Part of: PPC
Google Shopping management for ecommerce
Google Shopping shows your products, with image and price, when people search. Results depend more on the quality of your product data than on clever bidding, so we start by checking and fixing the feed, then manage the campaigns and report on what your store actually sold.
Is this right for you?
Who it is for
Stores with a clean catalogue, clear product images and prices, and tracking that records real orders, that want products to appear when people search.
When it is not
Stores with a very messy catalogue they are not ready to tidy, stores whose prices or stock change constantly without the data keeping up, or stores with margins too thin to cover clicks.
What is included
- A review of your product data, titles and identifiers
- Merchant Center set-up or clean-up
- Shopify's Google channel set up or checked
- Shopping campaigns structured around products and margins
- A view on Shopping versus Performance Max for your store
- Monthly reporting that compares Google's figures with your store's
Google Shopping shows your products, with a picture, price and store name, when people search for something you sell. What decides how well it works is mostly your product data. We check and fix that first, then run the campaigns and report on what your store actually sold.
This page is part of PPC. That page helps you choose between channels. This one explains the work behind Shopping.
What the work involves
Product data first
Shopping ads are built from your product data, not from keywords you choose. Google reads your titles, descriptions, images, prices, stock and identifiers and decides what to show. If the data is thin or wrong, no amount of bidding fixes it. We improve titles so they say what the product is in the words people search, check images and prices, and fix the data in Shopify so the changes last. Our Shopify development work can help if the store build itself makes this hard.
Merchant Center
Merchant Center is where Google checks and approves your products. Google verifies your business and website before products can show. We set it up or clean it up, work through warnings and disapprovals, and check your shipping, returns and policy details are filled in correctly.
Shopify’s Google channel
Shopify’s Google & YouTube app sends products to Google. It can save time, but it only passes on the data you give it. We set it up or check it, and explain where its limits are, for example if you need more control over titles.
Identifiers
Where products have identifiers such as a GTIN, brand and MPN, Google uses them to match your product to others. Google requires a GTIN for any product that has one, and a brand for most products; products without one, such as handmade goods, are marked as having none. We help find the right ones and say plainly when a product, such as something handmade, does not have them.
Shopping or Performance Max
Standard Shopping campaigns give you more detail about which products spend and why. Performance Max can reach more places from one campaign, but shows less. Which one suits you depends on your data, your tracking and how much you want to see. We say which we would choose and why, and the account structure is explained in Google Ads.
Free listings
Google shows free product listings alongside paid ads, in the UK as elsewhere, using the same Merchant Center data. We set the feed up so you are eligible, but we do not promise any traffic from them.
What we measure
- which products are approved, limited or disapproved
- orders and revenue from Shopping, checked against your store
- which products earn their place and which only use up budget
- feed problems we have fixed, and what remains
How tracking is checked is covered in GA4 setup and audits. We do not promise rankings, revenue or a return on ad spend.
What it costs
Our fee depends on the size of the catalogue and how much needs fixing. Your ad spend is paid to Google separately. We do the feed clean-up at the start of a Google Ads or Shopping retainer. A large or messy catalogue may need a one-off fee, agreed in writing first. See the pricing page.
Where it fits with other work
Feed-driven ads can also be built into visual formats with dynamic creative. For the wider picture of ads, see PPC.
How we do it
Every project is different, so timings depend on its size and complexity. You get a realistic timeline in writing before work starts, and we never promise results by a date.
Step 1: Audit the feed
We check titles, descriptions, images, prices, stock and identifiers against what Google needs, and list what to fix first.
Step 2: Fix the data
We improve the product data at source, in Shopify, so fixes last rather than being patched in a feed.
Step 3: Set up campaigns
We build Shopping campaigns around product groups and margins, and agree a modest starting budget.
Step 4: Review and refine
We watch which products earn their place, keep fixing data issues and report plainly on what happened.
What it costs
Retainers start from £500 per month and cover our services only. They do not include your ad spend, or any software or other subscription costs. One-off optimisation projects are priced by current need or an agreed hourly rate. Our pricing page has the detail.
Questions people ask
Why do my products not show on Google Shopping?
Common causes are products disapproved for missing or incorrect data, a Merchant Center account with unresolved warnings, or campaigns with too little budget. We check the diagnostics first.
Do I need to pay to appear on Google Shopping?
Not always. Google shows free product listings alongside paid ads, including in the UK, using the same product data from Merchant Center. We set up the data so both are possible, and explain what each does.
Should I use Shopping campaigns or Performance Max?
It depends on your data and how much control you want. Performance Max can include Shopping placements but shows less detail. We explain the trade-off for your store and recommend one.
Can you use Shopify's Google channel?
Yes, where it suits. It can send products to Google without a separate feed tool, but you still need good product data. Shopify's Google & YouTube app does this.
Can you promise sales or a return on ad spend?
No. Results depend on your prices, products, reviews and competitors, and we cannot control those. We show you what is realistic and report honestly on what happened.
Do I need product identifiers like GTINs?
Often, yes, for products that have them, because they help Google match your products. We help you find and add them. Google requires a GTIN for any product that has one, and a brand for most products.
Ready to talk it through?
Get a free, top-level audit of your website for SEO, your ad account for PPC or your analytics account. A subject matter expert at Advent reviews it, and we aim to send it within 5 working days of receiving access.