Google as a CSE

Google Product Search is the users interface of the Google CSE. If you are new to CSE';s Google Product Search is probably the best place to get your feet wet. There is no risk in testing this platform because currently there is no cost associated with listing or clicks on your products via Google Product Search. To the right is a screenshot of Google Product Search and below that is a search results page for the query "Asolo FSN 95". As you can see there are many vendors listed with images, prices and reviews all reverent to the above query. There are also highly relevent paid search results on top and to the right.

To get started you need to visit the Google Base Site (Screen Shot Below) when there you see three different options for getting your products listed. I have never tried the "One at a time" method because of the sheer number of products that get uploaded on behalf of the company I work for. This is why we use the "Data feed" method and an updated feed gets sent out every morning. The third option is "API" and I can only assume that it is also a great way to get products listed. For some strange reason there is two different names, Google Base is the backend interface for listing your products on Google Product Search. Confusing I know especially for a Google product, but remember it is still in Beta so that could all change.

Revised CSE Relationship Chart

Since the rebrand of MSN's Search, Shopping and Affiliate properties to Bing, and some new information from a couple of the Shopping Engines. It seemed like a perfect time to revise the CSE Relationship Chart and add all this new information. Below is the revised CSE Relationship Chart. The additions include the MSN restructure and change to Bing as well as adding a new child under Become.com and Shopping.com.

CSE Relationship Chart

Comparison Shopping Engines (CSE's) have a similarity to Search Engines in the fact that there are relationships between engines. With Search Engines there is a well know source for visualizing the relationships which is Bruce Clay's Search Engine Relationship Chart, and it shows how paid and organic results populate other search engines. I have looked for a similar chart that shows how data feeds trickle down from one CSE to their affiliates or other web properties, and have had no luck. So I did a little research and created an initial draft of something similar. This may change over the next month or two because I need to verify the these conclusion with each CSE, but it's a start. Over the next couple of weeks I will take a closer look at each of the Parent Shopping Engines starting with Tier 1 and working my way through Tier 2 posting any interesting details that I come across.

There is a Revised CSE Relationship Chart available.