Google Shopping duplication tactic sparks policy compliance warnings

A growing trend on LinkedIn promoting product duplication techniques for Google Shopping campaigns has drawn criticism from industry experts who warn the practice violates platform policies and risks merchant account suspensions. The strategy, which involves creating multiple variants of identical products with different titles and images, conflicts with Google's abuse of ad network policy established to prevent unfair competitive advantages.

Emmanuel Flossie, a Google Shopping Specialist and Google Ads Diamond Product Expert, published a video analysis on December 6, 2025, identifying the practice as a direct policy violation. According to Flossie, "retailers who try to gain an unfair advantage in shopping campaigns" face suspension under Google's shopping ads policy framework. The policy appears in Google's Merchant Center Help documentation under the "Abuse of the ad network" section, which prohibits content designed to manipulate advertising systems.

Multiple LinkedIn posts documented by Flossie demonstrate the proliferation of this tactic across professional networks. One post by Cem Atik generated 1,122 comments and 8 reposts, while others accumulated between 90 and 900 comments from marketing professionals expressing interest in implementing the strategy. The posts describe creating 2-4 product listings for identical items by modifying titles, descriptions, and images to capture multiple shopping ad positions.

According to the strategy documents circulating on LinkedIn, proponents claim the technique delivers results including a 31% reduction in cost-per-click for a coffee brand and a 2.4x increase in click-through rate for a fashion retailer. The approach centers on identifying high-converting search terms with two or more conversions, then creating product variants in e-commerce platforms like Shopify before importing them into Google Merchant Center. Each variant targets different search intents while promoting the same physical product.

The tactical framework outlined in these posts recommends selecting best-performing products, creating variant listings with modified attributes, and mapping each variant to specific buyer search patterns. For example, a single coffee product might appear as "Organic Arabica Coffee Beans – Dark Roast 1kg," "Fair Trade Espresso Beans – Strong & Smooth," "Premium Colombian Coffee – Whole Beans," and "Specialty Coffee Beans – Freshly Roasted Daily" in separate listings.

Google's shopping ads policy explicitly addresses this behavior. The policy states that Google wants "shopping ads to be useful, varied, relevant, and safe for users" and prohibits retailers attempting to gain unfair advantages in shopping campaigns. The policy language encompasses practices beyond those specifically enumerated, allowing Google to address emerging manipulation techniques without modifying policy text for each new tactic.

Flossie emphasized in his video that "listing the same product twice is taking an unfair advantage" and warned that advertisers claiming the policy lacks explicit prohibition of double-listing misunderstand how platform policies function. According to his analysis, policies must remain generalized to address multiple situations and anticipate future advertiser behaviors that Google cannot predict when drafting policy language.

The suspension risk extends beyond immediate account penalties. Flossie noted that merchants typically remain unaware when their advertising agencies or consultants employ these tactics, creating liability issues when accounts face suspension. "Once suspended, it is very hard to get approved," Flossie stated, drawing on his experience handling suspension cases daily. The difficulty of account reinstatement creates long-term business consequences for merchants whose advertisers pursued short-term performance gains through policy violations.

Industry professionals flagging duplicate product listings can trigger enforcement actions. Flossie explained that responsible advertisers report policy violations because "that helps our clients" by maintaining competitive fairness. Community forums contain numerous posts from merchants questioning how competitors maintain multiple product listings, followed by explanations of policy violations and guidance on reporting mechanisms. Suspended accounts typically face resolution within weeks of violation reports.

Google's third-party policy enforcement, which underwent significant strengthening in November 2024, holds advertising agencies accountable for client account violations. The policy introduced immediate suspension without prior warning for egregious violations and permanent platform bans for third-party partners enabling policy circumvention. This framework amplifies consequences for agencies promoting duplication tactics.

The duplication strategy gained traction during a period when Google has intensified policy enforcement across advertising platforms. The company suspended 39.2 million advertiser accounts in 2024, representing a 208% increase from 12.7 million suspensions in 2023, according to Google's Ads Safety Report. These enforcement actions utilize artificial intelligence systems to identify policy violations at scale.

Merchant Center policy compliance has become increasingly technical as Google refines product data specifications. Recent updates to product data requirements implemented on April 8, 2025, modified how merchants handle installment pricing, energy efficiency classifications, and shipping attributes. Additional changes to member pricing and sales tax requirements took effect July 1, 2025, requiring continuous merchant adaptation to specification standards.

The brand attribution requirements also received clarification when Google updated its product title policy on October 3, 2025, establishing that resellers must use manufacturer brand names rather than their own company names in product listings. This modification addressed confusion around brand attribution and prevented misrepresentation of product origins, demonstrating Google's ongoing focus on listing accuracy.

Feed management infrastructure continues evolving as merchants navigate policy compliance. FeedArmy launched enhanced Shopify tracking capabilities on September 20, 2025, introducing Google Tag Manager solutions for local inventory feeds that eliminate traditional file upload requirements. These technical solutions help merchants maintain accurate product data while complying with platform specifications.

The promotional nature of LinkedIn posts advocating duplication tactics raises questions about whether content creators implement these strategies themselves or promote them solely for social media engagement. Flossie suggested in his video that some promoters may seek profile visibility through controversial content that generates comments and connections, potentially expanding their client bases without personally employing the tactics they recommend.

