Checking out Google’s ’shopping portal’
Prolific Revenews blogger Shmuly Tennenhaus points out the enhancements that Google have made to their shopping portal. Looks simple, neat and well organized (typical features of the UI of Google products).
What might be of special interest to affiliates is the fact that Google is offering coupons for shopping with particular merchants. Google, a coupon affiliate?
Another thing that struck me (and I am guessing here) is all merchants — especially those who sign up early into the Google Check Out program- could be getting a link from this well organized directory. How valuable will that link be for the merchant’s SEO efforts?
While on Check Out, there is a more elaborate article on this service by Kevin Ryan on iMediaconnection. Some key things to note from the article:
- Difficulty in implementation: The article quotes a Google Product Manager as saying : “Google Checkout is a purchase facilitating mechanism but not a shopping cart service,” says Benjamin Ling, lead product manager for Google Checkout. “Each implementation is different and it’s a bit more difficult than a plug and play. There is some process integration and coding that must take place.”
- Move towards ‘value-based pricing’ for keywords: This is pure conjecture on the part of some advertisers, but the concern is that if Google senses a higher conversion rate based on all the information being collected, will advertisers be charged higher minimum price per keyword bid?
We should get some indications of how successful Check Out is after this holiday shopping season; but in terms of timing, I think Google got this launch almost perfect.
