Get Better Product Visibility
A Big Shift Is Coming to Google Merchant Center
If you’re selling products online, Google just made a move you can’t ignore.
Starting April 3, 2025, Google Merchant Center will start collecting marketing content straight from your promotional emails. This update focuses on helping merchants gain better product visibility across Search and the Shopping tab.
Premium Websites, Inc. is here to help you understand what this means and how to make the most of it.
What Type of Businesses Should Pay Attention?
This update is tailored for:
- Online retailers
- DTC (direct-to-consumer) brands
- Ecommerce platforms using Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and others
- Merchants running seasonal or promotional sales
If you’re a service-based business, this doesn’t really apply to you. Google Merchant Center is designed for product listings, not services.
What’s Actually Changing?
Google will start pulling in select content from your marketing emails:
- Promotions and seasonal sales
- New product announcements
- Social media links
- Anything else that helps shoppers connect with your brand
These emails are now a powerful tool to unlock better product visibility where people are already searching: Google Search, the Shopping tab, and possibly more down the road.
You’re In Unless You Opt Out
This is automatic. Google will enroll all eligible Merchant Center accounts by default.
Want out? You’ll need to manually opt out in your Merchant Center settings.
But before you do, there are some big upsides to consider.
7 Reasons Ecommerce Stores Should Embrace Better Product Visibility
- Zero extra effort: Google does the heavy lifting—no more uploading banners or writing separate promotions.
- Real-time promotion visibility: Your sales and product drops appear fast where people search.
- Automatic updates: No need to sync calendars or miss a marketing moment.
- Saves time: Use your existing marketing emails instead of creating new Google assets.
- Increased discoverability: More shoppers find your brand without clicking into your site first.
- Built-in social links: Google includes links to Instagram, Facebook, and others.
- It’s free: No ad spend, just better visibility.
Premium Websites, Inc. recommends taking full advantage of this if you’re already sending regular promotions.
How to Get Your Marketing Emails Picked Up by Google
Here’s the part many people miss: Google isn’t scraping your website for this content. It’s looking at your marketing emails.
To feed Google the right content, just add this special email address to your promotional email list:
marketingemailtogoog@gmail.com
Make sure you’re only sending marketing emails—not receipts or transactional messages. Google’s not interested in those.
Tips to Make Your Emails Stand Out for Better Product Visibility:
- Keep subject lines clear (e.g. “50% Off Sitewide – 3 Days Only”)
- Use branded headers and product images
- Include working social links
- Highlight time-sensitive offers
- Avoid clutter—Google likes clear, focused emails
What About Privacy or Control?
Google says you’re still in charge. They won’t override your Merchant Center data.
The content pulled from your emails will be treated the same way as your product listings—covered by the Merchant Center terms of service.
If you change your mind, just visit your Merchant Center settings and opt out. No penalty.
Google Once Trialed a Gmail Shopping Feature—But Quietly Pulled It
In 2013, Google tested a feature where shopping deals showed up inside Gmail. It didn’t take off. But the concept lived on. Now, instead of pushing ads into inboxes, Google’s flipping the idea—using your marketing emails to improve how you show up in search.
What Premium Websites, Inc. Wants You to Know
If you run an ecommerce store, this is a win. Google wants your promotional emails so it can showcase your brand without any extra effort from you.
Just make sure you:
- Add marketingemailtogoog@gmail.com to your promo list
- Keep your emails clean and product-focused
- Check your Merchant Center settings if you want to opt out
Premium Websites, Inc. is staying on top of these updates so you can focus on running your business—not chasing down every tech change.
FAQ
Can I opt out of this feature? Yes. Log in to Merchant Center, go to “Marketing Content Usage,” and disable the option.
Will this affect my ad campaigns? No. This has nothing to do with paid ads. It’s strictly for organic exposure.
Does this apply to service businesses? No. Google Merchant Center is for physical products, not services.
What email address should I add to my marketing list? Add marketingemailtogoog@gmail.com to the same list that gets your product promos.
What type of emails does Google want? Only marketing emails—discounts, product launches, promotions, announcements. Not order confirmations or support.
Can I see what content Google uses? You may not see a full preview, but you can track any increase in visibility through Search Console and Merchant Center analytics.
