Get Found Faster: Navigating Google’s New AI-Powered Shopping Experience
Table of Contents
- The Big Shift: Google Is Prioritizing Products, Not Pages
- Where Is Google Getting This Data?
- What This Means for You as an eCommerce Merchant
- commercebuild Makes It Effortless
- Hear from Our Experts: What Google’s Product Search Changes Mean for You
- Led by Experts, Backed by Experience
- Stay Competitive in an AI-Driven World
- We’re Here to Help You Maximize ROI
- Need help getting started with Google Shopping?
- About commercebuild
In 2025, Google product search isn’t what it used to be. The familiar blue links of the past have taken a backseat to immersive, AI-powered shopping experiences that feature rich visuals, live inventory, and personalized recommendations, all directly within the search results page. For many online merchants, adapting to this shift requires time, money, and technical know-how.
But for commercebuild customers, the path to success is already built in.
Thanks to our ERP-first approach, commercebuild customers are uniquely positioned to take advantage of Google’s evolving product discovery experience, without needing to purchase add-ons, hire developers, or spend months optimizing data. We’ve streamlined the entire process to make it effortless, cost-free, and effective for B2B and B2C merchants who already trust us to power their digital storefronts.
Let’s break down what’s changing in Google Search and how commercebuild customers are automatically ahead of the curve. (Want a quick take on these changes? Scroll down to watch Carlo and Bradley explain what this means for your business.)
The Big Shift: Google Is Prioritizing Products, Not Pages
Google is making a clear strategic shift in 2025. From search engine to shopping destination. This shift is driven by Google’s move toward AI-powered, zero-click experiences where users get everything they need like product specs, reviews, and comparisons, without ever leaving the search results page. To power that experience, Google is relying less on website content and more on structured data feeds.
The new search engine results pages (SERPs) will no longer focus on organic links to websites. Instead, Google is introducing a shopping-first experience, featuring:
- Expandable product grids that appear below traditional shopping ads, blending paid and unpaid listings in a gallery-like layout
- Rich product carousels showing detailed images, specs, reviews, pricing, and merchant names
- “Popular Products” and “In Stores Nearby” sections tailored by location and behavior
- AI-generated Shopping Briefs summarizing reviews, technical specs, and purchase guidance, often without ever leaving the SERP
These changes mean that when someone searches for a product, whether it’s B2B or B2C, Google serves up product information directly, reducing reliance on clicks to your website and increasing the importance of product data quality.
Where Is Google Getting This Data?
All of these rich, front-and-center product features are powered by one engine: Google Merchant Center (GMC).
Traditionally used to run paid shopping ads, GMC is now central to how products appear organically in Google Search. In late 2024, Google expanded free listings and began placing product feeds from GMC into its visual, AI-powered experiences. If your products aren’t in GMC, they’re likely buried well below the fold, or not shown at all. It’s important to note that appearing in these Google Shopping sections doesn’t require ad spend. Google now uses Merchant Center feeds to power both paid and free listings. This means that even without running Google ads, your products can appear if your data is set up correctly.
To appear in these new sections, your product data must be:
- Clean and complete (including price, availability, shipping, GTIN, images, etc.)
- Regularly updated
- Structured to Google’s exact specifications
- Connected to a verified website
For merchants using outdated eCommerce platforms or disconnected product catalogs, meeting these requirements can be a serious lift.
What This Means for You as an eCommerce Merchant
Here’s the tough reality: If your product data isn’t structured and submitted through GMC, your visibility on Google will decline. That includes:
- Fewer impressions in search
- Lower click-through rates
- Reduced organic traffic
- Lost opportunities to reach ready-to-buy shoppers
Merchants who don’t adapt risk falling behind fast. Without a clean, active feed in GMC, your products may become less visible in search results. That means fewer impressions, less traffic, and missed opportunities to reach buyers who are actively searching for what you sell.
This is true whether you’re running paid ads or relying on free listings. And it doesn’t just impact B2C retailers. B2B buyers are increasingly using Google in the early stages of procurement. If they can’t see your products clearly in search, you may not even make the shortlist.
