What Are Free Product Listings On Google?

In today’s digital marketplace, visibility is everything. For online sellers, reaching potential customers is a constant battle against algorithm changes and skyrocketing ad costs. But what if there was a way to showcase your products to millions of shoppers without stretching your marketing budget? That’s where Google’s free product listings come into play. 

Free product listings on Google offer sellers an incredible opportunity to display their items in the Shopping tab, search results, and other surfaces, all at no cost. Whether running a small business or managing a large e-commerce store, Google’s free product listings can boost your product visibility and attract more customers. 

In this blog, we’ll explore how you can leverage free product listings to kickstart your store, maximize visibility, and create a lasting impact without breaking the bank. Let’s dive in and uncover how you can turn zero-cost listings into limitless possibilities.

Understanding Free Product Listings on Google

Free product listings on Google allow merchants to showcase their products across various surfaces on Google without incurring advertising costs. These listings appear on:

• Google Search
• Google Shopping
• Google Images
• Google Maps
• YouTube
• Google Lens

Let us look at how these listings appear:

For example, on the Shopping tab, the first row is occupied by sponsored ads, and the rows below it are reserved for free product listings.

Moving on, there are two types of free listings on Google, meaning you can showcase your free listings to your ideal customers in two ways: Standard and Enhanced. 

Your listings will be displayed as Standard listings by default, and if your products are eligible, they will be shown as enhanced listings.

Here’s how Standard Listings are displayed:

Enhanced Listings appear similar to the image displayed below:

If you take a closer look at the image shared above, you will see that the product photos in enhanced listings are of high quality and include information such as product rating, brand, and discount (more about this in the following sections).

Let’s compare both of them.

Standard Listings	Enhanced Listings
Standard listings are free and organic shopping formats that appear across Google, such as Google search and image tab, but not on the Shopping tab.	Enhanced listings are free, content-rich shopping formats that appear across Google, including the Shopping tab. These listings include product-rich and business details that help you increase sales.
You need a few basic product attributes to display your listings as standard, such as ID, title, price, link, and image_link.	To display your listings as enhanced listings, you must submit additional product attributes, such as availability and condition.
Product data attributes are submitted either to Google Merchant Center or sourced via structured data markup (from the website).	Product data attributes are submitted only in the Google Merchant Center.
Appear across Google Search, Google Images, Google Lens, etc.	Appear across the Shopping tab, YouTube, Google Search, Google Images, and Google Lens.

Now, let’s look at the eligibility requirements a merchant must follow to use free product listings.

What are the Eligibility Requirements for Free Product Listings on Google?

This section will help you understand the eligibility criteria and requirements to use free product listings on Google.

Also, Google free product listings are available for many countries, and here is the entire list of supported countries and languages.

Follow Google policies

• To enhance your products’ visibility across Google, ensure compliance with Google’s free listings policies.
  • Prohibited Content: Products that are illegal, dangerous, or promote dishonest behavior are not allowed. This includes counterfeit goods, weapons, and items facilitating academic cheating.
  • Prohibited Practices: Engaging in deceptive behaviors, such as misrepresenting products or manipulating the platform, is forbidden. This ensures a fair and trustworthy environment for users. Here’s an in-depth guide on what is misrepresentation error in Google Merchant Center.
  • Restricted Content: Certain products, like alcohol or adult-oriented items, can be listed but have specific limitations to comply with legal and cultural standards.
  • Site Requirements: Websites must meet quality standards, ensuring they are user-friendly, secure, and provide accurate information to offer a positive shopping experience.

Adhering to these policies helps maintain a safe and effective platform for merchants and consumers. For detailed information, refer to Google’s free listings policies.

• Adhere to Google’s shopping ads policies.

Add Return Policy

• Display your return policy on your website, which can significantly influence your customers’ purchasing decisions. 
• Google also recommends adding this information to your Google Merchant Center account. 

Here’s how to do it:

• In your Google Merchant Center account, go to the menu >> click Shipping and Returns.
• Click the Return Policies tab.
• Click Add return policy.
• Complete the information in the “Add a return policy” flow, then click Save.

If you’re new to Google Merchant Center Next Account, here’s a guide on Google Merchant Center Next.

Add Shipping Details

• Configure your shipping settings or specify shipping costs using your product data’s [shipping] attribute. This provides customers with essential shipping information. Here’s how to configure shipping settings in your Google Merchant Center:
  • Sign in to your Merchant Center account.
  • Click Shipping and Returns.
  • Click Add shipping policy.

NOTE: You can add up to 20 shipping information per country.

