How to Use Google Merchant Center?
Welcome to my digital marketing blog! I’m Roman Makarenko, the guy who took the long path (actually more than 8 years) from freelancing on Upwork, where I earned $1 million, to founding a full digital marketing agency, Thunder Marketing Solutions.
Today, we will talk about the visibility of your products to potential buyers. Specifically, about Google Merchant Center. How to use it, how to run marketing campaigns, and more. Just to paint the picture for you, I will share my thoughts on experience with this very important tool for businesses.
Open Merchant Center, and you’re standing in a quiet control room above the tracks. A dozen panels show where each SKU will travel, blinking green when the data looks healthy, pulsing red when something is missing. That unobtrusive dashboard decides whether your product card flashes beside a YouTube review, slips into a Shopping tab carousel, or stays parked in the yard.
At its core, the tool is little more than a structured catalog. You feed Google a table — spreadsheet, XML, or Content API payload — spelling out price, availability, GTIN, shipping rules, even color names. The platform checks every cell against policy and schema, then grants or withholds boarding passes item by item. Fail to provide a barcode, let stock drift to zero, or paste an image with extra text overlay, and the listing stalls. The routine feels almost clerical: upload, verify, correct, repeat.
Yet that same table sets the tempo for bigger moves. Tweak a column heading, and you can test weekend-only pricing in one region while running clearance in another. Append a sale badge attribute, and an entire promotion lights up across Performance Max without touching the Ads interface. Merchant Center becomes the single source of truth; campaigns simply reference whatever the feed serves next.
Daily work splits along two tracks. One is strategy — mapping custom labels, setting policies for bundle SKUs, planning seasonal rollouts. The other is maintenance — editing cells, re-running Diagnostics, nudging disapproved items back into review. Neither track survives without the other: planning fails when the sheet is dirty, and spotless data means little without a plan.
After reading this article, you will know what it is Google Merchant Center is, how to use it, how to setup an account, mobile optimisation, how to deal with common errors, and much more. Hope you’ll find this useful! Good reading!
Tell me about your marketing campaigns. Which strategies seemed more successful, and which less so? Share your experience, and perhaps I can point out which details you need to focus on.
What is Google Merchant Center
Google Merchant Center bridges your inventory with millions of potential buyers. Instead of hoping that potential customers will find your website either way, Google Merchant Center places products directly where people already shop across Google’s ecosystem (Google Search, Shopping tab, Images, Maps, YouTube, and Google Ads).
You know those product images that appear when you search for something to buy? That’s this platform at work. It takes your regular product data and transforms it into something Google can showcase everywhere from Google Shopping results to YouTube videos, image searches, and more.
What makes it work for everyone? Flexibility. A small boutique might upload products manually, while a large retailer can automate everything with data feeds. You don’t need a massive budget; the core features cost nothing. When you’re ready to reach more shoppers, paid options through Google Shopping setup let you scale up.
Every day, billions of purchase-focused searches happen on Google. Having your products properly formatted and ready to display puts you right in that stream of potential sales. For modern sellers on the internet, this visibility is not only desirable but also crucial to remain competitive since buying behavior starts with a Google search more and more.
What is Google Merchant Center Used For?
This platform is a business assistant in showcasing your products (or services) to potential customers. It changes the way of discovering your products across Google’s ecosystem. With it, your website traffic increases, sales go up. How Google Merchant does this:
- Visual Discovery: Shoppers see your products with images and prices in Google Shopping results before clicking anything.
- Free Exposure: The “Surfaces across Google” program displays your items in organic listings throughout Google’s properties without charging you a cent.
- Strategic Advertising: Connect to Google Ads to create targeted Google Merchant Center ads that place products in front of highly-qualified potential buyers.
- Local Shopping Integration: Physical stores can demonstrate to nearby customers precisely what is available on the shelves, turning online searches into in-store visits.
- Attention-Grabbing Offers: Attract attention with merchant promotions such as exclusive discounts or enhanced shipping benefits that appeal to shoppers’ eyes.
