Google Shopping Free Listings: Start Selling for Free
Most online retailers think Google Shopping is only for paid advertisers — but that’s not actually true. You can now list your products on Google for free using the Google Shopping free listings program.
These listings appear in the Google Shopping tab, Google Search results, and even Google Maps — without paying for ads. Whether your online store runs on Shopify, WooCommerce, or Magento, these Google listings can bring you new traffic and sales from potential customers already searching for your popular products.
In this guide, you’ll learn how Google Shopping works, how to set up your listings through Google Merchant Centre, and how to optimize your product information for better visibility. You’ll also discover how to track results in Organic Google Shopping within Analytics and use this free exposure to grow your sales channels.
What Are Google Shopping Free Listings?
In short, Google Shopping free listings are unpaid organic product listings that connect consumers to your online shop. They appear as product images with details like price and availability, linking directly to your store.
These items show up in the Google Shopping tab, Google Search results, and across local listings in Google Maps, helping both online and local customers find your products quickly.
Your free listings are powered by your Google Merchant Account. When your product data — title, description, image, price, and product availability — meets shopping ads policies, Google can automatically show your products in both global and local product listings programs.
Think of this as rich product snippets for ecommerce. Instead of optimizing web pages, you optimize your product information so Google understands your catalog and presents your products to the right shoppers.
Need help? Check Google Merchant Center Help for setup guidance and policies that ensure a positive shopping experience for every Google customer.
You can also contact FeedOps.
Why Google Introduced Free Product Listings
Google launched free listings in 2020 to support businesses during the pandemic. They soon became a core part of how Google Shopping works.
The free listings program expanded the Google Shopping tab, creating a fairer marketplace where merchants of all sizes could showcase their products. It also gave shoppers a broader range of choices, enriching the shopping knowledge panel with more products and brands.
This means small businesses can now compete with larger retailers and reach consumers searching for similar items — all without spending on Google Ads.
Benefits of Free Google Shopping Listings
Using Google Shopping free listings helps ecommerce brands grow faster — especially when ad budgets are tight. These listings give you a cost-free way to appear in front of high-intent shoppers searching for products like yours.
Free Visibility in the Shopping Tab
Your products can appear in front of millions of Google users daily—without paying per click. Free listings let you compete alongside big brands, giving smaller retailers an equal chance to get discovered. The more complete and accurate your feed, the higher your visibility in the Google Shopping tab.
Organic Traffic form Google Search
Traffic from free listings appears under google / organic in Analytics. This complements your SEO strategy by sending shoppers directly to your product pages. You’re not buying traffic — you’re earning it through optimized product information and quality listings.
Brand Discovery
When your products appear in the Shopping tab and Google Search results, more shoppers discover your brand naturally. This exposure builds trust, repeat visits, and brand recall — even if they don’t buy right away.
Smarter Ad Spend
Free listing data shows what resonates with real shoppers. You can use it to refine your Performance Max or Standard Shopping campaigns. Instead of guessing, you’ll know which products deliver results — helping you spend ad dollars more wisely.
How to Set Up Product Data in Google Shopping Free Listings In Google Merchant Center
Setting up Google free listings is straightforward and can be done in less than an hour. Here is you checklist.
Step-by-Step Checklist
📧 Step 1: Create a Google Merchant Center Account – Sign in with your Google Account and visit merchants.google.com to create your Google Merchant Center profile.
✅ Step 2: Verify and Claim Your Website Store – Confirm your website ownership using Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, or a meta tag.
📤 Step 3: Upload Your Product Feed – Upload your feed via a Google Sheet, file, or by connecting your ecommerce platform such as Shopify or WooCommerce.
🌐 Step 4: Choose Country and Language – Make sure your feed matches your market’s currency and language.
🌟 Step 5: Enable the Free Listings Program – In Google Merchant Centre, open Growth → Manage Programs → Free Listings, then click Get Started.
🛠️ Step 6: Fix Merchant Centre Feed Errors – Before showing your products, Google checks for issues such as:
🏷️ Missing identifiers (GTIN, Brand, MPN)
📉 Price or stock mismatches
📸 Missing or poor-quality images
Once approved, 🚀 your products appear across Google’s free surfaces, including local listings if linked to your Google Business Profile.