NOTE: You’re required to set up “Shipping” settings or add shipping costs using the shipping [shipping] attribute in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Now, let’s understand the prerequisites for free product listings on Google.

Google Merchant Center Setup Requirements

• To activate free product listings on Google, you must complete the following setup requirements in your Google Merchant Center account.

Requirements	Standard Listings	Enhanced Listings
Verify and claim your website	✅	✅
Upload a product feed	✅	✅
Basic product data	✅	✅
Additional Product Data	Optional	✅
Shipping	Optional	✅
Tax	Optional	✅

✅ – Required

NOTE: You do not need a Google Ads account to use free product listings on Google. However, if you wish to run paid ads, such as Shopping ads, you must link your Merchant Center account to a Google Ads account. This combination lets you leverage free and paid listings, potentially increasing your products’ visibility and reach.

How To Set Up Free Product Listings?

Before implementing free product listings for your store, click here to go through the eligibility requirements section.

This section will discuss the steps to create an account on Google Merchant Center and how to upload listings to your GMC account.

You must have a Google Merchant Center account to use free product listings.

• Creating a Google Merchant Center account

When you create a new Google Merchant Center account, you’re opted in to free listings(standard) by default.

Follow the steps below to create a new account on Google Merchant Center:

• Go to merchants.google.com 
• Click Create an account 
• Sign in to the Google account you want to use for your Merchant Center account 
• Enter your business information, including:
  • Business name 
  • Country of operation 
  • Time zone
• Review and agree to the Google Merchant Terms of Service.
• Set up user roles to determine who has access to your account.

For more information, we have a guide on setting up a Google Merchant Center account.

After creating the account, you must upload your products to showcase them for free listings on Google.

• Uploading Product Data Feeds

     You can upload your product(s) on Google using various methods; these are:

• Manual: Enter product details manually on Google Merchant Center. This method is recommended if you have fewer products. 
• Google Sheets: You can upload the product data via a Google Sheet. The changes will automatically apply to your account when you update your Google Sheet. Scheduled Fetch – Host a file on your website that contains data and schedule a regular time for Google to fetch updates. Updates are only applied to your account when the fetch occurs.
• Upload – Keep a file on your computer that contains data and regularly upload it to your account through SFTP, FTP, Google Cloud Storage, or a manual upload.
• Content API – Allows your chosen feed management tool to connect automatically to the Google Merchant Center and automatically upload product listings. This uploading method is highly recommended as it does not require manual interventions, reduces errors, and ensures accurate and up-to-date product data. 

• For Shopify merchants aiming to leverage this opportunity, managing and optimizing product feeds for Google Merchant Center can be complex. This is where tools like AdNabu become invaluable. 
• AdNabu is an all-in-one feed management software explicitly designed for Shopify stores. It utilizes AI to optimize your product feeds, ensuring they meet Google’s requirements and are primed for maximum visibility.

Features such as:

• AI-powered product feed optimization.
• Keyword suggestions (sourced directly from Google’s Keyword Planner).
• Support for multi-currency and multi-language feeds makes AdNabu a comprehensive solution for merchants looking to enhance their product listings.

By integrating AdNabu with your Shopify store, you can automate the synchronization of your product data with Google Merchant Center, streamline the optimization process, and focus on what matters most—growing your business.

For detailed information on these uploading methods, here’s a Google product feed specifications guide.

How Free Product Listings Work?

Here’s what you need to know about how free product listings on Google function:

• The Free listings feature is enabled by default. 
• You can verify and adjust this setting on the Free Listings page in your Google Merchant Center account (provided you have Admin access). 
• These listings feature your product pages, not other pages like homepages, shipping and return policies, or product category pages. 
• This feature applies to both online and in-store products. 
• For Marketplace Multi-Client Accounts (MCAs), you can activate free listings for all sub-accounts via the Free Listing tab. Any modifications will affect all sub-accounts; however, if a sub-account adjusts this setting individually, that preference will override the Marketplace MCA’s selection. 

NOTE: When you enable your products for free listings, they appear on the surfaces across Google, but this doesn’t guarantee their visibility to customers. Your products’ visibility depends on the quality and relevance of the data you provide, which helps match them with user searches.

Free Listings Product Data Feed Specification

To avoid Google account suspensions, aligning with the product specifications is crucial. Let’s look at all the attributes required for a free product listing. 

