Google Merchant Center Misrepresentation (Step By Step Fix)

Summary

The video script addresses the challenges faced by small e-commerce businesses with Google Merchant Center, particularly account suspensions due to misrepresentation. Despite following Google's guidelines, many still struggle with unclear reasons for suspension. The speaker offers a researched 10-step guide to help businesses increase their chances of having their accounts unbanned by Google. The steps include ensuring a phone number or address on the website footer, a clear 'Contact Us' page in the header, detailed policies, accurate delivery times, and a strong social media presence. The guide aims to help e-commerce brands navigate Google's policies and avoid common pitfalls, with the speaker also offering personal account review services for those needing further assistance.

Takeaways

• 📞 Website Footer Must Include: Ensure your website footer contains a phone number, address, and support email address.
• 🔗 Header Menu Essentials: Your header menu should prominently feature a 'Contact Us' page, along with a 'Shop Now' button and 'Home' link.
• 📜 Policies in Footer: Display a 'Policies' section in your footer with links to your privacy policy, terms of service, shipping policy, and returns and refunds.
• 🚚 Clear Shipping Policy: Detail shipping costs, transit times, handling, order cut-off times, address changes, and damaged product procedures in your shipping policy.
• 🔄 30-Day Return Policy: Implement a clear 30-day return policy and detail the return process, including information on damaged packages, exchanges, restocking fees, and refunds.
• 💳 Display Payment Options: Show accepted payment methods in your footer, including credit card icons for Stripe and logos for PayPal and other relevant services like Apple Pay.
• ⏱️ Accurate Delivery Times: Ensure the delivery times listed on your product pages match those in your shipping policy to avoid misrepresentation issues.
• 💰 Honor Money-Back Guarantees: If you advertise a money-back guarantee, ensure it is reflected accurately in your returns and refunds page.
• ⏲️ Remove Timers: Eliminate any timers or countdowns that may be perceived as spammy and could lead to account suspension.
• 🌐 Establish Social Media Presence: Maintain an active presence on at least one social media platform and link it from your Shopify store to enhance credibility.

Q & A

What is the primary issue discussed in the script related to Drop Shipping and Ecom brands?

The primary issue discussed is the difficulty smaller accounts face with Google Merchant Center, particularly with account suspensions due to misrepresentation, even when they believe they have followed all given guidelines.

Why is it challenging for smaller e-commerce brands to resolve issues with Google Merchant Center?

It is challenging because Google does not provide detailed explanations for the suspensions, leading to confusion and frustration among brand owners.

What is the significance of shopping campaigns for e-commerce brands as mentioned in the script?

Shopping campaigns are significant because they are currently working well for e-commerce brands, making it crucial for them to resolve any issues with Google Merchant Center to continue benefiting from these campaigns.

What are the 10 steps suggested in the script to increase the chances of Google unbanning a suspended account?

The script outlines 10 steps, including having a phone number or address in the footer, a contact us page in the header, policies in the footer, a 30-day return policy, payment icons displayed, delivery times on pages, removal of timers, and a social media presence, to increase the chances of account reinstatement.

Why is it important for e-commerce websites to have a phone number or address in the footer?

Having a phone number or address in the footer is important because it provides customers with a way to contact the business, which is a requirement for Google Merchant Center and helps build trust with customers.

What role does the 'Contact Us' page play in the e-commerce website structure as per the script?

The 'Contact Us' page is crucial as it should be easily accessible from the header menu and contain necessary contact information, which is part of the best practices for Google Merchant Center compliance.

How should e-commerce brands handle their shipping policy to avoid misrepresentation issues?

Brands should clearly outline shipping costs, transit times, handling, order cut-off times, address changes, and damaged product procedures in their shipping policy, ensuring consistency with what's stated on product pages.

What is the recommended return policy duration for e-commerce brands as per the script?

The recommended return policy duration is 30 days, as shorter durations might raise suspicion and lead to account suspensions by Google.

Why is it necessary to display accepted payment methods on an e-commerce website?

Displaying accepted payment methods, such as credit card icons and PayPal, is necessary to show customers the available payment options and to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

How can e-commerce brands ensure their delivery times stated on product pages align with their policies?

