Google update on new policy enforcement

26. October 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Comparison Shopping Engines, Data Feed Optimization, Google Base, Google Merchant Center, Google Product Search · Tags: , , , , ,

Good morning!

On Monday 10/24/2011 Mayuresh Saoji, Senior Product Manager of the Google Product Search team posted on the Google Commerce Blog about the enforcement of the new requirements that were announced in July 2011.

In the post, Mayuresh states that the enforcement of the policies has been gradual because they wanted to give merchants a chance to react and make the necessary corrections.

He does however explain that enforcement of the new requirements is on going and that they are “well on their way” to implementing all of the data compliance checks. He lists the Google Product Category, Tax & Shipping and Variant Attribute requirements as examples of these compliance checks.

Mayuresh also lists three ways to use the Google Merchant Center tools to check your data feed for errors & to ensure that your product listings are “Product Search compliant“.

Here is a link to the post Implementing the new Google Product Search feed specification

And here is a reprint of the post itself courtesy of the Google Commerce Blog:

Implementing the new Google Product Search feed specification

On September 22, the new Google Product Search feed specification that we announced in July went into effect. Since then, we’ve been gradually enforcing the new requirements by implementing additional checks over time in order to ensure a smooth roll out and give our merchants more time to react to errors and data problems.

We’re well on our way toward implementing all compliance checks, including those for Google Product Category, Tax & Shipping, and Variant attributes. Here are a few ways that you can make sure your product data feed is in good shape:

1. Review the information on the “Data Quality” tab in Google Merchant Center to see data quality errors. We recently changed this tab to give you a clearer view of the status of your items and to make it easier to see which errors are most critical. Where possible, we’ve also provided actionable advice and feedback on how to fix errors.

2. Also be sure to also check the “Data Feeds” tab in your Merchant Center account. This is where you’ll find error reports for feed-level issues (e.g. errors in syntax of submitted attributes).

3. Use the “New Test Data Feed” functionality (on the Data Feed tab) to submit a new test feed. This test mechanism also allows you to download a full feed processing report and get detailed insights into potential issues with your feed. Note that this functionality is currently only available for test feeds.

As we head into the holiday season, we want to thank our merchants for investing in making the necessary changes to their feeds and sending high-quality product data. We’re committed to maintaining a high bar for data quality and are working hard to make Google Product Search even better in the coming months.

Happy Shopping!

Posted by Mayuresh Saoji, Senior Product Manager, Google Product Search team

Have a great day!

CSE.Manager@gmail.com

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PriceGrabber Notification of CPC Rate Adjustment

18. October 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Comparison Shopping Engines, CSE Taxonomy & Categorization, Holiday Rate Increases, PriceGrabber · Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Good morning!

On 10/17/2011 PriceGrabber sent out an e-mail to their merchant notifying them that they will be applying a temporary 25% cost per click increase across all categories. The adjustment will begin on 11/01/2011 and run through 01/15/2012.

They go on to state that only fixed CPC rate card rates will be increased. This means your active bid amounts will not be automatically adjusted if you are using the bidding tool within the merchant account.

Why is this important & what does this rate increase mean to you if you are using the bidding tool, you ask?

Well lets say that you are using the bidding tool to bid a flat (Absolute) $0.25 in a category with a rate card value of $0.35 cents. When the rate increase goes into effect the category rate card bid will increase by 25% ($0.09) making it $0.44. Now you will be bidding $0.25 in a category with a rate card bid of $0.44. Depending on the competitions (if any) bidding, your listing could potentially drop in position. You would potentially need to raise your bid to retain the position that you previously held. Obviously you would want to do the research to see if your positioning falls when the rate card increase goes into effect before blindly upping your bids.

