How does a CSS affect your performance on Google Shopping?

How does a CSS account affect your overall performance on Google Shopping?

Advertisers who operate with an external CSS partner effectively use two separate Merchant Center accounts for the same website. In turn, this enables retailers to appear twice in the same Shopping Ads results. However, the same SKU cannot be advertised multiple times in the same search.

What’s more, as part of Google’s effort to avoid monopolising the platform in Europe, retailers using a CSS partner benefit from a 20% discount on their CPC fees. This means that on top of increased impression share (and increased opportunity for website traffic), clicks made through this external partner cost the retailer 1/5th less.

Retailers using Google Shopping with a CSS partner can subsequently reduce average CPC, boost their ROAS, and increase profitability.

In summary, partnering with an additional CSS provider is only available in Europe. Using a CSS enables retailers to appear twice in the same Shopping results carousel.

On top of that, user clicks through a CSS Shopping ad cost retailers 20% less. This opportunity to appear twice on the carousel and reduce your CPCs helps drive your performance on Google Shopping.

Introducing Bidnamic's CSS

Bidnamic has its own CSS offering. Existing and new clients can benefit from a CSS with Bidnamic, managed using our machine learning, human thinking approach.

Our data analysts and customer success managers provide personalised structure calls to ensure your account(s) are set up correctly and running smoothly.

Our own research

Our Data Analysts are always keeping a watchful eye over our clients' performance, and in this case an Analyst discovered just how beneficial Bidnamic's CSS has been for a client of ours.

Let's take a look at Client A - who doesn't use a CSS - and compare their performance to Client B, who does.

As seen in the above graph, we discovered that Client B gained more clicks with the help of our CSS than if they didn't use one, and performed significantly better than Client A who doesn't use a CSS at all.

In this example we can see clicks dropped for both clients in April, but with Bidnamic's CSS, Client B didn't see a drop-off in clicks as severe as Client A.