Shopping Feed Optimization: Turn Product Titles Into Profit
Your product feed is leaving money on the table. Here's how to optimize titles, custom labels, and feed structure for maximum ROAS.
I audited a furniture retailer's Shopping feed last month. They had 2,400 products. Every single title was identical: "Furniture - Free Shipping."
No wonder their ROAS was 1.2x. Google had no idea what they were selling.
After optimizing their feed, ROAS jumped to 4.8x in 3 weeks. Same products. Same prices. Better titles.
Why Most Shopping Feeds Fail
Google Shopping is dominated by your product feed. If your feed sucks, your ads will suck. Here are the most common mistakes:
Fatal Feed Mistakes:
- ❌ Generic titles ("T-Shirt" instead of "Men's Navy Cotton Crew Neck T-Shirt Size L")
- ❌ Missing custom labels (can't segment by margin/bestseller)
- ❌ Poor image quality (blurry, bad lighting, wrong size)
- ❌ Wrong product categories
- ❌ No GTINs when competitors have them
Product Title Optimization
Your title is the single most important ranking factor in Shopping. Here's the formula:
High-Converting Title Formula
[Brand] + [Product Type] + [Key Attribute 1] + [Key Attribute 2] + [Size/Color]
Title Examples: Before vs After
❌ BEFORE (Generic)
"Sofa - Free Shipping"
✓ AFTER (Optimized)
"West Elm Mid-Century Modern Leather Sofa 3-Seater Tan 84 inch"
Result: 340% increase in impressions, 5.2x ROAS
❌ BEFORE
"Running Shoes"
✓ AFTER
"Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 Men's Running Shoes Black Size 10.5 Wide"
Result: CPC dropped 62%, conversion rate up 180%
Title Optimization Rules
- Put the most important info first
Google truncates at ~70 characters on mobile. Front-load brand and product type.
- Use numbers and specifics
"24-inch" beats "large." "100% cotton" beats "soft material."
- Match search intent
If people search "buy leather jacket men," include those exact words.
- Don't keyword stuff
Google penalizes "Men Jacket Leather Jacket Men's Leather Bomber Jacket Black."
Custom Labels: The Secret Weapon
Custom labels let you segment your products any way you want. Here's how we use them:
Our Custom Label Framework:
custom_label_0: Profit Margin
high (50%+), medium (30-50%), low (<30%)
custom_label_1: Performance
bestseller, new, slow-mover, clearance
custom_label_2: Seasonality
all-season, summer, winter, holiday
custom_label_3: Price Tier
budget (<$50), mid ($50-150), premium ($150+)
custom_label_4: Stock Level
in-stock, low-stock (<10), pre-order
Why this matters: You can now create separate campaigns for high-margin products with aggressive bids, while limiting spend on low-margin clearance items.
Image Optimization
Your image is the second most important element after title. Here's what works:
White or neutral background
Product should take up 75-80% of frame
Minimum 800x800px (1200x1200 recommended)
Higher res = better zoom = higher conversion
Professional lighting
No shadows, no watermarks, no text overlays
Show product in use (when possible)
Lifestyle images convert 40% better than product-only
Campaign Structure by Custom Labels
Example Structure:
Campaign: High-Margin Bestsellers
custom_label_0 = "high" AND custom_label_1 = "bestseller"
Target ROAS: 300% | Budget: 50% of total
Campaign: Medium-Margin New Products
custom_label_0 = "medium" AND custom_label_1 = "new"
Target ROAS: 400% | Budget: 30% of total
Campaign: Low-Margin Clearance
custom_label_0 = "low" OR custom_label_1 = "clearance"
Target ROAS: 600% | Budget: 20% of total
Action Checklist
This Week:
- Audit your top 50 products - rewrite titles using the formula
- Add custom_label_0 (profit margin) to your entire feed
- Create separate campaigns for high/medium/low margin products
- Review image quality - replace any blurry/dark photos
- Set up automated feed rules for new products
Want us to optimize your Shopping feed? Get a free audit and we'll show you exactly what's killing your ROAS.