January 2025 - Tulsa Marketing Online

A new study has revealed the factors that Google Shopping uses to rank products.

By assessing over 5,000 Google Shopping keywords, Jeff Oxford from 180 Marketing showed what factors matter the most to the e-commerce search engine and how brands can improve their own rankings.

Website Authority Matters

The study found that website authority strongly correlates to higher rankings in shopping results. This contributes to major brands having a significant presence, with Amazon dominating top results. More than half (52%) of the studied keywords had Amazon listings at the top.

Reviews and Pricing Drive High Rankings

Google considers product prices and user reviews heavily when ranking products.

Products priced at or below the average for a category and query were most likely to appear in top results.

Similarly, products with high reviews consistently filled the top shopping results, while stores with a rating below 3.5 stars tended to languish further down the listings.

Backlinks are Rare but Have a Big Impact

The study made the shocking discovery that the vast majority of product pages (98%) seem to have no backlinks whatsoever. Despite this, the few pages that did have backlinks seem to rank higher than those without. This presents a major opportunity for e-commerce brands looking for a leg up.

Pair Meta Descriptions With The Right Keywords

While meta descriptions were largely tied to improved rankings, the researchers noted that pages with exact-match keywords in their descriptions consistently saw the best results.

The report indicates these meta descriptions were the most impactful on-page product ranking signal, however, it mentions that title tags and H1 headers with similar keywords also had a positive effect on rankings.

Shipping and Return Scores Affect Rankings

Google Shopping keeps track of stores’ shipping, returns, and website quality metrics and uses them to rank websites.

The report says that stores need “Exceptional” or “Great” scores for their shipping and returns performance or they are unlikely to appear in the top 10 product results.

The Takeaway

Google has not commented on the study and is unlikely to provide details about how it ranks products any time soon. Until they do, the study from 180 Marketing gives the best guidance available for e-commerce retailers wanting their products to rank better in Google Shopping.

According to Brendon Kraham, the vice president of global search ads and commerce, Google Ads is gearing up for an AI-led “seismic shift” in how people use the internet.

In an interview with MediaPost, Kraham recently discussed Google Ads’ plans for 2025 including how it plans to adapt to the growing integration of AI in nearly every facet of technology.

Why AI Is The Focus In 2025

Kraham says we are in the middle of a transformation in discovering information and interacting with businesses that is even bigger than the mobile revolution.

As he said:

“We’re in the midst of a massive shift toward AI, and frankly, it’s even bigger than the mobile revolution was. It’s about using AI to fundamentally improve how people search for information and connect with businesses.”

Google has to adapt to this on multiple fronts.

“For users, this means getting better answers to their questions, whether they’re simple or complex. From a business perspective, this AI-powered approach is going to drive a significantly better ROI for advertisers.”

How Kraham Sees 2025

When asked about his predictions for the new year, Kraham lays out three main areas that Google is focused on moving forward.

The evolution of search behavior beyond traditional keywords

“This means moving beyond simple keywords and embracing a multimodal search landscape where visuals, context, and even our surroundings play a crucial role in how we find what we need. For marketers, this means adapting to a more nuanced understanding of consumer behavior, where capturing attention and fostering genuine engagement will be paramount.”

The development of AI-powered creative tools for marketers

“This new era of search and ads means we will witness a surge in marketers embracing AI-powered tools — not to replace their creative spark, but to amplify it. Imagine personalized creative solutions that scale effortlessly, unlocking new avenues for expression and delivering measurable results.”

Integrating enhanced measurement capabilities across all digital channels

“Third, in 2025, measurement will be everything. Marketers will need to get laser-focused on their data, figuring out how to connect the dots as users move between searching, streaming, scrolling, and all those different ways of interacting online.”

Google has already been aggressively pursuing the development of AI tools in every area of its platform. Kraham indicates this is only going to accelerate further in the coming year, with new AI developments coming for Performance Max ads, Demand Gen ads, and Google Search products.

Google Shopping Study Shows How To Rank Your Products Higher