I know it will be hard to distract from the Volume Bonus discussion thread (I am still catching up and I'm on page 22, wow!), but I would really appreciate a little input on uploading products to google. I have been doing this for several months now thanks to CafeToolBox and I had a question:
Do you guys mess with the feeds to direct the links to sections instead of specific products? To me, it seems like if someone saw one shirt they liked and clicked on it, I would rather it go to the ENTIRE section of products with that image rather than the one shirt. I know it would be a tedious process (unless someone knows a fast way!) but maybe it's worth it?
Just trying to revamp methods to get more direct SHOP sales!
In theory, yes you could do it. I've done it before on really small feeds to Google UK. Might be a serious pain in the you know what, though, if you have a big shop. You just open (or paste) your text feed into Excel so the tabs put all corresponding info into columns. It's then easy to just highlight the rows in the link column for the products in one section and replace with the section link. But doing it with each product group could take a long time. I know my feed is something like 2500 pages. Ugh.
Another option you could try is the Likewise Script http://forums.cafepress.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/793104/m/422101832. It just depends on people having javascript enabled and you don't have to do anything else. I have it run across the top of each product page with small thumbnails. I think it helps a bit, but a lot of people still just look for a sec and leave. I wish I could grab them and force them to look at all the OTHER sections with things exactly like what they searched for!!!
EM, that would actually be a violation of Google's policies. The link has to go to that product page with the image you've sent and the title, description and other information you've provided.
Great thought and question, and hopefully the Likewise script deb linked to will help. Here are a couple of links with examples of what it looks like:
Thanks for the response, Deb! That link was so wonderful!
Teesed, you are amazing for making that html code. I am anxious to run off and try immediately!! Also, thank you so much for letting me know that would violate Google's policies. If I lost google base...*shudder*
You know, I wonder, though, about that policy thing. I mean, it's entirely possible to run a small online shop of your own (say, not CP) and have a page of products available when once clicked on just go to the shopping cart. I don't believe that every type of online store out there has an individual page for each product. Just a thought. But I suppose with CP they know you do, so better watch it...
I see what you are saying, Deb. But I think Teesed HTML script is the best of both worlds, because they are landing on the product they wanted while still seeing that there is other stuff out there!
Also, I would rather err on the safe side with Google.
Edited to add: First, again I want to say that I use Teesed's kick-butt Likewise script & love it ...
But now I'm confused about Google Base. I just read through the TOS, Guidelines & Program Policies and I actually didn't run across anything saying you couldn't link to the section page if you wanted to, as long as the page the link goes to really contains the product info without obstruction (by ads, popups, etc, password requirements, etc). Am I missing something? Or have others been busted for it even though it doesn't say so? I've done the section thing in a couple of very specific targeted instances (but sure as all heck not my whole feed!)
At the bottom of the Editorial Guidelines they suggest to "Use individual pages for each of your item destination links, rather than listing several items on the same page", but they don't say you CAN'T do that. It's in their tips for website design, to help "increase your items' impressions, clicks and conversions".
In Program Policies (US) it says "Your URLs must link directly to the webpages that contain information about your items". Well, if you link to the one section with one design, you're there. It doesn't say that only that specific item can be on the page.
I know others have been around a lot longer than me and know what the Google Gods can do, though. Any thoughts?
Thanks, Deb
This message has been edited. Last edited by: debart72,
Good questions, Deb. I'd be curious to hear the answers as well.
I had another question: it seems to me that the longer my products are on google base, the better they show up in search results. If I change the name of the product or the description, does google then think it is a new product and push it down the list? I know this question is difficult to figure out, because perhaps it would be higher or lower on the list solely because of the product description or name. I just want to know if it hinders my placement to change descriptions??
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