🛠️ How to Optimize Your Free Listings for Better Results
Listing your products is only the start. To compete effectively, your product data must be complete, structured, and optimized.
As explained in our Google Shopping Feed Optimisation Guide, better data equals better visibility — for both free and paid listings.
You may aslo like: Google Local Inventory Ads for Performance Max Guide
🏷️ Optimize Titles
Use clear, keyword-rich titles that reflect what shoppers search for.
❌ Poor: Women’s Dress
✅ Optimized: Women’s Summer Maxi Dress – Cotton – Blue – Size 10
✍️ Optimize Descriptions
Write short, benefit-driven sentences describing features, materials, and intended use.
📂 Use Correct Categories
Follow Google’s taxonomy for accurate placement in Google Search results.
📸 Add High-Quality Images
Use clean, professional product photos. Avoid watermarks or promotional overlays.
🧾 Check Feed Attributes
Include brand, color, size, and gender fields.
Complete attributes ensure your products appear for specific search queries and within the local product listings program.
⚡ Fix Feed Errors Quickly
Regularly check your Merchant Center for feed warnings.
FeedOps uses 🤖 AI to find and correct these issues automatically, ensuring your customers enjoy a positive shopping experience across all sales channels.
How to Measure Success in Google Analytics (Organic Google Shopping)
Once your listings are live, track google shopping results.
Option 1: Merchant Center
Go to Performance → Dashboard → Free Listings. Review impressions, clicks, and top-performing products.
Option 2: Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Free listings traffic appears as Organic Google Shopping.
To track:
Open Reports → Acquisition → Traffic Acquisition.
Filter by Source / Medium = google / organic.
Add Session source platform to locate “Organic Google Shopping.”
This shows conversions, revenue, and engagement from free listings — separate from regular organic search.
Pro Tip: Create a segment for “Organic Google Shopping” in GA4 to measure long-term performance and refine your strategy.
Who Should Use Google Shopping Free Listings
Free listings are ideal for:
Small online shops testing new products.
Retailers with large catalogs seeking additional exposure.
Agencies managing feeds before launching paid ads.
When to Upgrade to Paid Google Shopping Ads
Free listings offer visibility but limited reach. Paid campaigns — such as Performance Max or Standard Shopping — expand exposure across YouTube, Display, Gmail, and Search.
Once you identify which products perform well through free listings, you can scale with confidence using Google Ads. FeedOps helps align feed data with ad strategy for maximum efficiency and improved ROI.
For more best practices, read our complete Google Shopping Ads Management Guide
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid these pitfalls:
Missing GTINs or incorrect identifiers.
Outdated prices or stock information.
Ignoring feed warnings in Google Merchant Centre.
Poor-quality titles or duplicate categories.
Treating your feed as “set and forget.”
For more best practices, read our complete Google Shopping Feed Optimization Guide.
Conclusion: Start Selling for Free on Google
Google Shopping free listings are one of the simplest ways to reach new customers, boost visibility, and increase sales — all without spending on ads.
When your product information is complete, accurate, and optimized, Google rewards your listings with better placement and more traffic.
Start today by connecting your Google Merchant Account, verifying your website, and optimizing your feed. With the right setup, you’ll appear in both organic and local listings, giving you more ways to reach buyers online and offline.
If you’d like expert help, FeedOps can optimize your feeds, correct errors, and align your product data for stronger results across free and paid listings.
👉 Next Step: Read the Google Shopping Feed Optimisation Guide to unlock your next growth
FAQs & Google Shopping Free Listings
1. Is Google Shopping free to use?
Yes. Google Shopping now includes a free listings program that lets you show your products in the Google Shopping tab, Google Search results, and other Google surfaces — all without paying per click. You just need a Google Merchant Account and a verified website.
2. What are Google Shopping free listings?
They are organic product listings that display your products on Google. These listings look like Shopping Ads but don’t cost anything. Google pulls your product data from the Merchant Center and matches it to shoppers searching for similar items.
4. Do I need Google Ads to use free listings?
No. You don’t need to run Google Ads to appear in free listings. However, many online retailers combine both free and paid listings to increase visibility and test performance before scaling with paid ads.
