Google’s Playbook: Feed Optimisation Insights You Need To Know

Every retailer wants a bigger slice of Peak 2025, but as Google reminded partners at its Tech Breakfast (Sept 2025), success isn’t about who spends more; it’s about who adapts faster.

In our first post, we explored Peak planning, how the shopping season now runs in four intent waves and why early feed readiness gives campaigns their best start.

This follow-up dives into the additional insights Google shared, reshaping how smart retailers are executing right now across Shopping, Merchant Center, and PMax.

Peak tests your feed’s agility, accuracy & optimisation strategy.

Velocity: The Real Competitive Advantage

Speed is now a strategy. Google’s data showed that retailers who fix feed errors within 24 hours recover performance up to 30% faster. The lesson? Algorithms reward consistency, not chaos.

That’s why the brands outperforming this Peak are refreshing their feeds daily or hourly, not weekly.

Every correction resets learning; every stable day accelerates it.

Learn how to schedule automatic fetches in Merchant Center — because the faster you correct, the faster you convert.

FeedSpark’s feed processing ensures feed updates happen fast, keeping performance steady while others catch up.

Automation: Control Beats Guesswork

Google made one thing clear: automation without structure is risk.

This Peak is about responsible automation, predictable rules, clear guardrails, and consistent updates. Use feed rules and automated updates to:

• Sync pricing and availability in real time.

• Flag low-margin products before overspend

• Dynamically apply promotion labels based on stock or season.

Keep human oversight for product logic, high-value campaigns, or unexpected shifts in behaviour.

FeedSpark’s managed service blends automation with expert oversight, ensuring every change stays aligned to strategy.

Execution: Promotions, Pricing & Margin

Holiday shoppers are savvier than ever, and discount fatigue is real.

Google’s research shows consumers are comparing price histories before buying, so the depth of discount no longer wins by itself.

The retailers thriving during this Peak are using Merchant Promotions strategically:

• Submit through the Promotions Feed - faster approvals, fewer errors.

• Monitor price and sale_price attributes to avoid mismatches.

• Segment promotions by margin using Custom Labels.

• Use urgency overlays sparingly - relevance outperforms noise.

The message? Optimised product data gets your products shown at the right product, the right price, and the right time.

FeedSpark manages promotions end to end, so data and delivery stay in perfect step.

Data Quality = Performance

Google’s new Merchant Center Excellence program reframes data quality as a performance driver, not a hygiene task.

Feeds that hit quality benchmarks:

• Get faster approvals.

• Earn better impression share.

• Train algorithms more efficiently.

FeedSpark’s 20 yrs GMC experience and partnership with Google mean we already operate at the standard Google now calls “excellence.”

Keep a Stable Ship: Feed Consistency Wins Peak

If your feed isn’t stable, your algorithm can’t learn. The goal during Peak isn’t to experiment, it’s to stay synchronised.

• Use Diagnostics in Merchant Center daily to flag disapprovals and warnings early.

• Pause A/B testing; maintain consistency across pricing, imagery, and promotions.

FeedSpark’s blend of automation and expert QC keeps feeds steady, ensuring performance doesn’t drift when it matters most.

That’s what we call steady-state performance - when your feed runs quietly, while performance runs confidently.

Loyalty: The Next Feed Strategy

The final insight from Google’s Tech Breakfast was forward-looking. Peak brings customers in, but loyalty keeps them coming back.

Google’s ecosystem is connecting Merchant Center data with personalised experiences, where loyalty signals can soon influence visibility and relevance.

This season, loyalty isn’t just CRM, it’s performance.

Retailers integrating loyalty-driven pricing or member-exclusive offers through feeds are seeing improved CTR and repeat-purchase intent:

• Highlight loyalty offers in product data (where supported).

• Maintain consistent identifiers across loyalty tiers.

• Ensure promotional logic aligns with feed attribute policies to avoid disapprovals.

FeedSpark has seen great success for brands with loyalty-led pricing and reward strategies, linking customer retention directly to product visibility.

Think Feeds Beyond Peak Trading

Once the dust settles, the smartest retailers don’t stop; they review, learn and act.

A post-Peak feed audit uncovers where data quality slipped, attributes underperformed, and where automation can sharpen results before the next retail wave hits.

FeedSpark’s audits give you that clarity with a review of your Merchant Center, feed health, and opportunities. Turn 2025’s learnings into next year’s growth.

Ready to benchmark your performance? Book a Feed Audit and see how your feed measures up.