Using paid advertising is one of the best methods. What about the unpaid advertising space? Did you know that in October 2020, Google surprised its merchants with a fantastic early holiday treat by launching FREE Shopping Listings worldwide, just six months after introducing free product ads in the US.
Currently, Google Free Listings can be shown within 4 placements and are popular among merchants looking to increase their visibility without high costs.
This article will answer these and many other questions surrounding the Google Listings space. Let’s get to it!
Google Free Listings is a feature provided by Google that enables online retailers to showcase their products in the Google Shopping tab without incurring advertising costs. This service offers e-commerce businesses a complimentary opportunity to present their products to potential buyers, enhancing their organic visibility.
These free listings are displayed alongside paid advertisements in Google Shopping results and include essential product details like images, titles, prices, and store information.
It’s important to note that utilizing Free Listings does not guarantee that your products will appear on Google. The success of this program is largely influenced by the quality of your product data and the specific search terms customers are using.
The benefits of using Google Free Listings
1. Cost-Effective Visibility
Google Listings allow businesses to showcase their products or services without paying for ads, making it a budget-friendly way to attract customers.
2. Increased Reach
Your products can appear in Google’s Shopping tab, Search results, and even on Google Images, helping you reach a wider audience globally.
3. Enhanced SEO
Google Shopping can complement your SEO efforts by increasing the visibility of your products and improving your website’s overall ranking.
4. Boost Local Business
For businesses with physical locations, Google Shopping can help attract local customers by displaying your products in relevant nearby searches. Enhancing your local SEO is very important if your targeted customers is local people. Two essential features for boosting local SEO are voice search optimization and sitemap creation.cs
Who can list their products for free & where?
Any merchant selling physical goods can take advantage of the unpaid product ads. Free listings became available worldwide by the end of 2020.
If you have a product feed in Google Merchant Center (GMC), Google can show those products to users on the Shopping tab, Google Images, Google Search, and YouTube.
Where can you find unpaid product ads?
The initial program allowed sellers to show their products on Google Shopping and Google Search for free, but it has expanded to include many more areas across Google’s network.
As of 2023, the Free Listings program enables your products to be featured on Google’s Shopping tab, Google Images, Google Search, and YouTube. To participate, simply upload an optimized product feed to Google Merchant Center (GMC).
Google Shopping Tab
Your products can appear on the Shopping Tab for free, depending on how closely they align with what users are searching for. Shoppers will be directed to your website to complete their purchases.
When you look at the Shopping tab, you’ll notice paid ads at the top and free listings just below them. If you are part of Google’s free local product listings program, your products may also be shown to local customers, including details like directions to your store, hours of operation, and product availability.
If you decide to join, your Buy on Google products could also be displayed on the Shopping tab. This option is currently available in the United States.
Google Search
When people use Google Search to find information about products, sellers, or brands, they might see rich results with their search results. These results typically include brief text snippets like product information, price, reviews.
Google Images
When users search for products and brands in Google Images, they may see product listings at the top of the page, marked with a “product” label that looks like a shopping tag. This label shows that the product is available for purchase. If someone clicks on the image, they can view more information about the product listing underneath it.
Moreover, Google Lens, a feature integrated into Google Images, enables users to search for products.
Youtube
While watching a video on Youtube, viewers have the opportunity to discover products for direct purchase right alongside the video.
If the product information you provide adapts to the essential requirements, your products could appear in these introduction formats.
How to get products listed on Google Free listings?
To get started you need to have your products uploaded to the Merchant Center and opt into the “Free Listings” program.
Step 1: In case you haven’t opted into the program, you may do it by going to:
“Growth” > “Manage programs” > “Get Started” below free product listings
Step 2: The next step is to optimize product data, clear and structured product titles can enhance visibility especially when they include important details like the brand, size, and material.
Step 3: Check for Policy Compliance
Review Google’s Merchant Center Policies to ensure your product listings meet their standards.
You should avoid prohibited content and adhere to guidelines on data accuracy and customer experience.
Step 4: Monitor Product Performance
Performance tracking in the Merchant Center reveals valuable insights into product visibility and customer engagement. Metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions guide optimization efforts, ensuring that products perform well in Google’s ecosystem.
To view your product performance, your online store must be confirmed and you must have at least one approved product to start gathering traffic.
– Sign in to your Google Merchant Center account.
– Under Analytics, click Products in the left navigation panel to start viewing product performance.
Step 5: Maintain Your Feed
A regularly updated product feed ensures customers see accurate information. For example, outdated stock status (“In stock” when a product is unavailable) can harm customer trust and lead to negative feedback.
Pro Tips when using Google Free Listings
This article walked you through 5 steps to set up and optimize your free listings.
In this process, you can apply some pro tips below to enhance your store’s performance.
- Always update your address because Google prioritizes displaying products nearby.
- The products without SEO errors will be prioritized to display on Google’s free listings. Therefore, optimizing SEO performance with some SEO tools like SearchPie: SEO Booster & Speed, Booster SEO,.. will help you avoiding these SEO problems.
In a nutshell
Using Google free listings can bring many benefits for your store. If you’ve been thinking about exploring Google’s free advertising options, now is the perfect moment to dive in! Taking advantage of new opportunities like free listings is essential in today’s digital world if you want to remain competitive and beat the competition.