Edit default category values (product types), Google Product Category, Title and Description templates on all channels
Navigate to Website Settings > Categories
Caution: Modifications made here will impact product feeds across all channels. To tailor settings for a particular channel, visit the products section in FeedOps or apply data rules.
FeedOps automatically imports your website categories and maps them to product types, allowing you to set default settings for these categories. These settings then translate to how product types are presented across all channels.
Here, you can effectively manage their appearance on every channel.
- Adjust the product type
- Assign the Google product category
- Update the default title template
- Revise the default description template
- Enable and order categories
Note: Product types should match your website's taxonomy, which is why FeedOps automatically maps categories to product types by default. The Google Product Category has become the standard taxonomy used by most channels to organize and make products browsable on their platforms.
Adjust the product type
Navigate to Website Settings > Categories.
To rewrite the product type, set the Product Type toggle to "Rewrite," which then displays a Product Type Rewrite input field for the website category name rewrite. If the Product Type toggle for a category is set to "Unchanged," the product type attribute will reflect the hierarchical category names as they appear on the website.
Select a category to change its product type, toggle the selection to rewrite, and enter the new product type. Rewriting a product type at the top level automatically updates all subcategories for uniform classification, though you can tailor product types for specific subcategories as needed. Incorporating relevant and popular keywords enhances discoverability. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find the right keywords.
Note: Channels like Google, Microsoft, and Meta leverage the "product type" attribute to categorize products, enhancing organization, ad targeting, and product recommendations. This attribute significantly influences feed quality by ensuring accurate product classification, thereby improving visibility and searchability. It's also crucial for comparison shopping, facilitating easier product comparisons for consumers. Moreover, selecting search-friendly keywords is essential for enhancing product relevance and discoverability across these channels.
To further optimize for search engine ranking, website category names can be rewritten to form product type values that align more closely with common search terms. When a product type rewrite is provided, this rewritten value is used instead of the website category name in product feeds, ensuring the feed matches how people search and boosting the product's online presence.
Assign the Google Product Category
Navigate to Website Settings > Categories
Select a category to change its Google product category, toggle the selection to 'override', and search for the most fitting Google product category. Overriding a Google product category at the top level automatically updates all subcategories for consistent classification. However, you have the option to customize Google Product categories for specific subcategories as needed.
Tip: If you plan to use FeedOps solely for Google Shopping, you can skip this step. Google automatically assigns a product category based on their taxonomy. Ensure your products are correctly categorized by reviewing Google's guidelines here: Google Merchant Center Help.
Update the default Title Template
Tip:The product title, highly visible in ads and listings, crucially affects search rankings. Incorporating popular keywords enhances discoverability, aligning with search queries to improve visibility and attract the right audience. This strategic use of keywords can boost click-through rates and conversions, emphasizing the importance of optimizing your product title
Caution: Adjusting the product types here will set them as default for all channels. If you wish to set product type templates for a specific channel, navigate to the product screen or use data rules.
Navigate to Website Settings > Categories
Select the category for which you wish to adjust the product title template. Use the "+" and "-" symbols to edit the title template. FeedOps allows for comprehensive editing of the product title. You can add attributes and free text as suffixes or prefixes to the existing title or completely rebuild the title using available attributes. Editing product titles from the product screen or with data rules is possible, but modifying them at the category level is often more efficient and effective. Changing a product title template at the top level automatically updates all subcategories, though you can customize individual subcategories as desired. The goal is to include keyword patterns in product titles to maintain uniqueness, as duplicate titles are unlikely to be displayed across most channels. Use the Google Keywords Planner to find relevant keywords. Incorporate attributes like size and color in the title to keep URLs unique.
Here are some examples:
| Structure | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| General Merchandise (GM) | [Brand] + [Product Type] + [Key Feature] + [Model] + [Size/Pack Quantity] | Acme Vacuum Cleaner, Bagless Corded, Model VX10, 1.5L Capacity |
| Fashion | [Brand] + [Type of Clothing] + [Material] + [Key Feature] + [Color] + [Size] | Zara Women's Cotton Blouse, Ruffled Sleeve, White, Size M |
| Electronics | [Brand] + [Product Type] + [Model Number] + [Key Feature] + [Size/Specifications] | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, 5G Smartphone, 128GB, Phantom Black |
Tip:
- Start with the Brand: Consumers often search by brand, so starting with the brand name can improve visibility.
- Be Descriptive: Include key features that differentiate your product, such as material for fashion items or technical specifications for electronics.
- Use Keywords Wisely: Incorporate relevant keywords that potential buyers might use when searching for products like yours. Use tools like Google Keywords Planner for research.
- Be Clear and Concise: Avoid stuffing titles with too many keywords or unnecessary information. Clarity and relevance are key.
- Customize for the Channel: While maintaining a consistent base, tailor titles slightly for different channels if they have unique requirements or audiences.
- Monitor and Adjust: Product titles can always be refined. Monitor performance and be willing to tweak titles based on what works best.
Revise the Default Description Template
The description template is similar to product titles. Managing descriptions at a category level is possible and can be useful in some cases, but it is generally not advisable. A common best practice is to insert the brand and product type at the end of the description. This approach can increase keyword density and help improve rankings.
Enable and order categoriesEnable for advertising
Whether or not a website category and any products within that category are included in any advertising is controlled by the Disabled/Enabled toggle for the website category. If a website category in the hierarchy is enabled, all of its descendent categories will be enabled unless they have explicitly been disabled. Similarly, if a website category in the hierarchy is disabled, all if its descendent categories will be disabled unless they are explicitly enabled.
For more detail read "Enable and disable website categories in FeedOps"
Category ordering
When producing a product feed, only the settings applied to each product must come from a single unique category. For eCommerce platforms that allow products to appear in more than one category (Shopify for example), the ordering of categories controls which category takes precedence as the unique category for each product in any product feeds. Categories can be reordered by using the up and down arrows alongside the category to move the category up or down.