- Performance Insights: Track which products generate interest and adjust your strategy based on actual customer behavior.
- Seasonal Flexibility: Quickly adapt your visibility strategy during holidays and peak buying periods.
This platform serves businesses at every level, from basic product listings to complex marketing strategies. Your success begins with setting up your Merchant Center Google account and creating accurate product feeds that showcase your inventory effectively.
New in 2025: Key Interface Changes in “Merchant Center Next”
If you haven’t logged into your Google Merchant Center account recently, you’re in for a surprise. Google completed a major platform redesign throughout 2024, calling it “Merchant Center Next,” reorganizing where you’ll find essential features. The sidebar navigation now groups related functions together instead of spreading them across separate sections.
Product management consolidated from multiple tabs into a single “Products” section. Your product listings, feed uploads, and diagnostic tools now live in one place rather than requiring navigation between “All products,” “Feeds,” and “Diagnostics” pages. Feed processing status and error notifications appear directly within this unified view.
Campaign controls moved deeper into Google Ads integration. Where you previously managed Shopping campaigns partly through Merchant Center, the new system pushes most campaign creation and optimization tasks into Google Ads itself. The linking process remains the same, but ongoing management happens primarily in the Ads interface.
Account settings are combined under “Business information” instead of being scattered across different menu sections. Website verification, tax settings, shipping policies, and customer service details now occupy a single configuration area.
The search bar at the top provides direct access to specific settings without menu navigation. Type “shipping rates” or “product data” to jump straight to those sections.
Although at first the new UI caught me off guard, now I’ve gotten used to it and find it more convenient. That’s why I couldn’t avoid mentioning these changes. And now, since we answered this “interface question,” let’s move straight on to setting up your merchant center account in the next chapter.
Setting Up a Google Merchant Center Account
Getting started with Google Merchant Center takes just a few steps. Here’s how to set up your account from zero:
1. Create Your Account
- Visit the homepage and click “Get Started”
- Sign in with your existing Google account or create a new one
- Enter your business information, including your business name, country, and time zone
- Accept the terms of service
2. Verify and Claim Your Website
Website verification proves you own the domain from which you’re listing products. Choose one of these methods:
- HTML tag: Add a meta tag to your website’s homepage
- HTML file: Upload a specific HTML file to your website’s root directory
- Google Analytics: If you already use Google Analytics, this option is fastest
- Google Tag Manager: Connect through your existing Tag Manager account
3. Configure Your Business Information
Complete your profile with crucial details:
- Business address and contact information
- Store name and description
- Logo and business images
- Customer service policies
4. Set Up Tax and Shipping
For accurate pricing in Google Shopping setup:
- Configure your shipping settings with rates, methods, and delivery times
- Input tax information based on the regions you sell to
- Set up return policies that meet Google’s requirements
5. Choose Your Programs
Select which programs to participate in:
- Surfaces across Google (free listings)
- Shopping ads (paid promotion)
- Local inventory ads (if you have physical stores)
- Enhanced free listings (additional product details)
6. Install Conversion Tracking
To measure effectiveness:
- Set up conversion tracking through Google Ads or Google Analytics
- This helps you understand which products drive actual sales
With these steps completed, your account is ready for the next crucial stage — adding your product data through the merchant feed.
What is a Google Merchant Center Feed
A merchant feed is the standardized data file that contains all your product information. Think of it as a detailed spreadsheet that tells Google everything about your products in a format it can understand and display to shoppers.
Your merchant feed must include specific attributes for each product:
- Required attributes: ID, title, description, link, image link, availability, price, brand, GTIN/MPN (when applicable), and condition
- Recommended attributes: Additional images, sale price, color, size, material, shipping details, and any other relevant specifications
- Custom attributes: Additional product details that can help with merchant keywords targeting
There are several ways to create and maintain your merchant feed:
- Manual upload: Create a spreadsheet (CSV, TSV, TXT) with all required product information and upload it directly. This works well for businesses with fewer products.
- Scheduled fetch: Store your feed file on your server, and Google will retrieve it automatically at scheduled intervals.
