Introduction

Do you have an e-commerce website and want to display your products in Google Shopping results (with a stylish image, price, and store information)? This is where the "Google Merchant Center" comes in. In this article, we will explain step by step what the Google Merchant Center is, what it is used for, how to set it up, and how to use it.

What is the Google Merchant Center?

The Google Merchant Center is a platform that allows you to upload products from your e-commerce website to Google. The uploaded products can be displayed in Google Search, Google Images, the Google Shopping tab, and on YouTube as ads or organic listings.

Advantages

Your products reach more people on Google.
Increases sales opportunities.
Creates a data source for advertising campaigns.
Strengthens brand awareness.

Google Merchant Center Setup Step by Step

1. Create a Google Merchant Center Account

Go to the Google Merchant Center page.
Click on the "Create account" button.
Enter your company name, website, and country.
Accept the terms of service.

2. Website Verification and Validation

Verify your domain with Search Console.
Alternatively, you can perform the verification via HTML tag, file upload, or DNS record.

3. Set Up Business Information

Completely fill out your business name, address, and contact information.
Specify the shipping and return policies.

4. Create a Product Data Feed

Create a new feed in the "Products > Feeds" tab.
Select the target country and language.
Use one of the "Automatic Upload" or "Manual File Upload" options.

5. What Should the Content of the Product Feed Look Like?

You need to provide the following information in a CSV or XML file:

id (unique product code)
title (title)
description (description)
link (page URL)
image_link (main image URL)
price (price)
brand (brand)
condition (new, used, etc.)
availability (stock level)

Example of a Product Feed (in CSV format)

id,title,description,link,image_link,price,brand,condition,availability
SKU1234,Example T-Shirt,Athletic cut T-shirt,https://example.com/t-shirt,https://example.com/images/tshirt.jpg,129.90 EUR,ExampleBrand,new,in stock

6. Feed Test and Publication

Upload the feed to the Merchant Center.
Google scans your feed and reports errors, if any.
Fix the errors and upload again.
After the feed is approved, your products are published.

7. Connect to Google Ads (Optional)

You can run "Shopping Ads" by linking the Merchant Center to your Google Ads account.
This way, your products will be highlighted as sponsored in the Google search results.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is the use of Google Merchant Center free? Creating an account and publishing products is free. However, if you want to run ads, you pay through Google Ads.

How many products can I upload? You can upload thousands of products depending on the feed size.

Is the Merchant Center only used for online sales? No, it can also be used for physical stores (with the "Local Inventory" option).

What happens if I upload a faulty feed? Google will reject your products. You can correct them and upload them again.

How often should I perform feed updates? You should update immediately if prices, stock levels, or descriptions change.

Conclusion

With the Google Merchant Center, you can make the products of your e-commerce website accessible to millions of potential customers. With the right setup and regular feed updates, you can increase your sales both organically and with advertising. If you follow the steps in this guide, you can set up your Merchant Center account in minutes.

If you would like detailed support, you can contact us.