Google Merchant: An Opportunity for Revenue Growth

In October of 2012, Google Merchant (also known as Google Shopping from the searchers' end) changed from a free Google service to a paid service through Google Adwords. For some Merchants this change imposed an unexpected cost, but for others it created an opportunity to get a more easily found, graphical advertisement for their products above the fold. 

Utilizing Google Merchant

A Google Ads campaign is created automatically from the Google Merchant website. Once a merchant uploads a product into the Google Merchant system, and the connection is made between the merchant's Google Adwords and Google Merchant account, a product listing ad campaign is created in Google Adwords. Just like other Adwords campaigns, the maximum Cost Per Click can be set, as well as the budget for the campaign. However, no ads need to be created for these types of campaigns.

Based on results that have been provided to date, these ads have been less expensive on a Cost Per Click level and tend to have a higher conversion rate. This is primarily because searchers can see a graphical depiction of their search term which reassures them that the resulting page is what they are looking to purchase.

Guidelines

While Google has always had rules pertaining to the types of websites that are allowed to participate in the Google Merchant program, they have more recently clamped down on the websites that are not following the following rules (within the USA) :

1. Products must be listed in English.
2. Product landing pages must be in English.
3. Product prices must be listed in US dollars (USD).
4. Products must be shippable throughout the continental US.

If you ship from outside the US, you need to provide in your feed the shipping information applicable to customers in the US and cover all custom charges.

While other guidelines exist in terms of listing products under Google Merchant, the above represent most critical of the requirements. Violation of these requirements may result in suspension of the account.

Because there are no ads or keywords that are set up for these product listing ads, it is important to have good descriptions and product titles that contain specific keywords that best describe the product and are popular with searchers. It is also recommended that data loading is done frequently to keep the products fresh and provide the best chance for Google to choose these products.

Looking for more help?

Google Merchant prepresents an opportunity to present your products in the most favorable light with the use of graphics in place of Google Ads. Given the right set of products and an understanding of the Google Merchant systems, online retailers have an inexpensive and most effective avenue to drive visitors to their website. For help in getting started with Google Merchant, complete the on-page form or give us a call at 401-828-6611. Brave River Solutions can assist your business in establishing a Digital Advertising strategy to increase sales of products online.