How to Set Up OpenCart Google Merchant Feed - Part 1

Posted by JackBudd on June 21, 2024

Setting up an OpenCart Google Merchant feed is a crucial step for any OpenCart store looking to expand its reach through Google Shopping ads. This process allows your products to appear in Google Shopping results, making them more visible to potential customers.

This is Part 1 of our guide. In Part 2, we cover how to create effective Google Shopping ads to maximise your product visibility and sales.

Step 1: Set Up Your Google Merchant Center Account

Before linking your OpenCart store, you need to have a Google Merchant Center account.

Create a Google Merchant Center Account:

Go to Google Merchant Center and sign in with your Google account. Follow the prompts to set up your account.

Verify and Claim Your Website:

In your Merchant Center account, navigate to "Business information" and then "Website."

Choose a verification method (HTML file upload, meta tag, Google Analytics, or Google Tag Manager) and follow the instructions. After verifying, claim your website.

Step 2: Install the Google Merchant Shopping Feeds OC 2.3.x Extension

There's a great extension available for OpenCart that allows you to link your products efficiently. You'll need the "Google Merchant Shopping Feeds OC 2.3.x" extension. 

This extension helps generate Google XML feeds for your products, supports product variants and multiple images, and allows bulk updates and category mapping, making it easier to manage your Google Shopping listings.

For a detailed guide on how to install OpenCart extensions, refer to our blog post on installing OpenCart extensions.

Configure the Extension:

  1. After installation, go to the extension settings in your OpenCart admin panel.
  2. Enter your Google Merchant Center credentials and configure the feed settings according to your needs.
  3. Map your store categories to Google Product Categories, set up product variants, and include multiple images per product.

Step 3: Generate and Upload Your Product Feed

With the extension installed and configured, you can now generate and upload your product feed to Google Merchant Center.

Generate the Product Feed:

In your OpenCart admin panel, navigate to the Google Merchant Shopping Feeds extension and generate the product feed as an XML file.

Upload the Feed to Google Merchant Center:

  1. Log in to your Google Merchant Center account.
  2. Go to "Products" and then "Feeds."
  3. Click the "+" button to create a new feed.
  4. Choose your country of sale and language, then select the method to upload your feed. You can use "Scheduled fetch" or manually upload the generated XML file.
  5. Follow the prompts to complete the feed upload.

Step 4: Link Google Merchant Center to Google Ads

To start running Google Shopping ads, link your Google Merchant Center account to Google Ads.

  1. In Google Merchant Center, go to "Settings" and then "Linked accounts."
  2. Find "Google Ads" and click "Link account."
  3. Follow the instructions to link your Google Ads account.

Step 5: Optimise Your Product Listings

To ensure the best performance of your Shopping ads, continuously optimise your product listings.

Use High-Quality Images:

Ensure your product images meet Google's requirements and are of high quality by avoiding watermarked or promotional text on images

Optimise Titles and Descriptions:

Include relevant keywords in your product titles and descriptions. Make sure your titles and descriptions are clear, informative, and accurately describe the products.

Conclusion

Setting up an OpenCart Google Merchant feed and linking it to your Google Merchant Center is a powerful way to boost your product visibility. By following these steps and utilising the Google Merchant Shopping Feeds extension, you can streamline the process and ensure your products are ready for success.

In Part 2 of our guide, we will cover how to create and optimise Google Shopping ads to drive more traffic and increase sales.

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