by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, October 20, 2017

Google Shopping Campaign traffic will likely pick up in the coming days as Alphabet’s ad subsidiary makes changes to its algorithms to gear up for the biggest shopping season of the year.

Merkle reports seeing an increase in Google auditing of Merchant Centers in the last two months, which the agency says can lead to product disapproval and possible account suspension if issues are not addressed.

Merkle’s post provides four strategies for advertisers to address such as localizing product listing ads, checking update sales tax information, matching GMC shipping and onsite information, and performing a Merchant Center check-up.

Missing or inaccurate ads on search in shopping engines — specifically Google — could send consumers directly to marketplaces looking for products and services.

A bad experience in a search engine or on a brand’s website will lead consumers astray. Some might interpret the results from Pitney Bowes’ 2017 Global Ecommerce Study as what is implied rather than stated.

The findings clearly show that 67% of online shoppers turn to marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Flipkart, and TMall to search for products they want. Some 60% of online shoppers reported that their purchases take place in online marketplaces versus retail websites.

About three-quarters of those responding to the study prefer shipping with longer wait times versus having to pay to get the products sooner.

Shoppers these days are loyal but demanding. About 47% said they get frustrated when products are lost or duty taxes are miscalculated. In 2016, the number of unhappy online shoppers increased 16 percentage points on average across the 12 markets analyzed.

Consumers are making online purchases more frequency. Some 94% of survey participants said they shop online, with one-third making online purchases at least once weekly — up 4 percentage points from the prior year. About 70% said they shop across borders, up 6 percentage points from last year. Asia-Pacific saw the biggest year-over-year increase, led by India and followed by China and South Korea.

Marketers looking for the dotted line to drive online shoppers into stores should consider a buy online and pick-up in-store strategy. Some 40% who buy online pick up in stores, up from 28% in 2017, according to Pitney Bowes’ study.

MediaPost.com: Search Marketing Daily

(24)