A new study analyzing 5,000 Google Shopping keywords sheds light on the factors that correlate with higher rankings.

The research, conducted by Jeff Oxford, Founder of 180 Marketing, reveals trends that could help ecommerce stores improve their visibility in Google’s free Shopping listings.

Amazon Dominates Google Shopping

Amazon ranks in the #1 position for 52% of Google Shopping searches, outpacing Walmart (6%) and Home Depot (3%).

Beyond Amazon’s dominance, the study found a strong correlation between website authority and rankings, with higher-ranking sites often belonging to well-established brands.

Takeaway: Building your brand and earning trust is vital to ranking well on Google Shopping.

Backlinks, Reviews, & Pricing

The study identified several trends that separate higher-ranking pages from the rest:

• Referring Domains: Product pages in the top two positions had more backlinks than lower-ranking pages. Interestingly, most product pages analyzed (98%) had no backlinks at all.
• Customer Reviews: Product pages with customer reviews ranked higher, and stores with star ratings below 3.5 struggled to rank well.
• Pricing: Lower-priced products tended to rank higher, with top-performing listings often featuring prices below the category average.

Takeaway: Building backlinks, collecting customer reviews, and offering competitive pricing can make a difference.

Meta Descriptions A Top Signal

Among on-page factors, meta descriptions had the strongest correlation with rankings.

Pages that included exact-match keywords in their meta descriptions consistently ranked higher.

While keyword usage in title tags and H1 headers showed some correlation, the impact was much smaller.

Takeaway: Optimize meta descriptions and product copy with target keywords to improve rankings.

Structured Data Findings

Structured data showed mixed results in the study.

Product structured data had little to no correlation with rankings, and Amazon, despite dominating the top spots, doesn’t use structured data on its product pages.

However, pages using review structured data performed better.

Takeaway: Focus on collecting customer reviews and using review structured data, which appears more impactful than product structured data.

Shipping & Returns Scores

Google Shopping evaluates stores on shipping, returns, and website quality metrics.

The study found that stores with “Exceptional” or “Great” scores for shipping and returns were more likely to rank higher, especially in the top 10 positions.

Takeaway: Prioritize fast shipping and clear return policies to boost your Google Shopping scores.

What Does This Mean?

According to these findings, success in Google Shopping correlates with strong customer reviews, competitive pricing, and fast service.

Optimizing for traditional SEO—like backlinks and well-written metadata—can benefit both organic search and Shopping rankings.

Retailers should prioritize the customer experience, as Google’s scoring for shipping, returns, and website quality affects visibility.

Lastly, remember that correlation doesn’t equal causation—test changes thoughtfully and focus on delivering value to your customers.