New incentive for using Google Checkout.

Google's testing out a new button that draws much more attention to your Adwords ads than the little shopping cart icon. Check it out:

http://www.jon-west.com/?p=21

Thoughts?

 

Yes, I think that Google are abusing their own systems to promote a new feature.

My e-commerce clients don't advertise in the US, but you can bet that I'd be making a very angry phone call to my AdWords rep if a clients competitor had this icon next to their ad! It's drawing unfair attention to certain advertisers based on their chosen payment provider, and IMO it's anti-competitive.

 

I manage an account or two for sites that accept Google Checkout...and honestly I think the different logos suck for the advertiser. I wish you could "opt out" of having them displayed on your ads. All I've seen those little logos do is increase CTR...with no increase what-so-ever in conversions.

Here's the official announcement:

http://googlecheckout.blogspot.com/2007/02/shopping-cart-badge-updates.html

 

That's a good point - I'm angry about the icons from the point of view of the adverisers who get less exposure because of them, but didn't think about the wasted money on extra clicks for those that do have them!

I haven't seen the icons myself (In the UK) - when you click the icon itself does it go to the advertisers site, or information about Google Checkout? Either would be bad for the advertiser though.

I'm disappointed by this decision by Google, and hope they put this right like they have over other 'ideas' recently which have been less than great (Eg Picasa onebox etc)

 

It takes you to the advertisers destination url.

 

Eww.. so advertisers are paying for all those people interested in finding out what the hell Google Checkout is.

This can't be benefiting anyone but Google - shame on them.

 

If it is benefiting anyone else I would love to hear about it. Everyone I've spoken with is less than happy...

Any ideas on how an advertiser could opt out of showing that icon if they accept checkout? I just started doing a little digging but haven't come across anything yet. A client a do a little work for actually wants to yank Google Checkout from thier site if they can't opt out of having that image in their ads.

 

I'm surprised that there is such a negative feeling about this offer. I think what you fail to realize is the fact that a company would likely be able to lower their CPC due to the higher volume of clicks per a position. In adition due to the increase in click through they would likely have in increase in position due to a higher quality index without any additional increase in their CPC.

Advertising spend incredible efforts to come up with compelling ads and suddenly google has provided a way to highlight your ad specificially. In addition they are offering their service at no charge through the rest of 2007 which could save retailers tens to hundreds of thousands a month in transaction fees they are currently paying to their credit card vendors (unless I am misunderstanding their offer or service).

 

That's a nice theory but the reality I've seen is that bunch of lower priced clicks that don't convert are not good for business. Your assesment about getting a lower CPC and a better QS is correct, but you're getting that because of curiosity clicks from what I've seen. I don't want more clicks, I want more of the right clicks. Those are harder to come by when your ad has giant target on it, and easier to get when the playing field is level.

Not to mention the fact the Google Checkout is horrible, absolutely horrible. That's a topic for a different thread though

 

I agree with the same thing about drawing attention ... from the end user perspective, they normally don't care if the end is a Google checkout (at least when seeing the ads), at least in most industries. Simply to get more CTR for Google....

 

Does anyone on here have a site that has Google Checkout and uses Adwords? What has been your experience?

 

I'm going to give it a go and see what the results are.

 

Google Checkout won't do much for most users.

If it were a paypal payment button then there maybe some difference, but thats hypothetical unless Google buys them out aswell.

 

I will have to check it out more and compare to give my hones opinion, but as first impression, I think is not a good thing and is a little anticompetitive.