Data tip: Location values

Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 9:50 AM

by Steven De La O, Google Base Operations

One formatting issue we've often come across when processing bulk uploads is the presence of invalid "location" values. Our bulk upload specifications mention that a valid location value is formatted as follows:

Street, city, state, postal code, and country

We understand complete addresses are not always available or applicable for certain items, so we accept partial addresses as well. So how can you find out if your location values will be accepted? Here's a tip you can use to check your values:

Before you submit your bulk upload file, try entering a few of your location values at http://local.google.com/. Your location is considered valid if it returns a hit on the Google Local map. If you don't get a hit, try modifying your location according to the suggestions Google Local makes. If you still can't get a hit, read the information in this Google Local help article.

We also use Google Local resources to help determine if location values in a file are valid. If your address works there, it should work in Google Base as well.

Join the Group

Thursday, January 19, 2006 at 3:53 PM

by Steven De La O, Google Base Operations

One mark of a strong community is the ability to help each other out, and that's one reason we have launched the Google Base Help Discussion group. If you have questions about Google Base, there's a pretty good chance someone else has encountered something similar, so please consider this an alternative source of support. Tap into a knowledge network of providers and their insights and experiences to resolve questions and problems.

From time to time, the Google Base team will post messages here, and we encourage all members to share thoughts and ideas and to interact with each other. Don't delay - why not join the group right now. The "join this group" link can be found just below the group title at http://groups.google.com/group/base-help-discussion. And before you start, remember to read the group charter.

Bulk uploads and subdomains

Wednesday, January 04, 2006 at 2:33 PM

By Steven De La O, Google Base Operations

One major sticking point for folks attempting to submit data to Google Base via bulk uploads has been fixed in our latest update.

Registering a URL in account settings is a requirement for submitting bulk upload files. Till recently, many people were prohibited from registering URLs that included subdomains. One example of a subdomain is http://groups.google.com/. If you registered http://groups.google.com/base-help-discussion/, nobody else could register a URL that included that subdomain. For example, http://groups.google.com/Froogle-Merchants/ could not be registered for another account even though it points to a different page.

This was a major hitch that ultimately prevented many people from submitting their files, including those who have online stores with the same subdomains. This should no longer be a problem, and we are looking forward to receiving data that may have been affected by this issue till now.

Experimenting with navigation

Tuesday, December 27, 2005 at 6:53 PM

By Bindu Reddy, Product Manager

As you may have noticed, We've changed the navigation on Google Base, so that you can first view an item details page before clicking on to the Item URL page.

This change allows us to experiment with how you browse and search on Google Base and see related items. The item details page enables you to see all the attributes and labels attached to the item and provides links to items with similar labels. We want to measure how this navigation changes the number of searches and other ways people will use it. In the future we plan to test a number of other navigation changes in order to optimize the Google Base experience. By the way, search results that display Google Base items on Froogle, Google Local and Google will continue to point directly to item URL.

Finding your audience

Thursday, December 15, 2005 at 10:04 PM

By Roshan V., Google Base Operations

Google Base enables you to post content for others to find easily, but how can you ensure that your intended audience finds your pho recipe, Toyota MR2 for sale, or your San Francisco apartment rental? We've previously discussed the importance of labels used in conjunction with full descriptions to help your audience find your item, but what makes the difference between an item that a user passes over and one that attracts interest?

Making your item look good to a user attracts interest, and can be done easily with a few steps:

- Check your spelling and grammar. Who is going to follow a pho recipe that misspells "oxtail"? Correct spelling and grammar help your item to be understood by a wide audience, and won't distract from the substance. Speaking of distractions...

- Avoid repetitive text and excessive capitalization. That apartment may have a great view, but writing "GREAT VIEW" followed by seven
exclamation points doesn't convey any new information. Instead, include images with your item. It is a lot easier to picture that MR2 you have for sale when there's actually an image along with your description.

Check out our Help Center for even more formatting tips so your items can be published quickly and effectively reach the right audience.

What's up with labels?

Thursday, December 08, 2005 at 4:44 PM

By Clint G. from Google Base Operations

Labels are keywords or phrases that represent your item. For example, labels such as livestock, fibre and huacaya can be used to represent an article on raising alpacas.

Using random words from your description, including variations of item names, and reusing attribute values as labels is not generally recommended. Instead, focus on providing 10 labels that you feel will make it easier for users to find your item.

For example, here are some good labels that can be included for the listing of a large comic book collection.

Labels: Captain America, Superman, DC comics, Marvel, graphic novel, super heroes

So how should you use labels? Use them in combination with attributes to identify refined queries for searches performed on Google Base. If a user enters search terms matching either the content of your item or the labels you assigned in Google Base, your item will appear. By defining your labels purposely, you can easily expand the potential audience for your content.

Submit your local store inventory to Froogle

Wednesday, November 30, 2005 at 5:31 PM

By Samantha C. in Froogle Product Marketing:

Until recently, Froogle could only direct traffic to sellers' online stores - but not anymore. Using Google Base (and just in time for intensive holiday shopping), sellers with local stores can now use Froogle to get foot traffic, too. If you post both online and local inventory information, you let shoppers decide whether they want to buy via your website or by picking up the item from your store. This is especially useful for products that people like to try and see before they buy (clothing, electronics) as well as for items that are heavy or hard to ship (furniture, cars).

To have your local store information displayed in Froogle, use Google Base to provide us with information about the inventory in your local stores. For the details, go here.