😤 The Google Shopping Problem: Zero Impressions, Zero Sales

You uploaded a polished product feed, set the budget, launched the campaign—and… silence. Shopping ads aren’t showing, and ROAS is stuck at zero. Sound familiar? The issue isn’t mysterious—it’s hidden in campaign settings, feed data, or Google policy compliance. Let’s audit every stage and bring those impressions back.

1️ First, Verify the Impressions Are Actually Zero (Don’t Guess)

Go to Google Ads → Campaigns → Columns → Competitive Metrics → Impressions. Seeing “0” everywhere? Your ads haven’t entered a single auction. Time for a structured audit.

2️ Account-Level Configuration Issues

🔗 Merchant Center Not Properly Linked to Google Ads

If the accounts are not connected—or the link broke—products won’t enter the auction.
Fix:

• Merchant Center → Tools → Linked Accounts

• Send or refresh the link request

• Google Ads → Tools → Linked Accounts → Google Merchant Center → Accept

🚫 Policy Violations or Account Suspensions

If the product feed contains restricted or prohibited items, your listings may be disapproved.
Fix:

• Merchant Center → Diagnostics → Item Issues

• Resolve “Disapproved” or “Limited” statuses (e.g., remove restricted terms, add GTINs)

• Request a re-review

3️ Product Feed Errors

🟠 Missing or Incorrect Attributes

Attributes like GTIN, Brand, MPN, Price, and Availability are crucial for matching intent.
Fix:

• Use Feed Rules to validate data

• Ensure each product has a valid GTIN or identifier_exists = FALSE

• Use keyword-rich, brand-first product titles (e.g., “Nike Air Max 97 Black/Red – Size 10”)

🕓 Outdated or Delayed Feed Updates

If stock status changes but your feed isn’t updated, delivery pauses.
Fix:

• Schedule daily (or hourly) feed fetches

• For fast inventory turnover, use the Content API

4️ Campaign Configuration That Blocks Delivery

🎯 Mismatched Target Country

If the product feed targets the US but the campaign targets Canada—Google won’t serve ads.
Fix: Ensure country settings in both the feed and the campaign are aligned.

🏷️ Over-Segmentation in Product Groups

If ad groups are split too narrowly and bids are too low (e.g., $0.20), you’ll lose the auction.
Fix: Group products by category or profit margin and apply competitive bids.

📅 Incorrect Start/End Dates

Campaign set to start in the future or already ended? No delivery.
Fix: Avoid custom dates unless necessary—default to “start immediately / no end date.”

5️ Budget & Bidding Mistakes

6️ Smart Shopping & Performance Max Specifics

🤖 Learning Phase Bottleneck

Performance Max requires volume to optimize.
Fix:

• Don’t set a ROAS target during the first 2 weeks

• Wait until at least 30 conversions before tightening bidding goals

🌐 Final URL Expansion Conflicts

If Google generates final URLs that don’t match your feed, delivery can pause.
Fix: Turn off URL Expansion unless your site structure is fully optimized

7️ Quick Audit Checklist

✅ Diagnostics Tab: any critical issues?

✅ Are accounts properly linked?

✅ Feed freshness: last update within 24 hours?

✅ No “Limited” or “Disapproved” items?

✅ Are CPC bids within the top 25% of suggested range?

✅ Budget ≥ 10 × average CPC?

✅ Campaign priority set correctly: promotions High, evergreen Low?

✅ Target country matches the feed?

✅ Landing page speed <3 seconds on mobile?

✅ Weekly review of negative keywords?

8️ Case Study: From Zero to 1M Impressions in 30 Days

🛍️ Brand: Online sneaker store, 300 SKUs, AOV $120
❌ Issue: Smart Shopping was generating only 0–5 impressions/day
✔️ Actions Taken:

• Added GTINs (missing for 70% of SKUs)

• Raised bids from $0.35 to $1, set daily budget to $150

• Created a High-priority campaign for clearance inventory

• Enabled free listings in Merchant Center
  📈 Results: 1.2M impressions, CPA dropped from $45 to $18, ROAS = 6.2x

9️ Expert Tips You Won’t Hear from Google Reps

• Bundle Low-Traffic SKUs: Create Smart Shopping ad groups like “Top Deals Under $25” to boost CTR and feed health

• Title Optimization: Titles carry ~2x the weight of descriptions—put brand + key specs upfront

• Use Supplemental Feeds: Add promotional or seasonal text without modifying your primary feed

• Leverage Merchant Promotions: PROMO_CODE badges can double CTR overnight

🔚 Final Thoughts

Google Shopping is a performance-based battlefield. If your feed is optimized, bids competitive, and policies respected—you win impressions. Otherwise, you disappear onto page 5. Stop guessing, run a proper audit, and relaunch like a pro.

Now open Merchant Center, follow the checklist, and turn that ghost-town campaign into a conversion engine. Your products deserve visibility—make sure Google gives it to them.