- Content API: For larger retailers, developers can use the Content API to programmatically update product information in real-time.
- E-commerce platform integrations: Many platforms, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento, offer built-in Google Merchant Center integrations that automatically generate and update your merchant feed.
The quality of your merchant feed directly impacts your product’s visibility and performance. Common best practices include:
- Using clear, descriptive product titles with important details frontloaded
- Writing unique, detailed descriptions that include relevant merchant keywords
- Providing high-quality images that meet Google’s requirements
- Keeping inventory and pricing information current
- Using the correct product categories from Google’s taxonomy
Your merchant feed needs regular updating; outdated information might lead to poor performance or disapprovals. Most businesses constantly update their feeds to ensure accuracy, especially for price and inventory status.
How Do You Connect Google Merchant Center to Google Ads?
Linking your account to Google Ads unlocks powerful paid advertising opportunities through Google Shopping. Here’s how to make this connection and start running effective Shopping campaigns:
Linking the Accounts
- Log in to your Merchant Center Google account
- Navigate to the “Linked accounts” section in the left menu
- Select “Google Ads” from the options
- Enter your 10-digit Google Ads customer ID
- Click “Link” to send the request
- Log in to your Google Ads account to accept the link request
Setting Up Your First Shopping Campaign
Once linked, you can create Google Merchant Center ads through a Shopping campaign:
- In Google Ads, click “Campaigns” then “New campaign”
- Select “Shopping” as your campaign type
- Choose your linked Merchant Center Google account
- Select your country of sale
- Set your campaign priority (High, Medium, or Low)
- Define your budget and bidding strategy
- Choose campaign targeting (locations, languages, devices)
- Set up ad groups and product groups based on your inventory
Optimizing Your Shopping Ads
To get the most from your Google Shopping campaigns:
- Organize products into logical groups based on category, price point, or margin
- Use negative keywords to stop the ads from showing for unrelated searches.
- Use merchant promos like “Free shipping” or “15% off” to stand out.
- Set up remarketing campaigns to target previous website visitors
- Monitor performance metrics like click-through rate, conversion rate, and return on ad spend
Enhanced Listing Options
Beyond basic Google Shopping setup, consider these advanced features:
- Local inventory ads: Show nearby shoppers what you have in stock at physical stores
- Showcase Shopping ads: Group related products together in a single, expandable ad
- Smart Shopping campaigns: Use Google’s AI to optimize your shopping ads automatically
- Dynamic remarketing: Show previous visitors the exact products they viewed on your site
Strategic shopping campaigns and correctly linking your account to Google Ads will help immensely raise the visibility of your products and generate more focused traffic to your online store.
After setting up Google Ads, we want to know the details, right? How to operate things. For this reason, I’ve covered Performance Max, its features, specifics, what to look for, and common mistakes in the next chapter.
But before that, feel free to share your experience working with Google Merchant Center. If you’ve read this far, maybe you already have some questions? I’ll be happy to answer them in the comments.
Setup and Running Performance Max Campaigns
Performance Max is your AI-powered “smarter Shopping campaigns.” Yes, I recall that I was skeptical too, but, honestly, it’s a genuinely good implementation example of AI features. The thing is in smart connections. See, these campaigns run across Google’s entire ecosystem — Search, Shopping, YouTube, Gmail, Discovery, and Display — all from a single campaign setup. The algorithm decides where your ads appear based on where it thinks your customers are most likely to convert.
Here’s what that means in practice: you give Google your products, some creative assets, and audience signals. The system then tests different combinations across all these placements to find what drives sales. You lose granular control over where ads show, but you gain access to inventory that regular Shopping campaigns can’t reach.