Product Attribute	Standard Listing	Enhanced Listing	Definition, Syntax, & Example
ID [id]	Required	Required	It is the unique identifier of the product. Ex: H1265 SKU, barcode, and unique ID generated by your e-commerce platform are commonly used as IDs. ID must be Below 50 characters.
Title [title]	Required	Required	The Title represents the name of your product. Google allows only 150 chars. Shopping ads show only up to 70 chars. Example: Nike | Women’s T-Shirt, White, Size – M
Link [link]	Required	Required	The Link is the URL of the product landing page Example: http://www.yourdomain.in/womentshirt
Image Link [image_link]	Required	Required	This attribute holds the product’s main image link. Example: https://yourdomain.com/main_image
Price [price]	Required	Required	The product’s price. Provide the matching price on your website. Example: 234 USD
Description [description]	Optional	Required	Description of your product. Google allows 5000 characters. You can talk about the brand, key features, how to use it, benefits, and highlights. Example: T-shirts are made from 100% cotton.
Availability [availability]	Optional	Required	Stock status: in stock, out of stock, or preorder.
Condition [condition]	Optional	Required for used or refurbished products	Specifies if the product is new, used, or refurbished.
Brand [brand]	Optional	Required for branded products	Manufacturer’s brand name. Ex: H&M Allows a maximum of 70 chars
GTIN [gtin]	Optional	Required if assigned	Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) is required for all the products that have a valid GTIN. And MPN is required when the product is not assigned a GTIN. Example of GTIN: 23786549087654
MPN [mpn]	Optional	Required if no GTIN	Manufacturer Part Number (MPN); required if GTIN is unavailable.
Multipack [multipack]	Optional	Required if applicable	Indicates if the product is a multipack and the number of identical products included. Ex: 3
Bundle [is_bundle]	Optional	Required if applicable	Specifies if the product is a custom bundle of different items sold together. Ex: Yes
Color [color]	Optional	Required for Apparel & Accessories	The primary color of the product. Allows a maximum of 40 characters and alphanumeric characters. Ex: Yellow
Size [size]	Optional	Required for Apparel & Accessories	Size of the product. Example: XS
Age Group [age_group]	Optional	Required for Apparel & Accessories	Intended age group: newborn, infant, toddler, kids, or adult.
Gender [gender]	Optional	Required for Apparel & Accessories	Intended gender: male, female, or unisex.
Item Group ID [item_group_id]	Optional	Required for product variants	Identifier for a group of related product variants. Example: ST45632
Shipping [shipping]	Optional	Required if overriding account settings	Specifies shipping cost and delivery details.
Tax [tax]	Optional	Required if overriding account settings	Specifies tax rate applicable to the product.

What is a Free Product Listing Example?

To understand free product listing better, let’s take the same example: ‘Jackets for Women.’

Let’s say you are a new seller offering jackets for women and men. You are looking for cost-effective ways to promote your products online and you find out about free product listings offered by Google. You are equipped with all the necessary information required to upload free product listings.

Coming to the product information, here’s an example of what a product data feed would look like for a free product listing. This file has attributes such as product_id, title, description, item_group_id, price, availability, condition, brand, size, color, is_bundle.

You can download the sample product feed along with the template.

Please note that it is the same as a regular Google Merchant Center product feed that you use for Google Ads, etc.

Finally, you have successfully uploaded your free listings on Google.

Here’s an example of how your free product listings are shown to customers:

When a shopper goes on to Google and search for Google ‘Jackets for women,’ they will see sponsored ads at the top, and the free listings appear just below those ads.

Here’s how standard and enhanced free listing appear:

The enhanced free listing highlights the product image from various angles and includes essential information such as price, brand, and product rating, thus improving visibility and helping shoppers make decisions. 

Upon clicking on any product, they can see additional information, such as availability status and multiple product images. They can also select a size and then visit your site. Please refer to the image below:

On the same page, there are standard listings. These standard listings include a product title, description, price, delivery, and return information and do not offer the same visual experience as an enhanced listing. Upon clicking the link, it will take them to your website to choose from similar products.

Benefits of Free Product Listings

Free product listings on Google offer several benefits for businesses, particularly to those looking to enhance their visibility without paying for ads. Here are the key advantages:

1. Visibility Across Google Surfaces: Your products appear in Google’s Shopping tab and regular search results, including Google Images and Google Lens, exposing you to a larger audience without any upfront cost.

2. Cost-Effective Marketing: You don’t need to pay to list your products or showcase them across Google’s surface. This can be particularly helpful for small businesses with limited marketing budgets.

3. View Data and Insights: Google provides analytics on your products’ performance in search results. This helps you track impressions, clicks, and conversions, offering valuable insights to optimize your listings and improve sales.

