Google’s decision to replace free with paid product listing ads may have angered many ecommerce merchants. But with Google turning into a paid shopping channel, advertisers will need to bow out or adhere to the company’s new revenue model if they want to reach out to their target market.
There are several reasons as to why many advertisers may now feel wary of opting for the paid product listing ads model. While some retailers complain that this model is now too expensive for them, others are merely angry that Google too has succumbed to the lure of money by turning many of its free services into paid ones. Yet others claim a lack of time to manage a continuous campaign while a few claim that they are unable to create a feed.
However, what most online retailers do not comprehend that there are several advantages of using this paid channel. For instance, you will now have far greater control over your bids as well as decide on the amount of exposure received by your product ads. You can currently view all your products on product listing ads, zoom in on that perfect bid, view product conversion, and further fine-tune your bids for improved results. In addition, you also have an opportunity of achieving the top three average position which guarantees increased exposure.
In case you have decided to join the Google Products Listing Ad bandwagon then you need to ensure that you have optimized all aspects of your campaign for optimum results. You should start by optimizing your data feed. If you are a small retailer then rewriting titles and descriptions while hiring an experienced SEO team should do the trick. For a larger retailer such a step will take more time, but whatever your inventory size, you do need to optimize your data feed.
For instance, you can create labels in that feed, which in turn allows you to have specific labels for products priced at different ranges or for seasonal products. You can then monitor these labels to find ones that are performing really well and ill-performing ones.
By controlling your data feeds, you will also be able to solve any errors that crop up in your Google Merchant Center login. Failure to solve errors over time can also result in expulsion from the Google Product Listing Ads program. In addition, you will lose all control over your ad campaign if you cannot control your feeds. Your competitors can take advantage of this lacuna to push their own campaign much more effectively.
You also need to constantly track your budget as well as adjust your bids to ensure that your average CPC is well within your desired budget. Product listing ads does offer excellent value for money as compared to AdWords without the branded campaigns.
Google has additionally added several exciting features to their Google Shopping channel to take out the sting of going from free to paid. One visually thrilling feature is the inclusion of 360 degree product images that Google has actually taken from manufacturers and retailers. They have also added a Short Lists feature that allows enlisted people to add relevant products to a list. Google has also added a catalogue feature that helps online sellers and shoppers get that catalogue-browsing effect while shopping.
In case you do face problems and need to contact the AdWords team at Google then here are a few more tips to avoid disappointment. Since Google seems to be very busy attending to countless queries, you may be disappointed if your email queries are not replied at one go.
You actually need to continue sending emails until the team at Google gets worn down and responds. In addition, you also need to ensure that you provide specific details of any issues and should also include screenshots, if possible, to make them understand the issue.
The above tips on Product Listing Ads and Feed Optimizing should help you extract the most out of your campaign and get the most out of your investment too.