Brands should ensure that the delivery times mentioned on product pages match those in their shipping policy and returns and refunds page to avoid misrepresentation and potential account suspensions.

What is the significance of having a social media presence for e-commerce brands in relation to Google Merchant Center?

A social media presence is significant as it not only increases conversion rates by building trust but is also a requirement for Google Merchant Center to consider a business legitimate.

Outlines

00:00

🛒 Challenges with Google Merchant Center for Small E-commerce Brands

The speaker addresses a common issue faced by smaller e-commerce brands and dropshipping accounts with Google Merchant Center, where accounts are frequently suspended despite adherence to Google's guidelines. The lack of detailed explanations from Google exacerbates the problem. The speaker emphasizes the effectiveness of shopping campaigns for e-commerce and introduces a researched 10-step plan to improve the chances of Google unsuspending accounts. The steps are designed to be easy to follow, with references to a successful brand's website for practical examples. The speaker also offers a service for managing Google ad strategies for brands with a monthly revenue of 15K to 20K, promising a full refund if not satisfied within 90 days.

05:03

📝 Essential Steps to Prevent Google Merchant Center Suspensions

The second paragraph outlines the 10 steps to avoid account suspensions in Google Merchant Center. These include having a phone number or address in the website footer and contact us page, a clearly visible contact us page in the header menu, a 'policies' menu in the footer linking to privacy policy, terms of service, shipping policy, and returns and refunds. The shipping policy should detail costs, transit times, order cut-off times, address changes, and damaged product procedures. A 30-day return policy with a clear return process and restocking fees is mandatory. Payment icons accepted by the business should be displayed in the footer. Product pages should accurately reflect delivery times as stated in shipping and returns policies. Money-back guarantees mentioned in product descriptions must match the returns and refunds page. The use of timers on the website is discouraged as it can lead to account suspensions. Lastly, having a social media presence and linking it on the Shopify platform is recommended to appear more legitimate and increase conversion rates.

Keywords

💡Drop Shipping

Drop shipping is a retail fulfillment method where a store doesn't keep the products it sells in stock. Instead, when a store sells a product using drop shipping, it purchases the item from a third party and has it shipped directly to the customer. In the context of the video, the issue of misrepresentation in Google Merchant Center is particularly relevant to drop shipping businesses, as they often face challenges in meeting Google's guidelines due to the nature of their operations.

💡Ecom Brand

An ecom brand refers to an electronic commerce brand, which is a business that sells products or services online. The video discusses the challenges faced by smaller ecom brands with Google Merchant Center, indicating that these brands are struggling to comply with Google's policies and maintain their online selling presence.

💡Google Merchant Center

Google Merchant Center is a platform that allows online retailers to list their products on Google Shopping, which is a service that helps shoppers find and compare products online. The video highlights the difficulties that smaller accounts have with Google Merchant Center, particularly with account suspensions due to misrepresentation.

💡Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation in this context refers to the act of providing false or misleading information about products or services. Google Merchant Center has strict policies against misrepresentation, and the video discusses how many smaller ecom brands are facing account suspensions due to alleged misrepresentation, even when they believe they have followed Google's guidelines.

💡Policies

Policies, as mentioned in the video, refer to the rules and guidelines set by Google Merchant Center that ecom brands must adhere to. The video outlines steps to ensure compliance with these policies, such as having clear privacy policies, terms of service, shipping policies, and return and refund policies.

💡Footer

In the context of the video, the footer refers to the bottom section of a website where important information is typically displayed. The video emphasizes the importance of having a phone number or address, as well as links to policies, in the footer to comply with Google Merchant Center's requirements.

💡Contact Us Page

A 'Contact Us' page is a part of a website that provides visitors with ways to get in touch with the business, typically through email, phone, or physical address. The video suggests that having a clearly accessible 'Contact Us' page in the header menu is crucial for Google Merchant Center compliance.

💡Shipping Policy

A shipping policy outlines the rules and costs associated with shipping products to customers. The video stresses the importance of having a clear and detailed shipping policy, including information about shipping costs, transit times, and order cut-off times, to avoid misrepresentation issues with Google Merchant Center.

