A Comprehensive Guide To Conquering Google Merchant Centre

Consumer shopping behaviour and preferences have come a long way, with eCommerce taking over the world. With the digital landscape constantly evolving, keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and practices has never been more vital. As such, a strong online presence is imperative. And what better way to keep up than with Google?

Imagine a platform that not only provides you with crucial customer insights but also introduces your products across various channels. Google Merchant Centre (GMC), along with Google Shopping, is the gateway to a universe that transcends borders, helping businesses like yours expand their audience reach.

What is Google Merchant Centre?

Imagine this: You are finding LED lighting for your room. You enter Google, type what you are finding, and hit enter. In less than a second, Google displays billions of results in your SERP. So, how, then, are you going to find what you are looking for without being overwhelmed?

Here comes GMC. It is a platform that allows brands to upload, maintain, and promote their product listing and eCommerce stores on Google Shopping. It is what we call a product feed, which is a file that shows everything related to your products, from meta tags, prices, and images.

Effective use of GMC will boost your products’ online visibility, making it possible for your customers to discover your products and buy them without having to lift a finger.

Why is Google Merchant Centre vital?

In today’s digital marketing landscape, eCommerce is normal, especially if you are a selling business. While SEO marketing does play a vital role in boosting your online presence and customer reach, it is a slow process that does not offer instant results. This is where GMC can help to mend the gap, scaling your business, generating sales, and opening new opportunities to a fresh pool of customers.

Benefits of using Google Merchant Centre

GMC offers significant benefits, especially for eCommerce businesses, such as an opportunity to tap into a large customer base and promote their products. This increased and targeted visibility also means an increased click-through rate, better conversion, and higher sales.

Here are some benefits of utilising GMC:

1. Update ads in real time

There are approximately 8.5 billion searches conducted on Google daily. You should not be missing out on these searches if you are looking to expand your customer reach. GMC allows you to update and tweak your meta tags seamlessly and instantly, ensuring that your product information across the board remains convincing and accurate.

However, the benefits of GMC go beyond managing your product description and meta tags. One great example is its seamless integration with Google Shopping, boosting the success of targeted advertising and responsive search ads campaigns. This strategy reflects the fundamental purpose of SEO, which is to enhance your brand’s visibility on search engines.

Utilising GMC empowers you to generate compelling, real-time content and amplify your brand’s reach with your customers, developing strong E-E-A-T signals.

2. Monitor performance with Google Analytics support

SEO involves constant learning and experimentation. Conducting regular assessments of your performance is crucial in helping you gauge your digital marketing campaign’s effectiveness. GMC is valuable in its means of enabling precise monitoring of your campaign, enabling immediate fine-tuning.

Businesses can add a custom segment for their GMC hits, keeping their data separated from other transactional information. As you delve deeper into the platform, you will find more features that allow you access to valuable insights into your products’ performance. They not only enable you to make well-informed campaign decisions but also set the foundation for updating campaign strategies for better outcomes.

4. Expand your reach globally to millions of potential customers

Do you know that there are over one billion Google users? That means that utilising Google and its products offers your business the opportunity to have access to them. If your business offers products that extend beyond the Singapore market, then leveraging GMC is a sure move.

The multi-feature platform allows you to create multi-nationality feeds, enabling you to extend your products’ reach globally.

A step-by-step guide to setting up a Google Merchant Centre account

Fortunately, setting up a GMC account is a straightforward and seamless process involving just a couple of steps. Here is how you can get it up and running in no time.

1. Create a GMC account

Visit the GMC site and sign in using your Google account. If you do not have a Google account, you can create one easily by following the instructions on the page. If you do, Google starts your GMC account process by asking you for details about your business, such as your operating time zone, country, and business name.

As you go on with the process, you find a couple more questions regarding your business. Fill out the form accurately. The more details you fill in about your business, the more Google understands your business, and the better it can display your products on its users’ SERP.

2. Link to Google Ads (If applicable)

Once your GMC account has been created, connect it to Google Ads to maximise the impact of your product listings. It also enables your business to run ad campaigns, advertising your brand to a global audience.

3. Verify and claim your website

To ensure that you are able to promote and manage your product listings, verify and claim your website within the GMC. This process involves uploading an HTML file or adding specific code snippets to your website.

Best guidelines to observe when using Google Merchant Centre

Before creating a GMC account, you will need to ensure that your business complies with the guidelines.

1. Promote products that are only available for direct purchases

The products that you are promoting need to be available for direct purchases made through your shop. You are not allowed to use GMC to promote pay-per-click links. Products promoted in GMC must lead users directly to the product’s page, allowing them to purchase what they see.

2. Website requirements

According to Google, they have a set of policies that every website should observe. Depending on the GMC features that your business utilises, they may check your website for some of the following fundamental requirements:

• Complete checkout process: Ensure that your customers can complete their checkout process seamlessly.
• Billing terms and conditions: Your website must be transparent, stating every related condition before and after a purchase is made, as well as disclosing the payment model that the user will have to bear before and after making a purchase. 

• Refund policy: Make sure to state a refund and return policy, including any specific requirements and timelines. If refunds and returns are not accepted, the information needs to be stated explicitly on your website.

• Secure checkout process: Transaction and payment processing, as well as collection of any sensitive personal information, must be made over an SSL-protected server. 

• Accurate contact information: Your customers need to know how to contact your business. Whether you use a Contact Us form or link your business phone number and email, ensure that every detail is accurate and correct.

3. Check your merchant centre regularly

It is imperative that you log into your GMC account every 14 months so that it remains active. Additionally, checking in your account allows Google to know that your product information is fresh and kept up-to-date.

Conclusion

GMC is an invaluable asset for both your eCommerce store and Google Ads campaign, with tons of features to optimise. Not only is it incredibly user-friendly, but you can easily update your content and monitor insights, all with a single touch of your fingertips. Whether you are a business looking to expand your reach globally or an eCommerce site looking to boost the visibility of your brand, this is a platform that you should not miss.