Do you have an online store? That's great! Verseo has prepared the option for you to display Shopping ads without the Google Shopping commission. This means a 20% savings compared to your existing Shopping campaigns. What's more, you don't need to be a Verseo customer. We don't even need your campaign login details.
Google Product Advertising Without Google Commission – Origins
The European Commission's decision is behind all this. Two years ago, it forced the Google Shopping platform to open up advertising space to other publishers. In other words, any price comparison site can now participate in displaying Shopping ads. This was due to a kind of monopoly and EU efforts to make the search engine environment more inclusive for advertisers and non-Google advertising providers. This means that by adding your products to the Verseo comparison site, you can simultaneously display Shopping ads without any Google commission. You also don't have to share your campaign data with us.
What is a product campaign?
First, it's worth explaining what a Google Shopping campaign is . If you're not already using this form of online store advertising, you're making a big mistake! It's one of the most popular forms of Google advertising, primarily due to its cost-effectiveness. Implemented without the tech giant's commission, it will yield an even greater return on investment!
Product Listing Ads (PLAs) are, as the name suggests, aimed at promoting specific products from an online store. What does it look like? If you use Google, you've probably encountered such an ad more than once. It displays sellers' offers along with a photo, name, and price. They appear at the top of the search results page if the query is for a specific product. However, the search term doesn't have to be very specific.
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Products added this way are also available on Google's price comparison service, which can be accessed by clicking the "Google Shopping" tab in the search engine. You can find it by using a Google Ads product campaign . However, thanks to a decision by the European Commission, you no longer have to do this directly, which involves paying a commission. Now, with Verseo, you can acquire new customers much more affordably and just as easily.
How to add a store to a CSS comparison site
Adding a store to the Verseo price comparison site is very simple. If you contact us with your request, you will be asked for the following:
- Send us your Google Merchant Center account number (if we don't have one yet).
- Uploading the feed from Google Merchant Center (we need to add products to our comparison engine).
- Consent to the regulations and confirmation of data.
And that's it. It couldn't be simpler; we don't enter into sales data or other sensitive information, and we don't even have to sign a contract. The tool allows you to save on Google's commission charged for every click on a Shopping ad. After implementation, it looks like this:
Not yet using Google Merchant Center? Don't worry. This tool sends information about your store and products to Google services. Creating an account takes just a few moments. Then, you can create and upload product data, for example, in an XML file format generated by the store or using the Google Content API for Shopping. This will give Google Shopping access to the list of products in your store and their data. Connecting your Merchant Center account to your Google Ads account will give you the ability to publish Shopping ads. However, to avoid paying commissions for every user click on such an ad, you can use our offer. Why is it worth it? You'll find out below.
Product advertising – advantages
As the infographic below shows, our clients are increasingly choosing product advertising as the method with the best cost-to-revenue ratio. We compared 650 campaigns we ran in the first half of 2018 and the first half of 2019.
Shopping advertising saw a 27,5% increase in spending from our clients. At the same time, they saw a nearly 80% increase in sales in this channel. Both figures indicate that Google Shopping campaigns are a highly profitable option, and advertisers, with higher budgets allocated year after year, see growing potential in them.
The numbers speak for themselves. However, it's worth discussing all the benefits of product campaigns in more detail . Why should you consider them when promoting your online store?
- Advertising Vibrancy – Product campaign results stand out from "regular" search results or text ads. Their graphical design draws attention. They also include pricing, allowing for quick comparisons.
- Direct redirection to the product page – by clicking on the ad, the customer is taken to your store, to a subpage with the product, where they can immediately make a purchase. This significantly shortens the entire process and facilitates conversion. Potential customers aren't discouraged by having to search the store website for the product they want to buy.
- Targeted advertising to a specific audience – users searching for specific products on Google are often already committed to making a purchase. This means that if they find an interesting offer, they'll place an order. This is why Shopping campaigns are so effective at generating conversions.
- Freshness – Google constantly updates product prices and availability. If you implement seasonal discounts in your store, for example, the lower price will be displayed in your Shopping campaign. If the item is sold out, the ad won't show. All of this happens automatically, which is extremely convenient for advertisers.
- Speed of implementation – automating the process of adding products to Google Merchant Center significantly simplifies the entire process. As a result, preparing a shopping campaign is much faster than setting up ads consisting of, for example, sponsored links. This is especially important for larger online stores that want to advertise dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of products.
- Versatile – Shopping campaigns are aimed at both very small and very large stores. You can advertise a few products or thousands. As a retailer, you always have full control over what is advertised on Google.
- Low costs, high profit – as the infographic above shows, the average cost per click for a product ad is really low – lower than for a text ad in Google AdsMoreover, if no one clicks on your ad, you won't pay anything. Considering that a Shopping campaign typically results in a higher conversion rate, its cost-effectiveness cannot be denied. That's why so many online stores use this method – including the most popular ones.
