How a Google Shopping CSS partner can save you money on ad spend

Because CSS partners work with multiple retailers, they can often negotiate better ad rates and provide expert campaign management, potentially reducing marketing costs and improving the visibility of your products. In this article, we'll briefly cover what a Google CSS partner does and explain how partnering with one can save you money on your ad spend.

Comparison Shopping Services (CSS) vs. Google CSS partners

You'll often hear "CSS" and "Google CSS partners" used together, but they're not exactly the same thing. CSS stands for Comparison Shopping Service; it's a price comparison website that Google uses to display product ads in Shopping results. A Google CSS partner, on the other hand, is a company that's been certified by Google to use the CSS platform on behalf of retailers.

Here's a breakdown of the differences:

Comparison Shopping Services

A Comparison Shopping Service is a website that collects product offers from different retailers and then sends users to the retailers’ websites to make a purchase. Merchants need to work with at least one CSS to begin placing Shopping ads. Google Shopping is the default CSS, but there are many other independent CSSs.

Google CSS partners

CSS partners are companies that have been trained and certified by Google to help businesses successfully advertise their products on Google Shopping. Their expertise lies in optimizing product feeds, managing bids, and ensuring your products are seen by the right customers within Google's platform. Additionally, CSS partners will often operate their own Comparison Shopping Service.

4 ways you can reduce your ad spend with a Google CSS partner

Working with a CSS partner can help you save money and get better results. Not only do they help you bypass some of Google's fees, but some also give you the tools and expertise to make your ads more effective. Here’s how they do it:

1. Reduced Google margin

When you run Shopping ads directly through Google, Google takes a 20% cut of your bid as their margin. This means that for every euro you spend, only €0.80 is actually going towards your ad spend. However, with a CSS partner, this 20% fee is eliminated. So every euro you spend goes directly towards your bid, giving you significantly more value for your money.

2. Increased bidding power

Not paying Google’s 20% margin translates directly into increased bidding power. Let's say you're willing to spend €1 on a click. Bidding with a CSS partner, that same €1 bid is equivalent to a €1.20 bid through Google directly.

This increased bidding power allows you to outbid your competitors more effectively and secure better ad placements, ultimately driving more traffic to your website. With increased bidding power, you can often achieve the same or better ad placement with lower bids, resulting in a lower cost-per-click.

Case study: Discover how Rocket Digital helped Noirfonce, a leading sneaker retailer, increase their return on ad spend by 30% and reduce costs by 25% by leveraging Channable as a CSS partner.

3. Google Shopping expertise to improve campaign performance

CSS partners bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. They understand the intricacies of Google Shopping campaigns, including product feed optimization, bid management, and targeting strategies. Most CSS partners handle the technical heavy lifting, ensuring your campaigns are set up correctly and running smoothly. This expertise can lead to improved campaign performance, including higher click-through rates (CTRs), increased conversions, and a better return on your ad spend.

4. Integrated tools to maximize return on ad spend

Some CSS partners offer a comprehensive suite of Google Ads tools beyond just CSS services. This can include centralized product feed management, PPC campaign optimization tools, and in-depth analytics. These integrated tools can be used to refine product data, improve campaign structure, and gain deeper insights into performance. They also allow you to automate and optimize your paid ads at scale saving you time and resources.

Why choose a Google CSS partner to save money on your ad spend?

If you're running Google Shopping ads and you're not using a CSS partner, you're likely leaving money on the table. Working with a CSS partner lets you bypass Google's hefty 20% margin, which, in turn, increases your bidding power.

You also get access to Google Shopping experts who can give you tips on how to optimize your campaigns, manage your bids, and make sure your products are seen by the right people. And some of these partners offer integrated tools that enable you to optimize your product feeds and ads, saving you time and improving campaign performance.

Ready to simplify your Google Shopping strategy with Channable as a CSS partner?

Channable's CSS is seamlessly integrated within the platform, accessible across all 21 supported markets. Easily combine Google Shopping with other marketing channels like Meta Ads, Amazon, eBay, and over 2,500 additional options, all managed from a single platform.

Channable's CSS is a key component of our Google Success Formula. We equip you with the tools to optimize listings, create targeted campaigns, leverage powerful features like product categorization, and seamlessly integrate with search ads – all within one user-friendly platform.

Here's are some other reasons why Channable is the perfect CSS partner:

• Automated campaigns and insights: Elevate your marketing strategy with automated PPC campaigns, and gain valuable insights from Channable Insights to measure performance and optimize campaigns for better results.

• Technical support: Channable provides exceptional, personalized technical support to empower you every step of the way.

• Simplified billing: Enjoy the convenience of consolidating all expenses into one bill.

• Risk-free partnership: Eliminate the need for intermediaries; the billing process directly engages the end customer, mitigating agency risks.

• Google CSS Premium Partner: A trusted name with a strong track record, Channable is Google's CSS Premium Partner and a winner of the Google CSS Spotlight Award

Want to see what Channable can do for you? Sign up for a free trial today.