Google Organic Product Grids: How Ranking Works

Introduction

• Organic product grids are a crucial aspect of eCommerce SEO, occupying significant organic real estate on SERPs.
• Referred to as popular products, product carousels, or merchant listings by Google.
• The guide provides insights beyond Google's official documentation based on experiences with large eCommerce stores.

Global Rollout of Product Grids

• Initially prominent in the US; now expanding globally.
• As of January 2024, 15% of US search results feature product grids on both mobile and desktop.
• Also present in the UK, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Australia (12% on mobile).

Analyzing Product Grids

• Use the free Google Sheet template for product grid analysis.
• Steps involve using Keywords Explorer, identifying SERP Overview, and transferring data to the sheet.
• Analyze trends within your industry to determine influential factors.
• Example: Samsung DW80R2031 vs. Frigidaire FDPC4221A in product grid appearances.

Influential Factors for Ranking

1. Ensuring Valid Items and Eligibility

• Critical to have valid items in Google Merchant Center and structured data on product pages.
• Compare valid items in Google's Product snippets and Merchant listings.
• Use of structured data (e.g., ProductGroup, hasVariant) can enhance visibility.

2. Identifying the Type of Product Grid

• Types include popular products grid, deals grid, and fast pickup/delivery grid.
• Popular products grid is the most common, followed by deals grid and fast pickup grid.

3. Ensuring an Exact Product Match

• Essential for ranking in product grids, especially for non-branded queries.
• Products must match exactly with the feed and product page details.

4. Extensive Set of Information Provided

• Important to provide detailed product information, including gtin/mpn and high-quality images.

5. Maintaining Various Product Titles

• Titles in the feed, product pages, and standard organic listings should be consistent.

6. Sourced Product Reviews

• Aggregated reviews can enhance ranking; more reviews often equate to higher rankings.

7. Having a Competitive Edge

• Pricing, returns policy, and shipping time can influence product rankings.

Maximizing Visibility

Top Placement Benefits

• Ranking in the top spot significantly boosts CTR.

Merchant Features

1. Top Quality Store Badge

• Indicates fast shipping, transparent returns, and high-quality websites.

2. Seller Ratings

• Enhances trust and visibility beyond product grids.

3. Promotions/Coupons

• Coupons are a powerful tool for increasing visibility in search results.

4. Buy Now Option

• Directs users to the checkout page, providing convenience.

5. Payment Methods

• Offering PayPal and Google Pay can increase attractiveness.

6. Loyalty Programs

• Rarely seen but potentially impactful.

Maintaining Parameters

• Google sometimes struggles with parameter URLs in product grid results.
• Proper feed management can mitigate parameter issues.

FAQs

• Sources for Product Grid Data: Website content, product feeds, structured data.
• Countries with Prominent Product Grids: Primarily US and UK, also in Australia.
• Traffic from Product Grids: High CTR post-selection; affects sites not ranking in grids.