What changed
Google has revised the Merchant Center help page that covers low image quality. The page still flags images that are blurry, pixelated or low resolution. It now adds a note that these products will continue to show in ads and free listings.
The earlier wording was stricter. It warned that a product with a poor image might be kept out of ads and free listings until the image was improved. The change was first noticed by Hana Kobzova of PPC News Feed.
Separately, Google recently updated the minimum size requirement for product images in Merchant Center to 500×500 pixels.
Why it matters
If you sell products through Google Shopping, Search or Ads, a weak photo is less likely to knock an item out of view entirely. That lowers the risk of losing visibility over an image problem you may not have noticed.
Staying visible is not the same as performing well, though. Search Engine Roundtable put it this way:
So it seems like these products with poor image quality can continue to show but the click-through rates and such might be poor.
Shoppers judge products quickly, and the photo is often the first thing they see. A fuzzy or pixelated image can make a listing easy to skip, even when it appears in front of the right buyer. In other words, Google has removed a penalty, not the reason to fix your images.
What to do
- Check your Merchant Center diagnostics. Look for products flagged for low image quality. They may still be live, but the warning tells you where to focus.
- Confirm image size. Make sure product images meet the updated 500×500 pixel minimum.
- Replace blurry or pixelated photos. Start with your best sellers and the items you spend the most ad budget on, since weak images there cost you the most.
- Watch click-through rates. Compare performance on flagged products against similar items with strong photos. A gap is a good sign the image is holding you back.
- Set an image standard for new products. Give your team or suppliers clear guidelines so new listings start with clean, sharp photos instead of fixing them later.
The takeaway is simple. Google is being more forgiving about image quality, but shoppers are not. Treat clear product photos as part of your sales strategy, not just a compliance checkbox.
Source: Google: Poor Image Quality Won’t Stop Products From Showing In Search Or Ads, Search Engine Roundtable. This brief sums up their reporting; all credit for the original goes to them.
