google-merchant-center

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• SKILL.md

SKILL.md (first lines)

## Process

**For feed audits:**
1. Review Merchant Center Diagnostics → Priority Fixes tab
2. Categorize issues by severity and click uplift potential
3. Optimize titles (highest impact), then images, prices, descriptions, identifiers
4. Set up supplemental feeds for enrichment
5. Configure custom labels for product tiering
6. Monitor and maintain

**For new feed setup:**
1. Connect product data source (API, file, or platform integration)
2. Map required and recommended attributes
3. Optimize titles and descriptions before first submission
4. Submit feed and resolve initial disapprovals
5. Build custom label strategy
6. Link to Google Ads for Shopping/PMax campaigns

## Feed Quality Hierarchy

Fix in this order — each level has decreasing marginal impact:

| Priority | Attribute | Impact on Performance | Why |
|----------|-----------|----------------------|-----|
| 1 | **Title** | Highest | Determines which queries match your products. Title = your keyword strategy for Shopping |
| 2 | **Image** | Very High | Primary visual in Shopping results. White background, high resolution, no watermarks |
| 3 | **Price** | High | Competitive pricing directly affects CTR and conversion rate |
| 4 | **Description** | Medium | Supports query matching and product understanding |
| 5 | **GTIN/MPN/Brand** | Medium | Required for unique product identification. Missing = limited serving |
| 6 | **Product type / Category** | Medium | Helps Google classify correctly. Use detailed paths |
| 7 | **Availability** | Foundational | Must be accurate — mismatches cause disapprovals |
| 8 | **Custom labels** | Strategic | Enables performance-based bidding tiers |

## Title Optimization

Titles are the single most impactful feed attribute. They function as keywords for Shopping ads.

**Formula:** Brand + Product Type + Key Attributes (material, size, color, gender, model)

**By vertical:**

| Vertical | Title Formula | Example |
|----------|--------------|---------|
| Apparel | Brand + Gender + Product Type + Color + Size + Material | "Nike Men's Running Shoes Black Size 11 Flyknit" |
| Electronics | Brand + Product + Model + Key Spec + Variant | "Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB Titanium Black" |
| Home & Garden | Brand + Product Type + Material + Dimensions + Color | "KitchenAid Stand Mixer 5-Quart Stainless Steel Red" |
| Beauty | Brand + Product Line + Product Type + Size + Variant | "CeraVe Moisturizing Cream 19oz Fragrance-Free" |
| B2B / Industrial | Brand + Product Type + Specification + Application | "3M Safety Glasses Anti-Fog ANSI Z87.1 Construction" |

**Title rules:**
- Maximum 150 characters (but front-load important terms — first 70 characters visible in most placements)
- Put highest-value keywords first
- Don't stuff — Google penalizes keyword-stuffed titles
- Match the language customers actually search (use VOC data from the **google-ads-keyword-engine** skill)
- Use supplemental feeds to A/B test titles without changing your primary feed

## Common Disapprovals & Fixes

| Disapproval | Cause | Fix |
|------------|-------|-----|
| Missing GTIN | No GTIN for manufactured products | Add valid UPC/EAN/JAN. If custom/handmade, set `identifier_exists: no` |
| Price mismatch | Feed price ≠ landing page price | Sync feed update frequency. Use real-time API for dynamic pricing |
| Availability mismatch | Feed says "in stock" but page shows "out of stock" | Increase feed refresh frequency (minimum daily, ideally every 6 hours) |
| Missing shipping info | No shipping configured | Set up shipping in Merchant Center settings or at product level |
| Image quality | Watermarks, promotional text, too small | Use clean product images, minimum 800x800px, no overlays |
| Landing page not crawlable | Googlebot can't access the page | Check robots.txt, ensure no noindex on product pages |
| Misrepresentation | Unrealistic claims, unclear business info | Review product descriptions and business identity settings |
| Adult content | Products flagged for adult classification | Add `adult: yes` attribute or appeal if incorrectly flagged |

**Priority Fixes tab workflow:**
1. Open Merchant Center → Products → Diagnostics → Priority Fixes
2. Each issue shows estimated click uplift from resolution
3. Sort by click uplift potential (highest first)
4. Fix systematically — resolve highest-impact issues first
5. Resubmit feed and monitor for clearance (typically 24-72 hours)

## Custom Label Strategy

Custom labels (0-4) let you segment products for bidding strategies in Shopping and PMax. Five labels available.

**Recommended label assignment:**

| Label | Dimension | Values | Purpose |
|-------|-----------|--------|---------|
| **Custom Label 0** | Margin tier | `high_margin`, `medium_margin`, `low_margin` | Bid more aggressively on high-margin products |
| **Custom Label 1** | Performance tier | `best_seller`, `rising`, `standard`, `underperformer` | Based on last 30-90 day ROAS/conversion data |
| **Custom Label 2** | Seasonality | `evergreen`, `spring`, `summer`, `fall`, `winter`, `holiday` | Adjust bids and budgets by season |
| **Custom Label 3** | Price range | `premium` (>$200), `mid` ($50-200), `budget` (<$50) | Different bid strategies by price point |
| **Custom Label 4** | Inventory status | `full_stock`, `low_stock`, `clearance`, `new_arrival` | Promote clearance, protect low stock |

**How to use custom labels in campaigns:**
- Create separate PMax asset groups or Shopping product groups per label value
- Set different tROAS targets: high-margin products can tolerate lower ROAS because profit margin is higher
- Pause or reduce bids on `underperformer` + `low_margin` combinations
- Boost `best_seller` + `high_margin` products with higher budgets

**Profitability-based bidding (POAS > ROAS):**
- ROAS ignores product costs. A $100 product with 80% margin is more valuable than a $100 product with 10% margin, even at the same ROAS
- Use Custom Label 0 (margin tier) to create separate bid strategies per margin level
- Jack Felsted's revenue maximizer approach: tier products by gross profit margin and set tROAS targets proportional to margin
- For implementation via scripts, use the **google-ads-scripts** skill (revenue maximizer tiering)

## Supplemental Feeds

Supplemental feeds enrich your primary feed without replacing it. Changes in the supplemental feed override matching attributes in the primary feed.

| Use Case | What to Add | Method |
|----------|------------|--------|
| Custom label assignment | Custom labels 0-4 | Google Sheets supplemental feed (easiest) |
| Title testing | Optimized titles overriding primary feed titles | Google Sheets → update titles → measure impact |
| Promotional data | `sale_price`, `sale_price_effective_date` | Scheduled feed or Sheets |
| Missing attributes | GTINs, product types, additional descriptions | Sheets or file feed |
| Seasonal adjustments | Update custom labels for seasonal products | Sheets updated monthly/quarterly |

**Setup:** Merchant Center → Products → Feeds → Supplemental feeds → Add. Match on `id` attribute. Google Sheets is the fastest method for non-technical teams.

## Feed Rules

Feed rules transform data during processing without changing the source feed.

From narayan-metaflow/metaflow-marketing-skills, MIT.

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