Setting Up Your First Performance Max Campaign
You will find the setup process different from standard Shopping campaigns:
- Link your Merchant Center account (same as regular Shopping campaigns)
- Choose “Performance Max” as campaign type in Google Ads
- Set your conversion goals — sales, leads, or store visits
- Define your budget and bidding strategy (Target ROAS or Maximize Conversion Value work best)
- Create asset groups — think of these as themed collections of your creative materials
- Upload creative assets — headlines, descriptions, images, videos, and logos
- Add audience signals — customer lists, website visitors, or demographic targeting to guide the algorithm
- Select which products to promote from your Merchant Center catalog
- Set campaign targeting — locations, languages, and any exclusions
What Google Doesn’t Tell You About Asset Requirements
Google requires specific asset quantities — multiple headlines, descriptions, images of different sizes, and optionally video content. But the key is that quality beats quantity every time.
I’ve seen campaigns with minimal assets outperform ones with every possible creative variation filled in. Focus on getting a few high-quality product images and clear, benefit-focused headlines rather than hitting every asset slot with mediocre content.
Video assets can significantly boost performance, but they’re not mandatory despite what Google’s setup interface suggests. If you have good product videos or customer testimonials, definitely include them. If not, don’t delay launching your campaign just to create video content.
The audience signals deserve more attention than most people give them. Upload your customer email lists, website visitor audiences, and similar segments. These don’t restrict where your ads show — they teach the algorithm who your buyers actually are.
When to Use Performance Max
Performance Max works best for businesses that want a broad reach without campaign management complexity. If you’re comfortable letting Google’s algorithm make placement decisions and you have sufficient conversion data (at least 20–30 conversions monthly), these campaigns can expand your reach beyond traditional Shopping results.
They’re particularly effective for businesses with visual products that perform well across different formats — fashion, home goods, electronics. Service-based businesses or complex B2B products might find the automated approach too broad for their targeting needs.
Budget size matters too. Performance Max campaigns need sufficient spend to generate meaningful optimization data. I typically recommend minimum budgets of $50–100 daily for most businesses, though this varies by industry competition levels.
Common Setup Mistakes
I will also list some common mistakes that I’ve seen from my clients needing help with setup, so you will know what to focus on and double-check:
- Mixing campaign types — Running Performance Max alongside regular Shopping campaigns for the same products creates internal competition
- Insufficient conversion tracking — The algorithm needs clear conversion signals to optimize effectively
- Poor audience signals — Uploading low-quality customer lists or irrelevant audience segments
- Generic creative assets — Using the same headlines and images across all asset groups instead of tailoring them to different product categories
- Impatient optimization — Making changes before campaigns have sufficient data (usually 2–3 weeks minimum)
What Are Google Merchant Promotions
Merchant promotions show up as small badges or text directly in Shopping results — “Free shipping” or “15% off” appears right next to your product before people click anything. Most sellers don’t bother setting them up, which is why they work well when you do use them.
I started using them more consistently after noticing that accounts with active promotions were consistently getting better visibility in Shopping results. Google seems to favor listings that give shoppers extra value, and promotions are an easy signal for that.
➢ Free Shipping Offers: You can promote free shipping either for all orders or set a minimum amount. Most people do thresholds like “Free shipping on orders over $35” because it pushes up order values.
➢ Percentage Discounts: These work for sales — “20% off” or “15% off everything.” You can apply them site-wide or just to specific product categories if you want to push certain inventory.
➢ Fixed Amount Discounts: Dollar amounts like “$10 off orders over $75.” Some customers prefer seeing exact dollar savings rather than trying to calculate percentages.
➢ Buy One Get One (BOGO) Offers: Bundle deals that get people to buy more items. “Buy 2, get 1 free” or “Buy one shirt, get 50% off the second one.”
➢ Seasonal and Limited-Time Promotions: Holiday sales, back-to-school specials, or limited-time offers. These work because they feel urgent.
How to Set Up Merchant Promotions
- Go to the “Growth” section in your Merchant Center — you’ll find “Promotions” there
- Click “Create promotion”
- Pick your promotion type (free shipping, percentage off, etc.)
