Google Shopping’s new secret? Google optimizes your product titles how they want.

We’ve noticed products appearing in Google Shopping results with titles that do not match titles we’ve specified in our feed. Most concerning was a change in the way a client’s brand name “Outway”, was being changed to “OutWay”. Not good, especially since the client was seeing that in search results. After reviewing all components of our feed, campaigns, and structured data on the webpages, we just about gave up with frustration trying to figure out where these incorrect titles were coming from.

Google has a new feature (which we could find NO documentation about) called “Smart Titles”. In our example, not only was the Brand Name being incorrectly changed, but our optimized titles were being wiped away as well. Components of our title like sizing, color info was now gone – these new “Smart Titles” were very different from what we set up. What gives Google?! While these “Smart Titles” may be OK for some advertisers, they were not a good look here. 

Don’t spend hours trying to figure out where these whacky optimizations are coming from. You can tell Google to turn these OFF in your account.

Here’s instructions how to turn OFF “Smart Titles” in Google Shopping:

• Open Google Merchant Center. Navigate to: Help Center and Support > Contact Us > Open A Chat. Let the representative know that you want to turn OFF Smart Titles in your feed. You do not want Google editing your product titles. The representative will help you open an email ticket for the request.
• When you receive a ticket number from Google, fill out the form and email to: shopping-support@google.com
  • The email needs to be coming from an ADMIN email account on your Google Merchant Center. (To see who’s an ADMIN: Log in to your GMC > Upper Right Gear Menu > People and Access)
• Your email body:
  • On behalf of my company, {Your Company Name], I give Google my approval to make all of the following types of modifications in Merchant Center account {Your Google Merchant Center Account Number} without first notifying me:
    Request 1: I authorize Google To remove Smart Titles from our Merchant Center Account
    {Your Company Name} will be responsible for any impact these changes have on the account, including impact on campaign performance or spending.
• Google will typically respond within a week with a confirmation if these changes have been made.

Looking for help optimizing the product titles in your feed? Our team of experts would love to chat and see if we can help your business out!