Product Listing Ads appear when someone searches for a product on Google.com or Google Shopping. The product appears with a picture of the item, its price, and the store name. Customers who click on the image will be directed to the website where they can buy the item. Google recently started charging for clicks. Businesses who list their products are only charged when someone clicks on the ad and lands on their website.
Google Shopping’s move to a paid shopping channel has generated a large amount of confusion and questions in the Ecommerce world, particularly for online merchants. Rick Backus, CEO of CPC Strategy, has answered the most common questions he hears on a regular basis surrounding Google Shopping.
Is there any reason NOT to list your products on Google Shopping?
Now that businesses have to pay to play on Google Shopping, many Ecommerce merchants are reconsidering listing their products. In the first video of this VLOG series, Rick Backus goes over the top excuses why businesses might not want to list on Google Product Listing Ads (PLAs).
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It’s Too Expensive
Many retailers feel that it is too expensive for their company to list products on Google Shopping. Realistically, this is only true for retailers that do not know how the program works. Ecommerce stores who are willing to pay for these listings can actually get qualified traffic from just a small amount of money. Google shopping can provide merchants with more qualified leads for a smaller amount of money than any other sales channel.
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It Takes Too Much Time
For those who were previously managing listing ads, it may seem like an easy out to say, “We have to pay for it now, so I’m just not going to manage it anymore.” The answer to this is, don’t give up. You can actually turn your Google PLAs into a program similar to Amazon or a marketplace, where there is a locked-in margin for your products. That way, your business can get into PLAs and take the excuse of “no time” away.
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I Can’t Create a Feed
This is one of the most common excuses. If you cannot create a feed, then it is only going to create a bigger problem for your business in the long run, unless you learn. You must have a digital representation of your products in order for your business to grow. You can figure out how to create a feed independent of the PLA program.
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Google Sucks!
This is another really common reason why businesses are not listing their products. However, these are usually the same people who do not like Amazon and eBay, either. So, at a certain point, these people need to accept the fact that these are the top places to sell. In order to make money, you need to start figuring out how to work within the ecosystem that is already in place because that is where the customers are.
In conclusion: Is there any reason to NOT list your products? No. Google PLAs are generating millions of visits directly to Ecommerce merchants. Now, with these PLA myths debunked, you can embrace the benefits and the traffic!
So, what do you have to do to get started with Product Listing Ads?
There are four steps you must go through to effectively set up and launch your PLA Campaign. They are as follows:
- Set up and send your data feed
- Connect your Google Adwords and Google Merchant Center Accounts
- Set up your PLA Campaign within Adwords
- Track your results using Google Analytics
This is Part 1 of a 6 Part VLOG series on Google Shopping by CPC Strategy. Check back weekly for the following VLOGs!
