Shopping is product marketing inside the search results. The feed does most of the work that keywords do in regular Search - so feed quality, not keyword research, becomes the lever that moves performance.
What Shopping Ads are
Shopping Ads pull product images, titles, prices and merchant info directly from your Google Merchant Center product feed and surface them in Google Search, Shopping tab, YouTube and the Display Network.
Merchant Center setup
Before any campaign, complete the Merchant Center basics:
- Account verified and claimed at your website domain.
- Shipping and tax configured for India.
- Returns and refund policies submitted.
- Product feed connected (CSV, Sheets, or app-based feed).
- Automatic item updates enabled to keep price/availability in sync.
Website verification
Verify domain via Google Search Console, then claim it in Merchant Center. Unverified domains cannot run Shopping campaigns at all.
Product data requirements
The required attributes for an Indian Shopping feed include id, title, description, link, image_link, availability, price, brand, gtin (where available) and condition. Optional but high-impact: product_type, google_product_category, additional_image_link, sale_price, custom labels.
Title optimisation
Titles are the single most important conversion lever in Shopping. A useful pattern:
[Brand] [Product Type] [Key Attribute] [Size/Colour] [Material/Variant]
Example: Nike Air Max 90 Running Shoes Black Mesh Size 9 (Men's) outperforms Air Max 90 almost universally.
Product descriptions
Keep the first 150 characters loaded with the most important attributes; Google often truncates after that. Include synonyms a buyer might search.
Product categories
Use Google's product taxonomy (google_product_category) - it controls which auctions you enter. Set it as specifically as possible; vague categories like "Apparel" cost you relevance.
Images
- White background for the primary image.
- Minimum 800x800 px; 1500x1500 recommended.
- No watermarks, no promotional text.
- Use additional_image_link for lifestyle shots.
Price and availability accuracy
Mismatched price or stock between feed and site is the #1 reason for disapprovals in India. Enable automatic item updates and structured data on product pages so Google can self-correct.
Shipping and returns
Both attributes - in Merchant Center settings and at item level if it varies - are eligibility requirements now, not nice-to-haves. List a return policy even if it's 7-day.
Feed disapprovals
Common reasons in India:
- Price mismatch (feed vs landing page).
- Missing return policy.
- Promotional overlay on image.
- Trademark policy violation in title.
- Restricted product category (some health, fitness, finance).
Standard Shopping vs Performance Max
- Standard Shopping gives you keyword negatives, search query reports and bidding control per product group.
- Performance Max reaches more inventory (YouTube, Discover, Display) and uses Smart Bidding signals but limits visibility and control.
Run Standard Shopping when you need control or your account is new. Run PMax for mature accounts with healthy conversion data. Many mid-size accounts run both, separating SKUs by margin or strategic value.
Product segmentation
Use custom labels (custom_label_0 through 4) to segment products by:
- Margin band
- Best-seller flag
- Stock level
- Price band
- Seasonality
Margin-based grouping
Group high-margin SKUs separately so you can bid more aggressively on them without skewing campaign-wide tROAS targets.
Search-term analysis
In Standard Shopping, use the search terms report weekly. Add irrelevant query terms as negative keywords; promote high-converting query patterns by improving titles to match.
Conversion tracking
Track Purchase with dynamic value (cart total minus shipping, plus or minus tax depending on margin reporting). Pair with GA4 enhanced e-commerce and enable cross-device attribution.
Common Shopping mistakes in India
- Generic 2-3 word titles.
- No GTIN where one exists.
- Single Shopping campaign covering 5000 SKUs with one bid.
- Letting PMax cannibalise brand by default - exclude brand if you have a separate brand Search.
- No negative keyword strategy in Standard Shopping.
- Letting out-of-stock products stay served.