End of free product search?

Just got this email and am a bit confused since it doesn't explicitly say it, but IMHO it clearly implies that the "FREE" product search is about to be gone and it will become just another part of paid adwords.. let me know your thoughts please.

here is the email from google



Hello,

On May 31, 2012, we announced a new initiative to improve our shopping experience over time, so that shoppers (your customers) can easily research purchases, compare different products, their features and prices, and then connect directly with merchants to make their purchase.

This new product discovery experience will be a purely commercial experience called Google Shopping that replaces Product Search. This transition will be complete in Fall 2012.

We believe that having a commercial relationship with merchants will encourage them to keep their product information fresh and up to date. Higher quality data — whether it’s accurate prices, the latest offers, or product availability — should mean better shopping results for users, which in turn should create higher quality traffic for merchants.

Organic web results on Google.com will not be affected by this transition. At this time, this initiative applies only to merchants submitting feeds that are targeted to the U.S. Details of the announcement can be found at http://googlecommerce.blogspot.com/2012/05/building-better-shopping-experience.html.


LIST YOUR PRODUCTS ON GOOGLE SHOPPING

To list your products on Google Shopping, you'll create Product Listing Ads based on your existing product feed from Google Merchant Center and manage your ads with an AdWords account. Enroll in AdWords at google.com/adwords if you don't already have an account. To learn more about Product Listing Ads, please visit http://support.google.com/adwords/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2454022&from=185788&rd=1.

While your current product listings will continue to appear on Google Shopping for several months, it’s important to note that bid is one factor in how products will be ranked on Google Shopping. We encourage merchants to create Product Listing Ads now - and we’re offering a special promotion to get you started.


LIMITED TIME OFFER

We’re giving merchants a few months to transition to this new model, and we’re also offering some incentives:

* All merchants who create Product Listing Ads by August 15, 2012 will automatically receive a monthly credit for 10% of their total Product Listing Ad spend through the end of 2012; and
* Existing Google Product Search merchants can receive $100 AdWords credit toward Product Listing Ads if they fill out a form before August 15, 2012.

To learn more and get started merchants can visit www.google.com/ads/shopping


IMPORTANT FEED SPECIFICATION AND POLICY UPDATES

Google Shopping is using a single set of feed specifications and policies, whereas we previously had separate policies and specifications for Google Product Search and Product Listing Ads.

In order for your products to continue to appear on Google Shopping, your feed will need to meet our feed specifications detailed at http://support.google.com/merchants/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2626314

All of the items in your feed must be in compliance with the Google Shopping policies. In particular, all items have to be family-safe. Please review the Google Shopping policies at http://support.google.com/merchants/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2632553

Enforcement of the new feed specifications will roll out gradually over the course of the summer, but new policies will be enforced starting July 1, 2012.

Sincerely,

The Google Shopping Team

© 2012 Google Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043
You have received this mandatory email service announcement to update you about important changes to your Google Merchant Center account.

 

YES, end of this year , the free search will over...

 

It is a bit annoying, but to be fair they are the best shopping comparison site out there and they were free even though most others costed money. I respect them for that.

 

just work for us , right ?

 

I wonder how Google Shopping compares to Product Search...

 

Google had better not get rid of the current shopping search tool. I don't care if they rename it to something but the current product search is in my opinion the best on the internet currently. This may give bing or another search engine an opportunity to gain some ground here.