Shopify blog
As consumers increasingly turn to ecommerce to meet their needs, it's more important than ever for retailers and interested shoppers to easily find each other where so many searches begin: Google.
Every day, hundreds of millions of people come to Google for their shopping needs, making the Shopping tab on Google an attractive place for businesses to list their products.
Previously, the Shopping tab consisted only of paid listings but starting today, free listings will appear alongside paid ads in relevant search results in the following countries: USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Ireland, Singapore, Finland, Netherlands, Greece, Switzerland, Hungary, Czechia, Romania, Slovakia, Turkey, Mexico, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, France, Norway, Japan, Belgium, Brazil, Austria, Australia, Poland, Spain, Russia, Italy, India, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Israel, Thailand, Ukraine, Republic of Korea, South Africa, UAE, Portugal, Malaysia, Philippines, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
Shoppers in any of the above listed countries will have a greater selection of products from more stores. And online retailers selling to those countries can now boost product visibility across Google for free and augment paid ads with free listings.
Shopify is partnering with Google to make it easy for merchants to sync, submit, and optimize their products for these free listings through Shopify’s Google & YouTube app. If you already have products synced through the channel, your approved products can start showing up in relevant Search, Shopping, Images results—no further action is required on your end.
Merchants selling in any of the listed countries can access this free feature starting today.
Lowering the barrier to reach customers through Google
With the introduction of free listings, eligible merchants can submit their products to be listed in the Shopping tab on Google. From there, those products have the chance to be discovered by shoppers most likely to purchase them without having to pay for clicks.
While this does not replace Shopping ads, the introduction of free listings in the Shopping tab gives small businesses access to a popular online shopping destination when they may not have the resources to effectively run and scale their own Google Ads campaigns. It also gives merchants who are already using Shopping ads a way to supplement their paid advertising with free listings.
Getting your products listed on the Shopping tab
Eligible merchants can use Shopify’s Google & YouTube app to get set up. The first step is to follow the checklist to make sure you meet all of the Google Merchant Center requirements. You can choose any Comparison Shopping Services via the CSS dashboard available in the Google Merchant Center.
Once you have synced your product feed to Google Merchant Center and your products are approved, they can appear in relevant search results.
There are also several steps you can take to optimize your listings and improve their discoverability:
- Make sure your product and store information is detailed and up to date.
- Submit high-quality images of your products that follow Google Merchant Center’s specifications.
- Ensure your product title attributes for each product feed are descriptive—searchers will generally ignore vague titles.
- Consider the specific words your customers would type into Google to find your product and incorporate them naturally into the title and description attributes. Conduct some keyword research to validate your assumptions about how people are searching for your products.
- Include all relevant product feed attributes, such as Size and Gender to help the right shoppers find the right products.
- Optimize the product type attribute with at least 3 levels if possible. For example, if you’re selling Dog Blankets, you might use Home & Decor > Furnishings > Bedroom > Blanket > Dog.
For more information on setting up the Google integration for your Shopify store, check out our help docs.
To learn more about how the Google & YouTube app can help you get discovered by interested shoppers, check out our guide on Shopping Ads in Google, or our Compass course on Google Ads for Ecommerce.
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How to Get Listed on Google Shopping FAQ
How long does it take for products to appear on Google Shopping after submission?
Google typically reviews submitted product feeds within a few days, approving items that meet requirements or flagging those that don't. Once a feed syncs to Google Merchant Center and passes review, approved products can start appearing in relevant Search, Shopping, and Images results. Delays usually happen when product data is incomplete or violates policy, so check the Diagnostics section in Merchant Center for errors if a listing doesn't show up as expected.
Do you need a Google Ads account to use Google Shopping's free listings?
No — free listings on Google Shopping don't require a Google Ads account, since they're organic placements based on your product feed rather than paid campaigns. A Google Ads account only becomes necessary if you want to run paid Shopping ads alongside your free listings for added visibility. Free listings simply need an approved product feed synced through Google Merchant Center to appear in relevant search results.
Why do products get rejected or disapproved from Google Shopping?
Products usually get rejected from Google Shopping due to policy violations or inaccurate, incomplete data in the product feed. Common issues include missing required attributes, mismatched pricing or availability between the feed and the landing page, and low-quality images that don't meet Google's specifications. Checking the Diagnostics section in Merchant Center for flagged errors and correcting them quickly resolves most disapprovals.
Can you list products on Google Shopping without using Shopify?
Yes, any online retailer can list products on Google Shopping directly through Google Merchant Center, regardless of which ecommerce platform they use. Platforms like Shopify simplify the process by automatically syncing a product catalog into a feed, but merchants on other platforms can build and submit a feed manually or through their platform's own integration. The core requirement is an approved product feed that meets Google's Merchant Center guidelines.
How often should you update your product feed for Google Shopping?
Most online stores benefit from updating their product feed daily to keep prices, stock levels, and availability accurate. Google recommends frequent updates, especially for items with fast-changing inventory or pricing, since outdated data can lead to disapprovals or missed sales. Stores with prices or stock that change often should sync updates as close to real time as possible to keep listings accurate and competitive.
