FAQs

FAQs

CPA (or ‘cost per acquisition’)

Additional sales to your existing Shopping Ads on a CPA basis managed entirely by a CSS. You can still run your existing Shopping ads through Google Ads yourself, or via your digital agency. We set up separate Google Ads and Merchant Center accounts and we pay for the clicks: you only pay for the sales we drive. Tracking and payments are handled via an affiliate network.

1. The unique product identifier (EAN or GTIN) in the feed will be recognised by Google. Google won’t show the same product more than once from the same retailer in a single set of results, regardless of how many CSSs you work with.

2. The CPA we work to should be below your in-house COS target, but as high as you can go to enable us to compete in the Google Shopping auction. Of course, you can give us a higher CPA for specific categories or the whole feed if you find our sales to be more cost efficient.

No. Provided the two points above are adhered to we will not increase your costs or compete with your own activity.

Adding value

We will optimise and enrich your product feed with our in-house technology.  This will generate results for different products and search terms, expanding the longtail results and winning Shopping ads for you that would otherwise go to competitors.

The best thing you can do is provide us with the best possible feed. We can provide expert advice and a feed specification to help you with this. We’ll also encourage you to see us as a strategic partner and keep us informed of your objectives, so we can work together to grow sales effectively.

Yes, we can work in any of the EU countries listed for the Google CSS programme. We can also work in other major territories outside of the CSS programme by separate negotiation.

Increasing sales

We win PLA slots on your behalf that would otherwise have been won by your competitors.
No. Google uses the unique product identifier to de-dupe. Google will not show the same product more than once from the same retailer, even via a CSS.
We will categorise your feed and optimise it with our feed management technology. This generates results for different search terms, expanding the longtail results for your products.

Once we get started

You will be able to see all the data normally provided through your affiliate platform. In some cases we will be able to share additional data from our AdWords activity to enable you to rigorously test the CSS services.

No. You can pause the activity at any time, although this rarely happens.

Genie built its own bidding technology, which helped us win the Google Shopping Innovation Award in 2017. We continuously enhance our tech products and we automate Google Shopping bidding.

You can work with as many CSSs as you choose. But working more closely with one or two CSS partners provides a more long-term opportunity for both sides.

Yes. This is a requirement of the Google CSS programme. 

We have several comparison sites. Genieshopping.com is used for all self-managed service clients in the UK and EU. Crowdstorm.co.uk is for UK CPA non-fashion clients, while CaféLaModa.com is for all fashion and home UK and EU CPA clients. and Wizzled.com is used for non-fashion CPA EU clients.

Yes. This is a good way to grow confidence in the programme and conduct a low risk test. We would recommend testing your whole feed, but are happy to discuss a suitable test strategy that works for you.

Yes. We can work with you to set strategies and turn the dial on sales by applying higher CPAs and promoting sales, if that helps you drive business in the areas you need to.

FAQs from Google

Below you’ll find links to official guides published by our Shopping ad CSS partner, Google.

About CSS and CSS partners

what they are and how you can grow your business

Advertising with comparison shopping services

how it works