Product campaigns are also appreciated by consumers themselves because they help save time while simultaneously presenting attractive sales offers. This certainly isn't intrusive or unwanted advertising that leads to aversion to a specific advertiser!
Only advantages
To the undoubted advantages of product advertising, we're now adding the ability to advertise without Google's commission . This is a very beneficial solution for anyone currently using this type of product promotion for their online store. Minimal formalities and full implementation support are provided. We encourage you to contact us, and we'll be happy to answer any questions you may have about our comparison tool and Google Shopping. Beyond the procedure outlined above, there are no other restrictions. The Verseo CSS comparison tool already includes over 100 online stores, and all of them enjoy product ads that are 20% cheaper than standard ones.
Standard or Smart Product Campaign?
Google allows advertisers to use two types of shopping campaigns. A specific innovation is the so-called Smart Shopping Campaign, based on machine learning. This system "learns" based on previous experience and makes decisions for the user. Choosing this type of campaign provides convenience. You don't have to track results yourself and adjust settings based on them. The algorithm decides who, when, and where to display your ad—in a way that increases conversion rates, which effectively increases campaign effectiveness. This is certainly an interesting solution, but it's not recommended for those who prefer complete control over their actions.
It's worth remembering that a Smart Shopping campaign will work best for users who have already run Google Ads campaigns. Conversion history will be helpful, as it will inform the system's decision-making process. It's also beneficial if your account has a remarketing list that stores data on users who have previously visited your store. This will allow you to display relevant ads to them. Smart Shopping campaigns leverage various distribution channels (including YouTube and Gmail), dynamically adapting campaign activities to meet specific needs.
The obvious contrast to this solution is the standard Shopping campaign. In this case, the advertiser independently determines all parameters, which can then be adjusted to current needs throughout the campaign. You can choose whether your ads will appear solely in search engines or on the Google Display Network. You can also decide in which locations and on which devices they will be displayed. The search term report allows you to identify the exact user queries that generated clicks in your Shopping ads campaign. This simplifies keyword selection and the addition of appropriate exclusions, which will help increase campaign effectiveness.
Product campaigns – operational strategy
Before launching a product campaign, it's important to develop an appropriate strategy. Decisions regarding the product groups to promote are crucial. It's worth focusing on those that are most important to the online store's operations. Another good strategy is to prioritize products with the highest margins. What should you consider when creating a strategy?
- Seasonality plays a significant role in campaign effectiveness. During periods of increased interest in specific products, it's worth allocating a larger budget to promoting them. This issue, of course, must be considered individually, as it varies across industries.
- Price is usually the most important factor for consumers comparing different offers for the same product. Low prices are the most appealing, of course, so it's worth promoting products you sell cheaper than your competitors or at a comparable price. However, it's important to remember that premium products have completely different parameters for consumers. It's also worth promoting them if that's what your customers are looking for.
- Product popularity shouldn't be the sole determinant of promotion. It's worth utilizing shopping campaigns in areas where you want to increase sales. It's a good idea to categorize products based on their popularity so you can tailor your ads accordingly.
- The aforementioned high margins placed on a product are certainly an excellent reason to advertise it. Dividing products into groups based on margin levels will help you plan effective product campaigns.
As you can see, shopping campaigns offer many opportunities to promote your online store's offerings in Google. You can also adjust their parameters to help you achieve your goals. Careful strategy development is crucial, however, so it's worth approaching this topic with caution. Harness the advertising potential of this tool and increase your sales – ideally by using Verseo CSS , a tool that can help you reduce costs by approximately 20%. You can also use other Verseo services to increase the effectiveness of your Google advertising efforts.
What is CSS?
CSS stands for Comparison Shopping Services , or in other words, all platforms that aggregate products and their basic features, such as price. After adding your products to this system and having a functioning ad in the Google Merchant Center environment, your products can be displayed as follows:
The highlighted text shows which comparison tool the store uses. If you add yourself to the Verseo comparison tool , the Verseo name will be displayed. This is the only difference, and it will result in 20% cheaper clicks.
Why is it worth joining Verseo CSS?
> 20% cheaper clicks on Google Shopping.
> Verseo does not need your account details.
> Free traffic from Verseo CSS comparison engine.
> Fast implementation.
> Coverage throughout the European Union.
> No negative impact on quality score.
Write now and find out more!
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- The origins of Google commission-free advertising (European Commission decision), what a shopping campaign is, how to add a store to the Verseo price comparison engine, and the advantages of shopping ads are explained.
- A standard and smart product campaign (Smart Shopping) were compared and an operating strategy was discussed, taking into account seasonality, price, popularity and margin.
- It explains what CSS (Comparison Shopping Services) is and the benefits of Verseo CSS: 20% cheaper clicks, no need to share data and EU-wide coverage.