If you are using the bidding tool to modify the rate card value (Relative to CPC Rate) then the amount that you are bidding will STILL increase. Lets say that you are bidding a relative amount on -$0.10 in a category with a rate card value of $0.35 cents. That would mean you are currently paying a $0.25 CPC. When the rate increase takes place the rate card value will increase by 25% to $0.44. The bidding tool will then enact your relative bid of -$0.10 making your actual CPC $0.34 i.e. your CPC will increase by $0.09.

If you are bidding the straight rate card value across the board and not taking advantage of the bidding tool well then you need to contact your account representative right away. This is one of the best bidding tools offered by any comparison shopping engine and if used properly can seriously increase your overall return on the engine!

PriceGrabber also offers a Holiday Premium Package which allows merchants to prepay a set amount to not have the 25% CPC increase implemented. They also offer some additional goodies for doing so. I am waiting on the official details from them before I elaborate on this package further so stay tuned for an update once that information comes in.

**Update**
I received word from PriceGrabber about the Holiday Premium Package. There are certain requirements that need to be met in order to qualify for this package. If you are intested in possibly participating in this program, you should contact your PriceGrabber representative for more details!

That’s all for me today. If always if you have any questions please contact me.

Before I sign off, here is the e-mail that PriceGrabber sent to notify their merchants on 10/17/2011:


PriceGrabber

Dear PriceGrabber partner,

Effective November 1, 2011, PriceGrabber will apply a temporary 25% cost per click increase adjustment across all subcategories. This holiday adjustment is temporary and will go through January 15, 2012. Past holiday seasons have shown increased performance in terms of both traffic and conversion to sale. Hence, customer acquisition costs are expected to stay consistent with previous periods going into and throughout the holiday season. Additionally, the holiday CPC adjustment is created to offset rising costs to bring you the most qualified shopper during this period.

***IMPORTANT*** Only your fixed CPC Rate Card rates will be increased. If you are participating in our bidding program, please note that your active bid amounts will not be automatically adjusted. If you do not take action and adjust your bids to account for the 25% increase, you will lose visibility and traffic in the biggest retail season of the year. The CPC rates of competing product offers will increase. If you do not increase your bids accordingly, your product offers will appear lower in search results or may not appear at all.

You will be able to view the rate changes in your merchant login on Tuesday, October 18th. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to this holiday season! Please do not hesitate to contact your PriceGrabber representative. You are welcome to reply to this e-mail and it will be directed to the appropriate PriceGrabber representative.

Sincerely,

The PriceGrabber Team

Have a great day!
CSE.Manager

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Shopzilla Holiday Season Rate Annoucement

17. October 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Comparison Shopping Engines, CSE Taxonomy & Categorization, Holiday Rate Increases, Shopzilla · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Good morning!

On 10/12/2011 Shopzilla. announced that they will be implementing seasonal rate increases in selected categories. This rate increase will go into effect on 11/07/2011 and continue through 12/25/2011. The rate increases will range from 15% to 25%. Here is a link to download the PDF document that Shopzilla. created detail the increases.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD 2011 Holiday Rate Adjustment Table

Here is the announcement from Shopzilla. that was e-mailed to merchants:

Shopzilla Business Services

Dear CSE.Manager,

The holiday shopping season is nearly here and we want to inform you of Shopzilla’s seasonal rate increases applicable in select categories. This change is effective November 7, 2011 through December 25, 2011 and reflects the increased consumer buying activity that occurs during the holiday shopping season.

In our continuing efforts to ensure our rates parallel the performance of the leads we deliver, seasonal trends, and industry developments, we are adjusting rates only in select categories. From November 7 through December 25, 2011 we will adjust the cost per lead in these categories by 0%, 15%, 20%, or 25%. Download our holiday rate table to review the category specific adjustments. Rate adjustments apply to all accounts in all categories with active bids.

We are committed to helping you maximize your sales during the 2011 holiday season. If you have any questions, please contact your Shopzilla Account Manager.

Thank you,

Your Shopzilla Account Team

Have a nice day!
CSE.Manager@gmail.com

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