A product data audit involves carefully reviewing and analyzing your products’ information in a product data feed (Bing or Google Shopping Feed). To clarify, search engines use this data feed to display your products in search results, both organically and in paid ads. For this reason, you conduct a product data audit to ensure you have accurate, up-to-date, and optimized product information for visibility in search results. Ultimately, this leads to more traffic, better customer experience, and increased sales from Google and Bing Shopping.
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Why is a Product Data Feed Audit Important?
A product data feed audit is a thorough review of your product data feed. The purpose is to ensure that it’s accurate, complete, and optimized for advertising purposes and organic shopping listings. Here are three reasons why a product data feed audit is important:
- Improved Ad Performance: When your product data feed is accurate and complete, it helps search engines understand your products better. This, in turn, can lead to better ad performance, such as higher click-through rates (CTR), lower cost per click (CPC), and increased sales.
- Better User Experience: When your product data feed is optimized, it can provide a better user experience for potential customers. For example, your ads will have accurate pricing information and high-quality images, which can increase the likelihood of a purchase.
- Reduced Wasted Spend: If your product data feed is inaccurate or incomplete, your ads may be displayed to the wrong audience or not displayed at all. This can result in wasted ad spend and a lower return on investment (ROI).
- Measure before you manage: When you audit your product feed you will know how to manage your product feed.
How to Conduct a Product Data Feed Audit
Now that you know why a product data feed audit is important, this is how to conduct one. You can use a tool like FeedOps which has free product data audits, or you can check your feed manually. To conduct a manual audit, login to Google Merchant Center and check the following items:
Product data audit checks most likely to have the highest impact on sales:
If you have a limited amount of time, these are the most important product data audit checks.
- Product Titles: Check that titles have accurate descriptions and relevant keywords. This makes it easier for customers to find your products in search results, increasing visibility and sales potential.
- Product Images: Use high-quality, clear images to display products from various angles. This attracts customers and aids their decision-making, potentially increasing sales. Don’t use promotional text in images.
- Product Descriptions: Write short, easy-to-understand descriptions that highlight features and benefits. This gives customers important details and motivates them to buy.
- Product Prices: Keep pricing accurate, steady, and up-to-date to earn trust, prevent confusion, and boost successful transactions and sales.
- Relevant Keywords: Use relevant keywords in your product data. This increases your products’ visibility in search results.
You can also use the FeedOps Playbook, which is a part of the FeedOps Free Plan.
The next batch of items to checks
The vast majority of advertisers fail to conduct a product data audit beyond the basic checks. The following product feed items can improve advertising results.
- Product Categories and Subcategories: Proper organization of products makes it easier for customers to navigate and find what they’re looking for.
- Product Attributes: Accurate and consistent product attributes can help customers make informed decisions.
- Shipping Information: Accurate shipping costs and delivery times can help customers make informed decisions and reduce cart abandonment.
- Product Identifiers: Unique product identifiers help search engines accurately match and display your products.
- Performance Metrics: Analyzing metrics can help you optimize your listings for better performance.
- Promotions and Discounts: Accurate promotion and discount information can attract customers looking for deals.
- Landing Pages: Accurate landing pages can help customers find the information they need quickly and easily.
- Product Variants: Accurately representing product variants can help customers find their preferred options more easily.
- Custom Labels: Organizing and managing your products effectively can help you optimize your product listings.
Some more technical feed optimization audit checks
- Mobile-Friendliness: Ensuring product information displays correctly on mobile devices and is easy to read on smaller screens can cater to the needs of mobile shoppers.
- Product Reviews and Ratings: Positive reviews can help build trust and influence customers’ purchasing decisions.
- Competitor Analysis: Identifying areas where you can improve or differentiate your products can help you stay competitive in the market.
- Data Feed Formatting: Proper formatting ensures smooth data processing and fewer errors.
- Data Feed Updates: Regular updates help keep all product information accurate and current.
- Error Checking: Promptly addressing errors can prevent negative impacts on visibility and sales.
- Seasonal: Updating your product data feed to reflect seasonal trends can help you capitalize on seasonal demand.
- Internationalization: Proper localization and compliance with the requirements for each target market can help you reach a wider audience.
Summary of This Article
Basically, if you’re a seller who wants to sell products online, you need to give some information about your products to websites like Google Shopping or Amazon. This information is called “product data,” and it includes things like the name of the product, a description of what it is, and how much it costs.
The article explains that a Product Data Audit is a free service that can help sellers make sure their product data is accurate and complete. It checks things like the formatting of the data, missing information, and other issues that could make it harder for people to find and buy the products.
So, in summary, a Product Data Audit is a free service that can help sellers make sure their product data is accurate and complete, which can help them sell more products online.
