Not paying for Google Shopping

[storeowner]

I have been submitting a product feed to the merchant center for a number of years and I am still submitting one currently - but I am not paying/bidding for the Google ads.

However, I can still find my product listings very easily in Google shopping. How come my free clicks have dwindled to about 1 or 2 per day if I can find my stuff so easily?

Can anyone explain?

[SevenCubed]

I think you may have answered your own question. I don't know Google Shopping very well but from what I've seen floating around it appears it is now based on pay for placement. I think maybe you are being Scroogled [scroogled.com...]

[scooterdude]

perhaps personalized results stretch to Google shopping

[Digmen1]

It is crazy, they have too many different similar names for the same thing that no one knows what it is or uses it.

[eztech]

Yeah, my Adwords account is currently suspended so my listings are just free now. My "Free Clicks" have dropped from 50 to 80 a day to 1-3 a day.

Google is using algorithms to ensure that only paying customers receive substantial free clicks. Maybe it also has to do with non-paid listings not showing up in SERPs, where people are really clicking on them (not in Google Shopping).

This brings up an interesting point. If Google PLAs are only useful insofar as they appear in SERPs, how much are people cannabalizing on their organic rankings?