[intro] Before you begin, you need to have opened a Google Analytics account and linked this to your EKM online shop. You also need to have classified your EKM online shop and added the correct Attributes to your Products using the Product Attributes feature or your Product Feed may not be accepted by Google. Finally, you need to have installed the Google Tools feature on your EKM online shop. When you have completed this Guide, you will have opened a Google Search Console account and submitted your sitemap. You will also have opened a Google Merchant account and submitted your Product Feed to Google. [/intro]

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[tips] Before you begin, it’s a good idea to open a Google/Gmail account beforehand, so that all of your Google products can be linked to the same account which makes things easier for management and authentication purposes. To open a free Gmail account, click here. [/tips]

[caution]You must have created a Google Analytics account before you begin this Guide, as this is required for verification when creating accounts on Google Search Console and Google Merchant Centre. You can find the Google Analytics Guide here. [/caution]

Google Search Console

Opening a Google Search Console Account

1. Click this link and click the blue Start Now button:

2. Add your email address and click Next, then add your Password and click Next:

3. Add the domain name of your EKM online shop into the field provided, and click Continue:

4. If you have already set up a Google Analytics account, select that option and click the Verify button:

5. However, if you have not set up Google Analytics yet, select the HTML tag:

6. Now you need to copy the code in the field:

7. In a separate browser tab log into your EKM online shop, and open the Google Tools feature. Paste the code in the top field:

8. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and click the green Save Changes button:

9. Return to the browser tab where you’re looking at the Google Search Console page, and click the Verify button:

10. You should then see this message. Click Go To Property:


Submitting your Sitemap

There will be no data available on the dashboard just yet as you’ve only just opened the account, so the next step would be to submit a sitemap to Google. A sitemap is a list of all of the different pages on your site - you can read more about sitemaps here.

11. Click Sitemaps on the left-hand side:

12. Add sitemap.xml into the field provided and click the Submit button:

13. You’ll then see what Google has detected on your sitemap. Click Got It:

14. You’ll notice below the field where you submitted your sitemap, you’ll see the status is ‘Success’:

Opening a Google Merchant Center Account

15. In a separate browser tab, click this link and then click Sign In on the top right-hand side:

18. From the drop-down menu, select Sign In To Merchant Center:

16. At the top, you’ll see a banner advising you to verify and claim your domain. Click the red Fix it button:

17. On this page, you need to scroll down. As you have already opened a Google Analytics account, simply click the Verify With Google Analytics element, and then click Verify Website:

18. You’ll then see this, to indicate that your website has been claimed:

Submitting your Product Feed

[warning] Before you submit your Product Feed to Google, you need to ensure that your EKM online shop has been classified using this Guide and that your Products have the relevant Attributes added to them. If you've not added these Attributes, you'll need to follow this Guide. Google will not accept your Products without these Attributes. [/warning]

This Guide provides a list of the Product details that your EKM online shop will automatically include in your Product feed, whilst this Guide provides an in-depth list of all of the possible Custom Attributes you can include on your Products to make them more visible in Google Shopping search results.

19. Click the logo in the top left-hand corner:

20. You’ll now see the Google Merchant Centre Dashboard. Click Products:

21. Click Feeds:

22. Click the blue plus symbol:

23. Ensure your details are correct and click the blue Continue button:

24. Give your feed a name in the field provided, tick the box for Scheduled Fetch and then click the blue Continue button:

25. Log into your EKM online shop in a separate browser tab and open the Google Tools feature. Scroll to the bottom of the Google Tools feature and click the Copy button to copy the URL of your Product Feed:

26. Return to the browser tab where you are looking at Google Merchant Centre, and paste the Product Feed URL in the File URL field, then add a File Name and ensure your time zone is set correctly before pressing the blue Create Feed button:

27. Your Product Feed will now be visible on your Google Merchant Center dashboard. As it has not been updated yet - as you’ve only just added it - this is what you will see. Click Settings:

28. Click Default Currency:

29. Amend this to British Pound and click Save on the right-hand side:

[remember]If there are items on your product feed that you wish to exclude from being displayed on Google Shopping, you need to add the Custom Attribute 'EXCLUDEPRODUCTFEED', which requires the values of true/false or yes/no. You can either add this Attribute within the Add/Edit Product window listed within the suggested Attributes, or add it to several products using spreadsheets and the Import/Export System feature. Don't forget, if you wish those same items to be displayed on your Product Feed in the future, you will need to amend their value from no/false to yes/true accordingly. [/remember]

With your Product Feed listed in Google Merchant Centre, you can create your first campaign on Google Adwords. If this is something you would like to get started with but you don't know where to begin, please get in contact with us! Our dedicated PPC Management Team can create and manage an advertising campaign, tailored to your products and your budget. Contact our Customer Support Team and ask to speak to the PPC Management Team.

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[contact] If you need our help with your EKM online shop, contact your Ecommerce Expert or the Customer Support Team, who will be able to point you in the right direction. We're open from 8am-6pm weekdays and 9am-5.30pm weekends. If you'd like to suggest a feature or an upgrade on any of the EKM platforms, please let us know on the EKM Suggestions Board. If you have a non-account-specific question to ask the EKM Team, join us in the EKM Community. [/contact]