If not, you are missing out on a significant amount of money every month. If you buy your Shopping traffic directly through Google, you are currently overpaying.

In 2017, the EU decided that Google Shopping should be opened up to other comparison service websites, ensuring better transparency for consumers.

This means that portals and sites similar to Pricerunner can buy into Google Shopping ads. Previously, there was a “monopoly-like status” where Google itself controlled who could advertise.

Google was fined by the EU’s competition commission with daily penalties of 5% of their total annual revenue until they found a solution to open up their Google Shopping advertising to other providers.

The solution was to open Google’s platform to other so-called “CSS,” which stands for Comparison Shopping Service. It allows advertising through a CSS program where Google offers a competitive discount on CPC. Currently, this discount is 20% off Google Shopping auction bids on all EU Google Shopping traffic.

At LAZZAWEB, we have a partnership with a Comparison Shopping Service, allowing us to pass on this advantage 100% free to our clients, as we have been approved to receive this discount through our partner.

To get started, a new CSS-approved Merchant Center account needs to be created and linked to a Google Ads account. From there, all you need to do is add your product feed and create a new Shopping campaign.

Conclusion:
If your Shopping ads say “Google,” and you purchase Shopping traffic through traditional means via Google Ads, you are currently missing out on a -20% savings. Therefore, investigate how to get started with CSS through an agency or independently through a comparison shopping service, which can be the path to achieving a -20% discount on your click prices.