How to Optimise Your Product Feed to Get More Sales on Google Shopping

Your product feed is where your Shopping performance starts.
It’s the data that tells Google what you sell, when to show it, and to who. Get it right, and your products show up for the right shoppers at the right time. Get it wrong, and you’ll waste budget, lose visibility, or miss out on sales completely.

At Redbrain, we see it every day. Clean, accurate, well-structured feeds don’t just perform better, they sell better. Our AI-driven platform processes millions of products a day for retailers across Europe, helping them turn every detail in their feed into measurable revenue.

Here’s how to make sure your feed is working as hard as it should.

Why your product feed matters

Your feed isn’t just a spreadsheet. It’s the foundation of your entire Shopping strategy.

Every title, image, price and stock update shapes how Google understands your products and whether they appear to shoppers ready to buy. A well-optimised feed improves visibility, reduces wasted clicks and boosts your ROI.

Small changes can have a huge impact. For one Redbrain partner, simply fixing feed errors increased their traffic by 100x.

What a great product feed looks like

Over years of working with retailers, we’ve found six traits that define every high-performing feed:

1. Competitive: know your space

To win in Shopping, you have to know what you’re up against.

Start by looking at who else appears when you search for your products. Tools like Google Market Insights or SEMrush’s PLA Research can show you what competitors are doing, and where you can stand out.

Don’t just copy what they’re doing, though. Duplicate product descriptions can get your listings disapproved. Instead, write original, clear product copy that tells customers exactly why your product is worth buying.

2. Organised: make it easy for Google to understand

Google relies on your product structure to match listings to search intent.

Use Google Product Categories that go at least 2–3 levels deep, like Clothing & Accessories > Outerwear > Coats & Jackets. Add your own Product Type taxonomy to help segment products by category or performance.

Avoid keyword stuffing or adding sales language into those fields; it can actually hurt your visibility.

If you run multiple product lines, use separate feeds for different categories or promotions. It keeps your data clean and gives you more control over your bidding strategy.

3. Accurate: get the basics right

This part sounds obvious, but it’s where many feeds fail.

Google relies on a few key details to approve your products and show them correctly:

• Unique Product Identifiers (GTINs, MPNs, Brand) - make sure they’re valid and match Google’s global database.
• Prices -keep them consistent with your site and in the right currency. Use sale_price and sale_price_effective_date for promotions, not your main price field.
• Stock availability - flag items as “in stock”, “out of stock” or “preorder”. Incorrect stock info doesn’t just affect visibility; it frustrates customers and hurts trust.

Inaccurate data is one of the fastest ways to get disapproved. Keep it clean, and you’ll keep selling.

4. Optimised: write for people, not just algorithms

Even though Google Shopping isn’t keyword-based like Search Ads, your copy still matters.

Product titles

You’ve got 150 characters, but most shoppers will only see around 45. Start with Brand + Product Type + Key Attributes (like colour, size, material).

Keep it natural and easy to read. Avoid caps, symbols or promo language. Check Google Search Console and Keyword Planner to see what real shoppers are searching for.

Product descriptions

Use this space to sell the product, not just list its specs. Highlight your main selling points early on (only the first 200–300 characters usually show).

Write in a natural, engaging way. Include product details, materials, and features, but also use related terms e.g. “trainers”, “sneakers”, “running shoes”, so Google can match your ad to different searches.

5. Visual: make your products look their best

Your images are often the first thing that stops a scroll. Make them count.

Stick to clean, well-lit product images with white or transparent backgrounds. Show the whole item, not just a cropped section, and avoid text overlays or borders.

• Minimum size: 250×250 pixels for clothing, 100×100 for other products
• File types: JPEG or PNG
• Composition: Product should take up 75–90% of the frame

You can upload up to 10 additional images to show different angles, details, or lifestyle shots. People buy with their eyes, make sure your visuals do the talking.

6. Monitored and updated: never set and forget

Your feed isn’t something you fix once and move on. Google expires products after 30 days, so you need to keep things fresh.

Check your Merchant Center Diagnostics regularly for errors and warnings. Common issues include:

• Broken URLs
• Missing or invalid images
• Mismatched prices or stock

Fixing these quickly keeps your ads live and your sales flowing, especially during peak moments like Black Friday.

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