5. What’s the difference between paid Shopping Ads and free listings?
Paid ads appear across more places — like YouTube, Display, and Gmail — while free listings appear mainly in the Shopping tab and Search results. Paid ads use bids; free listings rely on feed quality and relevance. Both must follow Google’s shopping ads policies.
6. How do I qualify for Google Shopping free listings?
You’ll need a verified Google Merchant Account, a working product feed, and a site that meets Google’s policies. Your feed must include all required product data attributes and accurate information about price and product availability.
7. Can local stores appear in Google Shopping free listings?
Yes. If you connect your Google Business Profile to your Merchant Center, your store can show in local listings through the local product listings program. This helps nearby shoppers find your products and visit your store for a purchase.
8. Where will my free listings appear?
Your products can show up in:
The Google Shopping tab
Google Search results
Google Images
The shopping knowledge panel
Google Maps (for local feeds)
Google decides placement based on product quality and search relevance.
9. What information should my product feed include?
Your feed must contain complete, accurate, and up-to-date product information so your listings meet Google’s data standards. Include the following key product data attributes:
id – A unique product ID.
title – The product name (include key details like color, size, and type).
description – A short, clear explanation of the product’s features and benefits.
link – The landing page URL on your website.
image_link – A high-quality image showing the product clearly.
availability – Current product availability (e.g. in stock, out of stock, preorder).
price – The product’s current price in the correct currency.
brand – The brand name.
gtin – Global Trade Item Number (UPC/EAN/ISBN, if applicable).
mpn – Manufacturer Part Number (if no GTIN).
condition – Whether it’s new, used, or refurbished.
shipping – Cost and country for delivery.
google_product_category – The category that matches Google’s taxonomy.
product_type – Your internal product category (helps for filtering).
item_group_id – To group product variants like color or size.
sale_price and sale_price_effective_date – If you’re running a sale.
identifier_exists – Set to true or false depending on identifiers provided.
additional_image_link – Optional extra image URLs.
Adding these fields helps Google show your products more often in organic product listings and local listings, improving visibility and clicks.
10. How do I track performance for free listings?
You can track performance in:
Google Merchant Center → Performance → Free Listings for clicks and impressions.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) → filter for Organic Google Shopping to see sessions, conversions, and revenue.
11. What are the benefits of using Google Shopping free listings?
They give you free visibility, attract organic traffic, improve brand discovery, and strengthen your rich product snippets. They also help you identify top-performing products for future Google Ads campaigns.
12. Can I use free listings for international sales?
Yes. You can set your country of sale and language in your Merchant Centre. Make sure to display prices in the correct currency and comply with local policies and tax requirements.
13. Do free listings show all products?
Not always. Google shows only approved products that meet its shopping ads policies. Missing GTINs, incorrect pricing, or incomplete product information can prevent items from appearing.
14. Can I use free and paid listings together?
Absolutely. Many successful online stores use both. Free listings boost organic reach, while paid ads drive conversions. The data you gather from free listings helps you optimize your paid strategy.
15. What should I do if my listings are disapproved?
Check your Merchant Center Diagnostics section. Google flags issues like policy violations or missing data. Visit Google Merchant Center Help to understand and fix the problem before re-uploading your feed.
16. How can FeedOps help with Google Shopping free listings?
FeedOps audits and optimizes your product data to meet Google’s standards. It fixes errors automatically, enriches product information, and keeps your feed compliant — ensuring a positive shopping experience across all your sales channels.
17. How often should I update my product data?
Update your feed whenever prices, stock levels, or product variants change. Google favors real-time accuracy, so keeping product availability current helps maintain strong visibility.
18. Will my free listings appear in rich snippets or panels?
Yes. Well-optimized feeds can appear as rich product snippets or within the shopping knowledge panel, increasing trust and click-through rates in search.
19. Can I manage multiple stores or channels under one account?
Yes. You can link multiple feeds and sales channels under a single Google Merchant Centre account. This setup works well for multi-brand retailers or agencies managing several online stores.
20. Does FeedOps support local product listings?
Yes. FeedOps supports both online and local listings. You can connect your Google Business Profile, sync store inventory, and help local customers find products in nearby stores.