In the past, internet browsers looking for a product to buy online would have to search for the product in Google and click on each of the search results to see if indeed that website (1) had a product they were looking for at the right price, size, color, style, etc. and (2) had a product that was more desirable than that of the next search result. This shopping process, in hindsight, was not only time-consuming and difficult, but it kept the power of accessible information away from consumers, making products, prices, and other competitive factors harder to compare among online retailers.
Today, online shopping has become far more sophisticated. With just a Google search on a phone, tablet, or desktop, or even a voice command on a Google Home, shoppers are able to make purchases most relevant to their needs much more quickly. As of this year, Internet browsers can view all of their purchasing options from different online retailers side-by-side, comparing images and product information from many different brands without ever leaving the Google search results page.
Google has given consumers the most convenient access to products by implementing the Google Merchant Center. Google Merchant Center makes your store and product info available to shoppers across Google. It stores all of your product data, making it the center for all of your online retailer’s Google Shopping ads, listings, and campaigns.
Digital SEO is more complex and competitive than ever, but with the right strategy, that makes your company’s efforts all the more effective. It is important that your online retailer understands how to use all of the Google Merchant Center capabilities in order to put your products in the best position to reach consumers and stand out among the similar products of competitors.
Below are some beginning tips to keep in mind as you improve your brand’s digital marketing presence through working with each aspect of Google Merchant Center:
Before setting up your Google Merchant Center account, review and be sure to follow Google Shopping policies and requirements. Once an account is created, you should enter information about your business, website, and logo that will be displayed to users who view your products online. After that, verify and claim your website URL if you have not already done so.
It is important to be thoughtful about the information that you display. Millennials have the most purchasing power of any generation today, and studies show that they care about where their products come from. All of these processes have been created to give browsers convenient and accurate purchasing information about the product and company they are buying from.
First, ensure that you follow the product data specifications, which are all the attributes you need to provide in order for your products to be listed in be included in Shopping ads and to show on surfaces across Google. After that, be sure that your product prices, availability, shipping info and cost are up to date. More advanced users looking to automate the Google Merchant functionality should look into Google API. With the Content API for Shopping you can build software that manages accounts from the customer level down to the product level.
Perhaps the most effective aspect of the Google Merchant Center is its seamless compatibility with your company’s Google Ads account to create Google Shopping Ads. Shopping ads are ads that include rich product information, such as product image, price, and merchant name, and data from the Google Merchant Center.
It is very important to maintain all of your Google Shopping Accounts frequently to ensure the most relevant product information. You must sign in to the Merchant Center every 14 days to remain an active account. Google does this to provide the most accurate and current information to browsers.
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Mastering Google Shopping capabilities and using Google Merchant Center correctly and effectively is important to your online retailer’s SEO success. Reach out if Relevance Advisors can help your company strategize and execute a digital marketing plan.
