The new studio images are underperforming the originals. Against the same dates last year, the 8 updated rugs' click-through rate is -26% while the unchanged rugs are +55% over the exact same window. The week-on-week read since the swap says the same thing: updated rugs -39%, unchanged rugs +10%. Last summer, with the original images, these same rugs actually improved +17% across this exact seasonal transition, so warm-weather demand does not explain the drop. Google has also cut the updated rugs' impressions -47% (unchanged rugs +17%), which is what happens when it sees a listing earning fewer clicks. Recommendation: revert Cream (the highest-volume rug and the only one with a clean individual read) to its original image. The other seven are too low-volume to judge one by one, but the combined signal points the same way.
14 Jun–5 Jul this year vs the identical dates in 2025. Because both years share the same summer conditions, any gap between the two groups is down to the images, not the weather.
Matched windows either side of the changeover: 20 May–10 Jun vs 14 Jun–5 Jul. We started the clock 3 days after upload so Google's image re-review does not muddy the numbers. Weather affects both windows, which is why the year-over-year view above carries more weight.
Item-level Google Shopping CTR by week. Dashed lines are the same rugs over the same weeks last year. Weekly test CTR since the swap: 1.05% → 0.88% → 0.76% → 0.73%.
Current window (14 Jun–5 Jul) vs the same dates last year (primary) and vs the pre-swap window (supporting). Only Cream has enough volume for a reliable individual read; the rest are directional.
| Rug | Impressions | CTR now | CTR last year | YoY | CTR pre-swap | vs pre-swap | Conv value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cream | 13,085 | 0.94% | 1.28% | -27% | 1.50% | -37% | £1,037 |
| Taupe | 4,326 | 0.60% | 0.45% | +34% | 0.63% | -4% | £82 |
| Grey low volume | 456 | 1.54% | 0.40% | +284% | 0.90% | +71% | £0 |
| Caramel low volume | 556 | 0.00% | 0.72% | -100% | 0.00% | n/a | £0 |
| Dark Grey low volume | 164 | 0.00% | 0.00% | n/a | 0.00% | n/a | £0 |
| Champagne low volume | 626 | 0.16% | 0.70% | -77% | 0.55% | -71% | £0 |
| Vole low volume | 731 | 0.41% | 0.30% | +35% | 0.19% | +120% | £0 |
| Chocolate low volume | 466 | 0.43% | 0.00% | n/a | 1.10% | -61% | £0 |