The Three Leaks
When Shopping performance is underperforming, brands typically start with bids. They adjust ROAS targets, test budget allocations, experiment with campaign structures. Sometimes this helps. Usually, it doesn't.
The reason: the problem is upstream. The feed is leaking money before bids have any chance to matter.
The three leaks we see in almost every account:
- 1. Title Expansion - Vague titles triggering wrong searches
- 2. Missing Attributes - Forcing Google to guess
- 3. Image-Price Mismatch - Attracting wrong-intent clicks
Together, these three issues typically account for 60-80% of wasted Shopping spend. Fix them, and bidding becomes dramatically more effective.
Leak 1: Title Expansion
Vague product titles cause Google to expand query matching far beyond your actual products. The less specific your title, the more searches you'll trigger, and most of them will be wrong.
The Problem
Title: "Women's Dress"
Appears for: "cheap dresses," "summer dress sale," "party dress under £20," "casual maxi dress," and thousands of other queries that don't match a £180 silk cocktail dress.
The Fix
Title: "Silk Midi Cocktail Dress - Wedding Guest Occasion Wear | Navy"
Now appears for: "silk cocktail dress," "wedding guest dress," "occasion wear midi," "navy formal dress." These searchers expect premium pricing.
How to Spot It
- •Search terms report shows generic category terms
- •High impressions but low CTR
- •Price-modifier queries like "cheap" or "sale"
- •Titles shorter than 60 characters
Leak 2: Missing Attributes
When attributes are missing, Google infers them. Google's inferences are often wrong, causing products to appear for searches that don't match.
The Problem
Men's running shoes with gender attribute missing
Appears for: "women's running shoes," "kids trainers," "unisex sneakers." Every click from wrong-gender searches is waste.
The Fix
Complete all relevant attributes: gender, age_group, size_type, size_system, material, pattern, colour
Now Google knows exactly who should see this product and who shouldn't.
Critical Attributes to Check
- •Gender
- •Age group
- •Colour
- •Size
- •Material
- •Pattern
- •Product type
- •Brand
How to Spot It
- •Merchant Center warnings about missing attributes
- •Wrong-gender or wrong-size searches in search terms
- •Products appearing in wrong category filters
Leak 3: Image-Price Mismatch
Your product image is the first filter. If it doesn't communicate your price bracket, you'll attract clicks from people who bounce when they see the actual price.
The Problem
£250 premium leather bag photographed on white background with basic product shot
Looks indistinguishable from £30 fast-fashion bags in the same search results. Clicks, but doesn't convert because price surprises the visitor.
The Fix
Premium lifestyle photography showing quality, materials, and craftsmanship
Image communicates premium positioning before the click. People who click expect premium pricing.
How to Spot It
- •High CTR but low conversion rate
- •Quick bounce from product pages (under 10 seconds)
- •Your images look similar to budget competitors
Quick Diagnosis
Run this quick check on your account:
5-Minute Feed Leak Check
- 1Export your search terms report for the last 30 days. Sort by impressions.
- 2Check the top 50 queries. How many are specific to your products? How many are generic category terms?
- 3Look for price modifiers like "cheap," "sale," "discount," "under £X." If you sell premium, these are leak signals.
- 4Pull a random sample of 10 products. Check title length, attribute completeness, and image quality.
- 5Compare CTR to conversion rate. High CTR + low conversion = image-price mismatch.
Fix Priority
If you find all three leaks (most accounts have all three), fix in this order:
Titles First
Biggest impact on query matching. Start with your highest-spend products. Aim for 60-120 characters with material, quality, and specific product details.
Attributes Second
Complete gender, age_group, material, and colour across all products. Focus on attributes that filter wrong audiences.
Images Third
More expensive to fix, but worth it for premium products. Prioritise hero products and highest-spend SKUs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common product feed problems?
The three most common feed leaks are: vague titles that trigger wrong searches, missing attributes that force Google to guess, and image-price mismatches that attract wrong-intent clicks. Together, these typically account for 60-80% of Shopping waste.
How do I know if my feed is wasting money?
Check your search terms report for generic or irrelevant queries. Look for low CTR combined with high impressions. Check if you're appearing for price-modifier searches ('cheap', 'sale') when you sell premium. These are all symptoms of feed leaks.
How quickly can feed fixes improve performance?
Title changes typically show impact within 1-2 weeks as Google reindexes and recalculates relevance. Attribute fixes can take longer to fully propagate. Expect noticeable improvement within 30 days for comprehensive feed fixes.
Related Reading
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