💡Returns and Refunds

Returns and refunds policies are essential for any e-commerce business as they inform customers about the process for returning products and obtaining refunds. The video mentions that having a 30-day return policy and a clear returns and refunds process can help prevent account suspensions in Google Merchant Center.

💡Payment Icons

Payment icons are visual representations of the payment methods accepted by a business. The video suggests displaying these icons in the footer of a website to show customers the accepted payment methods, which can help in complying with Google Merchant Center's policies.

💡Social Media Presence

Having a social media presence means that a business maintains active profiles on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. The video indicates that a social media presence is necessary not only for brand authenticity and customer trust but also for Google Merchant Center compliance.

Highlights

Drop Shipping and Ecom brand space face issues with Google merchant center suspensions.

Google provides little detail for account suspensions, leading to frustration.

Shopping campaigns are effective for e-commerce brands, making Google merchant center crucial.

10 steps identified to increase the chance of Google unsuspending accounts.

Successful brands' websites are referenced to demonstrate compliance.

A sex chocolate brand's website is used as an example of best practices.

Website footer must include a phone number or address and support email.

Contact us page should contain an email address and physical address.

Header menu should have links to homepage, shop now, and contact us.

Policies menu in the footer should include privacy, terms of service, shipping, and returns.

Shipping policy should detail costs, transit times, and contact information.

A 30-day return policy is necessary to avoid suspicion from Google.

Payment icons in the footer should reflect accepted payment methods.

Delivery times on product pages must match the shipping policy.

Money back guarantees mentioned on product pages should be reflected in the returns and refunds page.

Timers for email list sign-ups are outdated and can lead to suspensions.

A social media presence is necessary to appear legitimate to Google.

After making changes, request a review of your account in Google merchant center.

If issues persist, personal account review services are offered.

