Google Merchant Center setup is a process that exposes your e-commerce business directly to billions of potential customers through Google search, shopping tabs and ads. As online competition has increased in 2025, so have Google’s policies and tools.
As an e-commerce business owner, if you want your products to be visible in both free listings and paid ads on Google Shopping, then there is no other way but to properly setup Google Merchant Center (GMC).
In my experience, I have helped countless e-commerce brands with their Google Merchant Center account creation, product feed optimization, and policy compliance. Not only did this get their products approved, but their sales also increased manifold..
What is Google Merchant Center in 2025?
Google Merchant Center is a free platform where e-commerce merchants upload their product information (title, description, price, image, availability). Google then uses that information to display your products in Google Shopping Ads, Free Listings, and Performance Max campaigns.
In 2025, Google added GMC Next, which includes more advanced reporting, automated feed updates, and policy tracking tools. As a result, merchants can now easily understand which products are running, which ones are getting clicks, and where they are having problems.
Key role of GMC
- Product Listing: Your products will show up in Google Search and Shopping tab.
- Running Shopping Ads: Connect your account with Google Ads to run product-based ads.
- Free Listings: Get your product in front of millions of buyers without any advertising budget.
Real example
Many of our clients initially did not know that their Google Shopping Feed was suffering from errors and misrepresentation issues. Later, after proper feed optimisation and policy adherence, their products were approved for free listings, and advertising and sales more than doubled.
That’s why Google Merchant Center account setup and optimization are key to success in today’s e-commerce marketing strategy.
Step-by-Step Google Merchant Center Setup Guide (2025)
If you set up Google Merchant Center correctly, your e-commerce business will be directly integrated into Google Shopping, Free Listings, and Shopping Ads. Each step is explained below.
1. Create an Account
Before you start, remember – without a Google Merchant Center (GMC) account, your products will not appear on Google Shopping. So it is very important to create an account and verify your website correctly as the first step. Doing so can result in your account being suspended.
You can easily create and verify your GMC account by following the steps below:
- First step: google.com/retail Go to and click on “Get started”.
- Sign in with a Google account and select “I sell products online”.
- Enter your website URL and business name.
Website Verification:
GMC will want to verify your website ownership. Verify by any of the following methods:
- HTML tags: <head> Add code to section (most secure)
- Google Analytics: Link GA4 properties
- Google Tag Manager: Add the container tag
- DNS records: Add the TXT record to the domain registrar
Pro Tip: Without verification, your product will never appear on Google Shopping. Our Google Merchant Center Suspension Solutions Course of Lesson: Website Verification See the complete process.
2. Provide Business Information
Once the account is created, the next step is to provide the correct information about your business. Google always wants verifiable and authentic information. That’s why
- A physical address must be provided, PO Boxes or virtual addresses are not acceptable.
- Then, verification must be completed with a phone number.
- The website must be HTTPS secure,
Many new merchants make mistakes here and get website suspension. Think from a user’s perspective, if someone makes a purchase on your website with credit card information, they expect security. That’s why Google considers HTTPS, Contact Page and an About Us page essential as trust signals.
Google is even stricter in 2025. 92% of our clients who used PO Box, had their accounts suspended. Another common reason is that websites are not using HTTPS. Our Fix Google Merchant Center Suspension Guide see how to fix the suspension.
3. Set Up Policies & Settings
Google only accepts real and verifiable business information. So making a mistake here can lead to immediate account suspension.
In order to keep the account active in Google Merchant Center, you need to set the business policies (Policies) correctly. The most important of these is
- Shipping Policy, where you clearly state which country/region you are shipping to
- How long the delivery time is and what the shipping charges will be.
- Then you will need a clear Refund & Return Policy.
Many dealers focus only on selling the product but do not disclose this principle, which is one of the main reasons for GMC Suspension. Also according to your country/state regulations, Sales Tax Settings must be added. Remember, Google is very strict about transparency and protecting customer rights. So the clearer these policies are, the faster the product will get approved.
Important: These pages will be easily found and linked to on your website. Google scrapes and verifies them. Our Lesson: Website Needs Improvement Suspension. See what pages it takes.
4. Add Products (Product Feed Optimization)
Now the main task is to add the products to GMC. You can use Google Sheets, CSV/XML files, or eCommerce platform integration (Shopify, WooCommerce) if you want. But it’s not enough to just upload the products, you need to optimize them.
For example:
- Product Title should contain brand + keyword + features (Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 Running Shoes – Men’s – Black/White).
- Mention USP, size, color in Description. Images must be high-quality and on a white background.
- In addition, if you do not add identifiers like Brand, GTIN/MPN, Condition, Price, Availability, the feed may be disapproved. An optimized feed means not only approval, but also more clicks and sales.
Our clients saw a 68% CTR increase just by optimizing feeds. Let us learn more Optimize Google Shopping Feed Guide or Course Module: Data Feed optimisation look
5. Link Google Ads Account
Google Merchant Center isn’t just for free listings, the real power is when it’s paired with Google Ads. For this, go to GMC Dashboard → Tools → Linked Accounts and link your Google Ads account. This allows you to easily run Shopping Ads and track clicks, impressions, and conversion data for each product. Many new entrepreneurs just upload products and don’t see any sales growth.
Remember, without Ads it is difficult to survive the competition. Shopping Ads are the most visual and high-intent ads. So linking GMC + Ads means launching a permanent growth engine for your e-commerce store.
Warning: Without the link, Shopping ads cannot run. our Lesson: Connecting GMC with Google Ads The entire process is shown in the video.
