Step-by-Step Guide: Adding Products to Google Merchant Center
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What is Google Merchant Center?
- Benefits of using Google Merchant Center
- How to sign up for Google Merchant Center
- Adding products to Google Merchant Center
- Rules to keep in mind when adding products
- Importing products from eCommerce stores
- Creating a Google Sheets template
- Optimizing product listings for Google
- Tips for adding images to product listings
- Adding product types and prices
- Adding product identifiers and details
- Shipping information
- Conclusion
How to Add Products to Google Merchant Center
If you're looking to market your products for free and run ads or display your products directly on Google, YouTube, and other related platforms, then Google Merchant Center is the platform for you. In this article, we'll guide you through the process of adding products to Google Merchant Center, step by step.
What is Google Merchant Center?
Google Merchant Center is a platform that enables you to promote your products for free and run ads or display your products directly on Google, YouTube, and other related platforms. It's a great way to market your products and reach a wider audience.
Benefits of using Google Merchant Center
There are several benefits to using Google Merchant Center, including:
- Free to use
- Reach a wider audience
- Run ads or display your products directly on Google, YouTube, and other related platforms
- Promote your products for free
How to sign up for Google Merchant Center
To sign up for Google Merchant Center, head on over to the website and click on "Sign up for free" or "Sign in" if you already have an account. Select the Google profile you want to use and you're good to go.
Adding products to Google Merchant Center
Adding products to Google Merchant Center is not as simple as a lot of people think it might be. There are a few rules that you need to keep in mind whenever you are adding products to your Google Merchant Center.
One way to add products is to directly import from your pre-existing listings on your Shopify, Wix, or any other eCommerce store that you have created. However, this can encompass a different kind of hassle because those products are optimized for your own website and Google Merchant Center is very different from your own website. These products are not going to be displayed in the manner that you ought to display them with the merchant center settings. So, we recommend that you get started from scratch whenever you're using the Google Merchant Center to add products.
To add a product, click on "Product" on the left side of your screen and click on "Add products". After that, you have to add the countries that you want to display your products in. Obviously, if you're someone that is based with a business in Canada, you might not want to be shipping in Spain because it's simply not feasible for your product. So, we don't recommend selecting every country possible. Only select the countries that it is most convenient or you want to focus on.
Depending on the type of product, you might want to market it towards a different country. For example, if you're an international brand, but some of your higher-end products might be marketed towards a different country than some of your multi-ranging or multivariate variated price products. So, you need to keep all of these things in mind whenever you are adding products.
Rules to keep in mind when adding products
Adding products to Google Merchant Center is not as simple as just uploading a product image and a description. There are several rules that you need to keep in mind when adding products, including:
- Make sure you're reading the subtext on the left and right sides of the page for all of the rules that Google has.
- Add high-quality details that match your online store.
- Add details that help your product appear in more places on Google.
Importing products from eCommerce stores
One way to add products to Google Merchant Center is to directly import from your pre-existing listings on your Shopify, Wix, or any other eCommerce store that you have created. However, this can encompass a different kind of hassle because those products are optimized for your own website and Google Merchant Center is very different from your own website. These products are not going to be displayed in the manner that you ought to display them with the merchant center settings. So, we recommend that you get started from scratch whenever you're using the Google Merchant Center to add products.
Creating a Google Sheets template
You can use a Google Sheets template where you can add all of your information in a Google sheet where it provides you all of the fields and then you can add your product directly to that sheet and the products will be added. We recommend this method as well because once you've done it one by one, it can be a little time-consuming. So, we recommend that if you are just getting started, add your products one by one. Once you're accustomed to how you want to add the titles, descriptions, prices, and more, then you can enter the information in bulk directly into the Google Sheets and then have it automated in directly. You can even use a pre-existing XLS or CSV file.
Optimizing product listings for Google
This is the most important section of your basic Google Merchant Center listing because it is not easy to create listings that are eye-catching and that are going to fit with Google's requirements. So, make sure that you are reading the subtext on the left and right sides. This is where you're going to find all of the rules that Google has. You want to optimize this for Google so if a customer is searching for apparel or something like that, they will have the gender obviously. So, it's going to be female if you're selling female apparel items. You're going to add male if you're selling male apparel items. Then you have your first and second keyword, which might be printed t-shirt or graphic printed t-shirt. You also have to include the brand, which might be Durden, Puma, Nike, or whatever your brand name is. Then you want to add the specific kind of color that you have. You can add one color followed up by a secondary color. Black, red, then you can add your sizes like this. Regular, like so. This is a female t-shirt and the material is cotton. It's printed and it is targeted towards adults.
Tips for adding images to product listings
Images have certain requirements on Google Merchant Center. First off, non-apparel images need to be at least 100 by 100 pixels, and apparel images need to be at least 250 by 250 pixels. You can't have anything larger than 64 megapixels, and no image should be larger than 16 megabytes. Additional images are crucial to understand what the product looks like, and we recommend that you create multiple different images of the same product in multiple different angles. Another very important tip is that if you have apparel images, you have backgrounds that are simple and basic to understand. If you have a plain, basic white background, that is going to be probably the best optimized with Google.
Adding product types and prices
Make sure you're specifying what type of product this is. You can add multiple different product types, whichever befits your specific product. You can add upwards of eight product types. Make sure in your title you have a very specific title for your specific product. Now, you have your price. Obviously, you're going to add a price, availability, sale price, and then you have your product identifiers.
Adding product identifiers and details
You want to make sure you add your own identifiers if you are tracking your products. But you can also add MPNs. You also have language, and then you have your detail. In your detail, you have to add color. Obviously, if you have several colors, you can add one color followed up by a secondary color. Black, red, then you can add your sizes like this. Regular, like so. This is a female t-shirt and the material is cotton. It's printed and it is targeted towards adults. After that, you have your additional details. Obviously, if it's an adult product, if it is provided in a bundle, and then you have your Energy Efficiency. This is not something that is added to a lot of different products.
Shipping information
You want to add your shipping service. You can add that by simply clicking on "Shipping" over here and link your shipping services to your Google Merchant Center to make your product more authentic and reliable. Then after that, you have your minimum and maximum handling time. It's usually two to six or two to five days.
Conclusion
Adding products to Google Merchant Center is not as simple as a lot of people think it might be. There are several rules that you need to keep in mind whenever you are adding products to your Google Merchant Center. However, if you follow the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to add your products to Google Merchant Center with ease.
