Google to Give Sellers Exposure in Search Results

by: purpleiris

Wait a minute! Since when have we had to do any special to be found in organic searches? It's the "world wide web" and organic searches are supposed to crawl ALL web pages for matches to search criteria. The same goes for images.

Is this a flat out admission to blocking sellers from even organic search?

by: Vigilant Eye On eBay

Although there are a bunch of e-commerce store and item specific requirements that must be met (i.e., sellers must carefully read ''Data and eligibility requirements to show your products on surfaces across Google'', ''Best practices for showing your products on surfaces across Google'', and ''Show your products on local surfaces across Google''), unpaid enhanced product listings that automatically appear in surfaces across Google and Google's Shopping tab are extremely effective and are indeed free.

While my Google Merchant account was initially suspended because of some policy violations that I was unaware of, setting up an app based product feed, adding some additional company information and sales policies to my Google Merchant account settings, and a few minor tweaks to my Bigcommerce store pages eventually got my account reinstated and my product listings approved.

As Google no longer offers telephone support, getting in touch with a service representative can be a lengthy process that is consummated through e-mail exchanges,

In my case, a Google manager had to get involved in order to resolve issues that resulted from faulty bot crawls.

To be resolved once I have closed my eBay stores and ended all of my venue listings, the only remaining issue is the fact that buyers often see products from automated feeds of my eBay listings before those (and in many cases of the same product) that are listed on my e-commerce site.

Taking the time to setup one's own independently hosted e-commerce site and properly setting up your product feed(s) and Google Merchant account is certainly worth all of the time and effort.

by: cayenna

The problem is if you have an etsy shop etsy charges you for ads off site. Including all your google listings etc .

by: The End

I get more viewers and, eventually, more income using Pinterest.
Almost one hundred views a day.
Hopefully this translates in to customers for the coming season.
At $3.00 a day, you can Not beat the price.....

by: Chicago48

@Vigilant - I opened a Goog Business account and it was so convoluted and hard to navigate, I gave up.  Plus, it didn't import your listings from EB & other platforms.  Not good if you can't import, and have to create from scratch.

As for this "free" search, it seems that most people who want things go direct to AMZ or WM to search.  I think Goog is their 3rd choice to search.  As a consumer, I usually go to the direct site such as Target, AMZ or WM and search in Goog as last.  Maybe that's why Goog is taking this step?

@The End - I find searching within Pinterest a Pain-in-the A**.

Platforms should be easy peasy to search and find things.

by: The End

Dear Chicago48,
Yes, it's true.....
It would be nice to have a direct plain vanilla way to become noticed on the web.
If find Pinterest to be the Least Hassle of all the options.
Being a "One Person Show", I don't have time for futzing around jumping through all the hoops.
The nice thing about Pinterest is : my pins are shared all throughout the internet with little cost and effort on my part.
My stuff is Very Unique, and that makes it easy to gather more viewers on a dime than any other option available right now......
I can't be bothered with the Google Routine, which is, apparently, put together by kids who have no idea.....

by: Vigilant Eye On eBay

Chicago48,

Difficult to setup and navigate if your selling experience is solely relegated to venue sales.

Unless you have the programming skills to create your own feeds, or can find a suitable app to manage your listings on platforms, using an app together with a properly setup Bigcommerce or Shopify store is the easiest (and cheapest) automated way to utilize surfaces across Google.

Venues such as Bonanza, eBay, and Etsy generate numerous product feeds with Google required attributes that facilitate their listing of millions of items on surfaces and the shopping tab.

This is why when customers conduct Google searches, my eBay feed items appear before those that are independently listed on my site.

As my out-of-production and/or proprietary products cannot be located on other venues, shoppers are unable to head to Amazon or Walmart to buy them.

A niche seller, I never been interested in marketing consumer electronics, durable goods, soft goods, and/or staple products.

As I have been selling the same kinds of products for 40+ years, (formerly) in brick and mortar stores and through mail order (i.e., way before either Amazon or eBay were established), there are no immediate plans to change product lines or my business policies in order to accommodate the whims of venues and their stock holders.

In business, you reap what you sow.

If individuals are unwilling to take the time and effort to help themselves, they only have themselves to blame for their failures.

by: The End

As evidenced by : Vigilant Eye On eBay ,
"Unless you have the programming skills to create your own feeds....."
The Google Shopping feeds creation routine is a Complete DINOSAUR in need of
deletion and replacement by the "No Programming Skills Required" protocol.
Shopify and others boast "No programing skills necessary".
Google shopping feeds somehow escaped this critical upgrade to remain the headache that it is.
It should take a business owner (new to the feeds routine right out of the gate) no longer than 10 minutes to list at least ten shop items. And skip the "approval". Just add a "Report" button.
Now THAT would be phenomenal.

by: The End

I should add that Google Shopping needs to get Artist Friendly in disallowing the : GTIN, UPC, and ASIN requirements for hand made small quantity items made in America.
Currently this prevents a listing.

by: purpleiris

The End said, "The Google Shopping feeds creation routine is a Complete DINOSAUR in need of...replacement by the "No Programming Skills Required" protocol."

I couldn't agree more. If one is having to jump through those kind of hoops to be found in what is supposed to be a free and all-inclusive search engine, then they are taking moves against small business.

Even for paid views, one shouldn't be required to have programming skills to implement their own marketing plan. I do have a business account, but was only able to submit my custom URL that I use for my eCrater shop.

Speaking of which, it's not even feasible to have your own URL attached to a marketplace shop because you don't have access to the coding to claim your shop; nor can you attach an SSL certificate to provide a secure shopping experience via your URL. So, they get a security risk warning.

The custom domain renewal for my eCrater shop is nearing and I'm thinking of not renewing. If they're going to scare my customers off with my own domain, then what's the point of paying to use it? I'll keep paying for the domain so I don't lose it, but I might as well just set it up as a redirect, which Google also frowns upon now.

Did you know that using Google+ was the best way to get your stuff found across Google...and for free? Google has always given preference to content on their own products (Google+, Blogger, etc.). As more businesses caught on to that fact, I guess they decided it was time to close that door.

Ever since, my sales have tanked and I've heard from others that it has affected their sales, as well. So, as many others who've given up on Facebook, Twitter, etc., I've only had Pinterest to use. Unfortunately, I cannot claim my own shop because I don't have access to the coding on the marketplace site. So, my items don't appear when you select the "Shop" option.

I could go on, but since I began selling online in 2009, they have taken step after step to remove control of one's own business from the hands it belongs in. They have monetized every aspect of our businesses while we continue to struggle building a revenue stream to support ourselves. Even if they aren't making any money from it, they make it difficult to use.

The gravy train needs to be ambushed out in the middle of the desert where the greed mongers can be left for the birds.