoid surprising customers with higher-than-expected fees.
Provide product identifiers
Eligibility for many merchant listing experiences requires that you provide product identifiers, such as a GTIN, NPN number, or brand and product name.
Google says the more you can offer, the better.
A SKU, or inventory keeping unit, is not an acceptable product identifier because it is not consistent across merchants.
Check your structured data markup to see if GTINs or similar product identifiers are present on your web pages.
Also check the Merchant Center report in Google Search Console for warnings or error messages related to product identifiers.
In summary
Google Merchant Listing Experiments in search results allow businesses to increase their visibility and drive sales.
To be eligible for these experiences, businesses must submit rich product data to Google, which includes structured data on web pages, the Google Merchant Center feed, and product pricing and shipping information.
Additionally, providing product identifiers such as GTIN, NPN, Brand, and Product Name is critical to becoming eligible for merchant listing experiences.
By following these tips and using the Merchant Listing Report in Google Search Console to ensure accuracy, companies can improve their product information and increase their chances of appearing in Google search results.
Featured image: Screenshot from YouTube.com/GoogleSearchCentral, January 2023.
