In recent a recent change, Google has announced the addition of a new product attribute being added to the merchant centre - the Short Title attribute. [short_title] as suggested, is a cut-down version of your products standard title.

Why the change? Well as Google’s non-search ad inventory becomes more popular, changes to improve end-user experience are being made. In this instance, the short title exists to provide a more concise descriptive option to be used on platforms like Google Discovery, or Gmail shopping ads (which are typically packed into a tighter space).

The standard title (or is it long title now?) is so influential in the types of searches your shopping ads show for, which has meant advertisers have optimised their ‘long’ titles for certain searches.

We believe that Google has spotted a trend where the user experience on these other platforms is being degraded in favour of better search performance - The solution? Add an option for both.

Max character length is stated at 150, but Google are recommending between 5-65 characters for the time being - This will certainly provide an interesting testing opportunity to see which product attributes should be prioritised in these less intent focused ad inventories.

This is all optional for the time being, so don’t fret - If you’d like to learn more about how to approach short title optimisation or any other elements of your Google shopping campaigns, get in touch!

Google Merchant Centre Short Title Summary

• Up to 150 characters, but 5-65 are currently recommended for visibility on most screen sizes.

• Optional for each product (for the time being).

• Supposed to help users gain valuable information in placements with shorter-form titles (such as Discovery, or Gmail shopping ads)

• Avoid promos and unnecessary capitalization.

• Recommended examples of these short titles given by Google are currently very utilitarian, excluding even brand, size or colour information - Best practice will likely evolve over the coming months, so watch this space!

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Read more about short title specifications from Google here.

2022 PPC Guide.

Even for experienced PPC teams, keeping pace with the latest changes across the Pay-Per-Click space can be a daunting challenge.

2021 saw some of the largest changes to the fundamental ways in which platforms like Google ads function - Completely turning years of campaign management best practice on it’s head.

We decided to combine all of our thoughts about the recent changes, and what they mean for PPC campaigns in 2022 - As well as a few top-tips that have stayed relevent into this guide.

If you want to stay ahead of your competition and get the most out of your PPC campaigns in 2022 - This guide will help you make a start.