Google Search Console updates its Merchant opportunities report

Google announced it has refreshed and renamed the Search Console report now known as the Merchant opportunities report. Previously, this report was named the Search Console Shopping tab listings report, when it was introduced in November 2022.

The Merchant opportunities report within Google Search Console can show you recommendations for improving how your online shop appears on Google.

What Google said. Google posted on LinkedIn about this report saying:

“Today we’re refreshing the Search Console Shopping tab listings report to also include details about payments methods and store ratings. To bring the report name in line with its functionality, we’re renaming it to be the “Merchant opportunities report”.

Check it out and make sure to add important info about your store, so customers can see it when shopping on Google.”

The report. Here is a screenshot of this report:

As you can see, this report will tell you what you are missing when it comes to Google Merchant Center and your fields in that area. The help document goes on to explain:

Adding store information can improve the display of your products and help people when they’re shopping on Google. If you’ve created and associated your Merchant Center account under Merchant opportunities in Search Console, you’ll see suggested opportunities, including: 

• Add shipping and returns
• Set up store ratings
• Add payment methods

You can return to the report to see if your information is pending, approved, or flagged for issues that need fixing.

Why we care. If you sell product on your site, this is a report you want to make sure to review and see what opportunities you are missing with your e-commerce site setup. You can then plug those items and hopefully get more exposure within Google Search, Shopping and even local results.