Google’s product information specification necessities guarantee that each one product statistics submitted to the Merchant Center is formatted efficiently to optimize fulfillment for both Shopping ads and natural Shopping listings.
Each 12 months, the hunt massive updates these specifications in a bid to try to improve shopping on its platform. The updates for 2024 have now been announced – and underneath is a summary of all of the modifications you have to be privy to.
Changes effective at once
The following changes came into impact on April 9, 2024:
New product records specification attributes for AI-Generated content in Shopping advertisements and loose listings: Google delivered new attributes that now require merchants to disclose textual content content created using generative AI. Moving ahead, you will need to apply the structured title [structured_title] characteristic and the based description [structured_description] attribute whilst using AI-generated titles and outlines to your product information.
New loyalty software [loyalty_program]: You can now use the loyalty program [loyalty_program] attribute to set up member costs and loyalty factors inside the U.S. And Japan. Adding the attribute enables Google to as it should be constitute the blessings of your loyalty application (as configured on Merchant Center) throughout Google homes.
New minimal charge [auto_pricing_min_price] characteristic: You can now use the minimum fee [auto_pricing_min_price] characteristic to set the bottom or minimum marketed charge (MAP) to which a product’s charge can be reduced. Google uses this information for capabilities which includes sale fee hints, automated reductions, and dynamic promotions.
Updated guidance on installment [installment]- based gives: Google is updating its steerage regarding the use of the installment attribute. An provide that makes use of this characteristic might be considered as one in which the product may be bought by way of paying the entire price in advance the usage of the charge attribute or in installments. With this replace, Google is increasing the installment characteristic with the aid of introducing a new downpayment sub-attribute to specify if the product requires a partial upfront payment. Previously, such down bills had to be provided using the rate characteristic.
Additionally, Google is adding a credit score type [credit_type] sub-characteristic to the installment [installment] characteristic specially for Vehicle commercials. This is to permit specifying whether or not the sort of installment credit is rent [lease] or finance [finance].
New free shipping threshold [free_shipping_threshold] characteristic: Marketers in all countries can now use the unfastened transport threshold [free_shipping_threshold] characteristic to indicate the minimal order fee above which delivery is free.
Updated guidance on the inclusion of government-imposed charges in the shipping [shipping] attributes: Google is updating its guidance around the use of the shipping attribute. Don’t include government-imposed expenses along with import responsibilities, recycling charges, copyright costs, or nation-particular retail delivery fees within the shipping price.
Changes starting on July 31
Expanding the listing of nations in which transport cost is required: Google is expanding the list of nations where delivery value is needed and enforced to extra international locations. Offers with out transport costs will now be disapproved in those international locations:
India
New Zealand
Changes beginning on September 1
Pickup method [pickup_method] will be optionally available for Local Inventory Ads: Google is simplifying inventory managing for LIA merchants that use the pickup nowadays or pickup later functions by using making pickup method [pickup_method] optional. Pickup approach [pickup_method] will now not be required to permit pickup to your gives. Learn greater about the LIA inventory feed specification.
Removing energy_efficiency_class attributes: Google is deprecating the power performance attributes in desire of the certification characteristic certification [certification] which changed into launched in 2023.
Removing using the fee [price] attribute for down bills while used in mixture with the installment [installment] attribute: Google is doing away with help for providing downpayment using the rate [price] characteristic after September 1.
Why we care. Following Merchant Center pointers, along with the updates stated, guarantees your product listings are eligible to expose in search results. New attributes like loyalty packages should incentivize customers to return, at the same time as the loose shipping threshold might encourage them to spend greater, ultimately boosting your ROI.
Deep dive. Read Google’s declaration in complete for more statistics.
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