Using Google Base

Google has been actively promoting its Google Base shopping search engine.  This is really an extension of Froogle and Google has even kept the Froogle name in the product search areas.  Google seems to finally want to make something of this product as they are linking product listings with adwords and also waiving all merchant processing fees when you use Google Checkout to process orders.

OK - They’re not really giving you the processing for free - it goes in as a credit against your AdWords spend, but every little bit helps.  (And you ARE using AdWords, aren’t you?)

I’ve had a little bit of success using Google Base and I haven’t spent any time optimizing it.  The fact is, this is a “new” area to work on for search engine optimization and there’s not a lot of knowledge out there on it.  So, if you are a do it yourselfer with your SEO work, then you’ll have an advantage over your ecommerce competitors that are outsourcing everything.

The hot topic for SEO right now is article marketing, not shopping search.  Given that, you know everyone that has hired a consultant is trying to get links and write articles, but they probably are not focusing on Google Base, Checkout or shopping search engines.  That gives you a few months to figure everything out before the 2007 Christmas season and you’ll kill the competition.

Of course, it all depends on Google continuing to back this horse, but they seem to be doing so with recent promotions to existing Checkout merchants.