Importance of Identifiers: GTIN, MPN, and Brand

In this document, we'll understand three important product identifiers: GTIN, MPN, and Brand.

Here we will cover: what these attributes are, why Google requires them, and how they help Google identify your products more accurately.

So, let's get started.

What are Product Identifiers?

Before we understand their importance, let's first see what Product Identifiers actually are.

Product identifiers are globally recognised values that help Google identify exactly which product you're selling.

The three product identifiers are:

• Brand
• GTIN
• MPN

Let's understand each one individually.

Brand

The Brand attribute simply tells Google who manufactures or owns the product.

For example, if you're selling a pair of Nike running shoes, the Brand would be Nike.

Similarly, for an Apple iPhone, the Brand would be Apple.

Submitting the brand attribute helps Google organise your listings, target high-intent shoppers, and optimise your ad performance.

1. Matches branded searches: Shoppers who are searching for products with a brand name.

2. Simplifies campaign bidding: Allows easy segmentation in Google Ads campaigns.

3. Improves shopper trust: Displays recognisable names on the ad carousel.

4. Search filters: Let searchers filter Shopping results by Brand.

GTIN

Next is GTIN, which stands for Global Trade Item Number.

A GTIN is a globally recognised product identification number provided by the manufacturer. Submitting a valid GTIN helps Google identify the exact item you are selling and match it to its global product catalog.

Depending on the country and product type, it may appear as:

• UPC
• EAN
• ISBN
• JAN
• ITF-14

Think of the GTIN as the product's fingerprint. No matter which store sells the product, the GTIN remains the same.

For example, if ten different stores sell the exact same wireless mouse, all of them should submit the same GTIN for each variant because they're selling the exact same product.

If you submit GTINs for products, then it helps:

     a) Maximise Search Visibility: Google prioritises products with valid GTINs. Items with GTINs may receive significantly more traffic and higher impressions because Google knows exactly what the product is.

     b) Prevents ad routing errors: With a GTIN, Google's machine learning perfectly understands the product's attributes, ensuring your ads show up for the right search intents and not irrelevant keywords.

One more thing to keep in mind: GTINs are assigned by the manufacturer or brand owner and are typically obtained through the GS1 organization. If you're the manufacturer or supplier, you can obtain GTIN prefixes from GS1 based on the number of products.

You shouldn't use randomly generated or made-up GTIN values. Google Merchant Center validates submitted GTINs, and invalid values can result in GTIN-related warnings or errors.

To learn more about these errors and how to resolve them, refer to our dedicated help video on GTIN-related errors.  

MPN

The third identifier is the Manufacturer Part Number, known as the MPN.

While a GTIN is a globally recognized product identifier, an MPN is a part number assigned by the manufacturer to identify a specific product or product variant within its own catalogue.

For example, a laptop may have multiple variants. Each variant can have a unique MPN even though they belong to the same brand.

When a GTIN isn't available, Google uses the Brand and MPN together to help identify the correct product.

This is especially useful for products such as electronics, machinery, automotive parts, or replacement components, where shoppers often search using the manufacturer's part number.

Submitting the correct MPN helps Google match your products more accurately and distinguish them from similar products. It can also improve product matching when multiple advertisers are selling the same item.

Note: Our plugin submits the SKU as MPN. In case you want to submit the MPNs separately for each product, then you can use the supplemental feed feature to update the MPN values.

What happens if Product Identifiers are missing?

If valid product identifiers are available for your products but aren't submitted, Google may restrict your ad reach and drop your search rankings, which directly impacts your product performance.

That's why it's always recommended to submit valid Brand, GTIN, and MPN values whenever they're available.

What about Custom Products?

You might wonder: What if your products don't have a GTIN?

This is completely normal for products such as:

• Handmade products
• Custom-made items
• Products manufactured exclusively for your own store

In such cases, you should mark those products as Custom Products instead of submitting incorrect identifiers.

Doing this tells Google that valid product identifiers aren't available for those products.

Got more questions? Write to our support team at support@simprosis.com