Huge Drop in Google Shopping Free Listings After Upgrading to Merchant Center Next

[ElleWillow]

Since converting to Merchant Center Next at the end of July, I have noticed a huge drop off in the impressions of my Free Listings as well as sales organic sales. 

Interestingly enough it seems that products I have manually added in Merchant Center vs via Content API/Shopify Google Feed app show more impressions.

Any feedback from the community is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[EmmanuelFlossie · Accepted solution]

I would remove the auto import from Google, and only use the content API.

Also remove the added in merchant center.

[EmmanuelFlossie]

To avoid potential suspension, as  you indicate you have imported products via different methods (content api, manually) make sure a product is listed only once. Otherwise this is seen as double listing, and may cause a suspension due to abuse of ad network.

Regarding lower performance when changing to GMC Next, I have never seen this before. It's possible that your data feeds somehow changed the marketing methods. Go here: https://merchants.google.com/mc/products/sources and click on your data feed > your setup > marketing methods, make sure free listing is enabled.

[ElleWillow]

Hi Emmanuel,

Thank you for this info! I had assumed since converting to Shopify some time ago and installing the Google Sales Channel App that "Content API" and the Shopify Google App Product Feed were one in the same. 

At the time Shopify more or less auto-created a new second GMC Account which was then suspended by Google although my initial account was active and getting a lot of traffic prior to both being suspended.

Further the Data Feed option for "Found by Google" was automatic once I converted to Merchant Center Next however, I do have the option to disable it although some of my products are only getting impressions via that Feed and Merchant Center (one-by-one).

I assume best practice would be to disable one or more of these Data Feeds? Or remove the Google Sales Channel App in Shopify? Here is how the Data Feeds currently appear in GMC:

Thank you again for your response and the information!

 

[EmmanuelFlossie · Accepted solution]

I would remove the auto import from Google, and only use the content API.

Also remove the added in merchant center.

[Shanthi_Vutukur · Accepted solution]

Hey,

Google Merchant Center Next would not be the reason why your products are not showing up for free listings.

As you have mentioned that you are adding products manually and through API, there's a possibility that the products are competing with each other, and that is resulting in lower impressions.

Another reason could be due to IDs. Please check if the same products have two different IDs.

Hope this helps. If you have any other question, please let me know.