Google Just Quietly Opened a New Video Slot in Shopping: How UGC Creators Can Get Paid to “Own” Merchant Center in Q4 2025

Why this is a monetization moment for creators

• Product video remains a conversion driver. Benchmarks show video lifts conversions and revenue metrics broadly in ecommerce; Google also highlights creative variety as a lever for improved performance. Translation: brands need a pipeline of on‑SKU videos now. ^[6]
• Google Ads costs are up YoY, but conversion rates have improved in 2025. Brands will pay for assets that move CVR up and CPA down—especially during peak. ^[7]

Your offer: “Merchant Center Product Video Bundle”

What you deliver

• 1–3 product‑specific videos per SKU, formatted for Google inventory (16:9, 1:1, 9:16), 15–45s each, with on‑screen text and clear CTA.
• Metadata sheet per asset (SKU, title, short description, key features, URL) to speed up product mapping in Merchant Center’s Video assets. ^[8]
• Rights & usage aligned to where videos will run (PMax, Shopping, Demand Gen, brand profile, organic). ^[9]

How to price it (current market)

• UGC per‑video creation fee (30–60s): $250–$800 depending on niche and experience (median ~$175–$250 for standard rights; established creators $500+). ^[10]
• Paid usage add‑on: +30–50% of base for ads; unlimited/“buyout” often +150–300%. Example: $500 base → $1,250–$1,500 for perpetual rights. ^[11]
• Real‑world menus show $600–$1,200 per video at UGC studios, with licensing included; extensions for 3–12 months typically add $200–$600. ^[12]

The pitch (email DM script)

Subject: Quick win for Q4 Shopping—SKU‑mapped product videos for Merchant Center

We saw Google’s new “Video assets” in Merchant Center. If we deliver 3 short videos per top SKU (9:16, 1:1, 16:9), you can map them directly in MC so they surface in Shopping, PMax, Demand Gen—and even organic brand results. Google says mixed assets in Demand Gen drive 20% more conversions at the same CPA. I can deliver assets + metadata in 7 days so your team just uploads and maps. Want 5 SKUs done by Black Friday? ^[16]

Revenue math creators can take to the bank

• Package example: 5 SKUs × (2 videos per SKU) at $450/video creation = $4,500.
• Usage add‑on (ads + 6 months): +40% = $1,800. Total = $6,300 for a one‑week sprint.
• Stack with affiliate: If the brand also enables YouTube Shopping affiliate tagging (via Shopify + YouTube integration), creators typically see 5–20% commission—beauty/fashion often 12–20%. Tagging your own demos on your channel can add $300–$1,500/month on modest volume. ^[17]
• Conversion sanity check: Average sitewide CVR benchmarks hover around ~3.2% globally in 2025; your on‑SKU video aims to push above baseline. ^[18]

Implementation checklist (brands and agencies love this)

For the brand

• Open Merchant Center → Creative content → Video assets; connect sources (site, YouTube, socials) and confirm Google Ads account linking. ^[19]
• Map each video to the correct product(s); confirm featured product tags so videos are eligible in organic and ad placements. ^[20]
• Run Demand Gen and PMax with new assets; test mixed‑asset ad groups to capture the conversion lift Google cites. ^[21]

For the creator

• Deliver 3 aspect ratios (16:9, 1:1, 9:16), burned‑in captions, and 2 hooks per video (A/B variants).
• Provide a CSV with SKU, product URL, and 3–5 keyworded talking points for faster mapping in MC.
• Agree usage terms up front: ads vs organic, geos, duration, and whether future “shorter cutdowns” are permitted. Price ads usage separately. ^[22]

Measurement: prove you made them money

• Ask the brand to segment campaigns using your assets (labels in Google Ads) and share lift deltas: CTR, CVR, CPA vs control. Google’s guidance emphasizes creative variety as a primary ROI lever. ^[24]
• If you also publish the videos, tag products via YouTube Shopping affiliate to capture creator‑side revenue with transparent commissions (commonly 5–20%). ^[25]

FAQ creators will get from brands

“Will these videos actually help during BFCM?”

Advertisers running multi‑format creatives in Demand Gen see ~20% more conversions at the same CPA; Merchant Center video assets make it easier to deploy that mix across Shopping, PMax, and YouTube. ^[29]

“Where will the videos appear?”

Across paid (Shopping, PMax, Demand Gen) and potentially organic (search results/brand profile) after mapping in Merchant Center. ^[30]

“How should we track performance?”

Label ad groups that use your assets, compare against control periods, and watch CTR/CVR/CPA. Also attribute any creator‑side affiliate revenue via YouTube Shopping. ^[31]