Question

Hi everyone!  Did you know that in 2017 Google lost a lawsuit over monopolistic practices in product ads?Hi everyone! Did you know that in 2017 Google lost a lawsuit over monopolistic practices in product ads? Google did not allow competition, i. e. other comparison websites, to display PLA in search results. Google was forced to make Google Shopping a separate company that buys ad space from Google on a competitive basis. At the same time, in order not to be accused of monopolistic practices again, they had to enable equal competition, i. e. impose a Google Shopping margin on clicks that other comparison websites (CSS) would not have. What does it mean for e-commerces? - Good news: When you advertise not using Google Shopping, but using any other css comarison engine, you don't pay Google Shopping margine (that makes about 20% of CPC) :) Isn't that great?! #google #googleshopping #css #comparisonengine #margin #discount #ad #pla #shoppingads

Answer 1

It is in the whole world, but especially Europe fought for this. If you are looking for a serious Marketing agency that gets 20% cheaper click prices for all clients, contact us as www. seamagnet. com This is a must have for every onlineshop. But this is an old thing, everybody knows about it.  

Answer 2

What's the quality of traffic from these other search engines?  

Comments

@innocency it's just the same.  

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Css is not a search engine, it's a price comparator website, like for example Kelkoo, Idealo, Procerunner, etc.  

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You used to get a 30% rebate too which was crazy. But they didn't last as it was only an incentive to get users moved over to CSS

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@roeder Right ok, thanks for clarifying. So I can see how the quality would be the same, however, the volume would surely still be on Google?  

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BTW my niche is electricians and plumbers, so I know very little about shopping ads.  

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@innocency all css (including Google Shopping, because Google Shopping is a css too) enter into the auktion with the same chances, so I wouldn't say that Google has any advantages over others, though I don't quite understand what you mean under "volumes"

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@innocency What do you mean "electricians"? Do you offer their services? Then you don't use PLA (Product Listing Ads), because electritians are not products. PLA is something you work with when you sell, for example, lamps, smartphones, toys, etc.  

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@roeder I thought that you were suggesting placing ads on comparison sites rather than Google, but I now understand what you mean and it makes total sense. Yes, I was making the point that becasue I only do GA for electricians and plumbers, I have have no experience of shopping ads or product listings, so just wanted to be clear that I wasn't arguing with you, I was just looking for clarification so I could learn more. I'm working with a business looking to start selling showers and shower products soon, so I need to start learning this side of things. Thanks for your advice.  

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@innocency no problem. Yes, the ads appear in Google search results, but they are just placed not by Google Shoopping, but by some other css

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@innocency btw if you are interested in this topic and how it all works, we can discuss the details, because I work in a company that deals with these matters (you don't have to pay for this consultation, of course) :)

Answer 3

Scary that some retailers STILL use Google. I may approach JD sports .  

Answer 4

Hello, so what you are saying is, sellers would rather use another CSS instead of Google to upload their product database and sell through it? Although these other CSS also need to pay their Ad Placement to Google, right? Thank you for clarifying

Comments

@wedurn, sometimes, prices of this other CSS are not high and you should think that you will have a discount for EACH click! So it all depends on your budget. And of course, different CSS comparison engines offer slightly different services. So you should compare and find the best solution

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The css enters into Google auction with the bid 20% lower than the one of Google Shopping

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@roeder I see your point. I would say a lot of people would not be so willing to click a product when they are seeing Google written all over the place and they see a CSS name they have never heard before. At least in Portugal I don´t remember seeing another

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@wedurn well, I guess it all depens on the people themselves :) Actually, when the potantial client clicks on the ad, (s)he is forwarded to the online shop, not to the css or anything. So many people would not even notice what is written in the very end of the ad. I am sending a screenshot. the name of the css is shown below, and when it is not placed by Google Shopping, there is not "By Google", there is some other name there

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@wedurn btw, some marketing agencies in Europe have developed their own CSS and registered them as CSS in order to be able to give their clients this discount and to monetize (because when an agency has more than 5 e-commerce clients, an own css becomes very profitable :) ) Plus they can put the name of the agency at "By Name" section, and increase the brand visibility

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There should be a CSS set up for selecting a good CSS.  

Answer 5

Is it only in the EU? As i never heard about it or seen it in Australia

Comments

@affront @condor Cohen, yes it is only in EU. Google lost the lawsuit to European Commission (if I am not mistaken)

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Ok thought thats might be the case but good to know

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@affront @condor Cohen maybe Australia should go to court with Google as well? :)

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@roeder the federal government are preparing to do so. Because Rupert Murdoch asked for it .  

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Well then we will need to pay an extra of 20% to advertise directly with google so im not sure that the EU taking google to court have solved the problem google just found a way to bypass it by splitting the company and charging extra ‍♂️ eventually as much as we hate paying for advertising on auction platforms we eventually pay the market value in a way. so not sure its made the cost of PLA cheaper it just made it more expensive to advertise directly with google so only the ones that dont know pay the extra. did it make the system more fair? I doubt it. please correct me if i miss understood

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@affront @condor Cohen Google doesn't monopolize the cost of the PLA anymore, because there are competitors. So yes, clicks when somebody is using Google Shopping are more expensive, but other css comparison engines also take some fee, so it's just a matter of finding the right one for your business. Anyway, people have choice. So it makes the system fair. If there are no competitors in some sphere the monopolist company can do whatever it wishes, so the competition is always a good thing, in my opinion

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@roeder true competition is always better for the consumer the problem is that even with a competition between google css and other css all the advertising is eventually on google platform and we can never know whats happens behind their curtains so is it really a competition or do you guys pay double fees while thinking you get better prices the only way that there is going to be a real competition is when people will stop using only google and that aint happing any time soon.  

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Not arguing just trying to give some food for thoughts

Answer 6

All very well if you are in Europe, not much use to the rest of us.  

Answer 7

Just check the job title of this young lady . and you will understand why you read this post. Sorry.  

Comments

Yeah, it's well written, so it makes sense she's a writer.  

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@shotton and the post is . an ad.  

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The person promoting a service isn't the author. She promotes CSS providers, but not a specific one. I think that's fairgame, especially as it's generating a healthy discussion.  

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@shotton Yes, your are correct.