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Who are product titles written for? Writing for shoppers and for search

A product title in a Shopping feed is written for two readers: the shopper scanning results, who often sees only the first 70 or so characters, and Google’s systems, which read all of it, up to the 150-character limit, to match your product to searches. So the words that say what the product is go first, the details that separate it from similar products come next, and promotional wording stays out.

What this comes down to

  • Shoppers often see only the first 70 or fewer characters, so what the product is has to come first.
  • Google’s systems read the whole title, up to 150 characters, so the details after the cut still help matching.
  • Google asks for the most important details first and no promotional text or all capitals.
  • Write titles as a shopper would search: brand, product, then the attribute that makes this one different.

SellerSort Team · Updated

Two readers, one line

Google’s title page gives two numbers that explain everything else. A title can be up to 150 characters. Shoppers often see only the first 70 or fewer characters. So the first half of the title has to persuade a person, and the whole title has to describe the product to a system.

That is why Google’s instruction is simple: Put the most important details first. Everything that decides whether a shopper clicks goes before the cut.

Seventy characters for the shopper, one hundred and fifty for the search.

A pattern per kind of product

These are our recommendations, not a formula Google publishes. Each starts with what a shopper would type:

Title patterns by kind of product
ProductPattern
ClothingBrand, product type, gender, material or style, colour, size
ElectronicsBrand, product, model, the key spec, colour
Home and kitchenBrand, product, material, size or capacity, colour
HandmadeWhat it is, material, the detail that makes it yours, size

Before and after

Two examples written for this page:

  • Before: BEST SELLER!! Amazing Mug You Will Love, Free Shipping
    After: Stoneware Coffee Mug 350 ml, Matte Sage Green, Dishwasher Safe
  • Before: Summer Collection Item 42
    After: Women’s Linen Midi Dress, Short Sleeve, Navy, Size 12

The first before breaks two of Google’s rules at once: promotional text and capitals. The second breaks none, and still says nothing a shopper would search for.

What to leave out

  • Promotional wording: best seller, sale, free shipping.
  • Words in all capitals, except where the brand is written that way.
  • Your internal codes, unless shoppers search for them, as with part numbers.
  • The same word twice to fill space.

Titles and categories work together

A title that leads with what the product is also makes categorising easier, for Google and for you. Paste a title into the free Category Finder and see what category it suggests; if the answer surprises you, the title may not say clearly enough what the product is. The guide on products not showing covers titles among the other data you control.

Questions

How long should a Google Shopping product title be?

Up to 150 characters are allowed, but shoppers often see only the first 70 or fewer. Put what the product is and its most important details in the first 70, and use the rest for secondary details.

What should come first in a product title?

The words a shopper would search for: usually the brand and what the product is, followed by the attribute that sets it apart, such as size, colour, material or model.

Can I put sale or free shipping in a product title?

No. Google asks for no promotional text in titles and no words in all capitals. Use the dedicated sale price and shipping attributes instead.

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