google confidential and proprietary shopping campaigns: a guide to pla data feeds
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Shopping Campaigns:A Guide to PLA Data Feeds
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Product Listing Ad Data Feed Basics
Is a list of products you sell online that provides info to power your PLA
Uses attributes, categories of information about each product (title, price, description)
Has many possible attributes you can submit, some of which are required
Your Product Listing Ad (PLA) feed:
Your Product
Info
Merchant Center
AdWordsProduct Listing
Ads on Google and Google Shopping
Merchant Center
AdWordsYour Data Feed
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Gather Your Information
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Identify the Information You’ll Need● Information in your feed must be structured using attributes defined by Google
● See all possible attributes in the feed specification
● Requirements vary by country, so choose the country you’ll target from the drop down and note the language and currency requirements for your feed
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Start Gathering Attribute Values● Compile the attribute values you’ll submit for each product in your inventory
● Some databases allow you to export product info, so check with your provider
Tour De France 2014 T-Shirt (White)
Apparel > Non-Biking > Shirts > T-Shirts
Add to Cart
in stock!
$19.99
This official Tour De France t-shirt let’s you show your biking pride no matter where you go. Comfortable and stylish, it makes a great addition to any biking advocates wardrobe.
● Free shipping
● 100% cotton
● Machine washable
● Unisex
● Adult sizes only
● Available in S, M, L, XL
Test your knowledge: identify potential attributes on this webpage (see appendix for answers).
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Create Your Feed
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You Have 3 Options for Creating Your Feed
Text File XML File API
WhoAnyone, specifically those who can’t auto-generate XML files
Partners using databases that generate exportable XML files
Savvy partners with technical resources to custom code API
Requires
Basic knowledge of creating and editing spreadsheets - can use any spreadsheet editor (e.g. Google Sheets, Excel)
XML coding knowledge - can use any text editing program(e.g. Notepage, SimpleText)
Technical resources to set up and maintain API code
FormattingLike a spreadsheet - attribute names in column headings, values in rows
<attribute name> attribute value </attribute name>
According to API specifications
Submission
.txt file .xml file via API
Help Merchant Center Help Center Google Developers
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Option #1: Text File● Use a spreadsheet editing program - e.g. Google Spreadsheets, Microsoft Excel,
● Type attribute names in the first rowo Think of theses as your column headerso Each should be in its own column and/or separated by a tab
● Enter attribute values for each product in its own row o All products should be entered after the first row with attribute nameso Attribute values o Ensure column values correspond to the attribute header
● When complete, save your file as .txt
id title description price condition
link
1 Schwinn 26" Ladies' Delmar Cruiser Bike
Classic styling meets modern innovation in the Schwinn Delmar 26" Ladies' Cruiser Bike. The steel cruiser frame features a comfortable, upright riding position. Rear coaster brakes make it easy to stop. You'll enjoy a smooth ride as you hit the beach or any paved path on this awesome bike.
220.99 USD
new http://www.example.com/SchwinnCruiser
2 Tour De France Legacy Bike (Yellow, Black)
The Tour De France Legacy Bike matches innovation and performance with classic style and sleek lines. The Legacy comes fully stocked. All complete bikes are sold and delivered partially assembled.
