Posts tagged as:

data feed

What is Data Feed Optimization or… “Data Feed Optimization, we already do Search Engine Optimization?”

by andrew on December 30, 2009

E-commerce marketing is experiencing a welcomed re-birth, and it only stands to get better. With the combination of emerging technologies, m-commerce, social commerce and comparison shopping engine opportunities, it’s becoming hard for even the most seasoned e-tailer to know if they are doing everything they can to stay ahead of the competition.

When Google Product Search began using a relevancy algorithm (2008) to determine product-specific search results, the landscape of comparison shopping changed. This landmark change which determines how and why products rank within their comparison engine has given rise to an explosive & emerging marketing strategy – data feed optimization (DFO).

google-sort-by-relevance-graphic2While DFO is often confused with search engine optimization, SEO refers specifically to the modification and enhancement of website coding and content to increase rankings in major search engines such like Google, Bing, and Yahoo;  crawler – based systems.
Data Feed Optimization on the other hand refers exclusively to enhancing website placement within e-commerce driven comparison shopping engines (CSE) like Google Products, NexTag, SortPrice and Shopzilla – non crawler-based systems. Where SEO covers the realm of content search, DFO covers the realm of product search.

The art of data feed optimization relies on the enhancement of the actual CSV, TXT or XML product files, an output file. Each comparison shopping engine (Google Products, Shopzilla) has specific product mapping and formatting requirements to ensure that a participating company’s products are listed and functioning properly. Entry to these CSE systems is done through an API call or via manual submission through FTP. Each time there are changes to a company’s products, the process starts again.

The product data feed file can be extracted from a shopping cart in a multitude of ways yet its extracted form is never optimized, at that point it is simply a feed. It is neither formatted nor optimized. Once extracted the feed must be properly formatted to align the company’s product attributes with the required CSE mapping system. Optimization occurs once the feed is properly formatted, and before it is sent up to the shopping engine or engines.
The true act of DFO optimization goes beyond formatting and deep into the factors that promote keyword relevancy. DFO is the modification of properly formatted product attributes to reach an enhanced level of keyword and product relevancy. Similar to SEO, the byproduct of DFO is higher product placements that yield increased impressions, click-throughs and sales. In addition to basic DFO factors, there are nearly unlimited opportunities to optimize individual and groups of products to increase results. 

 Data Feed Optimization, similar to its SEO cousin, is never a one-time action. There is no such thing as set and forget when it comes to e-commerce data feed optimization and marketing because the majority of popular items sold online are also available by dozens if not hundreds of other retailers simultaneously. As more retailers enter the data feed marketing realm, competition for those keywords increases in real-time.

The dramatic growth of comparison shopping engine use by both e-tailer and consumer, translates to a continuously shifting market where any new business can develop rankings and relevancy in any category, for nearly any commercial keyword – categorical or long-tail.
One thing is for certain, higher product placement equates to heightened results in any search engine scenario.

So the question is – is your product data feed formatted, optimized… or both?

We graciously invite your comments and questions. I’m Drew and I’m here to help!

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It’s November… Do you Know Where Your Products Are?

by lynbat on November 2, 2009

The holiday shopping season is already underway.  Long gone is the time that  holiday shopping kicked off the day after Thanksgiving.  Retail shelves are already full of holiday offerings.  What is amazing is that shopping carts are already full of holiday products.

I ventured into the local Walmart on Halloween fully expecting aisles full of families gathering that last bag of candy in preparation for evening festivities. I was truly shocked. The gardening section of the store had already been transformed into the North Pole, complete with fully decorated Christmas trees.  I shrugged it off and finished my own last minute Halloween shopping. Flabbergasted was I,  when it came time to check out.  The family just ahead in line had a full cart, mostly of  Christmas tree and trimmings.  Being the inquisitive type I am,  I asked the matriarch of the family if she thought it was too early for holiday shopping.  I got an answer that may be the perspective of the whole country,  ”It is early, but we have the cash now.  Who knows about December.”

So insert your favorite cliche here.  Mine seems to be:  ”It is what it is.”

Are stores on the right track?  Where does that leave e-commerce stores and comparison shopping engines? How will perceptions of the economy and family cash position effect calendar buying trends?  Should the average e-commerce proprietor have products well positioned in shopping engines all year or concentrate efforts to just the traditional holiday shopping season?

E-Commerce stores who use comparison shopping engines (Google Products, NexTag, Pricegrabber, Shopzilla, etc.) are used to the annual holiday ramp up by these shopping engines.  In years past, these engines provided a substantial amount of visitors during the holiday season. If shoppers are purchasing now, will that change the overall effectiveness of shopping engines?

I believe there is enough doubt in consumer trends this year to warrant concern over the traditional advertising model that places a ton more eggs in one holiday basket than the rest of the year.

With that in mind, savvy e-commerce stores should re-evaluate their use of comparison shopping engines.  This does not mean NOT using them, but it is time to look at your products and simply list those that are good sellers or have a high margin.  To save some budget, try cutting out your non-selling products or those which are not competitive at price point.  Try listing your products in shopping portals that do not charge for clicks, like Google Product Search.  Try listing your products in shopping engines that are not raising their rates for the holiday season, like Become.com.  Lastly, but critically important,  spend some dedicated time and energy optimizing your data feeds.

One thing is for certain… a person can’t buy your product if they don’t know it is there.

Another thing is for certain… the time to do all that was yesterday.

It may be that the economy has consumers thinking differently about this holiday season. It may be that Walmart is doing their part to rid Americans of the procrastination habit one holiday at a time.  Whatever the case, people are shopping now.  They are in the comparison shopping engines and in the search engines.  If your products aren’t, well… GET MOVING!  It’s November.  Do you know where your products are?

I’d love some feedback from you.  Let’s get the conversation started.

I’m Linda Bateman and I am here to help.

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