- Fill in the details — how much discount, minimum purchase amount, which products qualify
- Set your dates for when the promotion starts and ends
- Add any promo codes if customers need to enter something at checkout
- Choose your countries if you only want the promotion in certain places
- Submit it — Google usually approves these in a day or two
- Check the dashboard to see how it’s performing
What Works Best in Google Merchant Promotions
There are quite a few things that I experienced and drew some conclusions. First, is that free shipping beats percentage discounts almost every time. I’ve tested this across dozens of accounts, and free shipping consistently gets more clicks. Seems like people hate paying for shipping more than they love getting 10% off.
The threshold is tricky, though. I usually start at $50 for most products. Too low and you’re giving away shipping on orders that would have happened anyway. Too high and people just leave rather than adding random stuff to hit your minimum.
I’ve also learned to actually end promotions when I say I will. I used to extend “weekend sales” into the next week if they were working well, but customers catch on to that. Now, when I say 48 hours, I mean 48 hours.
How to Perform Mobile Shopping Optimization
How are people using their phones nowadays? Look, here are some statistics for 2025: over 60% of searches occur on mobile devices in the U.S. Quite an impressive slice of pie, right? So, we definitely need to address the needs of the majority. Sounds logical, doesn’t it? Like, we need to consider that Mobile Shopping results look completely different from desktop. They have fewer products shown initially, images appear smaller, and promotion badges become more prominent because there’s less space to work with.
This compressed layout changes what customers notice first and how quickly they make decisions. Since mobile users see fewer options and scroll less, every element of your product presentation needs to work harder to capture attention and communicate value immediately. How to set up this mobile shopping optimization in the right way? I will show you below.
Product Images for Mobile Screens
Your main product image might display at 150 pixels wide instead of 300, so details that seem obvious on desktop disappear entirely. Product shots that include multiple items, lifestyle scenes, or text overlays become unreadable at mobile thumbnail sizes.
Close-up product shots outperform wide-angle lifestyle photos on mobile Shopping results. A zoomed-in view of a watch face showing the brand and key features works better than a full wrist shot, where the watch becomes a tiny detail. Similarly, single product shots against clean backgrounds grab attention more effectively than busy scenes where the actual product gets lost.
Since mobile users often see just your main image before clicking, that single photo needs to immediately communicate what you’re selling and why it’s worth their attention. This visual-first approach then influences how the rest of your mobile experience needs to function.
Mobile Landing Page Performance
Once someone clicks your mobile Shopping ad, page speed becomes critical because mobile users abandon faster than desktop users when pages don’t load immediately. But mobile page speed isn’t just about technical optimization — it’s about understanding how mobile users interact with slower-loading content.
Mobile users typically don’t wait for full page loads before starting to scroll and explore. They expect to see product images and key information within the first second, even if other page elements are still loading. This means prioritizing above-the-fold content delivery over total page load time.
The mobile browsing context also creates more interruptions — notifications, calls, app switching — so mobile landing pages need to help users quickly verify they’re in the right place and move toward purchase before getting distracted.
Product Information That Works on Small Screens
Mobile Shopping results truncate product titles after 2–3 words, so the most important product details need to appear first. “Nike Air Max 90 Women’s Size 8” communicates more useful information than “Women’s Athletic Running Footwear” when space is limited.
Once users reach your mobile landing page, they’re looking to verify the product matches what they clicked on and confirm the price. Long feature descriptions that work on desktops become obstacles on mobile screens, where users want quick confirmation rather than detailed research.
Mobile product pages work better when they prioritize verification over education. Key specifications, size information, and availability should be immediately visible, while detailed features and benefits can appear lower on the page for users who need additional convincing.
Mobile Checkout Considerations
Mobile checkout creates different friction points than desktop purchasing. Typing shipping addresses on phone keyboards generates more abandonment than form complexity itself. Auto-fill and address lookup features become more valuable on mobile than streamlined form design.
Payment method choices also matter more on mobile because users strongly prefer stored payment options or one-touch solutions over manual card entry. Apple Pay, Google Pay, and saved payment methods reduce the typing burden that creates most mobile checkout abandonment.
The mobile path from Shopping ad to purchase involves more potential interruptions, so mobile checkout flows need to minimize steps and keep users moving forward rather than encouraging additional browsing or comparison shopping.
What Are the Most Common Errors?
