Google Shopping
via Sayl Retail
With the heavy breath of Amazon shopping in its neck, search giant Google is doubling their efforts on Google Shopping. For those who are unaware what Google shopping is, we're pretty sure you have been in contact with it: product search results at the top of Google. Search on Google now goes beyond text links and advertisements, product search linked with commerce is the new pet of Google. Let's check what it means for Sayl Retail users.
In an effort to help merchants recover from COVID, Google decided to make Google Shopping free - for now.
Let's start with the good news: in an effort to help merchants recover from COVID, Google decided in April 2020 to make Google Shopping free - at least for the moment. That this probably has to do with the growing popularity of Amazon shopping could be related to that - up to you to decide :). Anyway, bottom line currently you can make use of Google Shopping without killing your advertisement budget.
One little caveat: the free Google Shopping is for products on the 'Shopping' tab page in Google, not for the Google shopping products you see on the main Google page (the so-called SERP - Search Engine Result Page).
One little caveat: the free Google Shopping is for products on the 'Shopping' tab page in Google, not for the Google shopping products you see on the main Google page (the so-called SERP - Search Engine Result Page).
First the basics - what is Google Shopping?
Google Shopping is an innovative way in which the search engine shows product ads in the search results. And that innovative character ensures that you as an advertiser now have even more opportunities. You can think of Google Shopping as a comparison tool ("your product and prices versues your competitors products and prices") that is subtly integrated into the search engine results.
If you enter a keyword for a particular product in Google, you will see a number of separate blocks of products that appear both above and to the right of the organic search results. Within those blocks you will see information about the products, including prices, but also in which web shops they are for sale. That webshop can simply be your Sayl Retail store.
In addition, reviews are often visible at a glance. All information is therefore clearly displayed. When a user is looking for a product, it often happens with an intention to take a certain action. With Google Shopping, the step from intention to conversion is made just that little bit easier.
BTW, if you are still sure how it looks like, just open your browser, go to Google and search for something, like 'colored socks'. Note that there is the "All" tab (standard tab) that shows paid products while there is also the "Shopping" tab.
If you enter a keyword for a particular product in Google, you will see a number of separate blocks of products that appear both above and to the right of the organic search results. Within those blocks you will see information about the products, including prices, but also in which web shops they are for sale. That webshop can simply be your Sayl Retail store.
In addition, reviews are often visible at a glance. All information is therefore clearly displayed. When a user is looking for a product, it often happens with an intention to take a certain action. With Google Shopping, the step from intention to conversion is made just that little bit easier.
BTW, if you are still sure how it looks like, just open your browser, go to Google and search for something, like 'colored socks'. Note that there is the "All" tab (standard tab) that shows paid products while there is also the "Shopping" tab.
How does Google Shopping works?
You can think of Google Shopping as a handy tool to showcase your products to the user in a very clear manner. While previously you had to entice users with text ads to your webshop, now you can give an idea of what you have to offer at a glance. As most people loves visuals, this certainly works better than text.
Create your Google Merchant account
The rest of this article is more practical, so if you don't have a Google Merchant account, make sure to create one via this link.
Prove that you are the owner of your webshop
Google will not send traffic to a webshop that you don't own. Therefore you will have to proof to Google that you are the owner. The easiest to do, is by setting up a Google Analytics account, add the Google Analytics ID to your popup shop (in Sayl Retail), and then tell Google to check via the GA account.
In Google Merchant center, choose Business information, go to website, copy the link of your popup shop in the Website URL, and click on "I have a Google Analytics account".
Create your Google Merchant account
The rest of this article is more practical, so if you don't have a Google Merchant account, make sure to create one via this link.
Prove that you are the owner of your webshop
Google will not send traffic to a webshop that you don't own. Therefore you will have to proof to Google that you are the owner. The easiest to do, is by setting up a Google Analytics account, add the Google Analytics ID to your popup shop (in Sayl Retail), and then tell Google to check via the GA account.
In Google Merchant center, choose Business information, go to website, copy the link of your popup shop in the Website URL, and click on "I have a Google Analytics account".
The product feed
Everything starts with creating the "product feed". Via the Google Shopping sales channel in Sayl Retail, you can automatically generate your product feed. This feed must be put into the Google Merchant account, so that Google can gain insight into the products that you offer. The purpose of this digesting is that Google can link your products to the search queries of users. As you can already guess, you need to provide as much information as possible. You do this through the product specifications and the more accurate they are, the greater your chance of success.
Everything starts with creating the "product feed". Via the Google Shopping sales channel in Sayl Retail, you can automatically generate your product feed. This feed must be put into the Google Merchant account, so that Google can gain insight into the products that you offer. The purpose of this digesting is that Google can link your products to the search queries of users. As you can already guess, you need to provide as much information as possible. You do this through the product specifications and the more accurate they are, the greater your chance of success.
Follow the steps, including "creating own productfeed". In the basic information of the "primary feed" page, you can also tick the box "Surfaces across Google". Surfaces across Google is a Merchant Center program that allows your products to appear in unpaid product listings on Google surfaces including Google Search, the Google Shopping tab, and Google Images.
Unpaid standard listings can appear on Google Search and Google Images. Unpaid enhanced listings appear on the Google Shopping tab. Learn more about the different listings types on surfaces across Google and availability by country
Unpaid standard listings can appear on Google Search and Google Images. Unpaid enhanced listings appear on the Google Shopping tab. Learn more about the different listings types on surfaces across Google and availability by country
In the next step you must paste the File URL of your product feed in Sayl Retail.
Go in Sayl Retail admin to 'Sales channels', choose 'Google Shopping', selected the shop with the products and then copy the feed URL.
Go in Sayl Retail admin to 'Sales channels', choose 'Google Shopping', selected the shop with the products and then copy the feed URL.
Important info (1): the "Fetch time" shows when the feed will be retrieved for the first time. Before that time, there will be no products imported into your Google Shopping account.
Important info (2): it can take up to 30 minutes before your product data feed is showing the exact set of products that you imported.
Important info (2): it can take up to 30 minutes before your product data feed is showing the exact set of products that you imported.