1,999.99 USD
new http://www.example.com/TDFLegacyBike
attribute names
attribute values
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Option #2: XML File
Simple RSS 2.0 Data Feed Example<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:g="http://base.google.com/ns/1.0"> <channel> <title>Google_Shopping_Feed</title> <link>http://www.example.com</link> <description>Description of your content</description> <item> <g:id>1</g:id> <title>Schwinn 26" Ladies' Delmar Cruiser Bike</title> <description>Classic styling meets modern innovation...</description> <g:price>220.99</g:price> <g:condition>new</g:condition> <link>http://www.example.com/SchwinnCruiser</link> </item></channel></rss>
Simple Atom 1.0 Data Feed Example<?xml version="1.0"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:g="http://base.google.com/ns/1.0"> <title>Google_Shopping_feed</title> <link href="http://www.example.com" rel="alternate" type="text/html" /> <updated>2006-06-11T18:30:02Z</updated> <author><name>Google</name></author> <id>tag:example.com,2006-06-11:/support/products</id> <entry> <id>1/id> <title>Schwinn 26" Ladies' Delmar Cruiser Bike</title> <summary>Classic styling meets modern innovation..</summary> <g:price>220.99</g:price> <g:condition>new</g:condition> <link href="http://www.example.com/SchwinnCruiser" /> <updated>2005-10-13T18:30:02Z</updated> </entry></feed>
● Use any text editing program to create and edit files - e.g. Notepage, SimpleText, etc.
● Google supports extended versions of RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0
● XML uses tags to define blocks of content○ Attributes names surround product information, in <angle brackets> ○ Product information values are contained within these tags
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Option #3: API● The Google Content API for Shopping provides Atom feeds that enable you to
manage product items, users, and subaccounts
● Using API requires technical expertise
● See Google Developers documentation for details
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Test Your Knowledge - Build a Text Feed1. Go to https://drive.google.com
2. Create a new spreadsheet (Create > Spreadsheet in upper left corner)
3. Enter the names of the attributes you identified in the first row
4. Enter the values of the attributes you identified in the second row
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Test Your Knowledge - Build a Text Feed Answer
title description price availability
product type gender
age group
color
Tour De France 2013 T-Shirt
This official Tour De France t-shirt let’s you show your biking pride no matter where you go. Comfortable and stylish, it makes a great addition to any biking advocates wardrobe.
19.99 USD
in stock Apparel > Non-Biking > Shirts > T-Shirts
unisex adult white
● As you were doing this exercise, several questions probably came up:o What are all the possible attributes I can use?o Can I use any values or are the specific ones I need to choose from?o How do I submit currency information?
● This guide covers major data feed information, but check the feed specifications for comprehensive information
See possible answer below.
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Provide the Right Data
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Understand What’s Required in Your Feed
required for 100% of submitted products
e.g. ID, title, description, price, link, image link
required for certain categories
e.g. google product category, gender, age group
required for specific countries
e.g. shipping in US, UK, DE, FR
recommended
e.g. product type
Not providing the attributes required for your products,
categories, or location can prevent items from showing in Google
Shopping results
See attribute requirements
Maximize performance by including
all relevant recommended attributes
● Attribute requirements can vary according to product category and target country
● See a complete list of all possible attributes you can submit about your products
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Pay Attention to Attributes with Standard Values
condition availability
newusedrefurbished
in stockavailable for orderout of stockpreorder
Required for all products
identifier exists
truefalse
“False” required for products with no unique product identifier*
● Certain attributes have standardized values that must be used
● Think of these as predefined, “acceptable answers” for your product info
adult
truefalse
Recommended for items considered “non-family safe”
age group gender
adultkids
malefemaleunisex
Required for apparel products in US, UK, DE, FR, JP
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Important Attribute: Unique Product Identifiers
Attribute Values
gtin
Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) include:
● UPC, EAN (in Europe)● JAN (in Japan)● ISBN
mpn Manufacturer Part Number (MPN)
brand The manufacturer's brand name
Product Category UPI Requirements
Media & software
gtin - UPC, EAN, or JAN
