Online commerce is a growing trend all over the world, including Italy. Statistics from 2020 showed that in our country online consumers generated revenues of approximately 58.6 billion euros.
Even more so in a period like this, in which purchasing possibilities are severely limited, there is no doubt that this is a trend destined for constant growth.
Google is undoubtedly one of the main resources when it comes to promoting e-commerce and Google Shopping , in particular, is increasingly used by those who need to make direct purchases, thanks to the possibility of comparing products and their prices, reaching the destination pages immediately, with a simple click.
Google Merchant Center: What is it?
Google Merchant Center is Google's platform that allows you to upload products from a site directly to the search engine , in order to advertise them. Specifically, products can be viewed by users when they search with keywords associated with the products (For example: Nike Air Max Shoes).
Each retailer can upload information about their store, products and any promotions through their Merchant Center account , so that they are always up to date and available to users who carry out online searches.
The platform is integrated with Google Ads , which allows you to directly configure the ads and set the CPC (Cost per Click) through Shopping Campaigns , with the advantage of integrated management and constant updating of information, since thanks to the Google feed it will always show the most recent data entered by the seller.
Google Merchant Center: How Does It Work?
When a user performs a search, they will be able to see all the product cards associated with that keyword at the top, above the search results , with the prices highlighted, the seller's offer (for example, free shipping or 30% discount, etc.) and the link to the site where the purchase can be made.
Below I give you a clear example of how the Merchant Center works.
The Merchant will pay Google the agreed amount only if the card is clicked , exactly as happens with Google Ads, but the ad with the product image is much more effective than the text ad alone.
In order to upload products to the Merchant Center, the platform needs a Data Feed configured according to the settings required by Google. The feed can be created in different ways:
Google Sheets: You will need to update your product data in a Google Sheet and the updates will automatically be applied to your account.
Scheduled fetch: There will be a file on your website containing your data, and you will need to schedule Google to fetch updates on a regular basis. Updates are only applied to your account when you fetch.
Upload: There will be a file on your computer containing your data that will need to be uploaded to your account regularly via SFTP, FTP, Google Cloud Storage, or manual upload.
Website Crawl: Google will crawl your website to load product data using structured data annotations or advanced data extractions.
Content API: The Content API for Shopping lets you automatically upload product listings, making it easy to find your products through Google Shopping.
Many e-commerce platforms already contain the link to Google Shopping (for example Shopify ) to upload the feed automatically , so that every new update is automatically reported on Google Shopping. The Feed needs a few days to become visible to the public.
Merchant Center: Integrating Products with Google My Business
Since October 2, 2020, the possibility of inserting the products present in the Merchant Center into the Google My Business card has also been activated. In this way, the products will be able to appear in the Google SERP completely free of charge.
Simply connect them within your account to increase your local visibility. After adding your products to the Merchant Center, you can activate the connection with Google My Business.
What does it entail?
By connecting your store information saved in your Google My Business personal account with the inventory information in your Merchant Center, you can indicate the products your business sells . So if a customer were to search for a specific product, Google search would show the store where that item is sold and which models of it are physically available in the location identified.
Products appear on Google's SERP for free , linking them to the map and increasing local visibility
Participation in local Google platforms allows you to display products sold in stores in unpaid product listings
Adding products to Google My Business is no longer manual but automatic
The potential is enormous, but above all it is free , and it is advisable for anyone with an e-commerce to activate the Merchant Center.