Google planning to launch free Shopping listings in EMEA in mid-October

  Free Shopping listings have finally arrived in EMEA! As we mentioned earlier this year, Google has been preparing to introduce the free Shopping listings campaign globally. And just now, they have announced its launch. In times of economic instability, businesses of all sizes are striving for survival. Now, more than ever, it is important to be out there – visible for customers, so that customers who search for your products are able to find them. This is arguably the biggest move Google has done towards supporting independent retailers and should be seen as a strategic move in the battle with Amazon around mind space in product search.     

What’s the purpose of listing products in the Shopping tab for free?

In short, Google wants to provide the best place for people to find the products they need. And keep its relevance as the most important place for retailers to connect with prospective customers. This is why the Google Shopping tab “will consist primarily of free product listings”, opening the Shopping results to organic listings. That would further help to reach out to potential new customers at minimal cost.  

How do free Shopping listings work?

After the launch of free shopping listings in the US market at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, amazing results have been achieved in terms of gaining online visibility for some retailers. Today Google announced it is planning to launch across Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the middle of October. If you are already paying for Shopping Ads, you can automatically make use of the free Shopping listings. So you will see this as an additional boost to your established Shopping campaigns. Retailers with a unique set of products can, through these free Shopping listings, explore new markets at minimal costs. All retailers need to do to test new markets is creating Merchant Center multi-client accounts and copy the product feed into new Merchant Center accounts aimed at different markets.  

What’s in it for retailers?

The first tests after the implementation in the US showed that retailers who are actively using free listings received twice as many impressions and 50% more visits after the set-up. For smaller businesses, this is of particular importance, as they normally need to invest at least twice as many resources than large enterprises in order to gain the same visibility. With this new solution, Google sets an equal start for everyone.   

How is Up Analytics helping businesses to make the most of Google Shopping?

Up Analytics immediately started the groundwork for setting up 80+ different merchant centres based on three different subdomains for an independent retailer.   Setting up Merchant Center Accounts for dozens of countries is definitely a tricky task if not handled professionally. Thanks to Google’s Merchant Center structure, we are already starting to see the impact those listings make on a global scale.   

Increase your visibility with free Shopping listings today!

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