Books gtin - ISBN (either ISBN-10 or ISBN-13)
Apparel E.g. shoes, sunglasses, handbags, and watches
brand + [gtin or mpn]
Apparel Others
brand
All others At least 2 of gtin, mpn and brand
ExceptionsFor products where no UPI exists (e.g. custom goods), submit identifier exists attribute with a value of “false”
● Unique Product Identifiers (UPIs) are codes associated with an individual product
● Required attribute for all items and critical to proper matching of products to shoppers
● See complete UPI definitions and requirements
Note: Refer to feed requirements for most up-to-date list of requirements. All countries
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Special Case: Apparel Products
id title price availability item group id
gender age group
color size
123-w-s
Tour De France 2013 Womens T-Shirt
19.99 USD
out of stock 123 unisex adult white small
123-w-m
Tour De France 2013 Womens T-Shirt
19.99 USD
in stock 123 unisex adult white medium
123-w-l Tour De France 2013 Womens T-Shirt
19.99 USD
in stock 123 unisex adult white large
123--b-xl
Tour De France 2013 Womens T-Shirt
19.99 USD
in stock 123 unisex adult black x-large
● Attributes gender, age group, color are required for apparel and accessories products
● Variants are a group of products that differ only by color, material, pattern, or size
o Required: color, material, pattern
o Required for clothing and shoes: size● To identify items as variants, include item group id attribute
Note: Refer to feed requirements for most up-to-date list of requirements. US, UK, DE, FR, JP
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Special Case: Shipping
id title price condition
shipping shipping
145
Tour De France 2013 Womens T-Shirt
19.99 USD
new US::Standard::4.95
US::Express::9.95
Note: Refer to feed requirements for most up-to-date list of requirements. US, UK, DE, FR
● Certain countries require shipping information for all items in a data feed
● Two options to do this:
○ Provide shipping attribute with value for each item in the feed
○ Create a custom table in Merchant Center - go to Settings > Tax & shipping
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Special Case: Tax
Note: Refer to feed requirements for most up-to-date list of requirements. US
● US targeted feeds are required to provide tax information for all items in a data feed
● Two options to do this:
○ Provide tax attribute with value for each item in the feed
○ Create a custom table in Merchant Center - go to Settings > Tax & shipping
id title price condition
tax
145
Tour De France 2013 Womens T-Shirt
19.99 USD
new US:MI:6.0:Y
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Plan for Your Campaign
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Plan How to Use Important Campaign Attributes
● Data feeds supply the info that Google uses to match your products to shoppers and that you use to build a Shopping campaign
● So, ensure your attribute values help you organize and bid on your inventory
● Review these bidding-related attributes in your feed
Product type Brand Item ID
Google product category
Condition Custom labels
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● You control the categories you assign to products - consider using an existing classification system / taxonomy, like the one in your database or website
● Create up to 5 levels using the > symbol with a space on both sides
Organize Similar Inventory with Product_Type
Note: If you make feed changes, be sure to re-upload your feed.
Gendere.g. group womens apparel because has higher CTR
Sub-categorye.g. group sub-categories of products with similar
margins
Stylee.g. group most popular styles
Sizee.g. group best selling / most popular sizes
Top-level categorye.g. group basic product categories because of ROI
Apparel > Womens > Jeans > Skinny > PetiteApparel > Mens > Shirts > Dress > Big and tall
Apparel > Womens > Jeans > Skinny > PetiteApparel > Womens > Jackets > Fashion > Plus size
Apparel > Womens > Jeans > Skinny > PetiteApparel > Womens > Jeans > Boy cut > Plus size
Apparel > Womens > Jeans > Skinny > PetiteApparel > Womens > Jeans > Skinny > Plus size
Apparel > Womens > Jeans > Skinny > PetiteApparel > Womens > Jeans > Skinny > Petite
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Alternatively, Rely on Google_Product_Category
Tip: Regardless of whether you plan to use the attribute for your products groups, you must submit it for apparel & accessories, media, and software (required).
id title description pricegoogle_product_category
1
Tour De France Legacy Bike - 21” (Yellow, Black)
The Tour De France Legacy Bike matches innovation and performance with classic style and sleek lines. The Legacy comes fully stocked and is delivered partially assembled.
1999.99 USD
Sporting Goods > Outdoor Recreation > Cycling > Bicycles > Road Bicycles
2
Schwinn 16” Ladies’ Delmar Cruiser Bike
Classic styling meets modern innovation in the Schwinn Delmar 26” Ladies Cruiser Bike. The steel cruiser frame features a comfortable, upright riding position.
