We have all been there…you want to setup Google Merchant Center to use on Google AdWords. Then you get to the feed and spend hours mapping your data to what Google requires. Upload, cross fingers, then review errors, attempt to fix…you get the idea. You basically spend a good amount of time just rearranging your data to be compliant. Well good news is that Google has recently introduced Google Merchant Center Feed Rules, which is “a self-service tool to help you transform your existing data from your inventory management systems into the format accepted by Google Shopping”. We like what we see so far. And given that most of the feeds we manage have 10k+ products, they certainly need an additional level of attention than smaller feeds, which these rules offer by giving greater control and organizational power. Another great aspect is that it allows you to slice and dice your feed to better target within AdWords, which is something we have wanted to see for a while now (dare I say years?)

We are looking forward to using these the next time we have a big feed that needs some customization. We may even experiment with some smaller feeds, especially since these rules will help with targeting in AdWords.