Technical task (TT) for optimizing Google Merchant Center
Project: Audit, setup, and optimization of the Google Ads account and Google Merchant Center feed for an online store (specialization — vacuum cleaner motors, example product: Zelmer Aquawelt 1600w vacuum motor).
Goal: 1) Urgently eliminate the risk of blocking the Merchant Center; 2) Increase the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, reduce the cost per order (CPA), and increase the number of orders within the current/optimal budget.
Context for advertising optimization:
· Current situation: Only 15 products are involved in the advertising. We received a batch of products at a very competitive price, lower than the offers of major competitors. This gives us a key advantage in the market, and with the right advertising, the product should sell well.
· Key requirement for product display:
1. The main product (for example, a universal motor) must be displayed in the search results no lower than 2nd place for its key queries.
2. Avoid conflict and excessive competition between own products. At the same time, no more than 2 products from our store should be displayed for one search query. This is critical for assortments where, for example, there is a “Samsung universal motor” and a “Samsung motor for a specific model SC1234.” Their display must be clearly separated so that they do not "interfere" with each other's bids.
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Part 1: URGENT EXECUTION (Deadline — January 5, 2026)
Task: Fully bring the Google Merchant Center account into compliance with Google's language policy.
Problem: In the Merchant Center feed, the region and language are indicated as Ukraine/Russian, while the site is translated into Ukrainian. This causes a discrepancy and a threat of blocking.
Actions for the freelancer:
1. Creating a new feed:
· Log into the Google Merchant Center account.
· Create a new "Product Data Source" (new feed).
· During its setup, in the "Language" settings, be sure to select "Ukrainian (uk)."
· Ensure that the region is Ukraine.
· Connect the same data source (XML, CMS plugin, etc.) as for the old feed, so that current product data is transmitted through the new feed.
2. Checking the user journey:
· Conduct a manual check of the site. Ensure that all stages — from the product card (for example, Zelmer 1600w motor) to the cart and order confirmation page (“Thank you”) — are fully in Ukrainian.
· Correct or inform the owner about any found elements in Russian (buttons, forms, descriptions, delivery terms).
3. Switching and disabling:
· After setting up and successfully uploading the new feed, make it the primary one.
· Disable (or delete after ensuring the new one works) the old feed with the language "ru."
4. Monitoring results:
· Track the verification process in the Merchant Center.
· Wait for an automatic notification from Google about approval (the process may take up to 7 working days after January 5).
· Confirm that the errors "Language conflict" or "Site mismatch" have been resolved.
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Part 2: AUDIT AND OPTIMIZATION OF GOOGLE ADS CAMPAIGNS
Task: Analyze the reasons for the decline in advertising effectiveness (budget increase by 3 times while maintaining the same number of orders) and conduct comprehensive optimization considering the context (competitive price, 15 products, control over display).
Initial data: The budget increased from ~17,000 UAH/month (January-April) to ~45-50,000 UAH/month (the last six months). The number of orders remained at the level of the low-budget period.
Actions for the freelancer:
2.1. Audit of the current situation:
· Analyze the history of changes in the account since May (the moment of budget jump).
· Check bidding strategies for all campaigns. Determine whether the strategy was changed (for example, switching to "Maximize conversions" without a CPA threshold), which led to uncontrolled spending.
· Conduct a deep analysis of auctions and assortment: find out whether the store's products compete with each other for the same queries, which artificially inflates the cost per click. This is a priority considering the requirement "no more than 2 products per query."
· Check targeting settings (locations, languages, device types) for non-targeted displays.
· Generate a report on: CPC, CTR, Conversions, CPA — in dynamics over the last 12 months.
2.2. Eliminating internal competition and setting up structure:
· Resolve the product conflict issue: Restructure campaigns/product groups so that a maximum of one, and in some cases – two, reasonably related products participate in the auction for one search query. Use campaign priorities or clear separation by categories (universal vs specific models).
· Ensure a high position for the main product: For key products with competitive prices (such as universal motors), choose and set up a bidding strategy that guarantees a display no lower than 2nd place in Shopping placements for main queries.
· Add negative keywords: Compile and implement an extended list of negative keywords at all levels:
· General: “free,” “download,” “scheme,” “DIY repair,” “buy used parts.”
· By competing brands: names of brands we do not sell.
· By non-targeted queries: “vacuum cleaner” (if only the motor is sold), “battery-powered,” “cheap,” “Chinese,” etc.
2.3. Market analysis and expanding the assortment in advertising:
· Research the vacuum cleaner motor market: Using Google Keyword Planner, Trends, and competitor analysis, identify popular positions and models/brands that are not currently advertised (e.g., motors for other Samsung, LG, Bosch, Philips models).
· Add new products: Expand the Merchant Center feed and advertising campaigns with new, popular items. Create separate or add to existing clearly structured groups, immediately considering the principle of controlling the number of displayed products per query.
2.4. Choosing and setting up a bidding strategy:
· Propose and justify the choice of bidding strategy considering the requirement for a high display position for key products.
· Recommended for consideration:
· “Max CPC with adjustment” – for manual bid control with the ability to increase the bid for higher positions.
· “Target CPA” – for controlling the cost per order after restoring effectiveness.
· “Maximize conversions” with a set budget – after structuring and collecting sufficient data.
· Important: Set up conversion tracking (orders) through Google Analytics 4 and/or offline import if not done.
2.5. Formalizing results and reporting:
After completing the work, provide a report that includes:
1. Statement of facts: Identified reasons for budget increase and decline in ROI.
2. List of completed tasks for both parts of the TT.
3. Recommendations for further management: How to control the budget and product positions, how often to update negative keywords, plan for adding new products.
4. Key metrics “before” and “after” (comparison 2-4 weeks after optimization): CPA, number of conversions, CPC, CTR, total expenditure, average display position for key products.
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Requirements for the freelancer: Experience with Google Merchant Center (solving feed issues), deep expertise in Google Ads (Shopping campaigns, bidding strategies, position control), ability to analyze the market.
Success criteria:
1. The Merchant Center account has successfully passed verification, with no errors.
2. Key products with competitive prices occupy positions no lower than 2nd place for main queries.
3. Internal competition has been eliminated, with no more than 2 of our products displayed for one query.
4. The cost per order (CPA) has been reduced to reasonable values. The number of orders at a budget of ~45-50 thousand UAH is consistently higher than it was at a budget of ~17 thousand UAH.
5. New relevant product positions have been added to the advertising.
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