When it comes to Google Shopping feeds, some attributes look straightforward... until you dig a little deeper. Google Product Category and Product Type are the perfect examples. On the surface, they’re just ways to label your stuff, but underneath, they tell a bigger story about how Google reads your catalog—and how much control you actually have over your campaigns.

In this deep dive, we’re looking at why one of these is for the "bots" and the other is for your "bids."

Part 1: The Google Product Category (GPC)

It’s No Longer Required (But Don't Ignore It)

Back in the day, you had to pick a category from Google’s strict taxonomy. As of 2019, it’s optional. If you leave it blank, Google uses its "magic" (machine learning) to guess where your product fits.

So why would you ever manually override Google's guess?There are four specific scenarios where you want to take the wheel:

1. US Sales Tax: In some states, taxes differ wildly by category (e.g., apparel vs. electronics). If Google guesses wrong, your tax calculation is wrong.
2. Vertical-Specific Attributes: Some categories (like Apparel) trigger extra required fields like size, color, or gender. If Google misclassifies your "Industrial Bolt" as a "T-Shirt," it might disapprove it for missing a "size."
3. Alcohol & Restricted Goods: You must correctly classify these to stay compliant with Google’s strict policies.
4. Google Ads Targeting: If you specifically build your campaigns based on Google’s category taxonomy, you’ll need to ensure your products are landing in the right bucket.

Part 2: The Strategic Lever—Product Type

Bids, Not Bots

If GPC is Google's language, Product Type is yours. This is a 100% customizable field where you can mirror your website’s navigation (e.g., Cycling > Accessories > Phone Mounts).

Why Product Type wins for campaign structure:

• Granular Control: You aren't limited by Google’s pre-set list. You can be as specific as you want.
• Better Reporting: It allows you to see exactly how "Phone Mounts" are performing as a group, even if they are spread across different brands.
• Smarter Bidding: Use Product Type to subdivide your "All Products" group in Google Ads. This lets you set different bids (or ROAS targets) for high-margin categories vs. low-margin clearance items.

How to Structure Your Product Types

I recommend at least three tiers of depth. Start broad and go deep:

Example: Cycling > Bicycle Accessories > Phone Mounts > Road Bike Mounts

Pro Tip: The "Everything Else" Safety Net

Whether you’re using a tool like Symprosys to automate your Shopify sync or building a custom taxonomy, products will slip through the cracks.

Always create an "Everything Else" ad group. If you see spend accruing there, it’s your early warning signal that new SKUs have been added to your feed but haven't been sorted into your intentional campaign structure yet. It’s the ultimate "check engine" light for your Google Shopping account.

Watch the full breakdowns here: * Optimizing the Google Product Category Attribute

• Structuring Product Types for Better ROAS

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