599.99 USD
Sporting Goods > Outdoor Recreation > Cycling > Bicycles > Cruisers
3Acme Brand Men’s Triathlon Seat
Designed for performance, this uniquely lightweight bike saddle will meet the demands of the world’s highest performing athletes.
89.00 USD
Sporting Goods > Outdoor Recreation > Cycling > Bicycle Parts > Bicycle Saddles
● If you don’t already have an inventory cataloguing system, it may be easiest to use Google’s taxonomy
● While the standardized classification system won’t be customized to your products, it does provide a basic framework for organizing your products by type
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Use Custom_Label for Your Own Targetable Values
Custom label Definition Possible custom_label values
0 Season spring, summer, fall, winter
1 Promotion flash sale, clearance, merchant promo
2 Selling rate bestseller, low seller
3 Margin high margin, low margin
4 Holidayvalentine’s day, mother’s day, father’s day, christmas
● Ideal for grouping by key performance indicators (KPIs) like conversion rate, inventory, seasonality, and more
● Assign up to 5 labels per product with these attributes: custom_label_0, custom_label_1, custom_label_2, custom_label_3, custom_label_4
● Start by defining how you’ll use each label and mapping possible values
Help: Learn more about custom labels.
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Use Custom_Label for Your Own Targetable Values
id title custom_label_0 custom_label_1 custom_label_2 custom_label_3 custom_label_4
1 Schwinn 26" Ladies' Delmar Cruiser Bike
flash sale low margin mother’s day
2 Tour De France T-Shirt spring high margin
3 Shimano 105 Road Bike Gear System
merchant promo bestseller high margin father’s day
4 Michelin Pro4 Road Tire fall
5 Giro Ionis Road Helmet bestseller low margin
● Once you’ve defined a labeling strategy, add the custom_label attributes to your feed
● Make sure that any values you want to target together are in the same label / column - e.g. all “bestseller” labels are in custom_label_2
Note: If you make feed changes, be sure to re-upload your feed.
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Summary: Campaign Targeting Attributes
Attribute Definition Use case
product type
● Product classification with your own values
● Use up to 5 category levels● E.g. Bikes > Mens > Road > 2014 > 26”
Group inventory by your own definition of product lines / category (e.g. bikes, parts, clothes)
google product category
● Product classification with Google’s values
● Download the standardized taxonomy
If you don’t have your own classification system, use Google product category to organize campaign by general product categories
custom label● Your own custom values for products● Submit up to 5 labels per product
Organize campaign by your own key performance indicators (e.g. bestsellers, margins, seasonality)
id● Unique identification value for each
product● Can be any alphanumeric combination
Bid on individual products - e.g. bestsellers
brand ● Manufacturer’s brand name for a product Target specific brands and bid according to their value to your business
condition● Condition or state of a product● E.g. new, used, refurbished
Organize campaigns with large portion of inventory is varying conditions - e.g. frequently used by electronics retailers
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Use the Right Attribute for Redirects● Specify a tracking URL for reporting purposes via adwords_redirect
● Provide a mobile landing page URL for your products via mobile_link
● In both cases, ensure that your URL ultimately gets shoppers to the same domain as the product landing page URL you specify in the link attribute
Tip: Check out Google’s 25 principles of mobile site design.
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Test Your Knowledge - Build a Complete Feed
Tour De France 2014 T-Shirt (White)
Apparel > Non-Biking > Shirts > T-Shirts
Add to Cart
in stock!
$19.99
This official Tour De France t-shirt let’s you show your biking pride no matter where you go. Comfortable and stylish, it makes a great addition to any biking advocates wardrobe.
● Free shipping
● 100% cotton
● Machine washable
● Unisex
● Adult sizes only
● Available in S, M, L, XL
1. Still using the product below, add a new sheet to the spreadsheet from exercise A
2. Enter the names of the attributes you identified in the first row
3. Enter the values of the attributes you identified in the second row
4. Add additional recommended attributes as you see fit to fully describe the product
Tip: This is “apparel,” so check special category requirements and note possible variants - also, the product is sold in USD, so assume you’re targeting PLAs to the US.
