Shopping ads details are managed through the Google Merchant Center feed specification, different from search ads, which are managed in the Google ads interface. Google ads can be used to structure campaigns, set up product groups, and set bids for products, while the Google Merchant Center feed specification is what generates the different search terms for our ads to appear and the one that needs more optimization work: titles, images, descriptions, and promotions.
The probability that Google shows our Shopping ads is in the search terms with the product data that we send to Google Merchant Center. The more relevant the keywords are, the higher the chances for Google to show the ads.
Promotions Feed
If your e-commerce is advertised on Google Shopping in Australia, Europe or the United States and you also tend to launch promotions on the web, you are in luck. Today we will guide you to improve the Promotions Feed in Google Merchant Center feed specification and show you the special offer tag under Shopping results.
It will be an essential requirement that our website allows the sale in the aforementioned countries and that, consequently, the Merchant Center account has a data feed oriented to them. We could enable an option called promotions. Additionally, Google will review the Promotions Feed before approving it, verifying that it complies with its policies and promotional requirements.
Creating the Feed
To upload your product data to Google Merchant Center, you must first create a feed where you can send and show your products. This process is only necessary the first time you sign up. Afterward, you will be able to update any available feed data without having to register it again.
Main Feeds
This is the necessary data source that Merchant Center uses to display its articles on Google. If the product data of the main feed already complies with its policies and the corresponding specification, all you have to do is create and send the main feed. You can adapt product data that does not meet the requirements of the Merchant Center with advanced feeds, including add-on feeds. Additionally, the complementary feeds can improve or cancel the product data and, thus, increase the performance of the ads.
Use the main feeds to add or remove product data, segment by language and country, and establish feed rules for the product data. The main feeds are the only ones where items can be added or removed.
Creating the main feed
The main feeds are the necessary data sources that you must create to advertise your products with Google. First, go to the “Feeds” section of the “Products” page of Merchant Center. To create the main feed, click on the plus sign button in the feed section. Follow the directions and provide the following information about your data:
- Country of sale: Country in which the products of the feed are sold. Product data that goes up for a specific destination country must meet the requirements of that country, including the policies and specifications of the feeds. After creating the feed, you can add other countries of the sale in the Settings tab.
- Language: Language in which the product data is written. If you select a country that supports several languages (Belgium, Canada or Switzerland, for example), these will appear in a list.
- Main feed name: Enter a descriptive name that will help you identify the main feed. It is not necessary to match the name of the file you are going to send.
- Method of introduction: select the one that best suits your needs.:
- Google Spreadsheets: You can upload your product data with a template generated in Google Sheets or with a Google spreadsheet already created.
- Programmed feed collection: Google can obtain the feed directly from your server.
- Upload: upload files directly to Merchant Center through SFTP, FTP, Google Cloud Storage or manually.
- Website tracking: If there is no feed in your account and the information is well structured on your website, Google can track it to show product data.
- File name: Depending on the input method you have chosen, you may have to indicate the name of the file you are going to send. The name must match the exact name of the file created and have a valid extension.
After you provide the information and click Continue, you can view and manage the main feed you just created in the “Feeds” section of your Merchant Center account.
Complementary feeds
These complementary feeds provide supplementary data that can be associated with the product of the main feed. They are used to update the information already available; you cannot add products to them or remove them, nor can they be used as separate feeds. They can provide additional information to several main feeds.
To use a complementary feed, associate it with the main feed through the ID [id] attribute. These types of feeds only update product data when they contain IDs that already exist in the main feed.
In Synapse Ads we guide you on how to use these types of tools. We offer you the keyword mixer tool that will guarantee the success of your conversion optimization. Your commercial growth is our priority and we have all the information to help your business improve every day.