Transcripts

a big problem that I've noticed in the

Drop Shipping and Ecom brand space is

that many smaller accounts are having

trouble with Google merchant center

misrepresentation and even when they say

that they've followed all the guidelines

given by Google their accounts are still

being suspended and what makes it even

worse is that Google just doesn't give

you any details for these types of

issues so you will start reading endless

confusing policy guidelines getting

frustrated that you can't sell your

products it's just a real bull Lake and

as shopping campaigns are working really

well for e-commerce Brands right now I

really need to help you fix that so from

a lot of research I've found 10 steps

that you need to do to have the highest

chance for Google to unban your account

I can't guarantee it but I'm pretty

certain that if you follow these 10 then

you should be fine I've made each of

them as easy to follow as possible and

I'm also referencing a successful

Brand's website to show you exactly what

they're doing uh following each of these

steps I'm not just restating the policy

guidelines either like I see a lot of

videos doing so hopefully this is more

helpful and the only video that you'll

need so open up your Shopify account and

your Google merch Center account and

let's get going all right so I'm using a

sex chocolate brand um you may be

wondering why and it's because I happen

to follow the guy who owns it on Twitter

so it was at the top of my head and also

it's one of the brands that I found that

sort of best um shows off what I'm going

to explain in these 10 steps here so if

this pisses you off um maybe consider

leaving the video but let's get into it

so number one is phone or address in the

footer so in the footer of your website

you must have a phone number or address

along with your support email address

and this information is also needed to

have in the contact us page so if you

come down to the footer here you can see

we've got an address and we've got an

email so these guys are doing it well

and if we go over to the contacts page

as

well we're going to see there's an email

there and the address well the address

is just in the foo of the whole time so

that's great these guys are doing that

really well all right so excuse the

pitch but

if you're an e-commerce brand owner and

you're stock at around 15K to 20K a

month in Revenue then I can manage your

Google ad strategy so that you can

consistently scale your brand into a

valuable asset without having to spend

hours on marketing I'll also make all

the ad creatives write the copy and

provide done with you conversion rate

optimization to maximize the sales from

your ads and if you're not happy with

the results within 90 days our written

guarantee which we both sign entitles

you to a full refund on anything that

you've done for my service

here's my website I have some more

details about my deliverables down here

um my certifications bit about me and

then you can come down here and book a

call it'll just be 15 minutes um we can

see if we're a good fit and start

working together so uh yeah book a call

with the link in the description if this

interests you number two is contact us

page in the header so the header menu is

this one and you can see here they've

got a clearly shown contact page um and

your header should contain three main

links the homepage a shop now button and

a contact host page they've got the

contact host page a shop now button and

the homepage um well

that I don't know why they don't have

that but yeah um okay number three is

policies for policies in the footer so

in the footer of your website you should

have a menu called policies which

contains the privacy policy terms of

service shipping policy and returns and

refunds and the privacy policy and terms

of service can follow the templates that

are provided by Shopify but for the

others you will have to update the

information um according to like how

your brand works so as you can see here

they have separated out all of their

policies into um separate ones so

they've got shipping refunds and returns

terms and conditions privacy policy so

they've got all of theirs um if you want

to see what each of those look like um I

recommend coming onto the website and

just having a look you can sort of

follow the same structure that they

using or even better find a brand in

your Niche that's selling the same

products as you and just look at what

they're doing um and that'll help you

sort of make sure that your policies are

all

correct cool um oh wait shipping policy

um so in your shipping policy you want

to write the shipping cost Transit and

handling and Order cut off time change

of address cancellations damage product

and then have your contact us

information at the bottom of your

shipping policy page um again looking at

how another brand is doing it especially

a large one because then you know that

they're not suspended um will help you

like get the structure right for that

number five is returns and refunds so

you need to have um a 30day return

policy um as if you don't uh Google's

going to think like this is a bit fishy

um because like obviously if you're just

a good person and a good business you'll

going to refund people if they don't

like the products that you deliver um

you also need um a return process

detailed out information about um if

packages get damaged exchanges uh

restocking fees if you have any uh make

them clear and also refunds uh this page

should also have your support email and

all your phone number and address at the

bottom okay number six uh is payment

icons so as you can see they are down

here on this website um so yeah in your

footer you need to show which payment

icons you accept if you accept stripe

you should have the credit card icon and

if you accept Paypal like they do there

should be a PayPal logo um along with

any other icons for card purchases like

um MasterCard Visa uh discover AMX and

they've also got Apple pay there as well

so if you do that make sure to put the

Apple pay

icon uh then number seven is delivery

times on pages so if you have delivery

times on your product pages this might

be why you're getting suspended because

if your delivery time does not match the

shipping policy and returns and refunds

page it will be suspended for

misrepresentation so you want to make

sure that your delivery times match what

match on your um product page what it

says in your shipping and returns and

refunds page um otherwise yeah Google

Google's going to going to find that

out next 30-day money back guarantees so

talking about them earlier if you have

any money back guarantees in your

description um on your on your product

page um it must also be stated in your

returns and refunds page um sometimes

people will put the 30-day money back

guarantee in the description um and

forget that it doesn't match uh the

designated page and so just remember to

do those two things number nine is

remove any timers so timers are pretty

outdated um but if you are still using

any spammy apps that are sort of having

timers to sign up for your email list or

things like that then it could be a

reason why you're getting suspended on

merch and Center

um and you want to make sure your site

looks as authentic as possible and avoid

like spammy spinning wheels or anything

um and that should get you approved more

easily and finally um is a social media

presence so your business needs an

account on anyone social media platform

such as Facebook Instagram or Tik Tok um

and this needs to be set up on the

Shopify side and displayed at the bottom

of your homepage um it should be visible

where is it here so they have in and

they have Tik Tok it's on their page

nice little icons as well um this is

just something that one it's going to

increase your conversion rate because

people believe that you're like a a more

sort of genuine business um and two it's

necessary to get um Google to think that

you're you're a good business cool so

that's basically the 10 steps that

should work for you 99% of the time um

so yeah once you've changed everything

following the steps above updated your

account or product level data in

merchant center and a pretty certain

you're following policy then request a

review of your account uh in Google

merchant center these reviews can

usually take up to 7 days or longer if

it's more complex um and if you're still

having problems then feel free to head

over to my website the Link's in the

description you can book a call and I

will look over your account personally

and see if I can find anything that's

wrong thank you very much for watching

and have a fantastic day