Marketing professionals managing Google Shopping campaigns face pressure to demonstrate performance improvements while maintaining policy compliance. The tension between short-term results and long-term account viability creates ethical considerations for agencies handling client advertising. Merchants relying on Shopping campaigns for revenue generation must evaluate whether their advertising partners understand platform policies and prioritize sustainable strategies over risky techniques.

The proliferation of policy violation tactics through professional networks highlights information asymmetry in digital advertising. Many merchants lack technical expertise to assess whether their advertisers employ compliant strategies, creating vulnerability to suspension risks they may not understand. The responsibility for policy knowledge falls on advertising professionals, who must maintain current understanding of platform requirements across rapidly evolving specifications.

Account suspension consequences extend beyond immediate advertising interruptions. Suspended merchants lose access to Shopping campaigns during critical sales periods, face potential data loss, and must navigate complex appeals processes with uncertain outcomes. The reputational damage from suspensions affects merchant relationships with advertising partners and creates financial exposure through lost revenue and reinstatement costs.

Google's machine learning systems detect duplicate listings through pattern analysis comparing product identifiers, images, descriptions, and merchant behavior across accounts. The automated detection operates continuously, evaluating new listings against existing inventory and flagging potential violations for review. Manual reports from competitors or consumers supplement automated systems, creating multiple pathways for violation discovery.

The policy framework distinguishes between legitimate product variations and manipulative duplication. Merchants selling products with genuine size, color, or configuration differences can create separate listings for each distinct variant. The critical distinction involves whether variations represent actual product differences or merely tactical reframing of identical items to capture additional advertising positions.

Professional standards in digital advertising require practitioners to maintain platform expertise and ethical practices. The 15-year experience Flossie references in his analysis reflects the knowledge investment necessary for Shopping campaign management. Advertising professionals lacking comprehensive policy understanding risk client relationships and business viability when pursuing tactics they do not fully evaluate for compliance implications.

The public nature of LinkedIn posts promoting duplication strategies creates documentation trails that enforcement systems can analyze. Platform algorithms monitoring advertiser discussions may incorporate social media content into violation detection frameworks, particularly when posts receive substantial engagement indicating widespread adoption of questionable tactics.

Small and medium-sized businesses particularly vulnerable to suspension impacts may lack resources to recover from account termination. These merchants often depend on single advertising channels for customer acquisition, making Shopping campaign suspension an existential business threat. The concentration of revenue sources amplifies risks when advertising partners employ non-compliant strategies.

Alternative performance optimization approaches exist within policy parameters. Flossie emphasized that white hat tactics provide sustainable results without suspension risks, suggesting that long-term success requires compliance rather than circumvention. Feed optimization, bidding strategy refinement, product data quality improvements, and audience targeting represent legitimate avenues for campaign enhancement.

The episode demonstrates how social media amplification can popularize practices that violate platform policies. Professional networks enable rapid information dissemination, creating viral adoption of tactics before thorough vetting occurs. The comment volume on duplication strategy posts indicates substantial interest from marketing professionals, suggesting potential widespread implementation attempts.

Account suspension recovery services exist because of suspension prevalence, but Flossie characterized the reinstatement process as "incredibly hard" despite his success helping merchants regain platform access. The difficulty underscores prevention importance, as avoiding violations proves far simpler than reversing suspensions after they occur.

Timeline

• April 8, 2025: Google announced Merchant Center product data specification updates affecting installment pricing, energy efficiency, and shipping attributes
• July 1, 2025: Member price restrictions and US sales tax requirement removal took effect for Merchant Center
• September 20, 2025: FeedArmy released enhanced Shopify tracking with local inventory feed capabilities
• October 3, 2025: Google clarified brand usage policy for Shopping product titles, restricting reseller brand substitution
• November 2024: Google implemented strengthened third-party policy enforcement with immediate suspension for violations
• December 6, 2025: Emmanuel Flossie published video warning about product duplication tactic policy violations

Summary

Who: Emmanuel Flossie, a Google Shopping Specialist and Google Ads Diamond Product Expert, warned about policy violations. Multiple LinkedIn marketing professionals including Cem Atik promoted the duplication strategy. The practice affects merchants using Google Merchant Center and Shopping campaigns, along with advertising agencies managing client accounts.

What: Marketing professionals promoted a Google Shopping strategy involving duplicate product listings with modified titles, descriptions, and images to capture multiple advertising positions. The tactic violates Google's abuse of ad network policy, which prohibits retailers from gaining unfair advantages in shopping campaigns. The practice risks immediate account suspension and permanent platform bans.

When: The warning video was published December 6, 2025, addressing LinkedIn posts that accumulated hundreds of comments during late 2025. The tactic emerged amid intensified policy enforcement, with Google suspending 39.2 million advertiser accounts in 2024, up 208% from the prior year.

Where: The duplication strategy spread through LinkedIn professional networks, affecting Google Shopping campaigns globally. Policy violations impact merchants across all markets where Google Merchant Center operates. The tactic involves e-commerce platforms like Shopify for product variant creation before import to Google Merchant Center.

Why: Proponents claim the tactic delivers performance improvements including reduced cost-per-click and increased click-through rates by capturing multiple shopping ad positions. However, the practice violates platform policies designed to maintain fair competition and useful search results for consumers. Experts warn the short-term gains create long-term risks including account suspension, merchant reputation damage, and difficult reinstatement processes. The widespread promotion may stem from social media engagement incentives rather than genuine strategic recommendations.