Google Product Search / Shopping optimization

Google Product Search, also known as Google Shopping, started life as ‘Froogle.’ The cute word play on Google and Frugal didn’t leverage the Google brand well enough to last. Froogle later became supported by Google base and now almost all of Google Product Search listings are submitted directly into Google base either by API, FTP’d XML data feed, or typed one at a time into Google base’s user interface.

As Froogle, Google product search struggled to get used by more than 2% of Google users. As Google Product Search (google.com/products) these listings are syndicated heavily into the natural search listings of Google proper. The result is that within the last year and a half, Google Product Search has become the largest and most important specialty shopping search engine in existence.

Did I mention that it’s FREE to list an unlimited amount of items in Google base / Google Product Search?

Google is the king for now and the foreseeable future in this space… yet their shopping product itself is still inferior in its presentation and usability to some of the other leading shopping search engines. The gap though is steadily closing. Google recently introduced shared product pages for UPC and part number driven products. This is a major step forward. That being said, its power is really in the display of Google Product Search listings within the Google natural search results.

Google Product Search Optimization Best Practices - the basics

• Part numbers: If they exist for your products have them all and make sure they are accurate; UPC, MPN, Model, ISBN, etc. If nothing else, publish the right UPC. Google base and product search support Google UPC search functionality. UPC is the common key for a growing number of products, hard and soft goods alike.
• Product Attributes: Pay attention to all the required and recommended attributes in each product type. If you have an unsupported attribute that is unique to the product then publish it to Google base as a custom attribute. As more product listings show in Google’s general search pages, attribute rich listings will have a tremendous advantage.
• CSEO / Relevancy: Do your Google CSEO (Comparison Shopping Engine Optimization) just as diligently as do your Google SEO (natural search engine optimization). Make sure your product titles are descriptions are rich in the most relevant highest converting keywords. As with page title in SEO, the product title is the most important non-part number element. Make sure the keywords in it are also present in the description. Make sure the elements you publish to Google base can be all found on the product page as well in cleanly structured HTML.
• Google Checkout: If you want to maximize your opportunity on Google (SEM, SEO, Google Product Search, Shopping and One Box)… support Google Checkout. Anything that helps conversion from Google and increases your visibility on Google should be a high priority for the advertiser to support.
• Seller Feedback: Maintain good seller feedback. From Google Checkout to virtually every credible seller rating source on the Web, Google consolidates the ratings and normalizes them. Good ratings will increase your visibility, clicks and conversions dramatically.
• Submit your listings via the Google base API. This is timelier than an XML feed and is indexed quicker. Sometimes Google has problems parsing large XML feeds. That being said, if you have 10’s of thousands of products you may need to FTP the XML. Some may argue that the advantages of the API are marginal ones… but you want every advantage.

Comments? Let me know your thoughts below. We’d all benefit by a good discussion on Google Product Search.