Google Shopping is an international platform. Its essence is that Google search results show several offers or feeds (not just one) from different online stores, when a user enters a request. It provides a broader collection of services or products for potential customers, and the search is more convenient and easier.
The Google Shopping feed is the source for ads created on this platform. All information about sold products is included into the feed. In general, a feed is a product card, but designed in code. It records the exact description, type, size, material and color of the product. Feeds are stored on Google Merchant Center servers.
How does it work?
A potential customer sees various visualized offers for the same product from different sellers in the search engine results. The main purpose of the service – to save the potential buyer from the need to go to a lot of links in order to find products and compare their prices. Advertisements appear on top (above contextual and free ads), or on the side of the page. The key to the success of the service – competitive prices and a good selection of images for the potential buyer.
Signing up for the service does not take much time. However, in order to maximize the effectiveness of the promotion, you should use the services of PR specialists and marketing professionals.
There are various companies that do this. Professionals will quickly create a Google Merchant Center account, attach Google Ads, and place relevant feeds in Merchant. After that, there are all possibilities for the client to see ads that match his request.
There are also specific requirements from Google for work:
- information in the feeds must be updated once a month;
- your portal must include information on delivery services, online card payment and refunds.
The resource is created on the protocol “HTTPS”.
Advantages
The service is perfect for selling goods from online stores, because the sale of goods will become much easier. Roughly speaking, as it happens from the buyer’s side, he enters a request, sees a picture in the search engine, clicks on the link and makes a purchase.
In addition to the comfort of use and certain advantages over competitors who do not use this marketplace, there are such benefits:
- Advertising in Google Shopping is the first thing the user sees, thanks to its advantageous position above the text query results and the visualization – a picture.
- By ordering a Google Shopping setup, you will optimize all aspects in such a way that it will be much cheaper to advertise than by traditional way.
- Information about changes in price or availability is updated automatically.
You are a hundred percent guaranteed to get customers, if you have ordered Google Shopping setup. And buyers are sure to be absolutely interested in buying exactly your product, as feeds are customized to specific user requests. Payment for the service is charged only when the user goes to the site or directly acts (e.g., makes a purchase, calls the manager, etc.).
When you track profitability, you see the number of visits, orders, and calls made on the Google Shopping feed. You can also easily tell the experts what you would like to change in the strategy.
Disadvantages
The most important factor to decide if Google Shopping is right for you or not is the answer to the question, “Is it possible to integrate advertising for my products and services?”
The main disadvantage of this method of promotion – you cannot advertise certain types of goods and services. For example, financial services, tickets, subscriptions, and others.
It is also worth noting that sometimes you have to order the services of specialists, whose work is not cheap. A new user simply will not be able to enter the advertising site, if he has no experience in it and certain skills and abilities.
Another disadvantage is intense competition. All entrepreneurs who place their feeds, in one way or another, actively compete with “industry peers,” lowering prices, selecting better product visualization, etc.