4. Flexibility: Free product listings allow you to list products without any contractual obligation or minimum spend, giving you the flexibility to pause or adjust your listings at any time.

How Do You Optimize Free Product Listings?

Optimizing your free product listings on Google can enhance their visibility and drive more traffic to your online store. Here are key strategies to consider:

• Include Relevant Keywords: Incorporate high-volume, targeted keywords and provide detailed information such as brand, size, color, type, style, model, and gender to give customers a clear understanding of the product. This goes same for Google shopping ads, you must optimize product feed rather than targeting keywords directly, explore more about Google Shopping ads keywords.
• Clear and Professional Photos: Utilize high-resolution images that showcase your products from multiple angles. Adhere to Google’s guidelines: no watermarks, plain backgrounds, and minimum size requirements (100x100px for most products, 250x250px for apparel). Avoid using placeholder images or those with promotional text. Where appropriate, include images that show the product in use to help customers visualize its application. 
• Select Appropriate Categories: Using Google’s taxonomy list, ensure your products are categorized correctly to help them appear in relevant searches.
• Ensure Consistency: Keep product details like price, availability, and shipping information current and consistent between your website and Google Merchant Center. This builds trust with customers and prevents mismatches that could lead to disapprovals.
• Use Schema Markup: Apply structured data markup on your product pages to help Google understand your product information better, enhancing the chances of appearing in rich results. Use Google’s Rich Results Test to implement your structured data correctly.
• Local Inventory Ads: If you have physical stores, consider enabling Local Inventory Ads to showcase in-store products to nearby customers searching on Google.
• Use Promotions Tool: Leverage Google Merchant Center’s Promotions Tool to display special offers, discounts, or promotions alongside your free listings, making them more attractive to potential customers. 

Read Also: Optimization Tips for Google Shopping Product Feed.

While Google’s free product listings provide merchants with an accessible platform to reach potential customers without direct advertising costs, it’s important to recognize it comes with certain limitations. 

Limitations Of Free Product Listings on Google

While Google’s free product listings offer valuable opportunities for merchants to showcase their products without advertising costs, there are several limitations to consider:

1. Limited Visibility Compared to Paid Ads: Free listings often appear below paid advertisements in search results, which may result in lower visibility and reduced click-through rates compared to sponsored listings. 
2. Placement Restrictions: Free listings primarily appear in the Google Shopping tab and may not be displayed on the main search engine results page (SERP), where paid Shopping ads are featured.
3. Data Quality Requirements: High-quality and accurate product data are essential. Incomplete or incorrect information can negatively impact listing performance and eligibility. 
4. Competitive Environment: The accessibility of free listings increases competition among merchants, making it challenging to stand out without strategic optimization of product feeds and adherence to best practices. 

Understanding these limitations is crucial for effectively leveraging Google’s free product listings and developing a comprehensive digital marketing strategy.

Conclusion

Free product listings are more than a cost-saving strategy—they’re a powerful tool for experimenting, growing, and thriving as an online seller. Using these opportunities wisely, you can showcase your creativity, connect with your target audience, and establish your brand without upfront investment. 

So go ahead—list those products, embrace the potential of free exposure, and let your entrepreneurial journey shine. 

FAQs

What is a local free listing?

A free local listing on Google allows sellers to promote their products to shoppers near the store. You must provide local inventory data and activate free product listings on Google to enable free local listings. 

Do I need a Google Ads account to use free listings?

You do not need a Google Ads account to use free product listings on Google. However, you do need one if you wish to run paid ads.

How do free product listings differ from paid ads on Google?

Free product listings allow you to showcase your products across Google for free, whereas paid ads require payment. However, paid ads guarantee that they appear on search results and increase the likelihood of clicks and conversions. 

Who can use free product listings on Google?

Any seller with a product feed on Google Merchant Center can use free product listings.  You must have an optimized product feed for your GMC, verify your website, ship to a supported country, and sell in a currency that matches the country. 

What types of products are eligible for free listings on Google?

All physical items are eligible for free listings on Google. Ensure your products follow Google’s free product listing and Shopping policies to avoid suspensions.

Do I need a Google Merchant Center account to use free product listings?

You must have a Google Merchant Center account to use free product listings. To get started, follow the setup flow on Google Merchant Center.

Can I track the performance of my free product listings?

Yes, you can. Go to your Google Merchant Center account > Performance page > filter results for free listings. You can track the metrics like clicks, impressions, and conversions of your products.

How often are free product listings updated?

Free product listings are automatically updated every 24 hours by Google Merchant Center. However, the feed can be updated more frequently if there are changes.