Google is launching another innovative feature in automated promotions, making a considerable difference for merchants. This innovation promises to place promotions from their websites on sites automatically. But what exactly does this mean for your online store?
Google’s new algorithm is designed to crawl your site for any promotions that meet its criteria. Once identified, they will be included in free listings and Shopping ads.
Why is this so great?
Working over 14+ years as an advertising manager, I find it very hard for my clients to give timely promotional details, let alone let me know. Having this automated is a significant step forward in resolving that issue.
A Cost-Free Boost to Business Growth.
The best part? This feature adds no additional cost to the merchant. It’s an enhancement to your marketing efforts that comes at no cost but has the potential to generate a significant return on investment through increased traffic and sales.
Gradual Implementation for Compliance.
Google is keen to maintain quality and relevance in its search results. This new feature is, therefore, gradual and available only to merchants who meet regulatory compliance. While this may mean some merchants have to wait to see benefits, it’s a quality control measure that could improve trust and efficiency in the long run.
Opting Out is an Option.
Not all companies may be ready or willing to jump on board this new promotional train. Google acknowledges this by providing an easy option option. Through Google Merchant Center, merchants can view or remove their promotions, giving them control over participation in this product.
You can disable this feature by going to Marketing > Promotions > at the top you will see a banner as shown in the image below. To opt out click on manage.
My Experience
When you see your first automated promotion, turn off this feature. As you can see in the screenshot below, Google is showing a 20% discount if you spend more than £20. And it got rejected by itself because it’s incorrect. The reason is that this was never the actual promotion. It was instead 30% with no minimum spend, and a promo code was required. Many merchants are complaining this is an issue where Google collects wrong promotional data.
