For e-commerce businesses looking to connect with an engaged audience, Google Merchant Center is a powerful platform. Using Google Merchant Center to your advantage will increase your chances of ranking well for Google Shopping search results.
But, while Google Merchant (MC) Center does offer a wealth of business-boosting benefits including enhanced search visibility and better brand awareness, sometimes getting ‘approved’ on the platform can prove tricky. This is usually due to ‘misrepresentation’ issues—content that the platform believes is either untrustworthy or in violation of its terms. Here we look at these common Google Merchant Center misrepresentation issues and how to help you overcome and potential roadblocks and enjoy all of the platform’s business-boosting perks.
Understanding Common Google MC Misrepresentation Issues
Getting Google MC to account approval isn’t a quick easy process. If Google believes there are any applicant discrepancies, informational gaps, or platform violations, you will have to solve them before gaining approval. Understanding common Google MC account issues will help you to solve them swiftly. Here are the main reasons you could get denied account approval.
Missing Contact Information
Google doesn’t approve accounts with missing contact information. If your store is missing a shipping policy or returns section or you haven’t supplied a valid e-mail address, phone number, and business address, you will need to address this before applying.
Checkout Security
You will not get Google MC account approval if your online checkout is deemed unsafe. To solve this issue, you must create a valid consumer checkout process protected by an SSL certificate.
Misleading Product Information
Google is committed to making sure that the information consumers find through the search engine is honest, valuable, and up to date. If your products are seen as misleading or inaccurate in any way, your application will be unsuccessful. Here are the primary reasons for ‘misleading product information’:
- Missing inventory
- Outdated product pricing
- Incorrect product URLs
- Product descriptions that are considered misleading or contain banned keywords
In addition to banned keywords, if your product copy is seen as potentially misleading, you will need to update it to gain approval. For instance, you should avoid using phrases along the lines of ‘Boosts the immune system’ or ‘Extreme weight loss. It’s also important to note that you should never claim that your business is ‘certified’ or ‘accredited’ if it’s not.
Using Google MC: a quicker, better way…
Pinpointing and rectifying Google MC misrepresentation issues takes time as well as persistence—and can distract you from critical marketing and business development activities. While it is indeed possible to apply for a Google MC account and navigate any potential on your own, there is a better way (a time-effective solution): AdScale.
AdScale fully automates the creation and product synchronization with Google MC. Moreover, as a Google Premier Partner, they can work directly to solve Merchant Center issues.
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