Answer: your feed should look similar to this.
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Submit Your Feed
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1) Register Your Feed in Merchant Center
Help: Learn how to register a feed.
1
2
3
4
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2) Upload Your Feed to Merchant Center
Retailer manually uploads file to Google Merchant Center
Recommended for:● Beginners
● Feeds <20MB
1) Direct upload
Retailer locates file at a URL where Google retrieves it
Recommended for:● Intermediate users
● Feeds <1GB
2) Automatic upload
Retailer stores file in secure digital location where Google retrieves it
Recommended for:● Advanced users
● Feeds <1GB
3) File Transfer Protocol
21
3
Help: Learn more about feed upload options.
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Feed Submission Best Practices
Help: Learn more about using test feeds.
● It may take up to 2 business days for new products to be approved and run as PLAs
● Submit your feed at least once every 30 days - for optimal performance, re-submit your feed whenever product information changes, up to once per day
● If you’re using multiple feeds, keep items in the same feed with each submission
● Upload your feed as a test feed to get a report of errors and issues with your feed
○ In Data Feeds tab, click New Test Data Feed
○ Upload feed in registered test feed slot - to view errors report:
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Thanks!
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Appendix
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Test Your Knowledge - Identifying Attributes
This official Tour De France t-shirt let’s you show your biking pride no matter where you go. Comfortable and stylish, it makes a great addition to any biking advocates wardrobe.
Tour De France 2014 T-Shirt (White)
$19.99
Apparel > Non-Biking > Shirts > T-Shirts
● Free shipping
● 100% cotton
● Machine washable
● Unisex
● Adult sizes only
● Available in S, M, L, XLAdd to Cart
in stock!
See possible answers below.
Product Type
Title
Description
Price
Availability
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Special Case: Unit Price Measure
Note: Refer to feed requirements for most up-to-date list of requirements. EU and Switzerland
Price for first item will be displayed as $50($100 /100ml)
id title price unit pricing measure
unit pricing base measure
145 Fever - Womens Perfume by G.S.
50 USD 50ml 100ml
267 Ardeur - Mens Perfume by G.S.
74.99 USD 75ml 150ml
● Attribute allows you to specify unit pricing information for an item - your value should define the measure and/or dimension for an item, specifically:
○ Volume, weight, area, or length of product without packaging
○ Net drained weight of product (in case of food items)● Recommended for UK, DE, FR, IT, ES, ES, CH, CZ, and NL targeted feeds
● Should also submit attribute unit pricing base measure
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Special Case: Energy Labels
Note: Refer to feed requirements for most up-to-date list of requirements. EU and Switzerland
id title price condition energy efficiency class
145 Chest Freezer - 25 cubic feet, EnergyStar Rated
315.50 USD new A
267 Chest Freezer - 30 cubic feet
299.75 USD used B
● Attribute allows you to specify the energy efficiency class for certain product categories as defined in EU directive 2010/30/EU
● Requires standardized values: G, F, E, D, C, B, A, A+, A++, A+++
● Recommended for UK, DE, FR, IT, ES, ES, CH, CZ, and NL targeted feeds (if applicable)
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id title price condition installment
145 Chest Freezer - 25 cubic feet, EnergyStar Rated
315.60 BRL new 6:52.60 BRL
267 Chest Freezer - 30 cubic feet
299.99 BRL used 6:50 BRL
Special Case: Installments
Note: Refer to feed requirements for most up-to-date list of requirements. Brazil
● Attribute allows you to specify an option for shoppers to pay in multiple installments - in feed, you’ll use “number of payments:payment amount”
● If multiple installment plans are offered, can specify which to use in PLAs
● Note: installment option outlined in feed must be visible on landing page