With Google’s introduction of free product listings in May 2020, merchants operating online in the US suddenly had nothing to lose by listing on the Google Shopping tab. Even the most budget-conscious retailers could now gain visibility without any financial investment. Not a shabby deal!
Now, free organic listings are available to merchants globally. Many struggling brands have been helped to gain visibility through organic product listings. What changes did this create in online shopping, especially regarding organic shopping? And how can marketers take advantage of this? Let us find out how you can leverage Google Ads for your business!
What are “Surfaces across Google”?
Surfaces across Google (SaG) is an associated term that we should consider while discussing unpaid product listings. “Surfaces across Google” denotes all Google properties where your listing may appear organically as Google Surfaces.
Your appearance on SaG is determined by several factors, such as the products sold, physical store presence, product feed, and overall search relevance.
Where Can Your Products Be Seen?
Through the Surfaces across Google program, your products become available on various Google platforms, which helps to improve visibility and increase the chances of customer engagement. Below are the primary Google channels where your products will be featured:
1. Google Shopping
Your inventory products will be showcased through the unpaid listing section on Google Shopping, giving you exposure without needing to run ads. This benefits users who are trying to access similar products for free, as they can easily find your products.
This is a valuable opportunity to capture a portion of the millions of users who browse daily for products for free. Your listings can include product images, pricing, stock status, and store name, which helps consumers make informed choices.
2. Google Image Search
Most shoppers who use Google to search for products often want to view images instead of words. This is where Google Image Search and Google Lens come in handy.
Products that fulfill the given input are shown alongside crisp images, pricing, and links to the store, which makes browsing and purchasing easy. This visually oriented interface is perfect for clothing, jewelry, and other visually attractive merchandise.
3. Google Maps
Whenever a user looks for a certain product, Google Maps shows local store results with product availability and store details.
This feature is important for driving in-store traffic and capturing local interest through Google Ads and shopping results. Your business location, operational hours, and contact information will be shown so prospective customers can easily reach you while shopping for free. It gives you an edge over competitors in the local market as it sustains the balance between online searches and offline purchases.
4. Google Images
Searching for a product on Google Images will also pull up pictures labeled as “Product.” This label shows that the image is associated with a purchasable product. These product-tagged images link directly to the respective product pages, allowing users to buy or learn more about the products you sell easily through Google Shopping results.
With strong images that appeal to and inform users, exposing buyers to such images improves click rates. It is an efficient method to capture interest and convert searches into sales.
How to List Products on Surfaces Across Google
“Sounds great; where do I sign up?” you may be asking yourself. If you have a Google Merchant Center (GMC) account, it should be as easy as ticking a box. Otherwise, you will have to create an account on GMC first to manage your product categories. We will now go over how to get your products listed organically on the Surfaces across Google feature using Google Sheets.
1. Check If You’re Eligible
There are some prerequisites for applying for a Google Merchant Account. Your business must be eligible for at least one of the following: a Google Merchant Center account or Google Ads.
- An active website that includes products and services, with prices, stock levels, and a checkout option to process orders.
- A retail location that is verified and shows up on Google My Business.
Knowing and complying with the policies and requirements of Google and the guidelines of the Merchant Center is crucial for successful shopping results. A well-structured product feed is vital if you want to appear on more properties, including the Google Shopping tab.
2. Register a Merchant Account in GMC
After the initial setup, register for Google Merchant Center. This part is easy since Google provides step-by-step prompts. In general, you will need to follow these steps:
1. Create a Google account to access Google Analytics if you do not have one.
2. Enter your business details.
3. Choose your primary checkout channel:
- On your site
- Directly on Google
- In a physical store
4. Specify any other platforms and integrations that connect with your Google Merchant Center account.
5. Manage your email and notification settings.
You should now be a registered merchant. You’re one step closer to receiving those free organic clicks through the Google Shopping tab.
3. Choose the Type of Organic Listings You Want to Achieve
This will depend on whether you have a local brick-and-mortar shop or an online-only presence that utilizes Google Shopping ads. In addition to having a physical location, shops must meet these additional criteria to get listed:
- Google needs to ensure compliance with “Local Inventory Ads Policies” to effectively manage its product categories.
- You must complete a local inventory verification process.
E-commerce store owners need to determine if they are satisfied with standard listings or want to pursue “enhanced listings.” Enhanced listings offer greater visibility but require merchants to meet stricter data quality standards. Furthermore, these listings can only be submitted via GMC product data feeds. You cannot simply provide structured data markup.
YouTube and other sites will display your content, and in return, enriched listings permit you to feature advanced product information, including product titles. We recommend submitting a properly structured product feed. This makes enforcement simple in the long run, preserves exposure, and improves management for the future.
4. Execute a Product Feed
This section is more rigorous and requires a deeper knowledge of data feeds for the products you sell. For basic listing purposes, your feed only needs a few minimal elements, such as product ID, title, link, accompanying image, and price. Enhanced listings require you to explicitly adhere to Google’s additional guidelines.
But if you find any of the above confusing, don’t worry! This undesirable job can be delegated to a provider such as Intelligent Reach, which can optimize your Google Shopping ads. Companies specializing in data feed management focus on the creation, optimization, and maintenance of product feeds on various platforms to meet all standards and ensure cross-platform compliance.
5. Turn on “Free Product Listings”
You can now access the rich, free clicks that lie in wait. It’s just a formality at the moment:
1. Click “Growth” in the left-hand corner of the GMC menu to view organic product listings.
2. Pick “Manage programs.”
3. Enable “Show your products in free product listings on Google” to enhance visibility on Google Search.
Keep in mind that until December 2020, Google had been calling this program “Surfaces across Google” within GMC: It has since been rebranded “Free (product) listings” for consistency purposes. However, the main feature still operates the same.
Conclusion
The launch of Google’s free product listings through Surfaces across Google, now termed Free Listings has transformed the landscape for online and offline retailers. This presents a unique opportunity for businesses, irrespective of their scale, particularly those working on a tight budget, to gain visibility on multiple Google platforms without any monetary investment. From Google Shopping and Search to Maps and YouTube, your products can now organically reach millions of active shoppers.
Setting it up is easy as long as you follow the right steps, like creating a Merchant Center account, submitting a properly organized product feed, and opting into the free listings program. To maximize impact, aim for enhanced listings that allow richer content and wider distribution. Whether as a local shop owner or an online-only store, this complimentary exposure can help improve traffic and increase sales. In the modern competitive landscape, leveraging Google’s extensive ecosystem for organic shopping is not only strategically advantageous but an absolute necessity.
Vijay Sood is a seasoned digital marketer with a passion for driving online growth and innovation. With a robust background in developing and executing comprehensive digital strategies, Vijay excels in leveraging SEO, content marketing, and social media to boost brand visibility and engagement. His expertise lies in transforming data-driven insights into actionable marketing campaigns, helping businesses achieve their digital objectives.
