Google appears to be heading in the direction of using its main search
for shoppers to find individual items by titles and/or keywords and 'attributes/labels'.

Most of the test items I have listed using either a bulk upload to Base or using just the Gbase basic listing page are now resulting in those items showing up in a general search---A good thing!

An earlier thread here was based on "dismay" that Froogle had been relegated to the "more" section off the Google main site page. What actually may be happening is that Froogle is being made irrelevant by Google. Froogle will probably just be eliminated---maybe sooner than later.

Upshot: List your item and when someone looks for that title using the main google search that item may well appear. This has happened with all of the dozen or so items I have listed with one or two exceptions.

Discussion:
(1) Does one actually even NEED a website or is the Google Base "store" good enough to build a web presence? My gut feeling is that this primitive
"web store" is gradually being upgraded by G to rival stores similar to eBay Stores. (thinking about dumping my Zen Cart site since it seems redundant---why do I need that cart?)

Im seeing some real potential for using eBay auctions to sell unusual/rare
items that might excite some bidding and driving traffic to a Google Store.

Keep plugging away Google!

I'm sorry but I don't find what you are finding. I have several sites that submit to GBase/Froogle and I can find my items when I search those places.

But I don't find any of those items showing up on just plain Google, at least not in the first 10 pages.

I did find a few of my own web pages showing up on page 1-3 and those are not pages that are submitted to GBase/Froogle.

Knapps:

Working for me.

Google does say somewhere that "relevant" items
"may appear" on the google main search as well as on Base and Froogle.

This is a grand experiment and when I figure what I'm doing Right I'll share!

I have sold several items last week. I just list item in my google store. I think it is great. I'm begining to think I don't need a website.

WOOO HOOO, Lyndalou, good to hear, and congrats!

I tried adding some buy it now buttons on my Google Base items, but can NOT save the edited HTML. Driving me nuts lol! I keep getting an "error on page" message. It has to be the google base uploader because the preview looks fine, and when I check it out on www.practiceboard.com, the link worked.

How are you adding your buy it now buttons? HELP, anyone! I agree, Google Base could easily supplant a website.

But I doubt that any Google Base things are going to show up much on MSN or Yahoo, and I get alot of traffic from them...so while it's an excellent add-on, I probably will stick with a website for now at least!

Lyndalou:

Congrats on the sales at google!! I for one have similar results to Knapps - can't find them in google, but definitely finding them in froogle...

Interesting discussion and thanks 4 the topic!!

go to your google checkout account. At the top of the page you will see a tab saying setting. There will be several buttoms to choose from. If I can do it, any one can. You have to have a google checkout account. If this doesn't help let me know and I will try to help you. I love my google account. I read yesterday where the google base was a trail program. I'm sure if it works they will make it easier for people to use. I really like my google checkout. I wish more web site use it.

You have to have a google checkout account


Arghhhhhhhhhhhh !

OK now it's working. I was adding buy it now buttons together with a webstore link, and it didn't work before. Stripped the button right outta the html when I previewed it. Had to put the buttons in, publish, then go back and add the store link as an edit. Way too much work!


Doing some experimenting: put up duplicate items, one with a checkout button, and one with just the store link. I can already see a difference. The button/Checkout items are live MUCH faster, and already have some views/clicks. Hmmm. I really hate the idea of handing over to Google or anyone any of the autonomy so hard won after leaving Ebay a couple of years ago. But I sure do like dem sales

(digging between the couch cushions for a quarter to flip LMAO!)

It is not a new thing that items show up in google search from the Gbase feed.

Our feeds have showed up in google for over a year.

OK, update on my buy it now button problem: Google says in it's FAQs that you do not have to include a quantity available on your listing. It says you can leave it blank if you have duplicates of the same thing. So I entered zero in the field, thinking you could not leave it blank.

Won't work. You have to delete the quantity attribute out by clicking the little red "X" in the right upper corner, either that are just add the quantity you do have available. Works fine now!

Linda

Hi, is there an actual google store? I've tried to look at google, but haven't been able to find anything about stores. Are the google stores mentioned here, just the list of items you have submitted to google?
Thanks,
Dancing

Hi, Dancing!

No, there is not an actual "store" with an entry page, splash page, etc. Basically, you just add the items with buy it now buttons, that's the only kind of "store" Google has at this point.

Thanks Eleganza, that's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure since I've heard several mentions of google stores. I appreciate you clearing this up for me. I wonder if at some point, google will start having stores?

Regards,
Dancing

I sure hope Froogle doesn't go by-by as it's search is much more relevant than what is used on GBase.

Hubby is in the market for a digital camera so of course I have to do the hunting for him. I checked out Froogle for the model I want and get lots of returns. I check GBase with the exact same term and all I get are "accessories" for that camera. No camera on the first 10 pages of GBase.

Reminds me of that awful search and "related items" thing on EE. It wasn't even close to showing me what I wanted.

Carol