Google Shopping has enabled small and medium sized merchants to compete with large retailers on a scale previously unseen. Google Shopping allows retailers to reach a large audience of consumers with little to no effort.
According to Google’s Zero Moment of Truth eBook, consumers consult 10.7 sources on average before making a purchasing decision. Google Shopping is one of the primary sources consumers consult when comparison shopping.
Currently, Google allows retailers to use either a feed or the Google API to upload products to Google Shopping free of charge. To take full advantage of Google Shopping, use the following six tips:
1. Google requires at least two of the following three unique identifiers: manufacturer’s product number (MPN), brand or UPC. I would recommend using the UPC whenever possible. When doing a comparison shop, Google uses this unique ID to group products together. In order to ensure that your products appear in that comparison table, include as many unique identifiers as possible.
2. Consumers are seeking shipping deals more than ever before, so it is important that you upload shipping fee information in your feed. This will allow the consumer to see the total price of the product in question. According to Google, shipping cost is the most common reason for cart abandonment.
3. Including the Google Product Category and Product Type is very important. Google Shopping now ranks products according to their respective categories and type. For instance, if a consumer conducts a Google Shopping search for the term “printers,” the top three most popular printers will be listed, ranked 1 through 3.
4. Writing good product descriptions is essential for successful ads in Google Shopping. Often, consumers do not know the exact model number (unique ID) of the product they are looking for, so the more comprehensive the product description the better your chances of being found.
5. Rich snippets allow online retailers to include product reviews in their feed. This is highly recommended as consumers are more reliant on consumer reviews.
6. Product images are the most important driver when a consumer is ready to make a purchase. Be sure to have a high quality image of the item you are trying to sell. The time and effort put into including high quality images in your feed will easily pay itself off.
I would highly recommend using Google’s test feed application found in the Google Merchant Center. This will allow you to do testing on your feed and receive feedback on trouble areas. In conjunction with Google Product Search Polices, using these six tips will have a significant impact on the total number of transactions and revenue generated from Google Shopping.
Chuck Tomlinson is digital director at Nadi Creative Branding Group.