Since their launch in July 2012, Product Listing Ads (PLAs) have become a great way to capture more attention for your products.
With Google renewing its emphasis on monetizing search, it should come as no surprise that PLAs now appear right at the top of the Search Engine Results Page- above paid ads and organic results.
The question becomes, how can we leverage these ads to maximize your returns?
The answer lies in utilizing every feature Google has to offer. One of these features is Merchant Promotions. Merchant Promotions allow you to enhance your PLAs by highlighting any special offers you have for your products right at the moment someone is getting ready to decide where to buy.
By taking advantage of this exciting feature, you can increase both your CTR and conversion rates.
These promotions are fairly simple to setup and only require a bit of feed mapping. By using the Promotions dashboard in the Merchant Center Account,you can setup, alter, and review your merchant promotions at any time.
Your merchant promotions will appear alongside your PLAs as a “Special Offer”. You can add up to ten promo offers per product. However, keep in mind that only a maximum of five will be visible on Google Shopping and only one offer is visible on Google itself. The good news is that there is no additional cost involved in using Merchant Promotions.
Here are a few best practices to help you get the most out of your Merchant Promotions:
- Limited time web-based offers have a very high success rate.
- Make sure your offer is available to all users and not just first time buyers etc.
- Markdowns and other priced reductions are a strict no-no!
- Avoid using offers with insignificant returns (less than 5% or $5 in monetary value).
- Free and Discounted Shipping offers are allowed as long as there is a promo code attached.
And here a few links to get you started.
- To open a new Merchant Center Account click here,Google Merchant Account.
- If you already have a Merchant Center Account and want to start using Merchant Promotions, click here, Merchant Promotions Interest Form.
As you can see, using Merchant Promotions can play a crucial role in the success of your PLAs in the ultra-competitive ad space arena.This way, when consumers are looking for the best value for a particular product, they will always see your offer right away.
To find out more about how to optimize your PLAs, be sure to attend our next Webinar “Proven Strategies for Running A Successful PLA Campaigns” You can register here. As an added bonus, all attendees will receive a complimentary copy of NetElixir’s PLA Strategy Checklist.
