Optimize Google Shopping product titles with these 10 best practices

Advertising on Google Shopping offers great benefits for eCommerce retailers , but standing out from the crowd requires a well-planned title optimization strategy. After all, your product titles are a key factor for success.

While images catch the customer’s eye, it’s the product title that actually connects a search query to your ad. In this article, we’ll share with you some proven best practices for Google Shopping title optimization.

Why Google Shopping title optimization is so important

Google Shopping titles play a key role in how customers find your products online. On Google Shopping, the title is almost as important as the product image, and it’s one of the four primary attributes consumers see on the results page (along with the image, price and rating).
A well-crafted title does more than describe the product – it aligns your products with your target customers’ search intent, which helps you boost your conversion rate.

Some of the top benefits of optimizing your Google Shopping titles include:

• Enhanced visibility: Better titles improve your products’ SEO performance, making them more likely to appear in search results.

• Higher click-through rates (CTR): Clear and descriptive titles look professional and attract more clicks.

• Improved conversion rates: Titles that match search intent help connect the right product with the right customer, which increases the chance of conversion.

10 best practices for optimizing Google Shopping titles

Ready to start getting the most out of your Google Shopping ads? The best practices below are a must for creating powerful, high-visibility product titles:

1. Choose powerful keywords

While most online retailers understand the importance of keywords, it’s crucial to remember that not all keywords actually help drive conversion. This is why you’ll want to start by finding powerful keywords to include in your titles.

Powerful keywords are:

• Specific: They highlight unique features that your customers are likely to search for.

• Relevant: They use language that your customers are likely to use, and instantly provide an overview of your product at a glance.

• Accurate: They do not misrepresent or exaggerate your product or its features.

While you might be tempted to stuff popular but less relevant keywords into your title, that only makes it harder to match your product to people who might be interested in it. In other words, overly general keywords do not necessarily help drive conversion.

2. Use a consistent, detailed structure

Your product title’s structure is just as important as the content. Customers often search for key details like a specific brand, clothing size or material, so be sure to incorporate those attributes into your title’s structure.

Some recommended structures for different verticals:

• Fashion: Brand + Gender + Product Type + Attributes (color, size, material)
  Example: Lacoste Men’s Polo Shirt Sky Blue 100% Cotton Regular Fit Size M Short Sleeve Breathable Casual Wear

• Toys: Brand + Product Type + Attributes (material, color) + Age Group
  Example: LEGO Kids Pirate Island Collectible Building Set with 6 Minifigures Pirate Ship and Treasure Chest Ages 8-12

• Furniture: Brand + Product + Attributes (size, material, color)
  Example: Ashley Furniture Rectangular Wooden Dining Table 6-Seater Solid Oak Natural Finish 180 cm x 90 cm Mid-Century Modern Design

Structures like these make your product titles informative, appealing and better aligned with search intent.

3. Follow Google's rules

Want to succeed on Google Shopping? Play by Google’s rules. Some important guidelines to remember when planning your titles:

• Avoid hype. Your product should strictly describe the product without sales-related add-ons like “while supplies last” or “lowest price”

• Stick to character limits: Make every word count, but keep it under 150 characters.

• Avoid ALL CAPS: Use appropriate title case and only use all caps for abbreviations or brand names that are normally written that way.

• Be consistent: Ensure your titles follow a uniform structure across all your listings.

• Use clean, clear formatting: Focus on readability and avoid non-standard characters or symbols that Google might reject.

4. Think like your target audience

Highlight the most relevant attributes so shoppers can easily tell whether your product meets their needs. Tailoring your titles to match search behavior is key. For example, if your customers often search by brand name, make sure to include the brand prominently in your titles.

5. Use your search query performance data

Check your Google Ads search terms report to find high-performing queries that have led to conversions. Use this data to refine your titles to include the most effective keywords. Tools like Search Console and Google Trends provide additional insights into search behaviors.

6. Include product categories and brand names

If brand recognition is significant in your market, include the brand name in your titles. This helps capture brand-loyal customers. If the brand is less known to customers, focus more on descriptive keywords. Including the product category also helps users quickly identify product types, making your ads more relevant. Not sure which category to choose? Try using an online tool like this Google Product Category Finder.

7. Make every character count

Google Shopping recommends using 70 characters as a maximum for your product titles, as the title will be truncated after that. However, you can use up to 150 characters, which gives you space to include additional, relevant keywords.

8. Put key important information up front

Make sure the most important information appears within the first 70 characters of your product title. This grabs the customer’s attention and makes key details instantly available. Since mobile devices may truncate longer titles even further, placing key information at the start ensures it is always visible.

9. Continually analyze and optimize

Title optimization is an ongoing process. Make time to regularly review and update your titles based on the latest data insights and shopping trends. That includes monitoring for new, high-performing keywords.

10. Automate Google Product title optimization

Optimizing your Google Shopping titles can be a complex, time-consuming task, especially if you have a large inventory. Save time and ensure high quality with automation tools, like Channable's Google Shopping integration. With Channable, you can automatically optimize product titles using rule-based mapping and real-time data analysis. This feature allows you to:

• Easily combine relevant attributes: Create comprehensive titles that include all necessary product details.

• Automatically update titles: Ensure your titles are always optimized based on the latest data and trends.

• Save time: Focus on other aspects of your business while Channable handles title optimization.

With a data-driven, automated approach, you stay ahead of your competitors and keep your Google Shopping ads performing at their best.

Start optimizing your Google Shopping titles today

Without optimized product titles, you risk wasting ad budgets and missing out on potential conversions. Investing time and effort into refining your Google Shopping titles can significantly enhance your ad performance.

Start with your best-selling products and gradually expand to your entire product range. By following the best practices outlined above, and leveraging tools like Channable’s Google Shopping integration, you can ensure your product titles match your customers’ shopping preferences.