CSS an Introduction
Though advertisers seek GMC to advertise their products for free, they also keep an eye on shopping Ads. To take benefit of paid shopping ads you must first open an account with GMC or Google Merchant Center or if you are already signed in well and good.
CSS The Begining
Today third parties are known as Comparison Shopping Services (CSSs). CSS can advertise on shopping ads on behalf of merchants. Both Google Shopping and CSSs make bids to compete in the ad auction. It all started with the EU antitrust regulation fine thrust upon Google in the year 2017.
In the case of antitrust laws case price fixing and some common practices which did not do justice consumer lead to fines. Thus Google had to open up for competition reducing its monopoly, and inviting 3rd parties to advertise their products on general search pages. Google itself is another 3rd party now competing with other companies.
Blue Labels
The blue labels placed at the bottom of shopping ads, “by Google”, “by DFW Shopping”, and “by another CSS” are well visible expressing the diversity of product advertisement. The establishment considers this as fair play and by clicking on the links, title, or image more product lines are visible. Thus other companies can advertise on Google usually referred to as 3rd parties. Google itself is a 3rd party or CSS now. Both CSS and Google Shopping make bids to surface on SERPs and make their products visible to sell. Remember one important aspect of this kind of advertising, it is the product description that counts and not the keywords. Winners are those that have descriptive labels and not the ones with a jamboree of search terms.
Benefits
CSS need to show their products on top of the SERP and they can advertise a large product line. Merchants use 3rd party CSS to advertise and sell their products which was once the monopoly of Google alone. The advertiser on Google Shopping and through CSS merchants need a benefit. Hence Google decided to grant discounts to merchants who would advertise through a third-party CSS. Google now gives up to 20% discounts on clicks. It is assumed that merchants will avail of this benefit for a few years.
CSSs allow merchants to avail of this benefit. From the campaign management point of view, all statutory regulations apply to CSSs as they do to Google. All have the same set of features, bidding strategies, and placements as Google Ads do.’
CSSs are usually medium or large tech providers their technological excellence and team management offer merchants performance management as well.
The Cost
Advertisers can work with multiple CSSs at the same time and there is no bar. CSS takes a cut from the merchants as their gain since no company works for free. Merchants need to take into consideration if the cut retains their gains. The charge is a fixed fee, a charge per click or sale. CSSs have different pricing models. No size fits them all hence merchants choose models they find most suitable or beneficial.