Even experienced users encounter issues with Google Merchant Center. Yes, me included. That’s why I can list the most common errors and share my experience on how to quickly troubleshoot and fix problems that might affect your product listings:
Product Disapprovals
These typically occur when your items don’t meet Google’s policies:
- Missing information: Required attributes like GTIN, brand, or size are absent
- Inaccurate landing pages: The product URL leads to a different item or a 404 error
- Policy violations: Products that are prohibited or restricted (weapons, adult content)
- Image issues: Low-quality images, watermarks, or promotional text in product photos
- Price mismatches: Differences between your feed price and website price
Feed Processing Errors
Problems with your merchant feed structure can prevent proper processing:
- Format errors: Improperly formatted CSV files or XML syntax problems
- Character encoding issues: Special characters that aren’t properly encoded
- Size limitations: Feeds exceeding maximum file size (4GB for most feed types)
- Scheduling problems: Automatic fetches failing due to server issues
Account Verification Problems
These can prevent your products from showing at all:
- Website verification failure: Incorrect implementation of verification methods
- Domain ownership issues: Mismatches between claimed website and actual ownership
- Business information inconsistencies: Differences between account details and website information
Performance Issues
These don’t cause disapproval but affect how well your listings perform:
- Poor product titles: Vague or keyword-stuffed titles that don’t clearly describe products
- Inadequate product descriptions: Missing key details that shoppers need
- Low-quality images: Pictures that don’t showcase products effectively
- Competitive pricing issues: Products priced significantly higher than competitors
When you encounter problems, the Merchant Center’s help resources should be your first stop. The Diagnostics section in your account highlights specific issues and guides you on how to fix them. For complex problems, Google’s support team or community forums can offer additional assistance.
I highly recommend monitoring your Merchant Center Google account regularly and addressing issues promptly. I’m sure you 100% want your products to remain visible to potential customers.
Thank you for your attention! I really hope that my perspective on Google Merchant Center and all this information in general has been useful to you and that I have been able to answer most of your questions! But if you still have any questions, please share them in the comments. I always respond to everyone!
FAQ
How much does Google Merchant Center cost?
Creating a Google Merchant Center account and listing your products on “Surfaces across Google” is free. You pay only when you decide to run paid Google Shopping ads across Google Ads. Your industry, level of competition, and bidding will affect the cost of these ads.
How long does it take for products to appear in Google Shopping?
After submitting your merchant feed, Google typically processes and reviews your products within 24–72 hours. Initial reviews may take longer if your account is new. Once approved, product updates usually reflect within a few hours of feed updates.
Can I sell services through Google Merchant Center?
No, Google Merchant Center is specifically designed for physical products. Services, digital products without physical delivery, and certain restricted items cannot be listed. Review Google’s policies before uploading your feed to ensure compliance.
How often should I update my merchant feed?
For optimal performance, update your merchant feed at least daily, especially for inventory status and pricing changes. Businesses with rapidly changing inventory should consider more regular updates or API integration for real-time synchronization.
Do I need a website to use Google Merchant Center?
Yes, a functioning website with product landing pages is required to use this platform. Each listed item needs a dedicated webpage where customers can complete their purchases. The system verifies these pages to ensure consistency between your feed data and actual product offerings. Google does provide some tailored programs through limited partnerships, but these have more restrictions than regular account possibilities if you sell just through sites like Amazon or eBay. Having your own website allows you to have the most control over how your products show up in the Google ecosystem.
How can I improve my product performance in Google Shopping?
First, invest in professional product photography that shows items clearly from multiple angles. Craft product titles that highlight critical information and naturally incorporate merchant keywords into descriptions. Price monitoring tools keep you competitive without cutting profits. Keep inventory updated to avoid disappointed shoppers clicking unavailable items. Address Merchant Center help notifications immediately to prevent visibility issues. Structured data markup on product pages helps Google comprehend your offerings. Targeted Google Merchant Center ads can boost visibility to qualified customers for products. Testing different strategies and measuring performance metrics will help you optimize your strategy.