6. Comply with Policies & Review
A Google Merchant Center account isn’t just about opening—it needs to be properly maintained. Many merchants get their ads stopped or account suspended due to minor mistakes. That’s why GMC Dashboard Diagnostics Tab Make it a habit to check daily. Here you can see your product disapproval, policy violation, or technical error.
Common mistakes that many people make:
- Misleading Price – One price on the website, but another price on the feed
- Missing Images – Missing product images or broken links
- Unsupported Claims – Making claims that cannot be proven
To avoid this, always ensure that your product feed and website information are exactly the same. Not only will it comply with Google’s policies, but customers will also trust your brand.
Common Questions About Google Merchant Center
Many people get confused by various questions while setting up Google Merchant Center (GMC) for the first time. So here I answer some of the most frequently asked questions, quite simply, so that you can understand quickly.
How to set up a Google Merchant Center?
GMC setup is actually not very complicated. Just follow a few steps.
- Go first google.com/retail and press “Get Started”.
- Sign up with your Google Account.
- Enter the business name, address and website URL.
- Verify websites with HTML tags, Google Analytics or Tag Manager.
- Set shipping, tax and return policies.
- Then add product feed and connect to Google Ads account.
Check out our Step-by-Step GMC Setup Guide for details
Is Google Merchant Center worth it?
This question comes to many people’s minds. The answer is Yes, absolutely worth it.
Reason:
- Your product will appear as a free listing in Google Shopping and search results.
- Running Shopping Ads will get targeted customers.
- Gives great ROI even for low budget businesses.
- GMC Next makes management easier with new reporting tools.
How do I change history in GMC?
Actually “history change” means to see what has been updated in the account. This is called the “Change Log.”
- If you go to GMC dashboard, you can see all the activities in the history section.
- Product feed updates, policy changes or disapprovals—everything is logged.
- This will help you find the root cause of the problem.
What is the cooldown period for GMC?
Sometimes GMC accounts are suspended due to policy violations or incorrect information. Then there is a “cooldown period”.
- Usually takes 3-7 days review time.
- New ads cannot be run at this time.
- Once the issue is fixed, the account is re-activated as soon as the review is completed.
If you’re having suspension problems, check out our guide: Fix GMC Suspension.
How to set up GMC for Shopify?
Connecting GMC is very easy for Shopify users.
- Install the “Google Channel” app from the Shopify dashboard.
- Connect your Google account.
- Verify the website.
- Product feed will automatically sync to GMC.
- Then you can run shopping campaigns by linking Google Ads.
Advanced Product Feed Optimization Tips
Just opening an account and uploading a product feed is not enough. Not optimizing the feed will result in low visibility of your product in Google. Below are some expert tips-
1. Use Structured Data
Google can easily understand product prices, stock and reviews if the website has schema markup. It provides rich search results.
2. Write product title smartly
Don’t just write “Nike Shoes”. Instead write:
“Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 Running Shoes – Men’s, 2025 Edition”
Thus adding keywords + details increases CTR.
3. Make the description informative
Answers to customer questions should be in the description. Such as size, material, use, benefit. Write benefits, not just features.
4. Use high-quality images
- Place the product shot on a white background.
- Give lifestyle images (eg pictures of shoes on).
- Keep at least 1000×1000 px resolution.
5. Keep the feed updated
Google will not show ads without price or availability matches. So update the feed regularly.
6. Use automation tools
Auto-updating feeds with Shopify, WooCommerce or third-party tools saves time and reduces errors.
Learn more: Google Shopping Feed Optimization.
Compliance and Policy Checklist
Succeeding in Google Merchant Center requires more than simply uploading products, adhering to Google’s strict policies. Otherwise risk account disapproval or suspension. Below is a practical checklist:
- HTTPS is required – Your website must use an SSL certificate (HTTPS).
- Return/Refund Policy is visible – The website should clearly have a Return & Refund Policy page.
- Accurate product information – Price, stock, shipping information should be same on website and GMC feed.
- Clear contact info – Email, phone, physical address must be on the website.
- Monitor the Diagnostics tab – If a product is disapproved, you will get a warning in GMC’s Diagnostics tab.
Google’s official guidelines: Google Merchant Center Policies। Our Expert Tip: “People who audit every week are 89% less likely to get suspended.” Learn more: Why Google Merchant Center Account Suspends
Linking GMC with Google Ads for First Sale
Google Merchant Center doesn’t just pick up products, Google Ads Link to your products Shopping Ads As can be seen on Google Search, Image and YouTube.
A real example:
One of our clients’ feed was not optimized. ROAS was 1.1x. We re-optimized the feed and linked it to Google Ads. ROAS increased within 45 days 2.9x is
Steps:
- GMC > Tools > Linked Accounts > Google Ads
- Enter the Google Ads CID
- Accept the invite from the Google Ads admin
- Create Performance Max or Standard Shopping campaigns
By using our service you will get:
- Set up within 48-hours
- ROAS-focused campaigns
- Monthly performance report
Work with us — Google Merchant Center + Ads Management Service
Conclusion
Google Merchant Center isn’t just a tool it’s the gateway to getting your e-commerce business in front of millions of customers on Google. However, to be successful, proper setup, policy compliance, and product feed optimization must be emphasized right from the start.
In this guide we have seen –
- How to open account
- Some policies have to be followed
- How to Optimize Product Feeds
- And how to get the first sale by connecting with Ads.
Finally remember, Transparency + Optimization = Long-term Success.
If you need expert help with GMC setup, feed optimization, and launching Ads campaigns for your business, then you can contact me. I will professionally guide you so that your product is not only approved, but also generates consistent sales from Google Shopping Ads.
Want experts to handle your Google Merchant Center setup & feed optimization? Get in touch with ecomhustle.net
