Why Google Merchant Centre optimisation matters
An optimised Merchant Center helps ensure your products meet Google’s quality and relevance standards, which leads to:
Better ad performance - cleaner feeds improve Shopping ad delivery
Higher organic visibility - Google uses GMC data for free product listings
Increased customer trust - accurate information builds confidence
Key steps to optimise your Google Merchant Centre
Add and verify your business address
Ensure your business address is accurate and consistent
The address in GMC should match what’s shown on your website
Confirm your online store - Website verification is mandatory. You can verify by:
Adding an HTML tag or verification file
Using Google Search Console
Ensuring your store URL is live and correct
Configure shipping settings - Accurate shipping details help prevent disapprovals and improve customer experience:
Define shipping rates (standard, expedited, etc.)
Set clear delivery timeframes
Highlight free shipping if available
Set up a clear return policy - Your return policy should include:
Which products are eligible for return
The return timeframe (e.g. 30 or 60 days)
How customers initiate returns
Make sure your policy is visible on your website and matches what is in GMC.
Complete sales tax settings - To stay compliant and avoid checkout issues:
Use Google’s automated tax calculations where available
Manually configure tax rates if required
Review tax settings regularly to reflect regulation changes
Best practices for optimising product data
Blend manages your product feed directly from Shopify. To ensure the best results, focus on:
Product Titles: Use clear, descriptive titles with keywords customers actually search for.
Product Descriptions: Highlight features, benefits, and specifications. Meta titles and descriptions can help here.
Images: Use high-quality images that clearly show the product.
Attributes: Complete all relevant fields such as GTIN, brand, colour, size, material, and availability.
Organic visibility: a hidden benefit
Google uses the same Merchant Center data for free Shopping listings.
A well-optimised GMC increases the chances of your products appearing in organic Shopping results, driving additional traffic without extra ad spend.