Google Merchant Center is getting smarter with a more holistic view of their product performance.
In a recent blog update, Google shared, “Google Merchant Center will begin tracking more conversion events besides the conversion events attributed to clicks on Shopping free listings, including conversions attributed to clicks on Search web results and other sources. Google Merchant Center has made this change to better report conversion data and optimise the Google shopping experience for your products.”
Previously, Merchant Center only tracked conversions directly linked to clicks on free Shopping listings. Now, it will capture conversions across a wider range of touchpoints, including:
- Search web results: Gain insights into how your optimised product data influences conversions directly from Google Search, even if users don’t click on a dedicated Shopping listing.
- Other sources: Google may be incorporating data from additional channels where your products appear. This could potentially include surfaces like Google Images or Discover, offering a truly comprehensive picture.
By capturing these conversions, Google Merchant Center empowers you to:
- Optimise product listings more effectively: You’ll see which product information drives conversions across different channels, allowing you to tailor your product data for maximum impact.
- Measure the true value of organic traffic: Understand how organic search influences your bottom line, not just clicks on Shopping listings.
- Make data-driven decisions: Get a clearer picture of which marketing channels are most effective in driving sales.
With this update, you’ll have richer data and a deeper understanding of the customer journey at every step.
Why This Matters for Merchants
Google Merchant Center’s latest update isn’t just about collecting more data; it’s about giving merchants the power to optimise their entire sales funnel.
Here’s how:
- Boost Sales Beyond Shopping Ads: Before, Merchant Center only tracked sales from people who clicked on free product listings. But that missed a big part: how product data information influences conversions and helps boost sales from organic search results. Now, you can see how well-optimised product information drives sales even if users don’t use the Shopping tab!
- See The Whole Customer Story: Now you can track all the ways people find your products, not just from clicking on ads. This lets you see different touchpoints (Search results, Shopping listings, potentially even other Google surfaces) and analyse the areas where things might be going smoothly or those that need improvement to make the buying cycle easier.
- Smart Targeting and Optimisation: A clearer understanding of the channels and data points that drive conversion help merchants make data-driven decisions. They can optimise product listings for specific channels, tailor marketing strategies, and improve their ROI across the board.
- Enhanced Shopping Experience: Google Shopping wants to help shoppers find the exact items they’re looking for. To do that, Google needs stores to give them richer data insights about their products. With this extra information, Google can better match search queries to products, increase user satisfaction and drive more sales for both merchants and Google.
This update is a win-win for both merchants and Google. The data-driven approach helps keep shoppers happy and leads to a more optimised experience for everyone.
What You Need To Know About Google Merchant Center
Timeline
This update is expected to roll out in the coming months, giving merchants time to prepare.
Data for a Better Shopping Experience
Google will leverage this richer conversion data to optimise shopping search experiences. This could involve improvements like:
- Better matching of products to user search queries.
- Personalised product recommendations.
- Enhanced filtering and sorting options for users.
Overall, these key details highlight the benefits for both merchants (comprehensive data) and shoppers (improved search experience).
How it Works
The expanded conversion tracking will automatically apply to all existing Google Merchant Center users. There’s no need for merchants to take any manual action to enable it.
Opt-Out Options
It’s important to note that while the update is automatic, some merchants may have reasons to opt out of conversion tracking altogether. Here are the available options:
- Disable the conversion setting in Merchant Center: This is the most straightforward way to opt out.
- Turn off the setting in the Google & YouTube channel app on Shopify: If you’re using Shopify to manage your store, you can disable conversion tracking within that platform.
- Unlink Google Analytics and Merchant Center accounts: Disconnecting these accounts will prevent conversion data from flowing between them.
The Big Picture
This move by Google reflects a two-pronged approach:
- Holistic Customer View: Google is giving merchants a more holistic view of their product performance by capturing conversions across all touchpoints. This richer data empowers them to optimise listings, tailor marketing strategies, and ultimately drive more sales.
- Better Shopping Experience: More insights helps Google refine its shopping search experiences. This will lead to a number of improvements such as better product recommendations, more relevant search results, and a smoother overall shopping journey for users.
What to Watch
The true impact of this update will play out over time. Here are some key areas to keep an eye on:
- Listing Optimisation: Will the expanded data provide actionable insights that help merchants significantly improve their listing performance?
- Overall Performance: Will this lead to a measurable increase in sales and conversions for merchants using Google Shopping and other Google platforms?
- Data Privacy Considerations: How will Google ensure user privacy is protected while collecting this broader range of conversion data?
We’ll be keeping a close eye on how this update affects merchants and how people use Google Shopping overall.
Need a fresh perspective? Let’s talk.
At 360 OM, we specialise in helping businesses take their marketing efforts to the next level. Our team stays on top of industry trends, uses data-informed decisions to maximise your ROI, and provides full transparency through comprehensive reports.