Merchants now face a new competitive landscape. To win, they must:
- Set up and optimize a Google Merchant Center account
- Feed in their full product catalog regularly
- Meet Google’s enhanced data standards
- Structure their on-site content with schema markup
- Create high-quality product imagery and descriptions
- Monitor performance through GMC and iterate continuously
This can quickly become overwhelming, unless you have the right platform in place.
commercebuild Makes It Effortless
Our platform was built from the ground up to integrate seamlessly with ERP systems like Sage and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. That ERP-native approach gives our customers a serious advantage.
1. Structured Product Data Straight From the Source
Since commercebuild pulls product data directly from your ERP, it’s already well-structured, consistent, and up to date. There’s no need for middleware or data cleaning tools. Your pricing, inventory, images, and specs are pulled in automatically, exactly as they appear in your system of record.
This structured data format is precisely what Google needs to populate its evolving search features, and commercebuild delivers it flawlessly.
2. Google Shopping Feed Included. No Extra Cost
At commercebuild, we know that product visibility is critical in today’s search landscape. That’s why we include a Google Shopping product feed as part of our platform, at no extra cost to our customers. No plugins, no add-ons, just built-in functionality designed to help you stay competitive.
Other platforms often require a plugin, third-party app, or monthly subscription just to access a compliant feed. We provide it out of the box, maintained by our in-house team and continuously updated to meet Google’s latest specifications.
This feed makes your products eligible for free listings, not just paid ads. That’s real exposure, without spending a dollar on Google Ads.
3. Immediate Readiness. No Setup Headaches
Because we handle the integration and data formatting for you, there’s no complicated setup or IT lift. If you’re already a commercebuild customer, chances are your store is nearly ready to go live on Google’s Shopping surfaces.
Want to confirm your feed is active or need help turning it on? Just reach out to us. We’ll get you sorted quickly, with minimal effort on your end.
Hear from Our Experts: What Google’s Product Search Changes Mean for You
Curious about how Google’s changes will impact your online store? In this short video, SEO and Google Merchant Center expert Carlo Alberto Cuman chats with Bradley Hale (VP of Client Experience) about what’s happening with Google’s product search and what it means for merchants. They break it down in simple terms and share how commercebuild is helping customers stay visible and competitive, without the extra effort.
Led by Experts, Backed by Experience
commercebuild’s Google Shopping feed and product search strategy is shaped in collaboration with industry expert Carlo Alberto Cuman, a seasoned eCommerce marketing, SEO, and and product search expert.
Carlo works closely with our team to stay ahead of changes in Google’s algorithms and feed requirements so our customers don’t have to. From structured data to feed optimization, his insights help ensure commercebuild’s platform remains aligned with best practices and is built for visibility. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to improve performance, you can trust our platform is guided by deep expertise and built to help you compete.
Stay Competitive in an AI-Driven World
Google’s search results are getting smarter and more closed. With AI overviews, conversational queries, and zero-click shopping experiences on the rise, users are making purchasing decisions without ever visiting a website. That makes feed-based visibility critical.
commercebuild ensures your business is prepared for this future:
- Your data is structured and optimized for AI-powered discovery
- Your products are visible in Google’s native search experiences
- Your brand stays competitive, even as SERPs get more crowded and complex
You’re not just reacting to Google’s changes, you’re benefiting from them.
We’re Here to Help You Maximize ROI
Whether you want to confirm your Google Shopping feed is active, understand how your products are performing, or get tips for optimizing your listings, our team is here for you.
We’ll continue to evolve our platform and practices to match Google’s latest updates, and keep you informed every step of the way.
You don’t need to chase trends, buy apps, or outsource your strategy. As a commercebuild customer, you’re already positioned for success.
Need help getting started with Google Shopping?
If you’re a commercebuild customer, our team is happy to walk you through your feed settings or help you optimize your listings. Not a customer yet? We’re happy to show you how commercebuild makes Google Shopping easier, faster, and more effective right out of the box.
About commercebuild
commercebuild is the ERP-first platform transforming ERP data into a personalized eCommerce experience. Our turnkey eCommerce solution delivers 24/7 revenue opportunities without the need for middleware, enabling seamless online buying and selling. Quick to deploy and easy to use, our solutions can be live in 30 days and offer complete eCommerce capabilities at an affordable price for B2B and B2C businesses. Drive revenue growth and enjoy rapid ROI while competing with online retail giants.
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