Best Practice Advice for Google
Google Shopping Campaigns
You now need to use AdWords to now structure campaigns using Google Shopping Campaigns.
Google Shopping Campaigns are still CPC display ads.
1. What will change in your feed?
Product Listing Ads can now be structured with two attributes in the feed: - adwords_grouping - adwords_labels
For Shopping Campaigns, Google introduced a new attribute: custom label
You can use up to 6 custom labels (0 - 5)
2. List of attributes for Google Shopping Campaigns
In AdWords you can use more than the custom labels for the campaign structure. The following list of attributes from the feed can be used:
Category (Google Product Category)
Brand
Item ID
Condition
Product Type
Custom Label 0 - 4
3. How to set it up in Productsup Platform:
In Dataflow for the Google Merchant Center Export simply connect the custom label columns from Import to Intermediate and from Intermediate to Export stage.
4. What you need to consider
Create up to five custom labels, numbered 0 to 5, for each item in your feed.
Submit one value per item for each custom label attribute.
Only 1,000 unique values are supported for each custom label attribute across the items in your account. Products with a custom label submitted after the limit has been exceeded won’t be included in product groups using this custom label. To avoid that update your product data to reduce the number of unique values for the custom label to less than 1,000.
Source & more information about custom labels on Google Support here.
You can also check out our whitepaper on best practice here.
Google Merchant Promotions
Google Merchant Promotions
Google has launched a feature for Google PLA and Google Shopping Campaigns: Merchant Promotions. A merchant can now display a specific or generic promotion directly on your ad.
List of content: 1. Accepted promotion types 2. Promotions feed 3. Getting started * Case #1: Only a few promotion codes * Case #2: Promotions bulk upload
Promotion text only shows when Special Offer tag is clicked on Google PLAs/ Shopping Campaigns.
1. Accepted promotion types
Merchant promotions must be applied at check-out
Promotions are typically discounts, free gifts, buy/spend more save more deals that a user gets: * When they add a promotion code * Automatically at checkout/in-cart
Promotions types that do not qualify: * Final discount is already reflected in the sale price * Restrictive promotions (e.g. limited to only first-time customers) * Free shipping, code required (Free shipping is the only promotion type that requires a code) * Low value (should be at least $5 or 5%) * Mail-in rebate (redemption procedure is too cumbersome for the user) * Points-based promotions (do not offer monetary value)
2. Promotions feed
How it looks like:
Complete feed specifications can be found here. Be sure to comply with all Google Merchant Promotions Program Policies, especially for the promotion title.
3. Getting started
Case #1: Only a few promotion codes
You have only a few promotion codes. In this case we recommend you to create and edit them directly in the Merchant Center.
1: First get your Merchant Center whitelisted by submitting your request via the interest form.
2: Create a promotion using the promotion creation directly in Merchant Center form. Click on the "Promotion" button:
3: Connect promotions to your existing product feed (only needed if your promotion is only applicable to specific products) :
Add the promotion_id attribute to your product feed (already available in Productsup)
Add promotion IDs to applicable items in your product feed (for example with "Set value if contains")
Submit your product feed as usual
4: Check the Promotions dashboard in Merchant Center to track status under “Policy Status” and “SKU Status”– promotions need to be approved for policy and tested on your site before they can go live
Case #2: Promotions bulk upload
You have a list of promotion codes. This list is not "Google-conform". Import this list in Productsup and optimize it for the Merchant Center.
1: First get your merchant center whitelisted by submitting your request via the interest form.
2: Create an extra Site in Productsup, and import your promotions/vouchers list
3: Create a promotion feed, using the template Google Merchant Promotions A feed sample is available here.
4: Connect promotions to your existing product feed (only needed if your promotion is only applicable to specific products) :
Add the promotion_id attribute to your product feed (already available in Productsup)
Add promotion IDs to applicable items in your product feed (for example with "Set value if contains")
Submit your product feed as usual
5: Check the Promotions dashboard in merchant Center to track status under “Policy Status” and “SKU Status”– promotions need to be approved for policy and tested on your site before they can go live.
Google Product Ratings
This service is only availabale if you first fill out a form. Please find this form here.
Please also read the official Google information about Product Ratings: link here.
1. What are Product Ratings?
Google use a 5-star rating system for its Product Listing Ads (PLA). Google aggregates reviews and converts them in this star-rating system. A product needs a minimum of 3 reviews in order for its rating to be shown.
2. Where does Google get the reviews from?
Google aggregates reviews from multiples sources: - merchants (now via Google Product Ratings feed) - third-party aggregators - editorial sites - users
3. Why should I upload my reviews?
One one hand, if you sell your own brand or niche product, there is a chance that Google hasn't got reviews for your products yet. Providing reviews can increase the shopper's trust in your brand as well as the visibility of your product.
On the other hand, if your product is similar to other items (in electronics for example), positive reviews may convince the user to select your model over your competitors.
4. Is it like the same as seller rating?
Do not mix up seller rating and product rating. Seller rating is also a 5 star-rating system, but it aggregates the reviews about the shop itself (delivery, service, quality,..) and not about the specific product.
Productsup tip: check the reviews from your shop by using the following link:
http://www.google.com/shopping/seller?q=yourdomain.com
Only change the last part with your domain like this:
http://www.google.com/shopping/seller?q=amazon.com
5. How can I submit my product reviews?
After filing out the form, you can upload a XML file in the Google Merchant Center.
Official feed specifications here.
Click on +DataFeed
Choose Product Reviews as feed type.
