The inbox just got more competitive. With the recent Gmail Promotions tab update, Google has changed how promotional emails are displayed. Instead of showing up in simple chronological order, the Promotions tab in Gmail now sorts emails by those that are “Most Relevant.”

TLDR already: The emails that Gmail decides are most relevant to a subscriber earn a top placement in their inbox.

For ecommerce marketers, that means visibility is no longer guaranteed. Now, it must be earned. Your challenge is evolving, as now you have to prove the relevance of every single send. Of course, open rates are heavily influenced by where an email lands in an inbox, with better inbox placement garnering emails up to 10x-20x higher open rates.

With the rules changing though, how do you ensure your sends remain not just relevant, but get considered the Most Relevant?

This guide breaks down what the Gmail update means, why relevance has become the new marketing currency and how tools like the Backstroke email generator help retail marketers, direct-to-consumer and ecommerce brands rise to the top of the Gmail Promotions tab.

What’s New in the Gmail Promotions Tab Update

Google announced two major inbox changes:

• A new Purchases view: Shoppers can see all order and delivery updates in one streamlined list.
  
  

• A smarter Promotions tab update: This is where emails are now sorted by Most Relevant, instead of Most Recent.

An email’s relevance is determined by things like:

• Which brands a user engages with most
  
  

• How valuable its offers appear
  
  

• Timeliness, as Gmail’s AI-powered search surfaces top deals right when they matter by “nudging” subscribers to notify them of said deals.

For consumers, this makes inboxes more helpful. For marketers, it raises the stakes. If your campaigns don’t perform well in these new Gmail Most Relevant sorting methods, they risk being buried under competitor promotions, especially during the holiday shopping surge.

Relevance equals revenue. And that means personalized email marketing—timely, engaging and visually compelling—must be produced, in order to ensure that your content is even seen.

5 Ways to Make Your Emails Relevant for Gmail (And Your Subscribers, Of Course!)

So how do you adapt? Here are five practical ecommerce email marketing tips to help your campaigns rank according to the new Gmail Promotions tab update.

Gmail Relevance Tip #1: Craft Scroll-Stopping Subject Lines

Your subject line is the ultimate shot at making a good first impression. Gmail is more likely to surface emails that get opened, so catchiness, clarity and engagement matter here more than ever. 

• Test multiple subject line variants for every send.

• Keep subject lines short, clear and benefit-driven.

• Personalize when possible by including names, locations and mentions of recent activity. In fact, personalizing subject lines like this can boost open rates by 22-29%.

Backstroke advantage: The Backstroke email generator creates effective email subject lines powered by data from 12k+ ecommerce brands. It only delivers high-performing subject line options that are personalized toward your brand and subscribers.

Gmail Relevance Tip #2: Segment Like a Pro

Sending the same email to every subscriber is a fast track to irrelevance. Gmail rewards brands that consistently deliver offers people actually want. Segmented campaigns achieve open rates that are 30-46% higher and click-through rates that are 50-101% higher than non-segmented email blasts, so this is another simple way to score relevance points.

• Break your list into behavioral or lifecycle clusters.

• Target specific product categories or buying stages across different emails and campaigns.

• Personalize promotions even more. Going beyond purchase history, you can try segmenting by different characteristics, like by-location. For example, subscribers in Florida may be shopping for swimsuits year-round, while subscribers further north are likely more interested in sweaters as the seasons change.

Backstroke advantage: Predictive Templates automate personalized email marketing at the cluster level, ensuring each audience sees the right message for them.

Gmail Relevance Tip #3: Send at the Perfect Moment

Timing matters. Gmail tracks engagement trends and rewards campaigns that consistently hit when shoppers are active.

• Avoid overloading inboxes during peak send times, like between 9-11 a.m.

• Use historical open/click data to optimize schedules. Your email service provider likely has data and tools to help you predict the best send time for each of your emails.

• Always test! Testing concepts as simple as weekday vs. weekend performance will help you understand when to send and when not to.

Backstroke advantage: AI models automatically recommend best send times, taking the guesswork out of scheduling for ecommerce marketers.

Gmail Relevance Tip #4: Deliver Personalized Visuals & Content

Gmail’s AI-powered search favors emails that look good and feel valuable. Visuals and offers should feel tailor-made for the recipient. Critical design features you need to master include clear, focused layouts, mobile optimization, compelling visuals and easy-to-find CTAs.

• Use imagery that resonates with specific audience clusters.

• Make CTAs action-oriented and relevant to current promotions.

• Refresh creative frequently, as static templates go stale quickly!

Backstroke advantage: With Hero Lab and AI Content Studio, marketers can generate editorial-quality, on-brand visuals in minutes, each of which are tailored to subscriber clusters and buying intent.

Gmail Relevance Tip #5: Drive Engagement to Stay on Top

Relevance isn’t static. Gmail’s Promotions tab learns from user behavior, so engagement is a feedback loop. The more people click, the higher you’ll rank.

• Keep CTAs clear and click-worthy, with simple text between 2-4 words in length.

• Run A/B tests on layout, messaging and offers.

• Use dynamic elements like countdown timers or interactive promotions, which can boost conversions by 30%.

Backstroke advantage: Predictive AI helps you iterate faster, understanding how to connect with different subscriber segments, and helping your emails maintain their stickiness over time.

Quick Gmail “Relevance Checklist”

Before you hit send, make sure your campaign checks these boxes, in order for it to earn Gmail’s Most Relevant status.

✅ Segment your audiences
✅ Personalize subject lines & body content
✅ Optimize send times
✅ Create eye-catching, tailored visuals
✅ Measure engagement & iterate

The Backstroke Advantage

While Gmail raises the bar, Backstroke makes it easy for ecommerce marketers to clear it. With Backstroke in your toolkit, marketers will:

• Build 31% higher-converting emails.

• Use predictive AI to ensure the right message reaches the right people at the right time.

• Generate visuals, subject lines and templates that feel personalized without hours of manual work.

While others scramble to adapt, Backstroke customers are already Gmail-relevance ready. 

Book a demo today to see how Backstroke helps brands rise to the top of Gmail’s Most Relevant list.