In the ever-expanding digital marketplace, Google is continually revolutionizing the way businesses connect with their customers. One such game-changer was the introduction of Free Product Listings within Google Merchant Center. This innovative feature has opened up new avenues for online retailers to showcase their products without spending money on advertising. In this guide, we provide the fundamentals of Google’s Free Product Listings, exploring why they matter, where they appear, and how they differ from traditional Shopping Ads.
Why Free Product Listings Are Important
Free product listings (FPL) aren’t just a feature; they’re a strategic necessity for businesses looking to maximize their online visibility. Google uses data that they crawl on merchant websites as well as the catalog uploaded by merchants from Google Merchant Center to determine what metadata about the product catalog will appear on the listings.
Where Do Google Free Product Listings Appear
Free product listings are available at the bottom of the fold on the main search engine results page (SERP), on the image tab in certain listings, and on the Google Shopping tab.
Google continues to launch new experiments as well as features using free product listings first before they promote the feature to paid placements for Shopping Ads. It wouldn’t be inconceivable if you find free product listings appearing in new areas.
How Does Google Determine When Free Product Listings Appear on SERPs
Google’s algorithms power what people see on the search engine results page. Google has shared that offer quality resides in the quality of the product meta data provided by retailers. With Shopping Ads, Google validates that the product details retailers submit via the product catalog match what is on the landing page by using their crawlers as well as human reviewers. The quality of the feed as well as the product relevancy to a customer’s search is how Google determines whether a product surfaces for a customer.
What Areas of the SERP Can Google Free Product Listings Appear
The SERP is a dynamic landscape, and Free Product Listings can appear in various locations. On the main SERP, they can appear below the fold in a 8-pack, 12-pack, or 16-pack listing. If you are lucky, they can also appear above the fold in the knowledge panel on the left panel of the SERP. In addition, free product listings can appear in the “Shopping” tab to organic search results. Lastly, they can also appear to add more context on the Google image tab.
What Is the Difference Between Free Product Listings and Shopping Ads
While Free Product Listings are a great feature for retailers looking not to spend money on marketing, Shopping Ads have been a staple of digital marketing for years. With Shopping Ads, you need to set up campaigns, ad sets, and product groups in Google Ads to manage bids as well as targeting for your products. However, with Free Product Listings, everything is managed through Google Merchant Center.
Advertisers do not need to pay for placement with Free Product Listings. With Shopping Ads, advertisers need to set bids and budgets through campaigns managed in Google Ads. Free product listings are created through a combination of Google crawling a retailers site and Google Merchant Center feed whereas Shopping Ads are specifically curated from the Google Merchant Center feed.
Final Thoughts
Free product listings can be a great opportunity to get organic placements and provide another way to reach more customers. By understanding the differences between its paid counterpart, you can learn how to manage your catalog in order to achieve more impressions with your catalog management optimization.