Google Manufacturer Center adds rich content, deeper analytics, expands availability
A new "From the manufacturer" section in Google Shopping product pages can feature brand-supplied rich content.
It’s been some time since we’ve heard news about Google Manufacturer Center. Launched in 2015, Manufacturer Center is similar to Merchant Center, but it’s designed specifically for brands and original manufacturers to provide details about their products. It launched an API and began featuring data from Manufacturer Center in product panels in 2017. On Monday, Google announced additional features and availability in more countries.
Show rich product content in Google Shopping. Product makers will be able to provide more information about their products to appear in a new “From the manufacturer” section on product detail pages in Google Shopping. Rich product information can include images, YouTube videos and more. An example of this from Google-owned Nest is shown below.
If you have a Manufacturer Center account, you can provide rich content via the feature_description attribute. Approved content will appear in the new section in a simple layout. Google says a new attribute will be available in the coming months to support more visually rich layouts from within Manufacturer Center.
The other option is to partner with a product content management company. Webcollage, the initial launch partner, has had clients testing the new capability.
Analytics update in Manufacturer Center. There are now several new metrics and insights available in Manufacturer Center. New metrics include top search terms, top MSRP gaps, top price changes, as well as top and trending product groups.
This lets you see which competing brands and products show with yours most often and also analyze performance and price trends.
Why you should care. Google appears to have stepped up focus on Manufacturer Center. In addition to the updates above, the company announced that Manufacturer Center is now available in 24 countries (complete list here), up from just seven. Manufacturer Center allows brands to gain more control over how their products are represented across Google Shopping and in product panels, regardless of which retailer partner is promoting the products.
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